Want to get your Shopify store to the top of Google? It's not as hard as you think. Even with lots of competition, you can get ahead by following this straightforward guide. This guide, designed to be simple and easy to follow, will help you avoid wasting time on methods that don't work.

My name is Kai Cromwell, and I'm going to share the exact steps my agency uses to get our brands on Google's first page. This strategy, which has enabled us to generate millions of dollars in sales every month, is a testament to the potential success that awaits you. Whether you're just starting or have been running your store for a while, this guide will be beneficial to you.

The 3 Pillars of Shopify SEO

I like to keep things simple. Every part of SEO can fit into one of these three groups:

• Technical SEO: Ensuring your site is easily crawlable and understandable by Google.

• On-Page SEO: Optimizing your website content to rank for specific keywords.

• Off-Page SEO: Building your website's authority through backlinks.

Let's dive into each of these areas.

Technical SEO: Laying the Foundation

Technical SEO might not be the most exciting part, but it's essential. It makes sure the rest of your SEO work pays off. You don't need to be a coder to do this. Shopify has become more SEO-friendly, but here are a few things to fix:

Clean Up Your URLs

Shopify themes often have long, messy URLs for product pages. This can confuse Google. The real URL should be concise and straightforward.

The Problem: Many internal links on your site point to the wrong product URLs.

The Fix: Check the instructions for your theme to shorten the product URLs.

Hide Tag Pages From Google

Tags help customers find products, but you don't want tag pages to show up in Google search results. These pages often have thin content, which can hurt your SEO.

The Solution: Add a simple code to your theme's liquid file to hide these pages from search engines.

Other Important Technical Fixes

• Fix 404 Errors: Find and fix any broken links on your site.

• 301 Redirects: Avoid long chains of redirects.

• Robots.txt File: Ensure this file is configured correctly to instruct Google which pages to crawl.

• Indexing: Check Google Search Console to make sure your important pages are being indexed.

• Mobile Optimization: Ensure your site appears and functions well on mobile devices, including phones and tablets.

• Site Speed: Utilize lazy loading for images and compress them to improve your site's load speed. Consider using the WebP format for images.

Once you've done these things, technical SEO shouldn't take up too much of your time. Check your site regularly and keep things tidy.

On-Page SEO: Making Money With Keywords

On-page SEO is a key strategy for boosting your sales. People search for keywords when they are ready to make a purchase. If you do on-page SEO right, they'll buy from you! You won't have to spend money on ads.

Keyword Research: Finding the Right Words

Keywords are the foundation of on-page SEO. Use tools like:

• Ahrefs

• SEMrush

• Low Fruits

• Google Keyword Planner

These tools help you find the best keywords for your products, collections, and blog posts. Ahrefs and SEMrush cost money, Low Fruits has a low monthly price, and Google Keyword Planner is free.

The Goal: Find keywords that aren't too hard to rank for, and that show people want to buy something.

How to Check for Purchase Intent

1. Search for the keyword on Google.

2. If the top results are product and collection pages, it has purchase intent.

3. If the top results are blogs or news articles, they typically lack purchase intent.

Important: If a keyword lacks purchase intent, save it for later use. You can use it for blog posts.

Mapping Keywords to the Buyer's Journey

Think of a funnel. At the bottom are people who are ready to buy. In the middle are people who are comparing options. At the top are people who are just learning about a product.

• Bottom of Funnel: Use keywords for product and collection pages. These are your "money pages."

• Middle of Funnel: Use comparison keywords ("X vs Y") and solution keywords ("how to solve a problem").

• Top of Funnel: Use informational keywords ("what is...") and how-to keywords ("how to use...").

Map each keyword to a page on your site. If you don't have a page for a keyword, create one! Use a spreadsheet to keep track of all your information.

Where to Use Your Keywords

Put your keyword in these places:

• Title

• H1 Heading

• Meta Title

• Meta Description

• URL

• Image Alt Text

• First Sentence of Your Content

• A few times naturally throughout the content

That's it! As you get better at on-page SEO, you can use your keywords more often.

Don't forget to build internal links to connect all of your content!

Off-Page SEO: Building Trust with Backlinks

Google uses links to decide which websites to trust. The more backlinks you have, the higher you'll rank. Higher rankings mean more money.

There are many ways to get backlinks. Some cost money, but many are free of charge. Here are some methods to focus on:

• Social Profiles: TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest

• Reference Sites: Wikipedia, Reddit, and Quora

• Web Links: Medium, Substack, and LiveJournal

• Press Releases

• Guest Posts

• Link Insertions

• Public Relations

SEO: The Key to Shopify Success

Ranking your Shopify store on Google takes work, but it's worth it. If you don't optimize for SEO, you're missing out on sales.