Shopify SEO: Optimization Guide for Beginners

Shopify automatically handles technical SEO basics, but appearing in search engines still requires manual optimization.

This guide walks through 13 steps to optimize your Shopify store for search engines. 

You'll learn which SEO tasks Shopify manages automatically, which ones need your attention, and how to prioritize quick wins that drive traffic.

By the end, you'll know how to get your products in front of shoppers searching on Google, without paying for ads. Plus, you’ll get some tips for gaining visibility in AI systems like ChatGPT.

Shopify’s SEO Capabilities: What’s Automatic & What’s Not

Shopify’s built-in SEO features form the foundation of SEO for Shopify, handling several core technical tasks automatically. These defaults reduce duplicate content issues and ensure search engines can crawl your store without extra setup.

Here’s what Shopify manages for you versus what you optimize manually:

You don’t need apps or plugins for your Shopify store to do basic technical SEO. Your impact comes from optimizing things like titles, descriptions, internal links, and content across your store.

13 Shopify SEO Tips to Boost Your Store’s Visibility

Use these steps to improve SEO on your Shopify store to strengthen its visibility in traditional search engine results.

1. Set Up Analytics Tools & Google Merchant Center

Before optimizing individual pages, set up the core analytics tools that help you measure traffic, monitor search visibility, and diagnose SEO issues on your Shopify store:

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Install Google Analytics to track traffic and user behavior on your store
• Google Search Console (GSC): Install GSC to monitor search performance and indexing issues
• Semrush: Create a folder for your Shopify store and connect your GA4 and GSC accounts to monitor your site’s SEO health from your SEO Dashboard

Once these tracking tools are in place, connect Google Merchant Center to make your products eligible for Shopping results.

Connect Google Merchant Center

Google Merchant Center is Google’s platform for managing product data used in Shopping results. When you connect it to Shopify, your product catalog can appear in Google Shopping and other product listings beyond standard organic search results.

Here’s how to connect Merchant Center to your Shopify store:

1. In your Shopify admin, go to “Settings” > “Apps and sales channels” > “Shopify App Store”
2. Search for “Google & YouTube” and click “Install” next to the official “Google & YouTube” app
3. Back in your Shopify admin, click “Install” under the app
4. Click “Connect Google account” and sign in
5. Sign in and follow the prompts
6. Under “Connect your Google Merchant Center account,” select the appropriate account and click “Connect.” You’ll be prompted to complete some tasks for your online store if you haven’t yet done so.
7. Under “Confirm your recommended store setup,” enable product sync to automatically send your catalog to Merchant Center and confirm all your other settings
8. Agree to the terms and conditions and click “Complete setup”

Check your product feed status regularly to ensure your items remain approved and eligible for Shopping results by going to “Google & YouTube”in your Shopify admin.

2. Set Up a Logical Site Structure

A logical site structure organizes your pages with a clear hierarchy and uses internal links to other pages on your site to show search engines how your Shopify store is arranged.

A website with a logical site structure usually has a top menu containing the following pages:

• Homepage
• Category pages for products (Shopify displays these as “collections”)
• Subcategory pages
• Product pages

It’s also a good idea to make important pages accessible through a bottom menu:

Ensure that every page has at least one internal link pointing to it. Pages without internal links are called orphan pages, and they’re difficult for users and search engines to find.

See whether you have orphan pages with Semrush’s Site Audit tool. Once the audit is done, click the “View details” button under “Internal Linking.”

Look for the “Orphaned sitemap pages” issue and click the number next to it. 

This shows any orphan pages listed in your sitemap that need at least one relevant internal link pointing to them.

Navigation and linking are how you show search engines your site’s hierarchy. For Shopify stores, clear navigation and internal linking matters even more than for other types of websites because you can’t customize URL patterns beyond /products/ and /collections/. 

3. Customize Your Store’s URL

Customize your Shopify store’s URL to make your brand easier for customers to recognize and remember, which can encourage more direct visits and clicks from search results.

Shopify assigns a random number-based URL to every new store by default, which looks unprofessional and is hard for customers to remember.

Change the randomly assigned URL to include your brand name by going to your Shopify admin and clicking on “Settings” in the sidebar menu.

Then, click “Domains” in the left-hand menu.

