Shopify SEO Checklist: Boost Your Store’s Organic Rankings

 

Running a Shopify store is exciting—until you realize that getting traffic isn’t as simple as just going live. If you want people to find your products on Google, you need to put some effort into SEO. It’s not complicated, and you don’t need to be a tech expert. You just need the right steps in place. This blog will walk you through a simple Shopify SEO checklist to help improve your visibility and bring in organic traffic.

1. Pick Keywords That Your Customers Actually Search

The first thing you want to do is figure out what words your potential customers type into search engines. These are your keywords. Let’s say you sell leather belts. People might be searching for "genuine leather belts for men" or "handmade brown belts." Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or even the search suggestions on Google to get ideas.

Once you have your list, spread those keywords across your product titles, meta descriptions, headings, and image file names. Don’t just stuff them everywhere—use them where they make sense.

2. Fix Your Page Titles and Meta Descriptions

Your page title is the blue clickable link you see in Google search results. The meta description is the short paragraph beneath it. These two things are the first impression your store gives to someone searching for your products.

Keep titles clear and make sure they include your keywords. For example, "Men’s Brown Leather Belt | Brand Name" works better than something vague like "Best Products Online."

Your meta description should give people a reason to click. Something like “High-quality handmade leather belts for daily wear. Free shipping available” works well. Keep it short—around 150–160 characters.

3. Structure URLs the Right Way

Clean URLs are easier for both Google and people to understand. Shopify sometimes adds extra words like "/collections/" or "/products/" in the URL. While you can’t always remove these, you can keep your custom part short and clear.

Instead of:
yourstore.com/products/product123

Use something like:
yourstore.com/products/mens-leather-belt

This gives Google more clues and makes the URL easier to read.

4. Add ALT Text to Your Images

Google can’t see your product images, but it does read the "alt text" that describes them. Make sure every image has alt text that explains what the image shows. For example, if it’s a close-up of a brown leather belt, your alt text might be “close-up of handmade brown leather belt buckle.”

This small step helps with image search rankings and also improves your site’s accessibility.

5. Create a Blog to Keep Things Fresh

Adding a blog to your Shopify store is a smart move. You can write posts answering common questions, sharing product use cases, or offering styling tips. For instance, if you sell belts, a post on "How to Choose the Right Belt for Every Occasion" can pull in traffic.

Make sure your posts use your keywords naturally and offer useful information. Don’t copy from other sites—Google prefers original content.

Also, this is a great area where a digital marketing company as Dzinepixel can step in to handle regular posting and SEO writing while you focus on your store.

6. Improve Site Speed

People hate waiting. If your site takes more than a few seconds to load, many visitors will leave. That’s not just bad for business—it’s also bad for your search rankings.

Start by compressing your images so they’re not too large. Avoid adding too many apps that slow things down. Shopify has built-in features to help with speed, and you can also check tools like Google PageSpeed Insights for suggestions.

7. Set Up 301 Redirects for Broken Links

Sometimes you might delete a product or change a page’s URL. When that happens, old links can lead to a “404 page not found” error. Search engines don’t like that, and neither do visitors.

To fix this, set up a 301 redirect from the old link to the new one. Shopify makes this process easy—just go to the “Navigation” section and look for the “URL Redirects” option.

8. Get Backlinks from Other Sites

Backlinks are when other websites link to yours. They act like votes of trust. If a popular blog writes about your store and includes a link, it can give your rankings a boost.

You can reach out to bloggers, list your store in relevant directories, or collaborate with other small business owners. Digital marketing company as Dzinepixel can help with outreach and managing these relationships if you don’t have the time.

9. Submit Your Sitemap to Google Search Console

Shopify automatically generates a sitemap for your store. This is a file that lists all your pages and products so Google can find and index them easily.

To help speed up indexing, sign up for Google Search Console and submit your sitemap. The URL usually looks like this: yourstore.com/sitemap.xml

Once submitted, Google will be able to crawl your site more efficiently.

10. Use Shopify SEO Apps Wisely

There are several SEO apps on Shopify’s App Store. Some help with meta tags, others suggest improvements or fix issues. Don’t overdo it—pick one or two reliable apps and learn how they work.

Popular ones include:

• Plug in SEO

• Smart SEO

• SEO Manager

Test a few and choose what suits your workflow best.

Improving your Shopify store’s SEO isn’t about making huge changes all at once. It’s about paying attention to the basics and being consistent. Whether you handle it yourself or work with a digital marketing company, following this checklist will help your store climb up in search rankings and get in front of the right customers—without needing a giant ad budget.

If you’re just starting out, pick two or three items from the checklist to focus on this week. Keep it simple, track your progress, and add more as you go. Over time, you’ll see real results from your efforts.