{"id":15164,"date":"2022-08-17T13:54:35","date_gmt":"2022-08-17T13:54:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/seo-friendly-shopify-store-examples\/460465\/"},"modified":"2022-08-17T13:54:35","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T13:54:35","slug":"14-stellar-seo-friendly-shopify-store-examples-for-inspiration-via-sejournal-digital_darts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/?p=15164","title":{"rendered":"14 Stellar SEO-Friendly Shopify Store Examples For Inspiration via @sejournal, @digital_darts"},"content":{"rendered":"

To run a successful Shopify store, a thorough understanding of SEO is essential.<\/p>\n

A well-planned and executed SEO strategy has endless possibilities for generating your Shopify store\u2019s organic traffic and sales.<\/p>\n

Shopify SEO, however, is a different ball game from other forms of SEO, such as a WordPress blog or news site.<\/p>\n

You aren\u2019t interested in generating organic traffic to boost your advertising revenue. You\u2019re in the market for transactions.<\/p>\n

Ecommerce SEO requires you to attract people to your Shopify website who have money and are motivated to use it as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

The balance is found in making your Shopify store both crawl bot-friendly and appealing to search engines for money-making keywords, as well as making your site human-friendly \u2013 ultimately getting customers to buy.<\/p>\n

To understand what constitutes an SEO-friendly Shopify store, I\u2019ve looked at 14 Shopify stores and highlighted the SEO-friendly elements to inspire your own store\u2019s design and function.<\/p>\n

1. Focus On Both User- And Search-Engine-Friendly Navigation<\/h2>\n

A clean and well-structured navigation menu makes it easy for customers to find what they want.<\/p>\n

It also signals the most valuable pages in your Shopify store to search engines, helping them better understand what your store sells and making it easier to index pages.<\/p>\n

In terms of SEO, your navigation links should be keyword-rich.<\/p>\n

Galen Leather<\/a> uses well-structured navigation with thoughtful menu categories and keyword-rich collection links to direct the customer.<\/p>\n

\"SEO-friendly<\/p>\n

\"SEO-friendly<\/p>\n

Screenshot from GalenLeather.com, August 2022<\/em><\/p>\n

If your store utilizes faceted navigation, be aware that this can create SEO challenges of duplicate content, index bloat, and crawling issues.<\/p>\n

In Shopify, faceted navigation allows people to filter a list of items by brand, color, size, price, and features.<\/p>\n

In this situation, a careful evaluation and strategy are needed to manage your faceted navigation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Exhibit Expertise And Authority In Your Niche<\/h2>\n

Does your Shopify store display Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T)?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret that search engines value websites that display E-A-T characteristics. One way Shopify stores can achieve this is by niching down. When you do one thing well, it\u2019s a clear signal to Google that you are the go-to brand or person in that space, and that it should direct users to you as such.<\/p>\n

Squish Face<\/a> is a great (and adorable) example of a store that has a super-focused niche and laser-focused content to display said expertise.<\/p>\n

\"Shopify<\/p>\n

\"Shopify<\/p>\n

Screenshot from SquishFace.com, August 2022<\/em><\/p>\n

While E-A-T is more complex than simply positioning yourself as an authority, this is just one example of how small brands can compete with large multi-national retail chains when they own their E-A-T strategy.<\/p>\n

Read the Google E-A-T guide<\/a> to learn more about creating content that Google wants.<\/p>\n

3. Employ A Keyword-Rich URL Structure<\/h2>\n

Keyword research underpins SEO.<\/p>\n

A targeted keyword strategy mapped from page to page will help you focus on serving the best content to match that search intent.<\/p>\n

You should use these keywords and search intents to structure your on-page content and URL slugs.<\/p>\n

Raw & Fresh<\/a> uses short, sharp URLs to categorize its collection pages logically \u2013 sending a clear message to search engines about the nature of this collection. From a user\u2019s point of view, you know exactly what to expect.<\/p>\n

\"SEO-friendly<\/p>\n

\"SEO-friendly<\/p>\n

Screenshot from RawandFresh.com, August 2022<\/em><\/p>\n

4. Use A Keyword-Targeted H1 Tag<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s surprising how common it is for Shopify stores to get this simple SEO element wrong.<\/p>\n

Common mistakes include wrapping the logo in the H1 tag, using duplicate or irrelevant content in the H1 tag, or forgetting it altogether.<\/p>\n

Bara Sportswear<\/a> uses the collection and page titles to define its H1 tags: the simplest and most consistent approach.<\/p>\n