Click the “Change to a new myshopify.com domain” link under your current URL name.

Enter your new Shopify store URL in the pop-up, then click “Add domain.”

For a fully custom domain (yourbrand.com instead of yourbrand.myshopify.com), click the “Buy new domain” button and follow the purchase flow.

4. Improve Your Shopify Store’s Speed

Improving your Shopify store’s speed directly affects the user experience and can improve your search rankings.

Improve your Shopify store’s speed by:

• Using the right image formats: JPG images for product photos and lifestyle images, and PNG files for assets that require transparency (like logos). Shopify automatically optimizes and delivers images through its CDN, but starting with the right format helps reduce file size and improve page speed.
• Compressing images: Large image files slow down page loads. Compress images to reduce file size without losing visible quality.
• Minimizing your code: Reduce unnecessary elements in your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to improve load times

And audit your Shopify apps regularly, because they can slow your store. Remove apps you’re not actively using—even disabled apps can still use resources. 

Check your app list in “Settings” > “Apps and sales channels.” Uninstall anything non-essential. 

It’s also a good idea to check your Shopify store’s speed using Semrush’s Site Audit tool, which measures Core Web Vitals and identifies specific speed issues to fix.

5. Find Relevant Keywords

Finding relevant keywords your customers search for lets you match your pages to those queries to increase your chances of appearing in relevant search results.

To find relevant keywords, list seed terms based on your product categories. If you sell home office supplies and furniture, your seed keywords are the products themselves, such as:

• Standing desks
• Ergonomic office chairs
• Desk risers

Enter one seed keyword into Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool to find relevant variations. 

Review the list for variations specific to your products. Focus on three metrics:

1. Search volume: How many times a keyword is searched each month. Higher volume means more potential traffic.
2. Keyword difficulty: How hard it is to rank in the top 10 results (on a scale from 0%-100%). Lower percentages are easier to rank for.
3. Search intent: Reveals what searchers want to accomplish. Target commercial and transactional keywords for product and collection pages. Informational keywords tend to work better for blog posts and other educational content.

Find keywords with decent search volume, relatively low difficulty, and relevant intent for your page type.

Add promising keywords to a list by selecting the checkboxes next to them, clicking “Send Keywords,” and selecting the circle next to “Keyword Strategy Builder.” 

Repeat this process for all your seed keywords to build complete keyword lists for your products and collections. 

6. Create Topic Clusters

Creating topic clusters helps search engines and users understand your store’s expertise and improves your chances of ranking for related terms.

A topic cluster has two components:

1. Pillar page: A main page that covers a broad topic (example: “running shoes”)
2. Cluster pages: More specific pages that cover related subtopics (examples: “trail running shoes,” “cushioned running shoes,” and “how to choose running shoes”)

Here’s how the strategy looks in practice:

Use Semrush’s Keyword Strategy Builder to identify cluster opportunities automatically.

Send your list from Keyword Magic Tool to Keyword Strategy Builder.

On the first page of Keyword Strategy Builder, click on your list under “Keyword lists.”

When you open your list, the tool takes you to the “Table” tab.

At the top of the page, click “Cluster this list.”

Keyword Strategy Builder will create clusters from your list. 

It will look like this:

In the above example, “womens sweaters” is the pillar page. Prioritize subpages based on search volume and fit for your brand. 

You can click “>” to expand any topic to see secondary keywords and content references from top-ranking pages.

Use these clusters to plan collection pages, product pages, and supporting content that comprehensively cover your product categories.

7. Write and Publish Blog Posts

Writing and publishing blog posts helps your store show in search results for keywords that are relevant to your store but that aren’t good fits for product or collection pages.

There’s a built-in blogging feature at “Content” > “Blog Posts” in your Shopify admin. Use it to create content that answers customer questions and links back to your products.

Follow these best practices for creating SEO-friendly blog content:

• Be helpful and unique: Provide useful information that differs from existing content to stand out in search results
• Use images: Break up text with visuals that clarify concepts
• Include internal links: Link to other relevant pages, so search engines understand how your pages relate to one another
• Mention products naturally: Reference your products when relevant to guide readers toward purchase decisions
• Add calls to action (CTAs): Guide readers to logical next steps like encouraging visits to your product pages

Use Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant to optimize as you write.

