SEO strategy for existing .ca Shopify now wanting US-awesome-ranking on .com via Shopify Markets

[laraspence]

Hi all! My client has a nicely-ranking .ca website (shop.5starfinishes.ca) - originally, his Shopify store was just for Canadian customers. We just used Shopify Markets to point US shoppers to 5starfinishes.com (it was made secondary domain in Shopify Markets). It's a new domain. I would love advice on best next steps to help this store (5starfinishes.com) rank as high as possible in US SERP - should we switch the primary/secondary? Or, patiently build links to the .com? Don't want to use the decent rankings we have. The client is happy that we have the two country-specific 'experiences' from one set of products/Shopify. Saved tons of time! Thanks for your advice! 

[Yvonne_Yoast]

HI @laraspence, 

To help the new domain 5starfinishes.com rank well in US search engine results pages (SERPs), you can consider the following steps:

1. Internationalization with Shopify Markets: Since you are using Shopify Markets, ensure that the setup is correctly configured to handle internationalization. This includes using the appropriate hreflang tags, which Shopify should automatically add to your pages to help search engines understand the geographical targeting of your domains.

2. Content and SEO Optimization: Focus on optimizing the content for the US audience. This includes using US-specific keywords and ensuring that the content resonates with US customers. You can use tools like Yoast SEO for Shopify to help with keyword optimization and other SEO tasks.

3. Link Building: Building quality backlinks to the .com domain is crucial. Focus on acquiring links from reputable US-based websites to improve the domain authority and visibility in US SERPs.

4. Local SEO: If applicable, optimize for local SEO by creating a Google My Business profile for the US market and ensuring that your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information is consistent across all platforms.

5. Monitor Performance: Use tools like Google Search Console to monitor the performance of both domains. This will help you understand how each domain is performing and make data-driven decisions.

6. Patience and Consistency: SEO takes time, so be patient and consistent with your efforts. Regularly update and optimize your content based on performance data.

Switching the primary/secondary domain might not be necessary if you are satisfied with the current setup and it aligns with your business goals. However, if you notice significant issues with ranking or user experience, reconsidering the domain strategy might be worthwhile.

I hope this helps.