\"Keyword-Targeted<\/p>\n

\"Keyword-Targeted<\/p>\n

Screenshot from Google, August 2022<\/em><\/p>\n

5. Optimize Images<\/h2>\n

SEO is so much more than simply words on a page. It also encompasses unseen image optimization<\/a> elements, like image alt text and file names.<\/p>\n

Even with improvements in AI technology being able to read and discern imagery, using descriptive and informative image file names and image alt text will help search engines and the end user find your content more easily.<\/p>\n

Offroad Tents<\/a> optimizes its written content and other media like videos, images, and reviews.<\/p>\n

Optimizing other forms of media will help drive organic traffic through image search, YouTube search, and even reviews.<\/p>\n

\"Optimized<\/p>\n

\"Optimized<\/p>\n

Screenshot from OffroadTents, August 2022<\/em><\/p>\n

6. Utilize Internal Links<\/h2>\n

Internal links help crawl bots better understand the context of links and pass link value on to other pages in your store.<\/p>\n

SEO best practices involve always using the canonical version of the URL when internally linking to that page \u2013 ensuring the correct version of the URL will receive SEO value generated from further links.<\/p>\n

Shopify defaults to using the collection base of a product page, so this can be challenging for some stores to master.<\/p>\n

Sans Drinks<\/a> is one example of a Shopify store leveraging internal links between the collection, product, and blog pages while using the correct, canonical version of product pages. Consistent canonicalization instructs Google to index the correct version of the URL and pass on link authority to the preferred URL.<\/p>\n

\"Internal<\/p>\n

\"Internal<\/p>\n

Screenshot from Sans Drinks, August 2022<\/em><\/p>\n

7. Have A Clear Content Strategy<\/h2>\n

A Shopify store cannot succeed in the saturated online space without a clear content strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

No matter how many good links you build and how powerful your site is, it\u2019s useless without a good content foundation. Rather than contributing to the noise, make your content stand out.<\/p>\n

Imagine being able to attract over 50,000 organic users a day to your store through your blog content.<\/p>\n

\"ScandinavianScreenshot from Ahrefs, August 2022<\/em><\/span>\"Scandinavian<\/div>\n

That\u2019s the reality for Shopify stores like Scandinavian Biolabs<\/a>, which leverages blog content to consistently outrank heavy hitters like Healthline, Wikipedia, and Mayo Clinic.<\/p>\n

\"ClearScreenshot from ScandinavianBiolabs.com, August 2022<\/em><\/span>\"Clear<\/div>\n

With appropriate optimization and a bit of ingenuity, it has also been able to capture featured snippets.<\/p>\n

For a Shopify store, content is more than a blog. You need to optimize all your title tags, meta descriptions, and content areas seen on your store, just like collection and product descriptions.<\/p>\n

8. Create Helpful Collection And Product Page Descriptions<\/h2>\n

Collection pages are the engines that power a Shopify store\u2019s SEO campaign.<\/p>\n

This often-overlooked SEO element can be the difference between ranking on the first page and not making the cut.<\/p>\n

Create collection descriptions that incorporate keywords as simply and effectively as possible. Don\u2019t dribble on, and avoid keyword stuffing.<\/p>\n

Similarly, what is the point of having an amazing product page if no one sees it in the first place? Focus on creating content that ranks first, and work on refining for conversions once you generate the traffic and momentum to gather helpful data.<\/p>\n

Blue Bungalow<\/a> does a good job of utilizing collection pages to link to other relevant pages in its store. The company also summarizes the products customers can expect to find on that page.<\/p>\n

\"Collection<\/p>\n

\"Collection<\/p>\n

Screenshot from BlueBungalow.com.au, August 2022<\/em><\/p>\n

9. Optimize Title And Meta Descriptions<\/h2>\n

Think of each page on your store as a marketing opportunity. Every page can pull in traffic and then drive sales.<\/p>\n

Consider levers you can push to hook someone, such as free shipping offers, free returns, a celebrity endorsement, 5-star reviews, and special media appearances.<\/p>\n

When High Fidelity\u2019s<\/a> Shopify store appears in search results, a well-optimized homepage title and meta description show. It\u2019s eye-catching and speaks with authority.<\/p>\n

\"Optimize<\/p>\n

\"Optimize<\/p>\n

Screenshot from HighFidelity.us, August 2022<\/em><\/p>\n

While not all search engines will use your own custom title and meta descriptions, they are still important to customize, just in case.<\/p>\n

10. Implement Schema Markup<\/h2>\n

Implementing complete schema markup is one of the most underrated aspects of an SEO-friendly Shopify store.<\/p>\n

The most meaningful schema markup for a Shopify store includes:<\/p>\n