I. Introduction
Running an online store on Shopify is a great way to sell products and services to customers all over the world, but if you want to reach more customers and increase your sales, it’s important to make sure your store is optimised for search engines. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of making sure that your store is structured in a way that makes it easy for search engines like Google to understand what your store is about and display it in relevant search results.
Brief overview of the 7 key Shopify SEO ranking factors
In this article, we will discuss the 7 key Shopify SEO ranking factors that you should be aware of and what you can do to improve your rankings.
Content Quality: The quality of your content is one of the most important factors in determining your search engine rankings. Search engines want to see that your site has valuable, high-quality information that is relevant to the keywords you’re targeting.
On-Page Optimisation: On-page optimisation is the process of making sure that your site is structured in a way that makes it easy for search engines to understand what your site is about. This includes things like using relevant keywords in your title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags, as well as making sure that your site is easy to navigate.
Backlinks: Backlinks are links that point to your site from other sites. Search engines see these links as a sign of your site’s popularity and authority. The more high-quality backlinks you have pointing to your site, the higher your search engine rankings will be.
Social Signals: Social signals are indicators of how popular your site is on social media. Search engines take into account how often your site is shared on social media, as well as how many likes, shares, and comments your content receives.
Mobile Optimisation: More and more people are using their mobile devices to browse the internet, so it’s important that your site is optimised for mobile devices. This means that your site should be responsive, and should also be fast-loading.
Site Speed: Site speed is another important factor in determining your search engine rankings. Search engines want to see that your site loads quickly and that visitors have a good experience on your site.
Technical SEO: The technical aspects of your website play a key role in SEO, this includes aspects like site structure, clean URLs, meta tags, and structured data.
By understanding these key Shopify SEO ranking factors and implementing strategies to improve them, you can increase your search engine rankings and drive more traffic and sales to your online store.
II. Content Quality
One of the most important factors in determining your search engine rankings is the quality of your content. Search engines want to see that your site has valuable, high-quality information that is relevant to the keywords you’re targeting. This means that you should focus on creating engaging, well-written content that provides value to your visitors.
Here are some tips for creating high-quality content for your Shopify store:
- Conduct keyword research to identify the keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for and make sure to include them in your content.
- Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up your content and make it easy to read.
- Use images and videos to add visual interest to your content and break up large blocks of text.
- Include internal and external links to other relevant pages on your site and to authoritative sources in your industry.
- Optimise your content for readability and user experience, make sure it is easy to scan and understand.
It is also important to regularly update your website with fresh and relevant content, whether it be new blog posts, product descriptions or even just updating your FAQ page. This not only helps your visitors by keeping them informed but also sends signals to search engines that your website is active and relevant.
By focusing on creating high-quality content that provides value to your visitors, you can improve your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your Shopify store.
III. On-Page Optimisation
On-page optimisation is the process of making sure that your site is structured in a way that makes it easy for search engines to understand what your site is about. This includes things like using relevant keywords in your title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags, as well as making sure that your site is easy to navigate.
Here are some tips for optimising your Shopify store for on-page SEO:
Use relevant keywords in your title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags. These tags give search engines important information about the content of your pages.
Use alt tags to describe your images, this helps search engines understand the context of your images and also provides accessibility to visually impaired visitors.
Make sure your site is easy to navigate, with a clear and logical structure. This helps search engines understand the hierarchy of your content and makes it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for.
Optimise your URLs to be clean and easy to read, including relevant keywords.
Use structured data to help search engines understand the type of content on your website, this could be by using schema.org markup.
There are also many tools and resources available to help you monitor and improve your on-page SEO, such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console. These tools can provide valuable insights into how search engines are crawling and indexing your site, and can help you identify and fix any issues that may be impacting your rankings.
By focusing on on-page optimization and making sure your site is easy for search engines to understand, you can improve your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your Shopify store.
IV. Backlinks
Backlinks are links that point to your site from other sites. Search engines see these links as a sign of your site’s popularity and authority. The more high-quality backlinks you have pointing to your site, the higher your search engine rankings will be.
Here are some strategies for building high-quality backlinks to your Shopify store:
Reach out to other websites in your industry and ask if they would be willing to link to your site.
Create high-quality content that other websites would want to link to, such as infographics, whitepapers, or research studies.
Participate in online communities and forums related to your industry, and include a link to your site in your forum signature or profile.
Submit your site to online directories and business listings, such as the Yellow Pages.
