Part of: SEO
Shopify SEO services for ecommerce
Ecommerce SEO is the work of making your collection and product pages easy for search engines to understand and easy for shoppers to choose. On Shopify that means handling duplicate addresses, filters, variants and product data properly. Results build over months, and we do not promise rankings.
Is this right for you?
Who it is for
Shopify and other ecommerce stores with a catalogue large enough that structure matters, and a team willing to act on a prioritised list over several months. It also suits stores that have just moved platform and want to check nothing was lost.
When it is not
Stores that need sales this month, stores with a handful of products and no budget for content or fixes, and anyone who wants a guaranteed position. Nobody can honestly promise one.
What is included
- An audit of how search engines crawl and index your store
- A written, prioritised list of fixes, in order of likely benefit
- Collection page and product page improvements that match how people search
- Handling of duplicate addresses, variants and filtered pages
- Structured data checked against what is on the page
- Internal linking between collections, products and guides
- Search protection checks before and after a platform move
- Monthly reporting on what moved and what we suggest next
What is different about ecommerce SEO
A store has hundreds or thousands of near-identical pages: products in different sizes, collections that overlap, filters that create new addresses. The task is less about clever tricks and more about telling search engines which pages matter, and making each of those pages worth choosing. This page covers the Shopify side of that. The wider picture, including how the four layers fit together, is on the SEO page.
Collection and product pages
These are the pages closest to a sale, so we start here.
- Collection pages. A collection page often has the best chance of ranking for a broad term such as “waterproof jackets”. It needs a clear title, a useful introduction and sensible links to the products and sub-collections beneath it. Thin, empty collection pages are common, and fixing them is often the most valuable change.
- Product pages. Each one needs a title and description written for people, accurate product details, clear images and honest reviews where you have them. Copying the supplier’s description gives search engines no reason to prefer your page.
- Search wording. We match page wording to how your customers describe what they want, which is not always how your team does.
Duplicates, variants and filters
Shopify can make a product reachable at more than one address, for example directly and through a collection. It normally points search engines to a preferred version using a canonical tag, but it is worth checking, because themes and apps can change this.
Filters and sort options can create many near-identical addresses. Some are worth keeping, such as a filter for “red dresses” that people really search for. Most are not. We decide which to leave open to search engines and which to close, and we explain the trade-offs. Google published guidance on this in 2024, and we follow it.
Variants are usually best kept on one product page with options, unless people search for each one separately. We look at your search data before deciding.
Structured data
Structured data is extra code that describes a page in a form machines read easily, such as a product’s name, price and availability. It can make a page eligible for richer search results, but eligibility is not a promise. We check that what the code says matches what the page shows, and that it has no errors. Most current Shopify themes add basic product markup by default. Review stars in search results need reviews that genuinely appear on the page.
Internal linking
Links tell search engines which pages matter. We make sure your main collections are easy to reach, that products link back to their collections, and that guides point to the products they discuss. Good internal links help shoppers too. Where the build itself is the problem, our Shopify development work can change navigation and templates.
If you are changing platform
A migration is the moment SEO is most likely to be damaged by accident. Addresses change, redirects get missed and page titles can be lost. We plan the search side of a move before it starts, and check it afterwards. See how this works in our Shopify migration services overview and on our platform pages: WooCommerce to Shopify, Magento to Shopify and IRP Commerce to Shopify. Our guide, keeping your SEO when you migrate to Shopify, covers the steps in more detail.
How it connects to other work
Product data that is good for Google Shopping is usually good for ordinary search too, and Google Shopping covers the paid side. Clear, well-structured pages are also the base for answer engine optimisation. Pages that rank but do not sell need conversion rate optimisation, because traffic that does not buy is not much use.
What we measure
- which collection and product pages receive search visits, and how that changes
- impressions, clicks and average position in Search Console, for the pages we worked on
- indexing problems found and fixed
- orders and revenue from organic search, checked against your store’s own figures
Search Console does not show everything, and analytics figures rarely match your store’s exactly. We say so in the report. We do not promise rankings, traffic or revenue. We use Google Search Console, GA4, Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights.
Related reading
If you are moving platform, see keeping your SEO when you migrate to Shopify.
How we do it
Every project is different, so timings depend on its size and complexity. You get a realistic timeline in writing before work starts, and we never promise results by a date.
Step 1: Audit
We look at how search engines crawl and index the store, which pages bring visitors, and where the structure works against you. You get a written list, in priority order.
Step 2: Fix the foundations
We deal with the technical problems that matter most first, such as duplicate addresses, redirects, indexing mistakes and slow templates.
Step 3: Improve the pages that earn money
We start with the collections and products closest to sales, so the effort goes where it can pay back.
Step 4: Add content and links
We plan guides and buying advice around the questions your customers ask, and connect them to the pages that sell.
Step 5: Report and adjust
We report on what changed, what did not and what we would do next, including where we were wrong.
What it costs
Retainers start from £500 per month and cover our services only. They do not include your ad spend, or any software or other subscription costs. One-off optimisation projects are priced by current need or an agreed hourly rate. Our pricing page has the detail.
Questions people ask
Is Shopify good for SEO?
Yes, it is a sound base. It also has a few habits that need handling, such as the same product being reachable at more than one address and filtered collection pages creating near-duplicates. We check for these on every store. Shopify themes normally point those extra addresses at the main product address with a canonical tag, but themes and apps can change that.
How long does ecommerce SEO take to work?
Technical fixes can show an effect within weeks, because search engines revisit pages fairly quickly. Content and competitive terms take longer, often months. Nobody can promise a date, and we will say what we expect for your store and why.
Do you guarantee a first-page ranking?
No, and be wary of anyone who does. Search engines decide the results, and competitors keep changing theirs. What we can do is make your store easier to understand, easier to find and worth choosing.
Will changing platform harm my SEO?
It can if it is not planned. Addresses change, redirects get missed and page content can be lost. We record what ranks before the move, redirect old addresses to the right new ones and check search results afterwards. Our article on keeping your SEO when you migrate explains the steps.
Do you do SEO for stores that are not on Shopify?
Yes, the principles are the same, although the details differ by platform. Most of our experience is on Shopify, so that is where this page is specific.
Does structured data guarantee rich results?
No. Structured data helps search engines understand a page, but Google decides what to show, and its rules for rich results change. We add it where it matches what is on the page.
Ready to talk it through?
Get a free, top-level audit of your website for SEO, your ad account for PPC or your analytics account. A subject matter expert at Advent reviews it, and we aim to send it within 5 working days of receiving access.