6 tips to get more traffic to your Shopify store with SEO

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The task may seem easy, but the reality is challenging: establishing a reliable flow of traffic

Thanks to platforms like Shopify, creating and launching an online store has become more accessible than ever. It’s now within reach for everyone. However, while initiating a store is a step forward, the real challenge lies in attracting customers and compelling them to make a purchase.

Numerous stores employ various marketing strategies, with paid ads being particularly popular. However, amidst the myriad of approaches, one essential tactic deserves significant attention: Shopify SEO. Properly executed SEO elevates your store’s visibility and establishes a consistent and dependable stream of traffic.

Enhancing the SEO of your online store involves several actionable steps, and this article will spotlight six key strategies.

1. Enhance Structured Data for Products, Collections and Store

A crucial aspect of effective SEO involves optimising your store’s content to be easily understandable for search engines. Your focus should be eliminating any technical obstacles hindering a bot’s ability to crawl your pages. In terms of comprehension, structured data plays a pivotal role.

Schema structured data acts as a dictionary for search engines, precisely describing various components on your site. By incorporating structured data, you can articulate to search engines what different elements mean, offering valuable information and establishing connections between them.

While structured data is available for nearly every aspect of your site, two particularly significant ones for Shopify stores are product and review schema. These elements furnish Google with essential details about your products and indicate the location of customer reviews. Google utilises this information to understand your products and customers’ sentiments towards them comprehensively.

The outcome is an improved listing in search results. Your products may feature highlighted rich effects, with star ratings and more. Ensuring the accuracy of your structured data is crucial. Fortunately, several SEO apps in the Shopify app store can assist you in this process, such as the Yoast SEO for Shopify app. Below is an example of the product structured data automatically generated by Yoast SEO for all your products, intricately linked with the rest of the structured data for your Shopify store.

{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Product",
            "@id": "https://www.example.com/products/example-product/#/schema/Product",
            "mainEntityOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://www.example.com/products/example-product"
            },
            "name": "Example product",
            "image": {
                  "@id": "https://www.example.com/#/schema/image/abc123"
            },
            "description": "Product description",
            "sku": "abc123",
            "url": "https://www.example.com/products/example-product",
            "offers": {
                "@type": "AggregateOffer",
                "@id": "https://www.example.com/products/example-product/#/schema/AggregateOffer",
                "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
                "offerCount": 1,
                "lowPrice": 10.0,
                "highPrice": 10.0,
                "priceCurrency": "EUR",
                "url": "https://www.example.com/products/example-product",
                "priceSpecification": {
                    "@type": "PriceSpecification",
                    "valueAddedTaxIncluded": true
                }
            }
        }
    ]
}

Here’s the example for Collection Structured Data:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "http://schema.org",
"@type": "CollectionPage",
"name": "Your Collection Name",
"description": "Description of your collection goes here.",
"url": "https://www.yourstore.com/collections/your-collection",
"mainEntity": {
"@type": "ItemList",
"itemListElement": [
{
"@type": "Product",
"name": "Product 1 Name",
"url": "https://www.yourstore.com/products/product-1",
"image": "https://www.yourstore.com/images/product-1.jpg",
"description": "Description of Product 1 goes here."
},
{
"@type": "Product",
"name": "Product 2 Name",
"url": "https://www.yourstore.com/products/product-2",
"image": "https://www.yourstore.com/images/product-2.jpg",
"description": "Description of Product 2 goes here."
},
// Add more Product items as needed
]
}
}
</script>

2. Write a high converting sale product descriptions, SEO titles, and meta descriptions

An indispensable element in unravelling the SEO puzzle for increased traffic is creating compelling product descriptions. These descriptions serve as a crucial resource for customers and search engines, offering insights into your products. They play a pivotal role in helping users comprehend the product and envision their potential experience. However, a mere listing of features or reliance on generic manufacturer descriptions won’t suffice—standing out entails crafting unique, tailored reports.

Exceptional product descriptions lend your store a distinct voice and foster customer trust. Moreover, they furnish search engines with valuable information for ranking your products, elevating the likelihood of appearing for relevant terms.

The same principle applies to your product titles and meta descriptions. Each component provides a window for search engines to assess and rank your products. Simultaneously, they act as compelling snippets that entice potential customers to scan through search results to choose your link. Devoting significant effort to your product content is an investment that yields substantial dividends. For assistance in optimising these elements, consider leveraging the features provided by Yoast SEO for Shopify.

Here’s an example of a fictional product, a premium leather wallet:

SEO Title:

• Luxury Leather Wallets: Handcrafted Elegance for the Modern Gentleman

Meta Description:

• Elevate your style with our exquisite, handcrafted leather wallets. Discover timeless elegance and functional design meticulously created for the modern gentleman. Shop now for the epitome of luxury.

