SEO Efforts

[Faisal_Vahed]

Hi Folks

If I upgrade my Shopify theme, will SEO work done over the past few years be lost?

I cannot find a conclusive answer on this anywhere online.

Thanks

[Yvonne_Yoast]

Hi @Faisal_Vahed, 

Upgrading your Shopify theme generally shouldn't result in the loss of SEO work you've done over the past few years, but there are a few considerations to keep in mind to ensure your SEO efforts remain intact:

1. On-Page SEO Elements: If you've customized elements like meta titles, meta descriptions, header tags, or alt text for images, these should be maintained during a theme upgrade. However, if your new theme has different templates or layouts, you'll need to ensure these SEO elements are still correctly implemented in the new theme.

2. URL Structure: Shopify themes usually don't affect your URL structure, so as long as you haven't changed the structure of your URLs, your existing SEO should be preserved. However, it's essential to double-check that URLs remain consistent after the upgrade.

3. Redirects: If the new theme causes any changes to the URL structure, you'll need to set up proper redirects to avoid broken links and maintain your search engine rankings.

4. Custom Code and SEO Apps: If you were using custom code or SEO apps that are integrated with your old theme, you may need to reconfigure or reinstall these for the new theme.
   
   For instance, if you use the Yoast Shopify app to optimize the SEO on your store, when you change the theme, the app has the option to re-integrate the SEO app to your new theme.
   
   If you have a custom code then you have to reconfigure theme to your new theme files. 
   
   

5. Content and Internal Linking: Ensure that your content and internal linking structure are not disrupted by the theme change. Any loss in content or broken internal links can negatively impact your SEO.

6. Testing: After upgrading your theme, it's a good idea to thoroughly test your site to ensure all SEO elements are functioning as expected. You can use tools like Google Search Console or various SEO auditing tools to check for issues.

In summary, while upgrading your Shopify theme shouldn’t inherently cause you to lose SEO work, it’s crucial to carefully manage the transition and verify that all your SEO elements are properly configured in the new theme.

[Faisal_Vahed]

Thanks Yvonne...will check out YOAST.

[Yvonne_Yoast]

You're welcome! The Yoast Shopify has a 14-day trial period which you can test on your store and see the difference. 

[SEOAnt-Zoey]

Hi,
I am glad to participate in your topic.
This is our real experience, and I hope it answers your question.

Our SEOAnt user found us and asked us to help him solve some problems on his website.
Then this problem has nothing to do with SEOAnt, and we only helped the user when we could (within our capabilities).

In order to help the merchant, we wrote code in the merchant's theme.
Then not long after, the user found us again and said that after he upgraded the theme version, the problem reappeared.
We then learned that because of the theme upgrade, the code we wrote in the theme disappeared. So we guess that when the theme is upgraded, the theme code will be restored to its original state, and non-original code may be cleared.

So if your SEO work, an expert helped you write code in the theme, it is likely to be cleared, which means your SEO work will disappear.

So I suggest that before you upgrade the theme, copy the original theme as a backup.

The SEO of the website is very important.
I just asked our developers. Our SEOAnt ‑ AI SEO Optimizer only has one line of code in the theme, and this line of code can be generated again after the upgrade by turning on the switch again.
So 99% of our code is in the extension switch. Even if you upgrade the theme, they are still there, so it is very safe.

And SEOAnt ‑ AI SEO Optimizer has a function that other apps don’t have among all SEO apps, namely keyword analysis, which can do the following:

1. Check your own keyword ranking and traffic to understand the traffic source of your website
2. Analyze competitor keywords, select high-traffic and low-difficulty keywords for your own use, and check the changes after using competitor keywords
3. Compare competitor keywords, compare and analyze the ranking and traffic of my website and competitor websites for the same keyword, and understand the keywords shared by me and competitor websites.

If you want to try SEOAnt ‑ AI SEO Optimizer, you can click this link to install it. If you want to pay, you can enter this code: "SEOAnt-AI SEO40%OFF" on the price page, and you will get a 40% discount on All Plans, which is valid for a long time.

Finally, I wish you a prosperous business and a happy life!

[Avitanshi_17]

Hi there!

When upgrading your Shopify theme, the SEO work you've put in over the years can largely remain intact, but it depends on how the new theme handles your existing SEO elements. Here are some key points to consider to safeguard your SEO:

1. Meta Tags and Structured Data: Shopify usually retains meta titles, descriptions, and alt tags for images, as these are tied to products and pages rather than the theme itself. However, if you had custom SEO improvements, like structured data (schema markup) added directly to your old theme, you’ll want to make sure these are implemented in the new theme. Many modern Shopify themes now include structured data support, but double-check to confirm.
2. URL Structure: Shopify’s URL structure is not typically affected by a theme change, as it’s managed by the platform. So, you should keep the same URLs, which helps maintain SEO stability. Just ensure you don't delete or move pages during the theme transition, as that could impact ranking.
3. Internal Links: Navigation, menus, and internal links can change with a new theme, especially if the new design alters where and how links appear. Make sure your main categories, popular products, and other important links are still prominent and accessible. This helps maintain crawlability and authority flow across your site.
4. Page Speed: A new theme can impact page load speed, which is an SEO ranking factor. Choose a theme that’s optimized for performance, as a slower theme can negatively impact SEO. Once the new theme is live, run tests with tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix and address any speed issues.
5. Mobile-Friendliness: Most new Shopify themes are mobile-optimized, but ensure your new theme is fully responsive and offers a great user experience on all devices. Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing, so a mobile-friendly design is critical for SEO.
6. Analytics and Tracking Codes: If you have tracking codes (like Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel) added directly to your theme files, they may need to be reinstalled in the new theme. Check to make sure your tracking is still functioning as expected.

Best Practice: Before switching, create a backup of your current theme, and after upgrading, run a full site audit to check for any issues. Consider using a tool like Screaming Frog to crawl the site for broken links, missing meta tags, and other potential SEO problems.

In summary, your SEO work shouldn’t be lost if you ensure critical elements are preserved or reinstated in the new theme. Carefully auditing your site post-upgrade will help catch any areas that need attention.

Hope this helps, and best of luck with the upgrade!