Shopify has positioned itself as one of the most widely used e-commerce platforms worldwide, offering a comprehensive solution for launching and managing online stores without advanced technical knowledge. However, when it comes to SEO, Shopify presents some challenges that can limit its potential if not properly addressed. Here are the main SEO challenges in Shopify and how to solve them to make your store stand out from the competition.
Top SEO Challenges in Shopify
Although Shopify is designed to simplify online store management, its infrastructure poses some challenges that you should be aware of:
Limitations on URL Structure
By default, Shopify adds additional folders at certain URL levels, such as categories (/collections/) or products (/products/), which generates longer and more complex paths. For example, if an online store wanted to create a specific directory for shoes, the URL would not simply be https://www.yourstore.com/shoes. Instead, Shopify would include the category folder, meaning the final URL would look like this: https://www.yourstore.com/collections/shoes.
Duplicate Content
Now imagine we have this product URL for black shoes: https://www.yourstore.com/products/black-shoes. So far, so good. The problem comes when a user accesses the product from the category page. In that case, Shopify will generate a different URL by default, with folders reflecting the user’s different navigation steps: https://www.yourstore.com/collections/shoes/products/black-shoes.
Having two different URLs can confuse search engines and harm the authority of the product’s main URL if not managed correctly with practices that tell Google which is the main URL to index, such as the canonical tag.
Limitations for Multi-Language Sites
Shopify offers support for multiple languages but has several limitations that can affect user experience and SEO strategy. One of the main drawbacks is the need to establish a main language, from which all translations are generated. This means that other language versions aren’t completely independent, making it difficult to customize content for each market.
Another major challenge is Shopify Markets, which allows you to set up different marketplaces, but only supports one language per marketplace. This can be a problem in countries with more than one official language, such as Canada (English and French) or Switzerland (German, French and Italian). The platform doesn’t allow offering different versions of the same page within the same market without resorting to external solutions.
To solve these problems, it’s essential to correctly set hreflang tags and use advanced translation tools to improve the flexibility of the content in each language. It’s also advisable to structure Shopify Markets strategically to avoid language conflicts and maximize customization.
Loading Speed
Shopify themes and apps often include a variety of additional scripts and resources to provide advanced functionality and attractive designs. However, many of these elements are generic or unnecessary for all stores, which can increase the weight of pages and slow down their loading time.
This not only affects the user experience, but also impacts SEO, as Google considers loading speed as a key factor in page ranking. Optimizing and minimizing these scripts is critical to improving performance and maintaining a competitive store.
Limited Server Access and Dependence on External Applications
As a hosted platform, Shopify restricts access to server configurations. This prevents you from making advanced technical adjustments, such as optimizing server response time or implementing custom technologies that can improve performance.
Similarly, Shopify lacks advanced built-in SEO tools, forcing you to rely on additional applications for essential functions, which can increase costs and slow down performance if not managed correctly.
While these limitations can affect your store’s SEO, there are effective ways to address them with the right tools and strategies.
The Best Tools to Improve Your Shopify SEO
To overcome these limitations, Shopify offers a variety of applications that optimize key aspects of SEO. Below we highlight the most effective ones and how they can help you improve your store’s performance:
- SEO Manager: Offers advanced control to manage 301 redirects, customize meta tags and perform SEO analysis directly from the Shopify dashboard. It’s especially useful for troubleshooting technical errors and optimizing pages efficiently.
- Plug in SEO: Ideal for identifying common technical problems, such as missing tags or broken links, and suggesting quick fixes. It also includes recommendations to improve the content and speed of your store.
- Smart SEO: Automates the generation of structured data and meta tags, making it easier for your products to appear in Google rich snippets. This increases the visibility of products with additional information such as ratings, prices and availability.
- TinyIMG: Automatically compresses images to improve loading speed, a crucial factor for SEO. It also includes options to audit images and optimize attributes such as alt text, which enhances accessibility and positioning.
Key Strategies to Rank Your Shopify on Google
Improving SEO on Shopify requires a strategic approach that combines content optimization, technical tweaks and constant monitoring. Here are the key points to boost your positioning:
- On-page optimization: Use relevant keywords in titles, headings and meta tags. Structure the content well and include attractive descriptions with calls to action to improve conversion.
- Technical SEO: Do an SEO audit with tools such as Screaming Frog or Google Search Console, analyze the critical points and establish an action plan that will allow you to improve the different technical aspects.
- Loading speed: Reduce the weight of images, enable lazy loading and remove unnecessary scripts to improve user experience and Google ranking.
- Backlinks and content marketing: Publish relevant content on a blog to attract external links and generate organic traffic, positioning yourself as a reference in your sector.
- Local SEO: If you have a physical store, use geographic keywords and register your business in Google My Business to improve visibility in local searches.
SEO success is not immediate, but with consistency and continuous analysis you can improve your rankings and attract more customers to your Shopify store.
SEO Trends That Can Boost Your Shopify Performance
Evolving technologies such as voice search and artificial intelligence (AI) are radically changing SEO strategies:
- Voice search: More and more users are using voice assistants such as Google Assistant, Siri or Alexa to make purchases and search for products online. To optimize your store for voice search:
- Use conversational and natural phrases in product descriptions. For example, instead of writing “leather shoes”, include phrases such as “Where can I buy quality leather shoes?”.
- If you have a physical business, adapt to local SEO, as many voice searches have a local intent. For example: “shoe stores near me.”
- Artificial intelligence: AI is transforming how online stores research, create and optimize content:
- Content creation: AI-based tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and automated flows with Make can simplify the writing of product descriptions and blog articles in minutes.
- Personalization of the user experience: With AI, you can tailor your store content to each customer’s preferences, displaying relevant products based on their searches or behavior.
Optimizing Shopify may seem challenging, but with the right strategies and tools, you can turn these limitations into opportunities. Ready to get started? Optimizing SEO on Shopify is just one step in an effective digital commerce strategy. With Globant GUT and our Commerce Studio, we help companies improve their customer experience by integrating AI solutions and omnichannel ecosystems to create more agile and engaging journeys.
