Shopify SEO Checklist for New Stores (Step-by-Step Guide)

Starting a Shopify store is easy. Getting traffic from Google is not.

A lot of new Shopify store owners focus on design, ads, and product uploads. SEO completely slips their minds. The result is a store that looks great but depends wholly on paid traffic just to survive. Once the ads stop, so do the sales.

Shopify SEO is all about building visibility the right way, so that your products show up at the very moment when customers are searching for them. This checklist will specifically outline for new Shopify stores what to do, why it matters, and how to do it correctly from the start.

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Understanding How Shopify SEO Works

Generally speaking, Shopify allows for SEO by default but also requires optimization. “Google doesn’t rank stores just because they exist. It ranks stores that are:”

• Easy to crawl
• Fast to load
• Helpful to Users
• Well-structured
• Trustworthy

This includes technical set-up, on-page optimization, content development, internal linking, and performance optimization. Skipping even one of these areas can slow growth significantly.

Simple visual diagram of SEO components (technical, content, speed, UX, trust)

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1. Domain, SSL, and Canonical Setup (SEO Foundation)

Before creating content, your store must have a clean technical base.

Choose the Right Domain

Your domain should:

• Be short and memorable
• Avoid hyphens and numbers
• Represent your brand, not just keywords

Keyword-stuffed domains no longer give an SEO advantage.

Enable SSL and Redirect Correctly

Shopify provides SSL automatically, but you must:

• Ensure HTTPS is enabled
• Redirect HTTP to HTTPS
• Set one preferred domain version

This prevents duplicate content issues and improves trust signals.

Shopify settings screenshot showing domain + SSL active

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2. Keyword Research for New Shopify Stores (Critical Step)

Keyword research is where most new stores go wrong.

Avoid High-Competition Keywords Initially

New stores don’t have authority. Targeting keywords like “shoes” or “skincare products” is unrealistic.

Instead, focus on:

• Long-tail keywords
• Specific product searches
• Buyer-intent phrases

Examples:

• “organic face wash for oily skin.”
• “handmade leather wallet for men”
• “cotton bedsheets queen size”

Keyword research tool screenshot (Google Keyword Planner / Search Console / SEO tool)

Types of Keywords to Target

• Transactional keywords: product & collection pages
• Informational keywords: blog content
• Comparison keywords: guides & reviews

Build authority gradually.

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3. Homepage SEO Optimization

Your homepage is often the most powerful page on your Shopify store.

Homepage Title & Description

Your homepage title should clearly explain:

• What you sell
• Who it’s for
• Your brand name

Example:

Organic Skincare Products for Sensitive Skin | Brand Name

Homepage Content Matters

Avoid image-only homepages.

Include:

• 150–300 words of helpful text
• Clear product categories
• Internal links to collections

This helps Google understand your store’s purpose.

Shopify homepage layout example with content + collections

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4. Product Page SEO: The Most Important Section

Product pages drive sales and rankings.

Write SEO-Friendly Product Descriptions

Every product must have unique content.

Include:

• Clear explanation of the product
• Benefits, not just features
• Use cases
• Material, size, care instructions

Avoid copy-pasting from suppliers.

Optimized product page example (description + headings + images + reviews)

Heading Structure on Product Pages

• Product name: H1
• Sections like “Features,” “Specifications,” “FAQs”: H2
• Sub-points: H3

This improves readability and SEO.

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5. Collection Page SEO (Often Underrated)

Collection pages can rank better than products for broad searches.

Add Descriptive Collection Content

Each collection should include:

• 200–300 words of optimized text
• Primary keyword + variations
• Natural, helpful language

Place content:

• Above the product grid (if clean design)
• Or below the grid (more common)

Thin collection pages struggle to rank.

Shopify collection page with SEO content block

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6. Shopify URL Structure Optimization

Shopify automatically creates URLs, but optimization is still possible.

URL Best Practices

• Keep URLs short
• Include primary keyword
• Avoid unnecessary words

Example:

/products/organic-aloe-vera-gel

Avoid editing URLs frequently, as it creates redirect chains.

