Do you want your Shopify store to be the number one search result to relevant customers? Of course, the answer is going to be yes. You always want to appear first on Google so that people click and head to your store. You are more likely to make sales this way and enjoy having repeat customers.
But, it takes hard work to get there. You have to be optimising your site regularly. The problem is that a lot of Shopify owners are actually making mistakes that are damaging their Google rankings. So, instead of going up, their position is going down. Here are some common Shopify makes you could be making that are having long-term consequences for your business.
Being General with Keywords
Most people know that keywords are essential for ranking highly on Google. But, the problem is that they are being too general with the keywords they use. For example, say you are selling jeans on Shopify. Of course, you are going to use this keyword in your web content related to jeans. However, there are too many other websites selling jeans and your chance of ranking highly is very low.
Instead, you need to be specific. Try to find a niche within jeans so that your products stand out. For instance, you could concentrate on blue ripped low-waisted jeans. Do your keyword research and find out what words and phrases are going to have low competition. If this is something you have no knowledge of or you struggle with SEO in general, consider hiring professional help. For instance, ClickSlice is the #1 SEO agency for Shopify stores in the UK, US and Canada. Their talented team know how to boost rankings with simple yet effective strategies. Indeed, they can help with tasks such as finding the best keywords and utilising them, along with other techniques.
Getting Complacent with Your Blog
Did you use to post on your blog all the time when you first started your Shopify store? Often, this is something you are good at to begin with. But, one you making sales and you get complacent with the blog. In other words, you are not uploading new content as much as you used to. Plus, you are not putting in a lot of effort to the posts.
Well, this is a big mistake. Your blog is still an important part of your website. Indeed, it is something you can utilise to improve your Google ranking. It is a chance to use relevant keywords, right useful information for customers and gather links. This is why you want to be posting new posts regularly. It will benefit you in the long run.
Having Broken Links
Have you ever checked to see if you have any broken links on your website? If the answer is no, you might find that you do have some. Often, business owners have them without realising, as you are not going to get notified of this. Unfortunately, it can damage your Google ranking, which is the last thing you want to happen. But, it is the consequence of removing a page or category from your site.
Therefore, make it part of your strategy to check for broken links. You want to ensure that you do not have any lurking around. Using tools like Google Search Console can help you identify them. You can redirect the links as a solution.
Not Using Alt Tags
Are you taking advantage of alt tags on your Shopify store? This is definitely something you want to do if you are looking to rank highly on Google. For example, say that your website does not load for a customer. They know there is an image but they cannot see it. Well, the alt tag will appear instead. This is going to provide a description and the customer can get a better idea of what it should be. What’s more, Google pays attention to alt tags when they are ranking websites. So, you want to be using them.
Now is the time to add alt tags or descriptions if you do not have them already. Make sure they are useful to the user. What’s more, try to include keywords that make sense so that it can help with SEO. You want to use this opportunity to tank, as well as improve user experience.
Having few Backlinks
Most people assume that backlinks come to you. For example, people are going to mention your website when it is appropriate. Sure, you cannot make people link to your site. But, you can certainly encourage them to do this. In particular, if you are making the mistake of having few backlinks and are not doing anything about it, your ranking will suffer as a consequence.
For example, a good way to get backlinks is writing guest posts. This is a way to appeal to the right audience and give them the opportunity to see your website. Indeed, this is also going to be a recommendation that Google acknowledges. Just ensure that you are linking to the right websites with a good authority. This way, you are going to benefit.
