Why isn't my website ranking for its keywords?

[muiphan]

Hello everyone, I'm new to Shopify, and I have a small issue I hope you can help me with.

I want to sell T-shirts with the "Dear person behind me" slogan and related content. I came to Shopify with zero experience in this field. I didn't know how to find suppliers for these products, so I started by experimenting and creating a homepage with content related to the product keywords, making it look like a blog. I hoped that over time, as the homepage could rank for the desired keywords, I would find product suppliers and transition the homepage into a product-selling format. However, the issue is that some time has passed, and when I check the keywords on my homepage, it still shows as "N/A." I don't know what to do to get my website to rank, even if it's just at position 99. But no, it's still showing as "N/A."

I'm not sure if there's some Shopify setting that's affecting this issue that I'm unaware of and might have overlooked foolishly. I hope you understand the problem I'm describing and can provide me with some suggestions to improve the situation. Thank you very much.

My website is: dearpersonbehindme.net

[Dan-From-Ryviu]

Hi @muiphan 

It will take times, a lot of times to make your key works in top of ranks.

[muiphan]

Thank you for your feedback. I understand that achieving the top ranking may not be easy, but I am hoping for at least a ranking in the 9x or 10x. Currently, my ranking is still showing as "N/A," and I am concerned that there might be something within Shopify that I am unaware of that's affecting my ranking issue.

[muiphan]

I have rechecked the content on my homepage. The keywords appear in the title, Heading H1 H2, meta description, and my domain matches the keywords. I will also add images and content for alt tags. Currently, I don't have any products to build a product page. Additionally, could you please take a look at my homepage and kindly point out if there are any areas that need improvement?

[SEOKart]

Hello Muiphan,

Well, the SEO efforts take some time to show their effect but have long-term impacts on the website, and continue to benefit the website in the long run.

There is high competition in the market; additionally, SEO has been there for a long time, so every e-commerce business carries out basic SEO processes to optimize their stores. 

Thus, to sustain in the market and rank high on the keywords, you are required to:

1. Employ continuous efforts to optimize the store, which includes carrying out SEO audits on a regular basis, keeping the speed of the website in check, fixing all technical issues on the website, enabling rich snippets, etc.
2. You shall make effective use of social media platforms, as these platforms allow you to develop a personal and trustful relationship with customers, and influence them to visit the store. Additionally, social media platforms can be used to enhance the brand awareness of the website on digital platforms, which can improve the website’s credibility and help it rank better on SERP.
3. Increase keyword density, without keyword stuffing, by adding keywords to URLs, title tags, meta descriptions, images’ file names and alt texts, products’ names and descriptions, etc. However, ensure that the content on the website reads naturally.
4. Always publish high-quality content. If you publish blogs or articles on the website for content marketing, ensure that the website has high-quality well-researched content, which can increase the number of shares of the content and also help the website get more backlinks, which can improve the website’s ranking.
5. You can also depend on other link-building strategies, like: 
1. Guest posting on blog posting websites
2. Encouraging customers to post testimonials
3. Collaborating with suppliers/distributors/partners
4. Approaching business associations for backlinks
5. Following competitors’ strategies

Hope it helps!

Leesha

SEOKart

[JoesIdeas]

@muiphan Remember that every other person wants to rank on google top page as well, so you have to do more / be better than them to rank.

Back links are the single most important factor, in my opinion (I worked as an SEO consultant for a few years and ran various experiments).

That assumes you have all the basics, the things you can control on your site. My favorite resource for people gettings started with SEO is https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo.

To get more backlinks, look up "backlink strategies" in Google to get ideas (that guide above will give you ideas as well), or hire a professional SEO consultant to lead a program for you. When you're prospecting people to hire, ask for case studies and customer testimonials.

One of my favorite backlink techniques for ecommerce sites is to create an affiliate program. Then create an army of affiliates, all linking back to your site (because they're incentivized it will be much easier to get links), from blogs, youtube channels, etc. Check tip #2 in my 7 Shopify Automation Tips Guide: https://orderautomator.com/shopify-automation-tips#tip2.

SEO is just 1 part of your business, if you have the resources, I would try to hire for it, even just a 3 month project, with a good SEO consultant that will give you permanent results. If you're strapped for cash, you could try hiring an intern, someone that is aspiring to be a professional but needs experience. You might not get the best results but with basic knowledge they / you can provide a foundation level strategy that will help.

