What are effective ways to optimize online store content for SEO?

[Erica00]

I know this is a general discussion, but what are some recommendations to optimize a Shopify store's content for SEO? I think many small business store owners would benefit from this discussion since most don't have a hired content marketer. (at least I don't.)

Tips, tools, best practices are all welcome.

[haticeo]

Hello Erica, 

As a digital marketer, I'd suggest the following best practices to improve your Shopify store's content for SEO.

1. Optimize Shopify Meta Descriptions and Titles

Title tags and meta tags are still among the most powerful on-page SEO elements. A title tag is what users see in SERPs, which indicate the title of a specific page.

Use only one H1 tag on your pages. H1 tags are often used as the headline of a page, and they usually include keywords.

Tip: Shopify page titles are H1 tags by default. So, avoid creating additional H1 tags anywhere else on a page.

Make sure your titles are under 60 characters, so they show fully on SERP. Google displays the first 50-60 characters of most page titles. This is why you should include your main keyword near the beginning of your page title.

A meta description is the snippet text displayed under the page title in the search engine results. A better meta description can increase your CTR and thus help your rank higher. You should keep your meta descriptions under 155 characters. Google often cuts off longer meta descriptions.

Use Popupsmart’s free SERP preview tool to ensure your title and meta description length is optimal.

You can optimize your page titles and meta descriptions by:

• Including keywords in the title and meta description
• Using power words that drive clicks
• Using numbers, parentheses, brackets
• Including a date in the title
• Making sure your page titles are compelling

On your Shopify website, you can scroll down to “Edit Website SEO” to edit a page’s title and meta description.

Optimize the titles and meta descriptions of the following pages for SEO on Shopify:

• Blog posts
• Products
• Collections
• Homepage
• Pages

2. Include Keywords in Page URLs

Search engines see a page URL as an indication of what the page is about. To optimize your URLs and improve SEO on Shopify, you can:

• Include keywords in page URLs
• Keep the URLs short
• Avoid including stop words like “and” or “the”
• Optimize URLs of blog posts, pages, products, collections

You can edit your URLs in the “Edit Website SEO” section of your Shopify website.

Note that you shouldn’t change the URL of an existing page already receiving traffic or has links pointing to it. It might hurt the ranking and traffic.

3. Optimize Image Alt Tags and Filenames

Image optimization is another significant element in SEO for Shopify stores.

Write descriptive alt tags and filenames to your images.

Google Images make up nearly 23%  of all web searches.

To ensure your images show up in Image results, you should name each file with something descriptive and write descriptive alt tags that clearly explain the image.

Bad filename: img-16354.png Good filename: mens-white-shirt.png

4. Include Keywords in the Copy

Include your target keyword in the H1 of the page and the body text. Using a target keyword 2 or 3 times is often enough. Make sure the sentences sound natural. If not, you must have overdone it.

Use Synonyms and LSI Keywords

Aside from the exact target keyword, you can use synonyms and LSI(Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords as well.

LSI keywords are conceptually related terms that Google uses to deeply understand the topic of a web page.

You can use LSIGraph  to find LSI keywords.

5. Optimize Your Pages to Get Higher Engagement

Many SEOs believe that Google has started using engagement metrics to determine the level of relevance of a page shown in the search results. To optimize your pages for higher engagement in eCommerce, you can:

• Write detailed descriptions on your product pages.
• Give links to relevant products.
• Always use high-quality product images and videos.
• Highlight reviews and rankings for social proof.

If you also aim for Shopify blog SEO, you can:

• Keep your paragraphs and sentences short.
• Opt for a simple language.
• Use headings and subheadings properly according to a headline hierarchy.
• Include media such as images, videos, and gifs.

6. Map Out a Strong Internal Linking Strategy

When you use an anchor text to add a link from “Page A” to “Page B” on your site, it is called an internal link.

