How can a new Shopify store improve SEO on a budget to increase traffic and rank higher on Google?

SEO

Topic summary

New Shopify owner seeks low‑budget SEO steps for a fashion/garments store; early feedback flags missing basics (H1/H2 headings and image alt text) with screenshots illustrating issues. A second newbie asks where to find H1/H2; a sample screenshot is provided.

Key recommended actions:

  • Start with an SEO audit (Shopify SEO audit tools/Ahrefs) to surface errors before changes.
  • On‑page essentials: target a primary high‑volume keyword per page; add H1/H2 (page headings) and alt text (image descriptions); write unique meta titles/descriptions; use product keywords in titles/descriptions and add an FAQs section.
  • Technical fixes: resolve duplicate content using canonical tags (mark the preferred URL), fix 404s/redirect loops, add an HTML sitemap.
  • Performance/mobile: compress images, improve page speed, test mobile friendliness (Google PageSpeed Insights/Mobile‑Friendly Test).
  • Content and links: publish informative, buying‑intent blog posts with internal links; pursue quality backlinks and broken‑link opportunities; build an email list via popups.
  • Prioritize top ~25 products/collections first.

Tools/apps mentioned: Google Keyword Planner, GA, Ahrefs, SEMrush; Shopify apps like SEOAnt, Avada, Booster SEO, TinyIMG (SEOAnt promotes features such as AMP, keyword monitor, AI content, backlink exchange, and a 30% discount).

Outcome: No final resolution; OP thanked contributors. Discussion remains open.

Summarized with AI on December 13. AI used: gpt-5.
28

Hello, here are some things that could help you rank higher:

  1. Target Relevant Keywords: Research and identify relevant keywords related to your products, specifically for the page you provided. Include these keywords naturally in the page title, meta description, headings, and throughout the content.

  2. On-Page Optimization: Ensure that your page has a well-structured layout with descriptive headings, alt tags for images, and optimized URLs. Optimize the content on the page by incorporating the targeted keywords appropriately.

  3. High-Quality Content: Create informative and engaging content that provides value to your audience. Consider adding unique product descriptions, user reviews, and helpful information about the products on the page.

  4. Improve Page Load Speed: Optimize the loading speed of your website, as faster-loading pages tend to rank higher in search results. Compress images, minimize code, and leverage caching techniques to improve page speed.

  5. Mobile-Friendly Design: Ensure that your website is responsive and mobile-friendly. With the majority of internet users accessing websites on mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly design is crucial for SEO and user experience.

  6. Build Backlinks: Focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites related to your industry. This can be achieved through guest blogging, influencer collaborations, or reaching out to relevant websites for partnerships.

  7. Leverage Social Media: Share your website content on social media platforms to increase visibility, generate traffic, and potentially earn backlinks. Engage with your audience and encourage social sharing of your content.

  8. Utilize Google Search Console.

Here are some guidelines for the Google Search Console:

  1. Submit your sitemap: Submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console helps Google understand the structure and organization of your website. It ensures that all your pages are indexed properly and can be discovered by search engines.

  2. Check for crawl errors: The Crawl Errors report in Search Console highlights any issues encountered by Google when crawling your website. Fixing these errors, such as broken links or pages that return a 404 error, ensures that search engines can properly index and navigate your site.

  3. Monitor search analytics: The Performance report provides valuable data on how your website is performing in Google search results. You can analyze the search queries that drive traffic to your site, track clicks and impressions, and identify opportunities to optimize your content for higher visibility.

  4. Identify indexing issues: Google Search Console helps you identify if there are any pages on your website that are not being indexed by Google. If you discover any indexing issues, you can investigate and resolve them to ensure that all your important pages are included in search results.

  5. Monitor mobile usability: With the increased importance of mobile-friendly websites, the Mobile Usability report in Search Console helps you identify any mobile-specific issues on your site. This report highlights any pages that may have problems with mobile usability, such as viewport configuration or touch elements too close together.

  6. Submit URL for indexing: If you have recently made significant changes to a page or have new content that you want to be indexed quickly, you can use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console to request indexing. This ensures that Google recrawls and indexes the updated content faster.

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