In today’s competitive eCommerce landscape, SEO plays a crucial role in driving traffic and sales for your Shopify store. Yet, even with the best products and a beautiful website, failing to optimise for search engines can severely limit your store’s growth. SEO can feel complex, but many of the most common mistakes are easily fixed with a bit of knowledge and effort. Identifying these errors and taking corrective action will help your store rank higher in search results and, ultimately, increase your revenue.
Whether you're managing your SEO in-house or leveraging tailored Shopify SEO services to help guide your strategy, knowing what to avoid is the first step toward success. Below are five common SEO mistakes that may be holding back your Shopify store’s growth—and how you can fix them.
1. Ignoring Keyword Research and Targeting Irrelevant Keywords
One of the biggest SEO mistakes Shopify store owners make is not investing enough time into keyword research. Choosing the wrong keywords—those that are either too broad or not aligned with your customers’ search intent—can significantly limit your visibility in search results. For example, targeting highly competitive, broad keywords like “shoes” is unlikely to yield results for a small to medium-sized store. Similarly, irrelevant or low-traffic keywords won’t bring the right audience to your site.
How to Fix It:
Start with thorough keyword research using tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush. Focus on long-tail keywords that are specific to your products and niche. These keywords are less competitive and often come with higher conversion potential because they match a user’s search intent more closely. For instance, instead of targeting “shoes,” a better keyword might be “vegan leather ankle boots for women.” By being more precise, you’re more likely to reach customers who are ready to make a purchase.
2. Duplicate Content Across Product Pages
Duplicate content is a common issue in Shopify stores, especially when products are similar or have slight variations. While it might seem convenient to copy and paste product descriptions or use the same content across multiple pages, search engines penalise this practice. Duplicate content confuses search engines about which page to rank, leading to lower visibility.
How to Fix It:
Write unique product descriptions for each item in your store. Focus on highlighting the unique benefits, features, and selling points of each product. Not only does this improve SEO, but it also enhances the user experience, helping potential customers make more informed buying decisions. If you have very similar products, consider using a canonical tag to tell search engines which version of the page is the main one to index.
3. Slow Site Speed and Poor Mobile Optimisation
In today’s mobile-first world, having a fast and mobile-optimised site is crucial. Slow-loading pages and poor mobile experiences can drive customers away before they’ve had a chance to browse your products, resulting in high bounce rates and lower rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs). Google uses site speed and mobile usability as ranking factors, so if your Shopify store is lagging, your search performance will suffer.
How to Fix It:
- Optimise images: Large, uncompressed images are often a major factor in slow site speeds. Use tools like TinyPNG to compress images without losing quality.
- Use a responsive theme: Shopify offers several mobile-optimised themes, but make sure the one you’re using is fast and fully responsive. Test your store across different devices to ensure a seamless experience.
- Minimise apps: Unnecessary apps can slow down your site. Regularly audit the apps you have installed and remove any that are no longer essential.
Additionally, use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to monitor your store’s speed and receive specific recommendations on how to improve performance.
4. Not Optimising Meta Tags
Meta tags, including meta titles and meta descriptions, are essential elements for on-page SEO. Many Shopify store owners overlook these tags or fail to optimise them properly. Meta titles help search engines understand what your page is about, and meta descriptions play a crucial role in convincing users to click through from search results. If these tags are missing or poorly optimised, it can harm your store’s visibility and click-through rate.
How to Fix It:
Ensure every page, product, and collection on your Shopify store has a unique, keyword-optimised meta title and meta description. Your meta title should be concise (under 60 characters) and include your primary keyword. The meta description should be between 150-160 characters and give users a compelling reason to click on your link.
For example, if you're selling eco-friendly water bottles, your meta title could be something like “Eco-Friendly Reusable Water Bottles | Free Shipping Australia-Wide.” The meta description could be: “Shop our range of eco-friendly, reusable water bottles perfect for everyday use. Free shipping on all orders Australia-wide.”
5. Neglecting Internal and External Link Building
Internal linking (linking to other pages within your site) and external link building (earning links from other websites) are often overlooked in Shopify SEO. However, these practices are crucial for improving your site’s authority and helping search engines understand the structure of your site. Without proper internal linking, users and search engines may struggle to navigate your site, reducing the likelihood of conversions. External links, or backlinks, are equally important for boosting your domain authority and improving your rankings in SERPs.
How to Fix It:
- Internal linking: Within your product descriptions and blog posts, link to other relevant products or content on your site. This not only helps with SEO but also encourages users to explore more of your offerings, increasing the chances of a sale.
- External link building: Focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites in your niche. This could involve guest posting, partnering with influencers, or creating shareable content like infographics or guides. Backlinks signal to search engines that your site is credible and worth ranking higher.
Additionally, consider working with a tailored Shopify SEO services provider if you need help with more advanced link-building strategies. They can help you develop a plan that targets the right opportunities and enhances your overall SEO.
By identifying and addressing these common SEO mistakes, you’ll be in a stronger position to grow your Shopify store and drive more organic traffic. From optimising keywords to improving site speed and fixing duplicate content, every improvement you make will have a positive impact on your store’s performance in search engines and, ultimately, your bottom line.