Product Description:

Introducing our premium leather wallet, where sophistication meets functionality. Impeccably handcrafted with genuine leather, this wallet is more than a mere accessory—it’s a statement of refined taste.

Key Features:

• Elegant Design: Sleek lines and a minimalist aesthetic for a timeless look.
• Functional Layout: Thoughtful organisation for cards, cash, and IDs.
• Quality Craftsmanship: Each wallet is meticulously handcrafted for durability and style.
• Genuine Leather: Soft to the touch, yet robust for daily use.
  • Elevate your everyday carry with a wallet that complements your style and stands the test of time. Whether attending a business meeting or a casual outing, make a lasting impression with this embodiment of handcrafted luxury.
  • Upgrade your accessory game—order your premium leather wallet today and experience the fusion of elegance and functionality.

Remember to adapt the language and details based on the specific features and benefits of the product you’re selling. Use persuasive and descriptive words that resonate with your target audience, and ensure that the SEO elements seamlessly incorporate relevant keywords for better search engine visibility.

3. Build solid collection pages in Shopify

Instead of just focusing on individual product pages, the collection pages often rank for broader product terms. While it might be tempting to load up your collection pages with tons of SEO content, be cautious and test changes to see if they have a positive or negative impact.

Check your collections in Shopify and create a few with just one product. If you have a product and a product page collection, set them up correctly to avoid competition. Fill them with the right products, add relevant content, and ensure they fit well into your site navigation.

Remember to add proper metadata to your collection pages, including an SEO title, meta description, and eye-catching images. Give your collection a title that clearly describes the products, and remember to include key phrases for better search engine visibility. This simple strategy for collection pages ensures a smooth shopping experience. It plays a significant role in your overall SEO plan.

Read on: 6 reasons why the Yoast SEO Shopify solution will boost your rankings »

4. Set up a blog on Shopify and write high-quality content

To boost the visibility of your products among a wider audience and search engines, consider incorporating content marketing into your strategy. A pivotal step in this direction is adding a blog to your Shopify store. A blog provides a platform for delving deeper into discussions about your products and company, fostering meaningful connections with potential customers.

Blogs typically feature more extensive content compared to product pages, increasing the likelihood of relevant keywords appearing in search engine results. Furthermore, a blog allows you to guide customers through their purchasing journey. Many consumers need to make instant purchases from unfamiliar stores. It is wise to offer multiple avenues for them to learn about your products and brand.

Conduct thorough keyword research specific to your Shopify store. This process provides valuable insights into your customers’ language and the search volume associated with those terms. Additionally, explore long-tail keywords, which often have a higher conversion potential. Formulate a comprehensive content strategy to ensure coherence in your approach and maximise the impact of your content efforts.

5. Set up an comprehensive internal linking strategy

A robust internal linking strategy is a cornerstone of effective SEO. By strategically linking your most crucial articles, you can enhance their visibility through associations with other relevant content on your site. Internal linking not only aids search engines in discovering your content but also provides a hierarchical understanding of the most important pieces.

In e-commerce sites, internal linking can be a powerful tool. While it’s essential to limit the number of links in product descriptions to maintain a clear path for customer conversion, other areas within your store are ideal for directing visitors to valuable content or locations where they can explore information related to your products. Consider incorporating links to related products, but exercise caution to avoid overwhelming visitors with excessive links.

For example, the blog we discussed earlier is an excellent platform for narrating your business story and connecting to relevant product pages. Ensure the links are contextually relevant, and use descriptive anchor text to represent the linked content accurately. Extend this approach to enrich your collection pages.

Equally important is optimising your navigation. Ensure that your most crucial pages are easily accessible from the main navigation, streamlining the user experience and ensuring that essential content is readily available to users and search engines.

6. Keep your Shopify store clean and focused

Driving traffic to your Shopify store through SEO is just the beginning; keeping those potential customers engaged is equally crucial. The last thing anyone wants is to witness potential customers bouncing back to the search results, leaving ample space for competitors to swoop in and seize the opportunity.

A key aspect of Shopify SEO involves ensuring your store is streamlined and efficient. This applies not only to the store’s design but also to its loading times. Speed is paramount. Stores that load quickly offer a superior user experience and stand a better chance of converting visitors into paying—and returning—customers. Evaluate your store’s performance using the Shopify Online Store Report.

While Shopify manages many technical aspects, there’s still much you can do to optimise loading times. Limit the installed apps in your Shopify store, and meticulously optimise and resize product images. If you have coding knowledge, consider optimising your store’s theme. Enhance the code by removing elements that impede quick loading, ensuring a seamless and swift experience for your visitors. By focusing on speed, you not only enhance user satisfaction but also fortify your store against competitors vying for the attention of potential customers.

How to get more traffic to your Shopify store with SEO