The tool checks your content as you write, reminding you to use keywords, flagging overly complex sentences, and identifying potential plagiarism issues.

8. Optimize Your Category & Product Pages

Optimize your collection (category) pages and product pages to target the commercial and transactional keywords you identified earlier. 

Optimize Collection Pages

To edit collection pages, go to “Products” > “Collections” and select the name of the collection you want to edit.

Write keyword-rich collection descriptions that explain what the category offers. 

This text helps search engines understand the page topic and gives shoppers context.

Here’s an example for a “Standing Desks” collection:

“Our standing desks combine ergonomic design with durability for home and office use. Choose from electric height-adjustable models, manual crank desks, and desk converters in multiple sizes and finishes.”

Link to related collections and relevant blog posts from your collection descriptions to help search engines discover connected content.

Optimize Product Pages

Product pages should target specific product searches like “electric standing desk 60 inch.”

Your product pages should include:

• A title containing your target keyword
• A description with your primary keyword and related keywords that explains benefits
• High-quality product images that clearly show the product from multiple angles
• Links to product variants
• Links to related products

Like this:

Consider including these optional but helpful additions to help shoppers evaluate your product and give search engines even more context:

• Shipping information
• Customer reviews
• Product FAQs

9. Optimize Your Title Tags, H1 Tags, URL Slugs, & Meta Descriptions

Optimizing your title tags, H1 tags, URL slugs, and meta descriptions helps search engines understand your page topic and improves how your pages appear in search results.

These elements work together to signal relevance, clarity, and quality for both users and search engines.

Optimize Title Tags and H1 Tags

Title tags and H1 tags are primary signals search engines use to understand a page’s topic. 

Title tags appear in search results and browser tabs, while H1 tags are the main headings visitors see on the page itself.

Use these best practices to optimize both:

• Keep them similar: Consistent titles help search engines confirm the page’s topic and reduce ambiguity in indexing
• Include your primary keyword: Adding your target keyword signals page relevance and supports stronger ranking potential
• Avoid keyword stuffing: Using the keyword naturally once or twice maintains clarity and helps search engines assess quality without flagging spam signals

Use Semrush’s On Page SEO Checker to identify improvements for your title tags and H1s.

Open the tool, enter your domain, and click “Get ideas.”

Follow the prompts and click “Collect ideas.”

After the report generates, go to the “Optimization Ideas” tab and click the “# ideas” button next to a page you want to optimize.

Scroll to the “Content” section to see whether your title tag and H1 include target keywords and avoid over-optimization.

Implement any suggested updates to improve your on-page SEO.

Optimize URL Slugs

A URL slug is the final part of a page’s URL. Shopify auto-generates URL slugs from page titles, but you can edit them in the “Search engine listing preview” section.

Here’s what an optimized URL slug looks like:

Keep URL slugs short and descriptive. And include your target keyword when possible. Compare these options:

• yourstore.com/collection/item-35672
• yourstore.com/collection/pink-running-shoes

The second version clearly describes the page content, which helps both users and search engines.

Write Effective Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions summarize a page’s content and may appear beneath the title in search results. While they don’t directly affect rankings, they influence click-through rate (CTR), which helps search engines evaluate relevance.

Write concise meta descriptions that:

• Include your primary keyword naturally
• Clearly describe what the page offers
• Use a subtle CTA
• Stay under 105 characters to avoid truncation

10. Use Proper Alt Text

Use clear, descriptive alt text (HTML that describes an image) to help search engines understand your images and improve your visibility in web and image search.

Alt text is read aloud by screen readers and appears when images fail to load:

Here’s what alt text looks like in your HTML:

To add alt text to your Shopify store’s product images, go to “Products,” select the appropriate product, scroll to the “Media” section, click the image you want to add alt text to, and add your copy in the “Alt text” field.

Use this pattern when adding alt text to product images: [Product Name] + [Key Visual Detail]

For example:

• “Nike Air Max 270 side view showing mesh upper”
• “Electric standing desk oak finish front angle”
• “Ergonomic office chair lumbar support detail”

This format helps search engines identify the product and increases the chances of your image showing across search experiences.