Internal links are helpful in SEO for Shopify Stores and any website because they can:

• Pass some of the SEO value from one page to the other.
• Make it easy for users to find relevant content.
• Help Google understand the content of a page.

In your Shopify eCommerce store, you can either add links manually or add a “related products” section to product your pages.

Bonus: If you want your site visitors to read your blog posts or go to your product pages, you can use Popupsmart's Shopify popups to promote them. That way, you can draw the attention of more users to where you want them to look.

I've also written an extensive Shopify SEO checklist if you'd like to learn more about the topic.

[ScottVickery]

That is a really good overview. Thank you.

[himanshu10]

As an SEO expert, I can recommend the following tips, tools, and best practices to optimize your Shopify store's content for SEO:

Conduct Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for and incorporate them into your content. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to find relevant keywords.

Optimize Your Product Pages: Ensure that your product pages have a descriptive title, meta description, and unique content that includes relevant keywords. Additionally, include high-quality images and videos that showcase your products.

Create High-Quality Content: Create blog posts, product descriptions, and other content that is unique, informative, and engaging. Aim to provide value to your customers and address their pain points.

Utilize Header Tags: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content and make it easier for search engines to understand the hierarchy of your content.

Optimize Your URLs: Use descriptive URLs that include relevant keywords and avoid using symbols or special characters.

Improve Site Speed: Optimize your images, enable caching, and use a content delivery network (CDN) to improve your site speed. Faster sites rank better in search results and provide a better user experience.

Do an SEO Audit: To know the issues situated with your site's on-page do an SEO audit. You can do this either manually or can use tools such as ecommerceseotools .com (free). By that, you can get an in-depth report for your site.

Build Backlinks: Build high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites in your niche to improve your site's domain authority and rankings.

Monitor Your Analytics: Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor your site's traffic, identify areas for improvement, and measure the success of your SEO efforts.

Some of the best tools for optimizing your Shopify store's content for SEO include Yoast SEO, Moz, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Ecommerce SEO Tools, and Google Keyword Planner. Remember that SEO is an ongoing process, so it's essential to continually monitor and update your content to stay ahead of the competition.

You can accomplish too much after implementing the above-mentioned points.

[hbwax]

Hi Himanshu, I'm new to seo, "would Utilize Header Tags: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content and make it easier for search engines to understand the hierarchy of your content" include product descriptions?

[himanshu10]

Hey, @hbwax 

When it comes to product descriptions, you can use header tags to break down the information into sections and highlight key points.

Clear and well-structured product descriptions can enhance the overall user experience, potentially leading to increased engagement and conversions. Remember to keep the content relevant and informative

[LyanVeness]

Hey there! I totally get what you mean – optimizing a Shopify store's content for SEO can be a real game-changer for small business owners like us who don't have a dedicated content marketer.

[LyanVeness]

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find relevant keywords that your target audience is searching for. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your product descriptions, titles, headings, and meta tags.

For more detailed tips and best practices, you might find this article helpful https://ecommercemaven.com/long-island-digital-marketing-services/. It offers a comprehensive guide on optimizing your Shopify store's content for SEO.

[SEOProStaff]

Hi @Erica00 ,

Great question! Optimizing Shopify store content for SEO involves a comprehensive strategy that starts with keyword research to understand what your audience is searching for. Ensure your titles, meta descriptions, and URLs are concise and keyword-rich. High-quality, engaging content that includes these keywords naturally will help, as will optimizing image alt texts for every product image to improve accessibility and SEO. Structuring your content with proper header tags (H1, H2, etc.) and ensuring your site is mobile-friendly and fast-loading are also key.

In this context, SEOPro can significantly streamline the optimization process. It offers a detailed SEO audit of your products and collections, identifying issues such as missing keywords in titles, descriptions, and meta tags. It also provides an SEO score and recommendations for improving your content across your Shopify store. With bulk optimization tools, you can quickly update meta titles, descriptions, alt texts, and more, ensuring consistency and boosting your SEO efforts.

Full disclosure: We are the developer of this app.