URL structure comparison graphic (bad vs good URL)

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7. Image SEO for Shopify Stores

Images help SEO more than most people realize.

Optimize Image File Size

Large images slow down your store.

Best practices:

• Compress images before upload
• Avoid uploading desktop-sized images
• Use WebP when possible

Image Alt Text Optimization

Alt text should:

• Describe the image naturally
• Include keywords when relevant
• Avoid keyword stuffing

Good alt text improves rankings and accessibility.

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8. Shopify Navigation & Site Structure

Search engines favor stores that are easy to navigate.

Logical Store Structure

Ideal structure:

• Homepage
• Collection pages
• Product pages

Avoid creating unnecessary layers.

SEO-Friendly Menus

Use descriptive menu names like:

• Men’s Clothing
• Natural Hair Care
• Kitchen Essentials

Menus help Google understand site hierarchy.

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9. Internal Linking Strategy for Shopify

Internal linking distributes SEO value across your site.

Where to Add Internal Links

• Blog posts: products & collections
• Products: related products
• Homepage: top collections

Use descriptive anchor text, not generic phrases.

Blog layout with internal links to products

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10. Blog Content Strategy for New Shopify Stores

Blogs help new stores rank faster.

What Type of Blogs to Write

• Buying guides
• How-to articles
• Product comparisons
• Industry education
• FAQs

Each blog should:

• Target one main keyword
• Answer user intent clearly
• Link to relevant products

Blogs build trust and topical authority.

Mobile Shopify store preview

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11. Mobile SEO Optimization

Most Shopify traffic is mobile.

Checklist:

• Responsive theme
• Tap-friendly buttons
• Fast mobile load time
• No intrusive popups

Google ranks your mobile version first, not desktop.

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12. Page Speed Optimization

Page speed directly impacts rankings and conversions.

Improve Shopify store Speed By:

• Compressing images
• Removing unused apps
• Deferring JavaScript
• Using lazy loading
• Avoiding heavy animations

A faster store means better SEO and higher sales.

PageSpeed Insights report + performance graph

How Performance Management Tools Help Maintain Shopify Speed Over Time

With Shopify stores scaling in size, it gets difficult to maintain the page speed. It is not the themes causing the issue in this case, but the collection of scripts, tracking pixels, SEO tools, and marketing apps.

Though manual optimization takes care of this, performance management tools further come into play to help ensure consistency with time and to control asset loading, especially on mobile platforms.

For example, tools like Sonic Page Speed Booster mainly concentrate on storefront speed optimization by speeding up web pages through intelligent preload optimization, image optimization, image alt text creation, and handling render-blocking resources.

Some of them may even expand features to SEO optimization by helping optimize schema generation and AI-based optimization of titles and descriptions, which may prove to be useful in the long run.

These tools don’t replace best practices in optimizing Shopify stores, they will help maintain optimal performance regardless of site changes – especially with many app installations, design changes, and marketing scripting necessary in many stores.

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13. Essential Trust Pages for SEO

Google prefers legitimate businesses.

Every Shopify store should have:

• About Us
• Contact Page
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Refund Policy

These pages improve trust and help with rankings.

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14. Google Search Console & Analytics Setup

SEO without tracking is guesswork.

Google Search Console

• Submit sitemap
• Track keyword impressions
• Fix indexing errors

Google Analytics

• Monitor traffic
• Understand user behavior
• Track conversions

Shopify’s sitemap is automatically generated.

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15. Avoid These Common Shopify SEO Mistakes

• Duplicate product descriptions
• No content on collection pages
• Ignoring mobile users
• Overusing apps
• Poor internal linking
• Thin blog content

Avoiding mistakes is just as important as optimization.

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Wrapping It Up

SEO for your new Shopify store isn’t based on gaining rankings as soon as possible. Instead, it requires building a great store that is not only quick and great to interact with but also worthy of the search engines’ trust. Proper SEO right from the start means your store will gain more traffic organically, and your store becomes less dependent on paid ads.

If you’re serious about Shopify SEO and want to grow your business over the long term by maintaining strong visibility and steady levels of sales, make sure to follow the Shopify SEO checklist above carefully.