Ecommerce SEO is the process of increasing the visibility of an online store in search engine results pages (SERPs). Businesses implementing this strategy aim to attract visitors who input queries related to their products and brand. The tasks involved are varied, including optimizing website content and ensuring product feeds are submitted via Google Merchant Center. Optimizing collection and product pages is a key activity, as is building new collection pages to target new queries.
On-Page SEO for Ecommerce
On-page SEO involves optimizing elements within a website to improve its ranking. For ecommerce sites, this includes editing title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags (H1, H2). Optimizing image alt text is also crucial, ensuring it accurately describes the visuals. URL structure should be carefully considered. When optimizing title tags and descriptions, the primary goal is ranking on the first page of search results, with a secondary goal of encouraging click-throughs. Modifiers such as “Deals,” “20% Off,” or “Free Shipping” can potentially boost performance when included in meta descriptions or titles, and may help target long-tail keywords. Product descriptions themselves are a key component, as search engines use page content to determine keyword rankings and page authority. SEO writing, specifically optimizing product descriptions, can significantly impact organic traffic.
Technical SEO Considerations
Technical SEO focuses on improving a website’s infrastructure to enhance crawlability and indexability. Key elements include site speed optimization and ensuring mobile responsiveness. Indexability and crawlability are essential, as is the implementation of schema markup. Canonicalization and sitemaps are also important technical SEO components. Shopify stores automatically include canonical tags and generate sitemap.xml and robots.txt files. Technical SEO audits can identify crawl errors, broken links, duplicate content, and structured data issues. Tools like Shopify SEO Checker, Ahrefs, SEMrush, Google Search Console, and Screaming Frog can assist with these audits.
Off-Page SEO Strategies
Off-page SEO encompasses activities conducted outside of a website to improve its search ranking. Link building is a core component, along with influencer outreach and guest posting. Social signals also contribute to off-page SEO. A natural and holistic approach to acquiring inbound links is crucial for competing in search results.
SEO Services and Pricing
A range of SEO services are available, categorized as on-page, technical, off-page, and content strategy. Pricing for these services varies considerably. Freelancers may charge $500–$2,000 per month, small agencies $1,000–$5,000 per month, mid-tier firms $5,000–$10,000 per month, and enterprise-level SEO services $10,000–$25,000 per month. Hourly SEO rates in the U.S. range from $75–$250 per hour, with potential increases of 15–30% in markets like New York City due to higher competition.
Shopify SEO Specialization
Shopify is a popular ecommerce platform, but it presents unique SEO challenges. Specialized Shopify SEO services include keyword research and optimization, on-page SEO optimization, and technical SEO audits. Several agencies specialize in Shopify SEO, including eCommerce Republic, Encyphers, Coalition Technologies, OuterBox, and Victorious SEO.
The Role of SEO in Ecommerce Marketing
SEO drives qualified organic traffic, reduces dependency on paid advertising, improves user experience and site structure, enhances brand credibility and trust, and provides long-term return on investment. In the U.S. market, SEO is considered a necessity for online stores. A comprehensive SEO strategy incorporates technical SEO, on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and a robust content strategy. This strategy often begins with a comprehensive SEO audit, followed by keyword mapping and content gap analysis, competitor benchmarking, monthly link building, and continuous conversion rate optimization (CRO) and user experience (UX) enhancements.
Local SEO for Ecommerce
Local SEO focuses on optimizing an online store for local search results. This includes Google Business Profile optimization, a local keyword strategy, customer review management, and the creation of geo-targeted landing pages. For international companies seeking to expand into new geographic markets, local expertise is essential.
Ecommerce SEO Strategies for 2025
The four pillars of SEO – technical SEO, on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and content strategy – remain central to success. A proven strategy includes a comprehensive SEO audit, keyword mapping and content gap analysis, competitor benchmarking, monthly link building, CRO and UX enhancements, and local SEO layering.
Sources
- https://www.shopify.com/blog/ecommerce-seo-beginners-guide
- https://ecommercerepublic.com/shopify-ecommerce-seo-services-in-the-usa/
- https://awisee.com/us/ecommerce-seo/