Shopify SEO checklist: 25 fixes for collections, products and speed

Shopify gets a lot right out of the box: sitemaps, canonical tags, HTTPS and mobile-friendly themes. But every store I audit has the same handful of problems, and fixing them is often worth more than any amount of new content. Here's the checklist I use, grouped by area.

Collections (fixes 1 to 6)

Collections are the pages that rank for category searches like "oud perfume" or "men's automatic watches". They deserve the most attention.

1. Map one keyword theme to each collection. Avoid two collections targeting the same search.
2. Add unique intro text. Two or three helpful sentences above the products, with more detail below the grid if needed. Not a block of keywords.
3. Write custom SEO titles and meta descriptions. Shopify's defaults are just the collection name.
4. Keep filters from creating junk URLs. Filter and sort parameters should not be indexed or linked as separate pages. Check your theme and filter app.
5. Link collections to each other. Related collections and sub-collections linked from the description and navigation.
6. Avoid empty or tiny collections. A collection with two products rarely ranks. Merge or noindex until it's built out.

Product pages (fixes 7 to 13)

7. Replace manufacturer descriptions. Copy that appears on hundreds of sites won't rank. Write unique product descriptions.
8. Use descriptive product titles. Brand, product name and key attribute: "Maison Oud Nuit Extrait de Parfum 100ml" beats "Oud Nuit".
9. Fill in every variant properly. Sizes, colours and concentrations with their own SKU, price and image.
10. Write useful alt text. Describe the image: "Oud Nuit 100ml bottle with gold cap".
11. Show reviews in the HTML. Many review apps load reviews with JavaScript only. Make sure search engines can see them.
12. Handle sold-out products sensibly. Keep the page live with alternatives if it may return; redirect it to the closest product or collection if it's gone for good.
13. Check product schema. Price, availability, brand, SKU and reviews, without duplicate schema from multiple apps.

Duplicate URLs and site structure (fixes 14 to 18)

14. Link to /products/ URLs, not /collections/x/products/ URLs. Shopify canonicalises the collection-path version to /products/, but many themes still link to it internally. Update the product card snippet in your theme.

{%- comment -%} Before: links to /collections/oud/products/oud-nuit {%- endcomment -%}
<a href="{{ product.url | within: collection }}">

{%- comment -%} After: links to /products/oud-nuit {%- endcomment -%}
<a href="{{ product.url }}">

15. Keep URL handles short and readable. Fix handles like /products/copy-of-new-product-2 before they gather links.
16. Redirect changed handles. Shopify can create redirects automatically when you change a handle. Make sure the box is ticked.
17. Review robots.txt.liquid. Shopify lets you edit robots.txt. Use it carefully to stop crawling of internal search and filter URLs.
18. Use breadcrumbs. They help navigation and give search engines a clear hierarchy.

Speed and apps (fixes 19 to 22)

19. Audit your apps. Uninstalling an app doesn't always remove its code. Check theme files for leftover snippets.
20. Defer non-essential scripts. Chat widgets, pop-ups and tracking can load after the main content.
21. Compress and size images. Upload images at the size they're shown and let Shopify serve modern formats.
22. Choose a lightweight theme. A fast, well-maintained theme beats a heavy theme with every feature switched on.

International and content (fixes 23 to 25)

23. Set up Shopify Markets properly. Use subfolders like /ar-ae/ or /en-sa/ with hreflang for each market and language. More in my international SEO service.
24. Translate URLs and content, not just labels. Arabic stores need Arabic keyword research and native copy. See Arabic SEO.
25. Use the blog for buying guides. "Best oud perfumes for men" or "How to choose a dive watch" articles that link to your collections.

What I usually find in Shopify audits

Across the Shopify stores I've worked on, from perfume retailers to gifting brands, the same four issues account for most lost traffic:

1. Collections with no text at all. Just a title and a product grid. Google has nothing to rank them on.
2. Leftover app code. Apps uninstalled months ago still loading scripts on every page.
3. Duplicate products for each size. 50ml and 100ml listed as separate products, splitting reviews and links.
4. Internal links to collection-path URLs. Thousands of links pointing at non-canonical versions of products.

None of these needs a redesign. Most can be fixed in a few days on a duplicate theme, then reviewed and published.

A collection intro template

Use this structure for each important collection. Keep the top part short so products stay above the fold:

How to prioritise

If you can only do five things this month, do these: unique collection intros on your top ten collections, internal links pointing to /products/ URLs, an app clean-up, unique descriptions for your best sellers, and a schema check. Those cover most of the gap I see between stores that rank and stores that don't.