Part of: Digital marketing
Ecommerce SEO services
SEO makes your store easier for search engines to read and easier for customers to choose. We work in four layers: technical, on-page, content and AI search. Results build over months, and nobody can honestly promise a date or a position.
How to choose
A quick comparison of the services in SEO.
| Service | What it is | Best for | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO 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. | 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. | Read more about SEO for ecommerce |
| Answer engine optimisation | Answer engine optimisation (AEO) is writing and structuring your pages so they can be used as the direct answer to a question in search results and AI summaries. It rests on clear answers, sound page structure and ranking well in ordinary search. Some of it is well supported and some is not yet proven, and we say which. | Stores and brands whose customers ask questions before they buy, and that already have sound pages and a basic SEO footing to build on. | Read more about Answer engine optimisation |
| Generative engine optimisation | Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is the work of making your brand clear, consistent and well referenced, so AI assistants can describe it correctly and may name or cite it. Most of the evidence is thin, and no one can control what an assistant says. We focus on the things that are sensible anyway, and we are plain about the rest. | Brands that want to be described accurately when people ask AI assistants for recommendations, and that are willing to build a reputation across the web over months. It suits businesses that already have a clear offer and some existing coverage. | Read more about Generative engine optimisation |
| Local SEO | Local SEO helps nearby customers find a business that has a physical place or serves a defined area. It centres on your Google Business Profile, accurate listings, honest reviews and a few well-judged pages. If you sell only online, you probably do not need it, and we will tell you so. | Businesses with a shop, showroom or office that customers visit, and firms that travel to customers within a defined area, such as tradespeople, clinics and professional practices. | Read more about Local SEO |
The four layers of SEO
SEO is easier to plan when you split it into four layers. Each one depends on the one before it.
- Technical. Can search engines crawl your store and understand which pages matter? This covers speed, duplicate pages, redirects and structure. On Shopify it also covers variant and collection addresses. This is where SEO for ecommerce starts.
- On-page. Do your collection and product pages say clearly what they are, in the words your customers use?
- Content. Do you answer the questions people ask before they buy, such as comparisons, sizing and how-to guides?
- AI search. Can your pages be used as clear answers in search results and AI assistants? We cover this in answer engine optimisation and generative engine optimisation. Much of it is simply good writing and clear structure, and some of it is still unproven. We say which is which.
If you also have a shop or a local service area, local SEO adds a fifth, separate piece of work. Pure online stores rarely need it.
What an SEO audit covers
An audit looks at crawling and indexing, site structure, page speed, duplicate and thin pages, how your main collection and product pages are written, structured data, how ready your pages are for AI search, which pages already bring visitors, and where content is missing. We work from the same checklist every time, so nothing is skipped.
You get a slide deck of what to fix, in order of likely benefit, and we talk it through with you on a short follow-up call. Then you decide what happens next. The free audit covers the top-priority checks and we aim to send it within 5 working days. An in-depth audit works through every check.
Realistic timelines
Technical fixes can show an effect within weeks, because search engines recrawl pages fairly quickly. Content takes longer, and competitive terms take longest. Anyone who gives you an exact date is guessing. We will tell you what we expect for your store and why, and we will tell you when we were wrong.
How to choose where to start
- Store with known problems, or that has just been migrated: start with the technical layer. If you are about to move platform, read how we protect your search visibility first.
- Store with a sound base and thin pages: start with on-page work on your best-selling collections.
- Store with steady traffic and few guides: add content that answers pre-purchase questions.
- Brand that wants to be recommended by AI assistants: start with clear, accurate pages and entity basics, and be sceptical of promises.
SEO and paid ads support each other. Search terms that convert in PPC show you what is worth writing about. Pages that rank but do not sell need conversion rate optimisation. Good UX design helps people stay once they arrive. If your store build is holding SEO back, our Shopify development work can fix it at source.
Google says its AI features draw on the same systems as ordinary search results, and need no special markup.
Each service in SEO
SEO 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.
Answer engine optimisation
Answer engine optimisation (AEO) is writing and structuring your pages so they can be used as the direct answer to a question in search results and AI summaries. It rests on clear answers, sound page structure and ranking well in ordinary search. Some of it is well supported and some is not yet proven, and we say which.
Generative engine optimisation
Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is the work of making your brand clear, consistent and well referenced, so AI assistants can describe it correctly and may name or cite it. Most of the evidence is thin, and no one can control what an assistant says. We focus on the things that are sensible anyway, and we are plain about the rest.
Local SEO
Local SEO helps nearby customers find a business that has a physical place or serves a defined area. It centres on your Google Business Profile, accurate listings, honest reviews and a few well-judged pages. If you sell only online, you probably do not need it, and we will tell you so.
How it works
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 check how search engines see your store, from duplicate pages to speed, and list what to fix first.
Step 2: Fix
We sort out the technical problems that hold the store back, starting with the ones that matter most.
Step 3: Improve
We rewrite and reorganise key pages so they match how your customers search.
Step 4: Publish and maintain
We plan and write helpful content, then keep it up to date as things change.
Questions people ask
How long does SEO take to work?
It builds over time, and nobody can promise a date. Fixing technical problems can help sooner, while new content takes longer. We tell you what to expect for your store, and we do not promise rankings.
Do you guarantee a first-page ranking?
No, and be wary of anyone who does. Search engines decide the results. What we can do is make your store easier to find and worth choosing.
Is Shopify bad for SEO?
No. Shopify has a few quirks, such as the same product being reachable at more than one address, that need handling. We know them and set the store up to avoid problems.
What does an SEO audit cover?
How search engines crawl and read your store, how your key pages are written, which pages bring traffic, and where content is missing. You get a written, prioritised list of what to fix first.
Do you also cover AI search?
Yes. Clear, well-structured and trustworthy pages help in both classic search and AI answers, so we plan for them together. Nobody can promise to be named by an AI assistant, and we do not.
Do I need local SEO?
Only if you have a physical shop or a local service area. Most online-only stores do not, and we will say so.
Not sure which to choose?
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.