Keep these best practices in mind when adding alt text to any image:

• Skip decorative images: Don’t add alt text to purely decorative elements like background patterns
• Describe clearly: Use short, literal descriptions that convey what’s in the image
• Include keywords naturally: Add keywords only when they accurately reflect the image content

11. Include Structured Data to Stand Out in Search Results

Add structured data (schema markup) to help search engines understand your pages and interpret key details about your products, brand, and site structure.

Most Shopify themes include basic Product schema on product pages by default. This helps search engines identify details like product name, price, availability, and reviews. 

Expanding or refining your structured data can improve how your pages are interpreted and may support eligibility for enhanced search features when applicable.

Here’s what Product schema can look like in search results:

Some commonly used schema types for Shopify stores include:

• Product schema: Identifies core product details such as name, price, availability, and ratings (usually added automatically by Shopify themes)
• Organization schema: Provides structured brand and business information, often used to reinforce brand identity and trust signals
• BreadcrumbList schema: Clarifies your site’s page hierarchy and can help search engines understand how pages relate to each other

How to Add Schema

Shopify apps like Schema Plus for SEO are the easiest way to implement schema without editing code. After a free trial, plans start at $9.99 per month.

Adding structured data manually is possible, but it requires working with Shopify’s dynamic variables and editing theme files. If schema is implemented incorrectly, it can create data conflicts and invalidate structured data entirely.

If you want to add or customize schema without using an app, consider working with a Shopify developer.

After adding schema—whether through an app or custom implementation—use Semrush’s Site Audit to scan your domain for schema errors and confirm which pages have valid markup.

12. Build High-Quality Backlinks

Backlinks—links on other sites that point to your site—make you seem more authoritative to search engines, which improves your ability to rank for competitive keywords.

There are a few ways to earn backlinks to your Shopify store:

Create Linkable Assets

Produce content that naturally attracts links from forums, blogs, and other publications because it’s useful or reference-worthy:

• Buying guides: For example, “How to Choose the Right Standing Desk” or “Ergonomic Office Setup Guide”
• Product comparisons: Side-by-side comparisons helping customers make decisions
• Industry data or research: Original surveys, trend reports, or niche insights
• Installation and setup guides: Step-by-step instructions on how to use your products

Build Industry-Specific Relationships

Contacting other organizations and publications in your niche helps to build relationships that can result in backlinks:

• Manufacturer and supplier pages: Tap into your current network of partners because many brands are happy to link to authorized retailers
• Product review sites: Send products to reviewers in your industry to encourage coverage
• Gift guide roundups: Pitch products for holiday and occasion features that are common in many publications
• Industry associations: Join relevant trade groups that link to member stores

Run Outreach Campaigns

You can also build backlinks through structured outreach.

Open Semrush’s Link Building Tool, enter your domain, and click “Create project.”

Follow the prompts to enter your target keywords and competitors. Then, go to the “Prospects” tab to see sites you can reach out to.

When you find a site you want to contact, click the “To In Progress” button to move it into your outreach workflow. 

Go to the “In Progress” tab and select your chosen prospect to draft a personalized outreach message.

13. Know When You Need SEO Apps

Use SEO apps only when Shopify’s built-in features are no longer enough to manage your store efficiently or at scale.

Shopify already covers most foundational SEO needs—especially for smaller stores. You can manually edit title tags, product descriptions, meta descriptions, image alt text, and URLs without installing anything.

When Built-In Features Are Enough

You might not need SEO apps for your Shopify store if you’re:

• Managing under 50 products
• Comfortable editing meta tags directly in your Shopify admin
• Relying on Shopify’s automatic sitemap and canonical tag handling
• Not using schema markup beyond basic Product markup

Most beginners add too many apps early on, which slows page speed and creates more SEO problems than it solves.

When to Consider SEO Apps

Adding apps to your Shopify store becomes useful when you hit limitations that cost too much time to manage manually:

• Bulk editing at scale: Titles or descriptions across 200+ products
• Advanced schema markup: For example, breadcrumb schema
• Redirect management: Bulk redirects during a migration
• Image optimization: Compression and lazy loading to improve Core Web Vitals

Use apps only when they save significant time or add features Shopify doesn’t support out of the box.

How to Optimize Your Shopify Store for AI Search

Appearing in AI search platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity requires foundational SEO best practices and the following methods:

Use Consistent Entity Names

Clear entity usage helps search engines and AI platforms correctly associate your products, categories, and brand across the web.

