SEO Efforts

Shopify Discussion
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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!