Shopify SEO checklist: 10 fixes that matter more than anything else

Most Shopify SEO advice is either too technical or too vague. For a small store, a short list of fixes makes most of the difference, and most of them are about writing, not code. Here's the checklist we use when MAALI checks a store, in rough order of impact.

1. Give every product a real description

Thin descriptions are the most common SEO gap on Shopify. A product page with one line of copy gives search engines almost nothing to rank, and gives shoppers no reason to buy.

Aim for 150 to 300 words on your main products: what it is, materials, fit or size, how to use or care for it, and who it's for. Write for the shopper; the right words for search follow naturally.

2. Add an intro to every collection

Collection pages are where many shoppers land from search ("linen dresses", "western graphic tees"). If a collection is just a grid of products, it has nothing to rank with. Add two to four sentences at the top saying what's in it and who it's for, using the words a shopper would search.

3. Write meta descriptions on purpose

Shopify fills product meta descriptions from the product description. If that's one line, your search snippet is too. In Search engine listing on each product and collection, write 140 to 160 characters: the product, a benefit, and a reason to click.

4. Keep titles short and specific

Page titles over about 60 characters get cut off in results. Lead with the product or category, then the store name: "Linen Wrap Dress in Sage | Juniper & Pine" beats a long list of keywords.

5. One main heading per page

Each page should have one H1 that says what the page is about. Most themes handle this for products, but custom homepages and landing pages often have none, or several.

6. Describe your images

Alt text describes images for search engines and screen readers, and image search sends real traffic to product stores. "Sage linen wrap dress, side view" is better than "IMG_2041" or nothing at all.

7. Don't duplicate titles

When two pages share a title, they compete with each other. It happens with variants, tag pages and copied collections. Give each page its own title and meta description.

8. Check your sitemap and robots.txt

Shopify creates yourstore.com/sitemap.xml automatically. Submit it in Google Search Console so new products are found quickly, and make sure no app or edit to robots.txt is hiding pages you want indexed.

9. Start (or restart) a blog that answers real questions

Product pages rank for product searches. A blog lets you rank for the questions shoppers ask before they buy: how to style it, how to care for it, which one to choose. Pick specific, long-tail topics tied to your categories, and link each article to the products it mentions.

Many stores started a blog years ago and stopped. Search engines notice fresh, useful content; one good article a week beats ten at once.

10. Make pages fast enough

Every app adds scripts that can slow your store down, especially on mobile. Remove apps you no longer use, compress large images, and avoid stacking several page builders.

How MAALI helps

MAALI's free SEO check reads your homepage and a sample of product and collection pages, and scores the store on this list, with fixes ranked by impact. Then it suggests articles your customers actually search for and writes them in your brand voice, linking only to your real products. You read, edit and publish.