To strengthen entity clarity, use consistent naming and descriptions for:

• Your brand name
• Your product names
• Your product categories
• Key attributes (material, size, use case, certification, etc.)

This consistency should apply across your entire site, and any external mentions of your products (e.g., reviews, buying guides, or partner listings). Consistent terminology helps AI systems and search engines understand that all references point to the same product entity.

Example of clear, entity-focused product language: 

“The [Brand] Organic Cotton Crew Neck T-Shirt is made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton and is available in sizes XS-XXL.”

Add FAQ Blocks to High-Value Pages

Adding FAQ-style content helps your pages align with the fan-out queries AI systems use, which is when a single user question expands into several related sub-questions.

Add FAQ sections to your homepage, category (collection) pages, and top product pages. Focus on real questions customers ask before purchasing, using language from:

• People Also Ask
• Customer support tickets or chat logs
• Question-based keywords from Keyword Magic Tool

Format FAQs as clear headings with short, direct answers. Avoid long paragraphs or promotional language.

Example questions for a coffee grinder product page:

• “What grind size works best for espresso?”
• “Can this grinder handle oily beans?”
• “How do I clean a burr grinder?”

Then, start each answer by directly addressing the question:

Make Content Easy for AI Systems to Parse and Reuse

AI search systems prioritize clear, well-structured text when selecting sources to answer user questions. Content that’s easy to scan and segment is more likely to be understood and reused.

To improve extractability, structure your content with clarity in mind:

• Usedescriptive headings that clearly state what the section answers
• Keep paragraphs short and focused on a single idea
• Place key definitions and explanations near the top of each section
• Use lists and tables to break down steps, features, or comparisons

This approach helps AI systems identify relevant passages quickly and reduces the risk of your content being misinterpreted or ignored.

Build Brand Mentions Across the Web

AI systems use brand mentions (not just backlinks) to assess a brand’s authority and relevance to different topics, which means it’s important to build more mentions across the web.

Improve your brand’s presence by:

• Being featured in roundup posts and buying guides
• Contacting bloggers to review your products
• Contributing guest posts that include natural brand references
• Participating in relevant communities and forums

Use Semrush’s Brand Monitoring tool to track when your brand—or a competitor’s brand—is mentioned online, even when there’s no link.

In Brand Monitoring, create a new campaign and enter your brand name. Then click “Create query.”

Add competitor brand names as additional queries. Click “Save changes.”

Now you can review new mentions across blogs, news sites, and forums.

Identify opportunities where your competitors are mentioned but you aren’t.

These insights help you spot publishers, communities, and content formats where your brand can earn more visibility.

Start Optimizing Your Shopify Store Today

Shopify handles the technical SEO foundations so you can focus on high-impact work like:

1. Connecting Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Google Merchant Center
2. Optimizing your top product pages
3. Running Site Audit to identify technical issues and prioritize speed fixes

Then, track your performance with Position Tracking to see how your search visibility changes over time. 

FAQs About Shopify SEO

Is Shopify Good for SEO?

Yes, Shopify is good for SEO for most small and mid-sized ecommerce stores. It includes features like automatic sitemaps, canonical tags, HTTPS, and mobile-friendly themes, covering technical SEO basics. 

Results depend on how well you optimize your content, internal links, and product pages. When used correctly, Shopify sites can rank competitively for many types of searches.

How Do I Fix Duplicate Content on Shopify?

Shopify adds canonical tags that help you avoid duplicates for cases like filtered or paginated URLs, but you can still end up with duplicate content by copying products or publishing similar pages. 

To fix duplicates, make page content unique, remove unnecessary copies, and set up 301 redirects.

What’s the Fastest Way to Start Ranking Shopify Product Pages?

The fastest way to rank product pages is to optimize your product pages’ content and title tags with keywords, maintain good technical health, and submit your sitemap in Google Search Console.

Do I Need an SEO App for Shopify?

You don’t need an SEO app if you’re comfortable editing meta tags, descriptions, and alt text in your Shopify admin. Apps become useful only when you need advanced capabilities.

This post was updated in 2025. Excerpts from the original article by Spencer Cappelli may remain.