It’s also important to keep track of the backlinks pointing to your site, this can be done by using tools like Ahrefs, Majestic, or SEMrush. This will help you keep track of which websites are linking to you and identify any low-quality or potentially harmful links that may be negatively impacting your rankings.
By focusing on building high-quality backlinks to your Shopify store, you can improve your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site.
V. Social Signals
Social signals are indicators of how popular your site is on social media. Search engines take into account how often your site is shared on social media, as well as how many likes, shares, and comments your content receives.
Here are some tips for increasing social media engagement and shares for your Shopify store:
Share your content on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and encourage your visitors to share it as well.
Use social media sharing buttons on your site to make it easy for visitors to share your content.
Create social media profiles for your business and regularly post updates and information about your products and services.
Use social media advertising to reach a larger audience and drive more traffic to your site.
It’s also important to keep track of your social media performance, you can use analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social to measure your social media engagement, follower growth, and click-through rates.
By focusing on increasing social media engagement and shares for your Shopify store, you can improve your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site.
VI. Mobile Optimisation
With more and more people using their mobile devices to browse the internet, it’s important that your site is optimised for mobile devices. This means that your site should be responsive, meaning it should adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions, and should also be fast-loading.
Here are some tips for making your Shopify store responsive and fast-loading on mobile devices:
Use a responsive theme for your Shopify store that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes.
Optimise your images to reduce their file size without sacrificing quality, this will help your pages load faster on mobile devices.
Use a content delivery network (CDN) to distribute your content globally and reduce load times for mobile visitors.
Test your site on different mobile devices and browsers to make sure it looks and functions correctly.
There are also many tools available to help you test and improve your mobile optimization, such as Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and PageSpeed Insights. These tools can provide valuable insights into how your site is performing on mobile devices and identify any issues that may be impacting your rankings.
By focusing on mobile optimization for your Shopify store, you can improve your search engine rankings and provide a better experience for your mobile visitors.
VII. Site Speed
Site speed is another important factor in determining your search engine rankings. Search engines want to see that your site loads quickly and that visitors have a good experience on your site. Slow loading pages can lead to high bounce rates and low engagement which can negatively impact your rankings.
Here are some tips for optimising your Shopify store for site speed:
Optimise images and reduce their file size, this can greatly improve the loading time of your pages.
Use a fast web host that can handle the traffic to your site.
Minimise the use of heavy scripts and plugins that can slow down your site.
Use a caching plugin to speed up the loading time of your pages.
You can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix or Pingdom Website Speed Test to measure your site’s speed and identify any areas that need improvement. These tools will also provide recommendations on how to optimise your site for speed.
By focusing on site speed for your Shopify store, you can improve your search engine rankings, provide a better user experience, and reduce bounce rates.
VIII. Technical SEO
In addition to the previously mentioned factors, technical SEO refers to the technical aspects of your website that play a key role in SEO. This includes aspects like site structure, clean URLs, meta tags, and structured data.
Here are some tips for optimising your Shopify store for Technical SEO:
Make sure your site structure is well-organised and easy to navigate.
Use clean and consistent URLs that include relevant keywords.
Use meta tags like title tags and meta descriptions to give search engines important information about your pages.
Use structured data (such as schema.org) to help search engines understand the type of content on your website.
Set up and verify your website with Google Search Console, this will help you monitor and resolve any technical issues that may affect your website’s visibility on the search engine.
By focusing on technical SEO for your Shopify store, you can improve your search engine rankings, provide a better user experience and make it easier for search engines to understand and crawl your website.
IX. Conclusion
In conclusion, search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for any online store that wants to reach more customers and increase sales. By understanding and implementing the key Shopify SEO ranking factors discussed in this article, such as content quality, on-page optimization, backlinks, social signals, mobile optimization, site speed, and technical SEO, you can improve your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your online store.
It’s also important to remember that SEO is an ongoing process and changes frequently, so it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest best practices and trends. Continuously monitoring and fine-tuning your SEO strategy will ensure that your store stays ahead of the competition and continues to drive traffic and sales over time.
X. Additional Resources
If you’re looking for more information and resources on Shopify SEO, here are a few that may be helpful:
- Shopify’s guide to SEO
- Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide
- Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO
- The Shopify SEO Checklist by Ahrefs
You may also want to consult with an SEO agency or professional who can help you with creating and implementing an effective SEO strategy for your Shopify store.
