Shopify has solidified itself as one of the best eCommerce platforms out there, but if you want to get more sales and grow your store, you still need an aggressive digital marketing plan anchored by carefully implemented SEO.
The entire idea of search engine optimization may be somewhat overwhelming for merchants and store owners, which is why we’ve put together the following list of effective Shopify tips that will actually help you to improve the way your website ranks in the search results.
Although Shopify SEO may seem intimidating at first, with the right direction you will be able to generate results. Whether your store is brand new or if you have been around for years, optimizing your website for the search engines is one of the best things you can do from a marketing and growth standpoint. If you want to out-rank your competitors and actually improve your online business, it’s the most effective way forward.
Why Shopify SEO is So Important
Ranking well for keywords in your industry is one of the crucial growth elements you need to be focusing on. The trouble is, you’re not going to find the solution in the Shopify app store or in any other pre-packaged solution. These are changes you have to make yourself.
The payoff can be massive though, as more users will be noticing your business and clicking onto your products. You could say that organic search results are the lifeline for most businesses these days. While social media marketing and paid ads are effective as well, there’s nothing that compares to having your business show up in relevant searches by users that are already actively looking for a place to shop.
Most of the time with other forms of marketing, you have to convince someone that may or may not be interested in shopping that your products are right for them. However, with SEO, you are effectively reaching out to people who are already in the mind to purchase a product. This essential difference means that if you are able to target the right people using the right keywords, you will receive a steady flow of potential customers to your online store.
Now you might be able to see how the Shopify tips we highlight below can help you grow your business. Without a doubt, search engine optimizations are one of the keys to eCommerce success, no matter what industry you are in or how old your store is.
The Best Shopify Tips To Grow Your eCommerce Store
One issue that you might have when it comes to your SEO is knowing which tactics and tips to utilize first. There are hundreds of ranking signals according to Google, and trying to address them all on an ongoing basis is not a good use of your time. Rather, you want to hone in on the most important areas of SEO and do what you can to increase your rankings by making small but powerful changes.
At a certain point, it is usually the best choice to hire a professional Shopify company for your digital marketing, but the following SEO tips will at least get you started on the right track.
1. Highlight Your Best Products on the Homepage
One easy way to improve the quality of your website is to make sure you are highlighting some of your best products on the homepage, with relevant keywords and supporting text. Also, include attractive product photography and calls to action that will get users to click. Google wants to see relevance and a low bounce rate, and this is one of the better ways to address these areas.
2. Condense Your Product Images
If you have high-quality images on your website, you have to make sure that they are properly condensed. Large images will negatively impact how fast your website will load, and we all know that a slow website is not something most users will put up with for long. Try and keep most of the images on your website under 100K. Thumbnails should be quite a bit smaller than that.
3. Remove Any Dead Products
404s and empty product pages are bad SEO, plain and simple. Don’t be lazy when it comes to the usability of your Shopify store. If you have a product that you no longer carry, delete the page and redirect the URL, or update the page to display relevant content that will aid users on their shopping journey. Never leave an empty or dead page, as Google will not appreciate it.
4. Add Content to Your Category Pages
Likewise, don’t think of your collection pages or category pages as places to dump product imagery or links. These pages should have optimized text that provides value to your users and describes the kinds of products that are being offered in this section of your store. Each category page should act like a landing page highlighting a bunch of important products.
5. Pay Attention to Site Speed
We mentioned image size above, but you should be paying attention to the site speed of your Shopify website in general. If your site is loading slowly, it might be time to jettison a few apps or hire a Shopify development team that can assess the situation.
6. Update Your Blog Frequently
Google loves to see fresh content, and so do your users. Your blog should be frequently updated with industry-relevant information. This means everything from how-tos, product reviews, industry overviews, and more. Also be mindful of the keywords you use and make sure that you are doing your best to optimize this content for the search engines.
7. Add Reviews and Testimonials
Users want to be able to trust where they shop. Be sure to add any relevant testimonials, product reviews, screenshots of social media praise, or anything else that might lend credence to your business.
8. Disavow Any Spam Links
Spam links are inevitable on the Internet. These low-quality links could be pulling down your whole website, so make sure you check up on these in the Google Search Console and disavow them regularly in order to ensure that your website doesn’t get flagged as spam too.
9. Build Powerful Links of Your Own
At the same time, you should be working on your own backlink profile. One of the best ways to do this is to post great, shareable content to your website. However, you can also work on establishing partnerships and relationships with other people in your industry, so that you might be able to guest post with them or ask for a backlink.
10. The Importance of Social Signals
Finally, don’t ignore your social media accounts. While it is a small SEO ranking factor, it’s still one that is under your control and worth noting. If you want to drive sales and improve your business, you have to be active on social media.
Use These Shopify Tips as a Starting Point
While all of these tips and SEO techniques are a good place to start, they might not be enough if you really want to sell your products effectively. This is especially true if you are in a crowded niche or are just starting out. Shopify is a great platform and all, but regardless of where you host your eCommerce business, you still need to put together a workable marketing strategy.
That’s where we come in. Here at Genius eCommerce®, we know a little bit about how to rank Shopify stores just like yours. In fact, this is what we specialize in. Our SEO plans for Shopify are completely customized, which means that everything from the keywords to the strategy revolves around your specific business needs. Rather than try and tackle all of your SEO yourself, it’s far more effective to let marketing experts like us handle things.
For better conversion rates, more foot traffic, and bolder brand awareness, get in touch with our team today by calling 888.982.8269.