Top 8 Shopify SEO Problems And How To Fix Them

Be Still Farms’ organic search traffic is a sight to behold. Studying their organic traffic graph, it’s obvious that they ran into Shopify SEO problems until they hit a turning point, after which things were never the same again.

Can you identify the turning point from the graph below?

If you guessed “March 2021”, you’re right. Whatever they did around March 2021 seems to have worked immensely. But for 2 whole years prior, their search engine optimization game was wack – like that of many Shopify stores today. And, if you’re where Be Still Farms before Feb 2021, you’re not alone.

Running a Shopify can be rewarding, but it comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to SEO. Many store owners are unaware of the Shopify SEO problems negatively impacting on their search rankings and visibility. 

In the rest of this article, we’ll discuss common Shopify SEO issues that prevent stores from getting higher search engine rankings, and how you can fix them.

How does SEO work for Shopify stores?

Short answer: the same way it works for every other online property. It doesn’t matter what the online property is – search engines consider several key factors when prioritizing which sites to rank in results pages.

Some platforms are better than others at optimizing these key factors, so choosing the right platform is a critical first step.

Shopify as an SEO-optimized ecommerce platform

Most Shopify SEO issues tend to fall into two categories: technical issues, and keyword-related issues with the bulk of SEO issues falling under the latter.

This is because as a platform, Shopify natively has technical infrastructure in place for optimized SEO. Some of these include:

Robots.txt files on Shopify allow you to control which areas of your site should be crawled by search engines. Shopify auto-generates this file, but understanding its settings is important. You can manage which pages may or may not be indexed, improving crawl efficiency and focusing indexation on high-priority pages.

XML Sitemaps are equally crucial. They offer search engines a roadmap of your site content. Shopify auto-generates these sitemaps, which update as product listings change. Ensuring your XML sitemaps are error-free and include key pages increases the likelihood of search engines crawling and indexing your most important content. Regularly checking your sitemap helps keep search engines informed about vital updates.

This means that poor-performing Shopify stores are not beyond redemption. With the right guidance, improving SEO performance is attainable just like we see with Be Still Farms in the example above.

Now, let’s discuss common Shopify SEO issues and how to solve them.

Common Shopify SEO Problems

Technical Shopify SEO Issues

Getting the structure right on your Shopify store is crucial for technical SEO. If you’re technically savvy, Shopify admin makes it possible to manage your store’s structure and SEO settings – editing code, adding meta descriptions, and organizing products.

However, slow page speed is one of the main technical issue that many Shopify store owners face.

Slow loading pages

This is a heavily debated issue, but speed is a critical factor that search engines use to determine where to put your store in search engine results. Google even says it themselves:

“Page speed is a direct ranking factor for both desktop and mobile search results. This means that faster-loading websites are generally more likely to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) than slower-loading websites….In addition to being a ranking factor, page speed also has a significant impact on user experience. Users are more likely to bounce from slow-loading websites, which can lead to lower conversion rates.”

The easiest way to fix Shopify page speed issues is to take steps to optimize images, minify code, leverage browser caching and reducing HTTP requests.

If you don’t have the skills to edit code, hand these tasks over to a technical SEO expert, and roll up your sleeves to focus on keyword-related issues.

Keyword-related Shopify SEO issues

Keyword-related errors make up a large chunk of SEO issues that many Shopify store owners face, and there’s a good reason for this. In today’s digital world, billions of websites are competing for recognition unlike in the early 2000s.

The keywords you use to describe your goods/services are one of the only ways to communicate to search engines and web users that your website is specific and relevant to their needs.

No keywords in URLs

Well-crafted URL slugs (i.e, the short identifiers at the end of your website address) plays a significant role in how search engines understand what your page is about, as well as how users perceive your page. Not adding the keywords you want to rank for in this part of your URL structure can send the wrong signals to search engines and prevent your store from ranking for these keywords.

