Shopify handles many technical basics automatically, such as sitemaps and canonical tags. You still need to optimise content and avoid a few common problems.
What Shopify does for you
- Generates a sitemap at /sitemap.xml.
- Adds canonical tags.
- Provides HTTPS.
- Many themes include basic product structured data.
What you should do
- Write unique titles and descriptions for products, collections and pages, in each item’s “Search engine listing” section.
- Write your own product descriptions instead of copying manufacturers’.
- Add intro text and FAQs to collection pages. Read SEO for category pages.
- Add descriptive alt text to product images.
- Start a blog for buying guides and how-to content.
Shopify-specific issues
- Duplicate product URLs: products can appear under /collections/x/products/y and /products/y. Shopify canonicalises them, but link to the /products/ version in menus and themes where possible.
- Too many apps: slow your store; remove unused apps.
- Heavy images: compress with our image compressor.
Structured data
Check product schema in Google’s Rich Results Test, and generate extra markup if needed with our product schema generator.
See our e-commerce SEO and Shopify development services.
Want the full picture? This article is part of SEO: the complete guide, our in-depth guide with everything in one place.