Blog posts help really well, but you have to be consistent (at least 2 articles a month I would do), and it will take time (6 - 9 months on average), and your content has to actually be good and useful (people land on the page, read the article, click your links, etc).

Good luck

[SEOProStaff]

Hi @muiphan ,

It sounds like you're facing a common challenge for new websites. SEO is a long-term strategy that involves several components beyond just keywords. First, ensure your site is indexed by search engines. Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console if you haven't already. Focus on creating high-quality, relevant content for your target audience. Use keywords naturally in your content, titles, and meta descriptions. Also, consider the technical SEO aspects of your site, such as mobile responsiveness and site speed.

SEOPro can help streamline this process by auditing your Shopify Products and Collections for SEO issues and providing recommendations for improvements. With SEOPro, you can also utilize bulk optimization tools for meta titles, descriptions, and even update product images alt text, making it easier to manage and improve your site's SEO over time. Remember, SEO improvement is a gradual process, and it takes time to see results.

Full disclosure: We are the developer of this app.

[Avitanshi_17]

Hi @muiphan! 😊 Welcome to Shopify and in the online selling business. First, let me say you're off to a creative start with the "Dear person behind me" idea—it’s a fun and positive concept that many people will love. Let’s look at your issue step by step and explore some ways to help your website start ranking for keywords.

Why Your Homepage Might Not Be Ranking Yet

1. New Websites Take Time
   Search engines like Google usually take a little while to notice and rank new websites. This is called the "sandbox" effect, and it’s normal for newer sites to take a few months to gain traction.
2. Low Content or Relevance
   If your homepage is more like a blog right now, it might not have enough specific content related to the keywords you're targeting. Google needs clear signals about what your website is about.
3. Technical SEO Setup
   Some basic settings in Shopify and your domain might be affecting your ranking. These can include how your site is indexed by search engines or whether your page titles and descriptions are optimized.
4. Backlinks and Authority
   Ranking also depends on other websites linking to your site (backlinks), which tells Google your site is trustworthy and useful.

How to Get Started with Ranking Your Website

Here are some simple steps you can take to improve your site's chances of ranking:

1. Optimize Your Homepage Content

• Use Keywords Naturally: Make sure the text on your homepage includes keywords like “Dear person behind me T-shirts” or “positive slogan T-shirts” naturally. Avoid overstuffing keywords, but ensure Google knows what you're offering.
• Write a Catchy Meta Title and Description: Go to your Shopify dashboard → Online Store → Preferences. Write a title like “Dear Person Behind Me T-Shirts – Positive Message Apparel” and a short description like “Shop T-shirts with inspiring slogans that make everyone smile. Discover unique designs and spread positivity with every step.”

2. Submit Your Site to Google Search Console

If you haven’t already, connect your website to Google Search Console.

• Submit your sitemap (found at yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml).
• This helps Google find and index your website faster.

3. Add More Content

• Create a blog section where you can write about topics like “How Positive Messages Can Brighten Someone's Day” or “The Meaning Behind the Dear Person Behind Me Trend.”
• Include images and product mockups even if you don’t have suppliers yet.

4. Find Product Suppliers Now

While you wait for your site to rank, you could start looking for suppliers to get products on your store sooner. Here are a few options:

• Print-on-Demand Services: Companies like Printful, Printify, or SPOD can help you design and sell T-shirts without holding inventory.
• Wholesale Marketplaces: Check platforms like Faire or Alibaba for bulk options.

5. Promote Your Website

• Share your site on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest to drive initial traffic.
• Ask friends and family to share your website.
• Traffic can help search engines see your site is active and worth ranking.

6. Build Backlinks

• Reach out to blogs, forums, or influencers in your niche to write about your brand or link back to your site.

7. Patience Is Key

SEO takes time. While waiting for organic traffic, you can try running small paid ads on Google or social media to test demand for your T-shirts.

Shopify-Specific Tips

• Check SEO Settings: Make sure your pages, collections, and products (when you have them) all have proper SEO titles and descriptions. In Shopify, each page has an "Edit Website SEO" option at the bottom.
• Check Robots.txt File: In rare cases, a website might accidentally block search engines from indexing it. You can check this in Shopify by going to your website.com/robots.txt. If you see “Disallow: /,” it’s blocking search engines, and you’ll need to adjust it.

Final Words

You’ve got a great idea, and with some tweaks, your website will start gaining visibility. Keep working on improving your content and site structure, and don't hesitate to ask for help here or in SEO groups if you get stuck. Best of luck with your T-shirt business, you’re doing great so far! 💪

Let us know if you have more questions!