You can fix these problems by identifying pages with a poor url structure, then optimizing them with best URL practices like using dashes (-) instead of underscores (_), adding your target keywords and aiming for 3 – 5 words.

No keywords in body content

This error means that you have not used any of the keywords you’re tracking in your page content. This doesn’t just apply to product pages, but also your collection pages, about us pages, home page and more.

To fix this, use your keywords in your first sentences, aiming for around 3 mentions of your keyword and follow best practices for crafting your body content.

No keyword in page headers

Similar to the error above, this tells us that you have not used your tracked keywords in any of your page headers. However, a heading that says “No H1 heading found”, points to a larger issue with your Shopify theme.

Fix your page header issues this by using one (and only one!) H1 header in your pages, with multiple H2 and H3 headers. Also include 2 – 3 keywords in your headers, ensuring that your H1 header matches your URL slug.

No keywords in file names

This is a critical issue that tells us that your file images do not contain any of your targeted keywords. To solve this problem, you need to change the name of your image files to names that actually contain your target keywords, not numbers. Also use dashes (-), rather than underscores (_) to separate words If you follow best practices for naming files and objects, you should see a major improvement in your Shopify SEO efforts.

No keywords in image Alt Text

This is another critical error that could relegate you to the back pages of SERPs. Image alt-text tages play a huge role in making ecommerce sites accessible by providing textual description of what images convey to visually impaired users. They also increase the SEO value of online stores, so you mustn’t ignore these when adding new products to your online store.

To fix this issue, add an alt-tag to all the main images – your home page, product and collection pages, blog pages, about us, etc. Also use short, descriptive sentences and follow best practices for image alt-tags.

No keywords in meta description

Meta descriptions play a critical role in providing context for both web users and search engine bots. , as they appear directly in results pages. Therefore, leaving your meta description area blank is a major Shopify SEO problem.

To keep your meta descriptions SEO-optimized, add relevant keywords, aim for around 155 characters, include a CTA to encourage users to click, make them unique, and consider adding a location if your page is geographically relevant.

No keywords in product description

It goes without saying that if you’re trying to rank organically for a keyword, you need to include the keywords in your product descriptions. It’s a critical SEO error to not have your target keywords included in the product page you’re trying to get search engines to recognize.

To avoid this problem, craft compelling product descriptions that appeal to both search engines and customers without committing the mortal sin of keyword stuffing.

These are just some of the keyword-related SEO issues that Shopify stores face, but this beginner’s guide to keywords will help you to fully understand how to use keywords correctly for Shopify stores.

Other Common On-Page Shopify SEO Problems

Apart from focusing on speed, and optimizing the use of your stores keywords across critical areas, there are other on-page actions you can take to improve your overall SEO score.

Content Duplication Issues

You need to understand how to avoid common duplication mistakes and also how to use canonical tags effectively.

How to Avoid Common Duplication Shopify SEO Problems

Duplicate content appears when similar or identical text shows up on multiple pages. This can result from multiple URLs pointing to your product or collection pages. Category and tag pages often contribute to this issue as well.

This is an easy mistake to make when listing products with multiple variants. Creating one product listing for multiple variants is better for SEO than creating multiple product listings – one listing per variant.

To prevent this, consolidate your multi-variant listings into one product listing. Also regularly check your site for repetitive content, using tools like Copyscape or Screaming Frog to detect duplicate items.

Focus on creating unique and engaging content for each product description. This not only helps with SEO but also enhances the shopping experience. Consistently using unique content ensures that your pages stand out and rank better in search results.

Incorrect Use of Canonical Tags

Canonical tags help you address duplicate content by identifying the main version of a page. By adding a canonical tag to other versions, you tell search engines which page should be prioritized. This can improve search ranking and reduce confusion for users.

Implement canonical tags on your collection and category pages. This is especially helpful if these pages have similar content. Make sure each page’s canonical URL reflects the preferred version.

