Frequently asked questions about SEO

Why doesn’t my site show up in search engine results?

There could be several reasons why your online store isn’t showing up in search engine results:

• Your online store is too new. Search engines regularly index new sites, but if your site is new, then it might not have been indexed yet. You can try to speed up the process by submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console.

• You have a password on your online store. Learn how to remove your online store password.

• You're still on a trial account. Search engines don’t index trial stores. When you’re ready,choose a Shopify plan.

• You recently migrated from another platform and the redirects from your old website haven't been implemented. Learn how to keep your search engine ranking when you migrate your store to Shopify.

• You need to continue adding keywords and relevant content to your online store. This is the most common reason why your online store might not rank high in search engine results. Developing a content strategy and finding ways to make your store unique helps over the long term.

How do I find out if my site has been indexed by Google?

You can search for your online store in Google by using a site search to see if your site has been indexed by Google.

In a Google search, enter site:yourshopifystore.com, replacing yourshopifystore.com with your online store URL. If pages from your online store appear in the search results, then Google is indexing your site.

Note

Google indexes your site automatically within 48 to 72 hours after you add or update information. You can't force Google to re-index your site, but you can prompt them to do so by using Google Search Console. Google doesn't index all of the pages on a site. Learn more about what to expect when your site is indexed from the Google Search Console Help.

Learn more about how to find out if your site has been indexed from Google Search Console Help.

How do I know if my site is optimized for search engines?

There are many free and paid tools for analyzing your online store’s search engine optimization, or you can search for apps to test SEO in the Shopify App store.

How can I confirm that there are elements such as title or H1 tags missing from my pages?

The most reliable method for understanding which elements are present in your pages is to check how search engines are rendering your pages. This can be accomplished by using their provided URL inspection tool. This tool allows you to check how your pages appear to search engines and whether your page is rendering as expected.

For example, after verifying your store with Google Search Console you can use their URL inspection tool to check how Google is rendering your page. From there, you can use the search function to find a particular page element.

Note

You can also use Google's rich results tool to test how they are rendering your page. This method does not require verifying your store with Google.

These methods can be useful for confirming a page has an SEO issue like missing a title or H1 tag.

How can I debug a missing page element such as a missing title or H1?

When part of a page is not rendering as expected, it's typically caused by edits to theme files. These edits can be made manually within the code editor or automatically by an app.

If you're comfortable reviewing theme files, then you might be able to identify the root issue yourself. Otherwise, it might be helpful to contact Shopify support.

Investigating a missing page title

All Online Store 2.0 themes built by Shopify should have a valid title tag by default. If you suspect that a page is missing a title tag, it's likely the result of custom code or an app.

Note

The code that generates the page <title> is usually contained within the theme.liquid file. If a page is missing a title tag then that file is usually a good place to start. If you've downloaded an SEO app, the app may have created additional liquid files that could be generating title tags. In that case, those files should also be reviewed.

Common issues include:

• accidentally removing the <title> element from the appropriate liquid file
• using conditional logic that excludes some page types from having a title tag
• an app introducing new title tag logic that doesn't apply to some page types

Investigating a missing page H1 heading

All Online Store 2.0 themes built by Shopify should have a valid <h1> tag by default. If you suspect that a page is missing an H1 heading, then it's likely the result of custom code or an app.

The code that generates the <h1> tag depends on the page type.

Note

The H1 heading on product pages is generated by the main-product.liquid file in Online Store 2.0 themes built by Shopify.

The H1 heading on collection pages is generated by the main-list-collections.liquid file in Online Store 2.0 themes built by Shopify.

If you're using a theme that has been heavily customized or introduced new page template files, then the cause of a missing H1 heading might be in a different file.

Where can I learn more about SEO?

There are many online resources available about SEO. Look for the most up-to-date information, because search engine developers are constantly launching new strategies for finding the most relevant content.

Here are a few places to learn about SEO online:

• Shopify SEO Guide

• Google Search Console Help

• Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO

• Search Engine Land’s Guide to SEO

Grow your business

Still need help with search engine optimization? Hire a Shopify Partner to help you improve your store's ranking in search engine results.