TL;DR
- On-page SEO is everything you improve on the page itself: content, title, headings, meta description, URL, images, links and structured data.
- Start with content that fully answers the search, then write a unique title and a clear heading structure. Meta descriptions don't affect rankings but can affect clicks.
- In Shopify, most of these live in each page's "Search engine listing" section and in the image alt text field.
Contents
On-page SEO is everything you improve on the page itself to help it rank and earn clicks. That includes the content, the title, headings, meta description, URL, images, internal links and structured data.
Here is a checklist based on Google’s own documentation, with where to edit each part in Shopify.
1. Content That Answers the Search
Everything else on this list supports the content. Before you change any tags, check that the page fully answers what the searcher wants to know or do. Google’s helpful content guide is the best checklist for this.
Use the words your customers use, and cover the questions they ask next. You don’t need to repeat a keyword a set number of times.
2. A Unique, Descriptive Title
The title tag is the clickable headline in search results. Google’s guide to title links recommends:
- A unique title for every page
- A title that describes the page clearly and concisely
- No repeated boilerplate across many pages, which is common on product pages
In Shopify, edit it under “Search engine listing” at the bottom of each product, collection, page or blog post.
3. A Clear Heading Structure
Headings help readers scan and help Google understand how the page is organized. Use one main heading that says what the page is about, then H2s for main sections and H3s for subsections.
Write headings that describe the section, not clever labels. “How to clean a cast iron pan” beats “The secret.”
4. A Helpful Meta Description
The meta description is the short summary that can appear under your title in search results. It doesn’t affect rankings, but a good one can earn more clicks. Google’s snippet guide recommends a unique description for each page that summarizes what it offers.
Google often writes its own snippet from the page text, so a strong first paragraph matters too.
5. Short, Readable URLs
Google’s URL structure guide recommends simple, readable URLs with words instead of IDs. In Shopify, you edit the URL handle in the search engine listing. When you change it, tick the box to create a redirect from the old URL.
6. Descriptive Image Alt Text
Alt text describes an image for people using screen readers and for search engines. Google’s image SEO guide asks for useful, descriptive alt text that fits the context, without stuffing keywords.
“Navy linen duvet cover on a made bed” is better than “duvet cover duvet bedding buy.” In Shopify, click an image and choose “Add alt text.”
7. Internal Links
Link each page to related pages with descriptive anchor text, and make sure important pages have at least one link from another page. Read more: Internal linking explained.
8. Structured Data
Structured data describes your content in a format search engines read directly, and can make pages eligible for rich results. Most Shopify themes already add Product markup. Check a product page with Google’s Rich Results Test, and only mark up content that’s visible on the page.
9. Fast, Mobile-Friendly Pages
Google uses the mobile version of a page for indexing. Compress images, remove apps you don’t use, and check your pages in PageSpeed Insights.
On-page SEO isn’t a one-time task. Revisit your most important pages when you add products, change prices or learn new questions from customers.
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