You can use Shopify’s built-in tools or apps to manage canonical tags efficiently. Ensuring correct usage prevents unnecessary penalties and optimizes your store’s visibility online.

Poor User Engagement and Conversion

Boosting user engagement and increasing conversion rates on Shopify can significantly enhance your online presence. Focus on reducing your bounce rate and optimizing your site for sales conversion to make sure visitors stay longer and make purchases.

How to Optimize Your Shopify Store for Conversions

Improving your store’s conversion requires you to focus on your customer’s user experience. You need to make your store as user-friendly as possible so that shoppers don’t get frustrated, leave and send the wrong signals to the likes of Google, Bing, etc.

To do this,

• Create a smooth checkout process. Offer multiple payment alternatives and include only necessary fields in your checkout forms to make them quick and easy to complete.
• Use high-quality product images and detailed descriptions. These help users feel confident in their buying decisions.
• Add customer reviews to build trust.
• Implement clear calls to action that guide users towards making a purchase. They should be related to the product page and make the buying process easy to follow.
• Make sure your site is mobile-friendly since many users shop from their phones. A responsive design helps increase conversion rates by providing a seamless user experience across devices.

Poor Linking Strategy

Paying attention to your internal linking and resolving broken links are crucial for improving your Shopify store’s search engine performance. Links help distribute page authority and enhance user experience, which can lead to better rankings and customer engagement.

Here’s how you can improve on your linking strategy:

Build Internal Links

Internal links connect various pages within your site, guiding visitors to valuable content and helping search engines understand your site’s structure. Ensure that you strategically place links to highlight important products and pages.

Create meaningful anchor text that clearly describes the target page’s content. This improves both user experience and SEO. Tools like link mapping can help you visualize your current internal linking structure and identify opportunities to add new links.

Regularly review and update links when adding new content or revising existing pages. This keeps your internal linking strategy dynamic and responsive to changes in your product offerings or site layout.

Avoid Broken Links and Redirect Issues

Broken links and mismanaged redirects can harm your site’s SEO and frustrate visitors. Regularly run SEO audits to find and fix any broken links on your Shopify store. This includes checking for 404 errors or issues with 301 redirects, like redirecting product pages incorrectly.

When organizing your internal links, be mindful of how redirects are set up. Properly manage trailing slashes in URLs, as inconsistencies can lead to redirect problems. Make sure all your redirects lead visitors to the correct pages without unnecessary loops.

Having a consistent strategy for managing external and internal changes helps avoid disruption. By promptly addressing redirect issues, you maintain search engine trust and provide a smoother experience for your users.

SEO Performance Monitoring and Analytics

Tracking your SEO performance is key to improving your Shopify store’s search engine rankings. You can use tools like Plug In SEO, Google Analytics and Google Webmaster to monitor your site’s organic traffic and progress over time.

If you’re completely new to this, register for Google Search Central (previously a Google webmaster account) and follow the prompts for “I am a business owner/marketer”.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics helps you understand your website’s traffic. It helps you gain insight into metrics like your bounce rate, session duration, and conversion rate. These metrics show how users interact with your site.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console provides insight into how your pages appear in Google Search. You can find information about any indexing issues with your website, submit sitemaps, and check for crawl errors. Keeping an eye on search queries and clicks will show you which keywords are working.

Plug In SEO

Plug In SEO is the best SEO app for Shopify stores, as it helps you audit your store, identify the SEO issues preventing your store from showing up prominently in search engine results pages, so that you can fix them.

It presents your stores SEO challenges in one user-friendly user interface and ranks your challenges by “Critical”, “Warning” or “Pass” to help you prioritize your workload by SEO value.

What’s even better is that Plug In SEO doesn’t just highlight your areas for SEO improvement, but it also guides you on exactly how to fix them. There are free clearly written guides on every every SEO touchpoint available ranging from how to tweak meta titles and descriptions to how to systematically optimize your images for SEO.