13 tips to improve your Shopify SEO

Shopify is naturally a good SEO platform — but “good by nature” is not the same as “optimised”. Most Shopify stores leave organic traffic on the table because they don’t have the basics in order. In this article I share 13 concrete tips that will directly improve your Shopify SEO.

Why SEO is so important for your webshop

Paid traffic (Google Ads, Meta Ads) stops as soon as your budget runs out. Organic traffic from Google works 24/7, even while you sleep. A webshop with strong SEO has a sustainable channel for new customers without ongoing advertising costs.

For a more comprehensive SEO approach, you can also look at our Shopify SEO service.

---

Technical SEO

Tip 1: Ensure a clean URL structure

Shopify automatically generates URLs, but these aren’t always ideal. By default every product is under /products/productname — that’s fine. But avoid duplicate URLs for the same product (e.g. via collections).

Shopify has a default canonicalization issue: a product is accessible via /products/name and via /collections/collection/products/name. Shopify adds a canonical tag automatically, but check whether this works correctly in your theme.

Tip 2: Optimise your page speed

Load time directly affects your Google ranking. The most important Shopify improvements:

• Compress images to WebP (Shopify does this automatically if you use the built-in Image component)
• Remove unused apps — each app loads extra scripts
• Use lazy loading for images outside the viewport
• Minimise the number of custom fonts

Tip 3: Create a correct sitemap

Shopify automatically generates a sitemap at /sitemap.xml. Submit this via Google Search Console. Also check whether all important pages are included and there are no unnecessary pages in it (e.g. empty collection pages).

Tip 4: Use structured data (schema.org)

Schema markup helps Google understand what’s on your page. For Shopify this is most important on:

• Product pages: Product schema with price, availability and reviews
• Collection pages: ItemList schema
• Blog posts: Article schema

Some Shopify themes add this automatically. Check it via Google’s Rich Results Test.

---

On-page SEO

Tip 5: Write unique meta titles and descriptions

Shopify automatically fills in meta titles from the product name. That’s a missed opportunity. Write a unique meta title (max. 60 characters) with the primary keyword for every product page and collection page.

Good: “Women’s Running Shoes — Lightweight & Cushioned | BrandName” Not: “Women’s Running Shoes”

Tip 6: Optimise your collection pages

Collection pages are gold for SEO. They rank for category keywords that have high search volume (e.g. “women’s trainers”, “organic skincare”). Add intro text of at least 100–200 words above or below the products.

Tip 7: Write comprehensive product descriptions

Thin product pages (under 300 words) rank poorly. Add valuable information: dimensions, materials, usage tips, styling suggestions. This helps both the customer and Google.

Tip 8: Use image alt text

Every product image needs alt text. Shopify uses the image filename as alt text by default — that’s rarely optimal. Write descriptive alt texts that describe the product and contain relevant keywords.

---

Link building and authority

Tip 9: Build internal links

Internal links help Google understand the structure of your site and distribute authority. Link from your blog posts to relevant product pages and collections. Link from product pages to related products.

Tip 10: Earn external backlinks

Backlinks from other websites are one of the strongest ranking factors. For webshops this works well:

• Collaborating with bloggers and influencers in your niche
• Guest posting on relevant websites
• Mentions in online comparison sites and product roundups
• Press mentions at product launches

---

Content strategy

Tip 11: Start a blog

A blog on your Shopify store is one of the most effective ways to generate organic traffic for informational search queries. Write about topics that interest your target audience — not about your company.

Examples: “How to choose the right running shoe size?”, “Best sports nutrition for beginners”, “What is the difference between X and Y?”

Tip 12: Create comparison content

People comparing products are ready to buy. Write comparison articles (“Product A vs. Product B”) and rankings (“The 10 best [products] of 2026”). This type of content converts well and attracts backlinks.

Tip 13: Monitor your rankings and keep improving

SEO is not a one-time action. Use Google Search Console (free) to see which keywords you’re already ranking for and where opportunities lie. Look at which pages are in positions 8–15 — these can often be moved to the first page with some optimisation.

---

Conclusion

Shopify provides a strong technical foundation, but the SEO gains come in the details: meta titles, collection pages, comprehensive product descriptions and a smart content strategy. Start with the technical foundation (sitemap, speed, schema) and work towards on-page and content optimisation.

Want us to run an SEO audit on your Shopify store? Get in touch for a free analysis.