SEO is always humans first and search bots second. Read on to understand what you can expect from a top Shopify SEO company.
Search engine optimization (SEO) has come far and long since the initial days. Now you can’t get away with ways like keyword stuffing or click bait copy. Google is looking for more ways to add value to its customer base and holds each brand accountable to this new standard.
This means that if your goal is to rank on Google’s first page, your content needs to match your visitors’ intent. This is why SEO can be intimidating to many.
With the drag and drop option for customizing your eCommerce store, Shopify has made it easy for you to jump into the eCommerce world and start selling your business. While that is true, this very convenience means that many technical aspects of your site have been decided for you.
This is where a digital marketing agency that specializes in Shopify SEO services comes in. While you can certainly find many articles online- even from Shopify on how you can optimize your site for the search engines, it is recommended to go the agency route because they are experts in the field. With Google’s constantly evolving landscape, it becomes difficult to keep track of new rules.
Also, the advice online is very generic. By now, you know how two businesses that sell the same products are still very different from each other. An SEO expert will shine your USP to the digital world and help you get more customers.
Some problems you might face on Shopify
Let’s talk about some issues you might run into while you optimize your use of Javascript, URL structure, and site architecture.
1. Locked and missing sitemaps
Think of a sitemap as a list of all your web pages. It tells Google’s bots how to crawl through your website to find the result of your users’ search. Although Shopify has XML sitemaps available to you on request, right now, they can only produce ‘locked’ sitemaps with four categories. So if you have videos or photos, you won’t be able to update them in your sitemap.
2. Uneditable robot.txt files
Robot.txt is the code that communicates with Google to tell the bots how to index your website in the best way possible. Although Shopify automatically creates them for you, you can’t edit these tags easily. This means that you:
- Can’t adjust your website’s metadata according to your growth strategy.
- Get more plus errors which eventually make your page “uncrawlable.”
- Get Shopify ‘noindex’ error, which means pages you don’t want indexed are also being indexed.
3. Canonical URLs
When several copies of the same content are being accessed at a given time, it’s an indicator of canonical URLs. Because you use product tags to help your customer filter through your product list, unfortunately, this information sorting method leads to the creation of multiple URLs and duplicate product pages. This means Google will penalize your website for spam.
4. Forced URL structure
If you want control over how your URL looks, Shopify isn’t the best fit for you. This might not be a problem to many, but if you want your website to be 100% optimized, then forced URL structure may stand in your way. This means that when a short URL can convey your business message to your user, you might get stuck with an unnecessarily long URL that you have no control over.
5. Shopify Blogs
Because Shopify is no WordPress, you will face many problems when it comes to customizing your blog as per your requirements. Shopify was designed to be an excellent eCommerce platform. WordPress, on the other hand, has more SEO-friendly options for customizing your blog. As a business owner, you know how important blogs can be for your business.
While these major problems and certain others do exist, it can’t take away from the fact that Shopify is a great place to be when you have an eCommerce business. So what do you do?
- Do you rely on Shopify and hope for the best?
- Do you go through a crash course in Shopify SEO to learn all the technical problems faced on the site?
- Or do you reach out for help?
This is where a digital marketing agency that specializes in Shopify SEO services comes in. They say it takes around 10,000 hours to become an expert in any field.
Now imagine having an entire team of people who have been studying the field of digital marketing, working for hours on end to better their skills and have first-hand knowledge of Google’s rhythm. Imagine having this force propelling your growth.
How working with a Shopify SEO agency would benefit you
You have an amazing website and great products. But that’s not enough to help spread the word of your existence. You need to optimize your site by Google norms constantly, so you get searched the first time, every time. Here’s how Shopify SEO services from a top digital agency would help you position yourself as an industry thought leader:
1. Shopify SEO Audit
A good Shopify SEO company will audit your eCommerce site to establish a baseline on its performance, usability, and security. This data will provide you with strategies on how you can best optimize your site. A few examples would be optimizing:
- NAP: Name, Address, Phone Number
- The quality of your backlinks
- Your online reputation
- Your product descriptions etc.
2. Keyword Research & Strategy
Shopify SEO strategy for content on your website would revolve around getting you the best keywords that are suited to you. This would include:
- Determining high performing keywords
- Organizing your search terms into cluster topics
- Using the above two points to build you an SEO optimized strategy
This will help you generate more leads and quality traffic to your store.
3. Link Building
Channels like:
- Content marketing
- Online review management
- Social media marketing
Would help in getting quality backlinks, creating brand awareness, and promoting overall business engagement.
4. On-page and Off-Page Optimization
Whether it’s content optimization strategy, or link building strategy, or even a social media marketing strategy, a great Shopify SEO company knows how to get each page of your website optimized for its best performance.
5. Technical SEO
Through the following ways, an expert Shopify SEO agency can optimize your website, so you are on the top page of Google every time:
- Whitehat SEO practices
- Site audits
- Site speed optimization
- Crawl error fixes
- Redirection issues
- Canonical tags placement
- Installing Google Analytics, etc.
6. Content Writing
Through great blog posts, compelling guest posts, meta descriptions, product descriptions, etc., you can leverage the power of becoming your target audience’s first choice through content writing. A great Shopify SEO company has expert writers, so you can enjoy taking care of your business.
7. Shopify PPC Advertising
By creating a pay-per-click account and setting up your product feed, by creating an optimized campaign that includes proper keyword research, you can get great conversion rates on your website. Shopify SEO services include PPC services to boost your ROI.
8. Shopify Web Design
A great website is a foundation for getting your visitors to stay till they convert. Shopify SEO agencies have expert website developers who can ensure you have a great.
- Website theme
- Simplified site navigation
- Proper visual hierarchy
- Good product filters
- Optimized online store
for your customers to enjoy their shopping experience.
9. Conversion Rate Optimization
When you get your website optimized for a higher ROI,
- Your homepage
- Carousel images
- CTAs
- Product detail pages
- Internal links
- Shopping carts
- Check out buttons
are performing at their best. This way, each visitor is taken care of, and you can increase your revenue over a quick period.
10. Reputation Management Integrations
Statistics say that it is estimated over 70% of people online first read reviews before they invest in buying the product you’re selling. Creating a positive brand image is challenging, especially with many people ready to tarnish your business because it might not have served their specific goal. Taking heed to invest in proper online response management, therefore, becomes imperative for your business.
This would include expensive tools and constant monitoring of news around your brand. Instead of going through this costly affair, investing in an expert, Shopify SEO agency will allow you to be at peace while they take care of the hard work.
As you can see, there are many benefits to letting experts take over. If you were to invest in an in-house method of accomplishing the above tasks, it might become a very costly affair. Therefore partnering with the right Shopify SEO agency becomes imperative.
They bring with them a team of experts who know the industry inside and out, so you don’t have to worry about anything. With frequent reportings, you are always on top of your SEO game. A cost-effective way to get higher returns, a good Shopify SEO company can take away all the stress related to marketing so you can focus on your products and things that matter most to you.
