Launching an e-commerce store is exciting. You’ve chosen your products, designed your site, and are almost ready to go live. But here’s the catch: without a strong SEO foundation, your store might remain invisible in search results.
E-Commerce SEO agency ensures your products are discoverable, competitive, and positioned for long-term growth. To help you get it right from day one, here’s a comprehensive 15-step e-commerce SEO checklist you must complete before launching your store.
Perform Thorough Keyword Research
Before writing a single product description, research the terms your customers are searching for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to uncover high-intent keywords. Balance between broad keywords (e.g., “running shoes”) and long-tail ones (e.g., “lightweight running shoes for women”). This helps you capture both volume and targeted buyers.
Build a Logical Site Structure
Your site’s architecture should be simple and intuitive. Think of it like a pyramid:
- Homepage → Categories → Subcategories → Product Pages
This structure makes navigation easy for users and ensures search engines can crawl your store efficiently.
Create SEO-Friendly URLs
Keep URLs short, descriptive, and keyword-rich.
Example: www.mystore.com/women-running-shoes
Avoid: www.mystore.com/p123?id=456
Optimise Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Each page needs a unique, keyword-optimised title tag (under 60 characters) and meta description (under 160 characters). These appear in search results, so make them compelling enough to earn clicks.
Write Unique Product Descriptions
Don’t copy manufacturer descriptions—Google hates duplicate content. Instead, write original, engaging, keyword-rich copy that persuades customers to buy while improving rankings.
Use High-Quality Images with Alt Text
High-quality visuals boost conversions, but they also impact SEO. Compress images to improve loading speed and add descriptive alt text so search engines can index them (and rank you in image searches).
Ensure Mobile-Friendliness
Most online shoppers browse on their phones. Test your site’s responsiveness on multiple devices and optimise page layouts for a smooth mobile shopping experience.
Improve Site Speed
Page speed is a Google ranking factor. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check your performance. Optimise images, enable caching, and use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) for faster global delivery.
Implement Structured Data (Schema)
Add schema markup to display rich snippets like star ratings, prices, and stock availability in search results. This makes your listing stand out and improves click-through rates.
Secure Your Store with HTTPS
Security matters for both Google rankings and customer trust. Ensure your store uses an SSL certificate so customers see the safe “https://” prefix.
Strengthen Internal Linking
Guide visitors (and search engines) through your store using internal links. Connect related blog posts, category pages, and product pages with relevant anchor text to spread authority.
Launch a Blog for Content Marketing
A blog can attract organic traffic with content like buying guides, how-tos, and product comparisons. It also helps build topical authority and earns valuable backlinks.
Set Up an XML Sitemap & Robots.txt
Create an XML sitemap so Google can find all your pages easily. Use a robots.txt file to block duplicate or unnecessary pages from being crawled.
Fix Technical SEO Issues
Scan your site with tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to identify broken links, duplicate pages, or crawl errors. Fixing these before launch prevents issues later.
Install Analytics & Tracking Tools
Set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console before going live. These tools help track performance, identify issues, and refine your SEO strategy over time.
Final Thoughts
SEO isn’t just a launch task, it’s an ongoing effort. By completing this 15-step e-commerce SEO checklist, you’ll set your store up for higher visibility, stronger rankings, and more sales from day one.
Start with this foundation, then continue to optimise as your store grows. Your customers are searching, make sure they can find you.
