Shopify SEO Issues I See Again and Again (with Fixes)
After working on dozens of Shopify stores across a range of ecommerce businesses, I’ve seen the same Shopify SEO issues appear again and again. These problems often go unnoticed, but they quietly damage your organic traffic, search engine rankings, and overall SEO performance.
The good news is that most of these SEO issues are fixable.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the biggest Shopify SEO problems I encounter regularly and how to fix them for both users and search engines.
1. Duplicate URLs for the Same Product
Shopify automatically generates multiple URLs for the same product page, such as:
• /products/product-name
• /collections/collection-name/products/product-name
This leads to duplicate content issues, where two pages contain the same content. It splits link equity and confuses search engines about which is the preferred version to rank in search engine results.
How to fix it:
• Set canonical tags to point to the main product URL
• In your theme code, use {{ product.url }} in the canonical tag
• Avoid linking to the collection-based version in your menus or internal links
Pro tip: Shopify often links to the collection version by default. Review your internal links and update them where needed.
2. Tag Pages That Add No Value
Shopify automatically creates new pages for every product tag. These tag pages often contain duplicate content, offer no unique value, and lack unique descriptions or proper optimization. As a result, they provide little benefit to search engines or potential customers.
Why this hurts your SEO:
• These pages clutter your index
• They rarely include unique or helpful content
• Too many low-value pages can reduce the perceived quality of your entire site
How to fix it:
• Add a noindex meta tag to tag pages using a conditional in your theme
• You can also disallow tag URLs in robots.txt, but be cautious
• Ensure your main collection pages are still indexable
3. Limited Control Over URL Structure
Shopify’s URL structure is fixed. For example:
• /products/
• /collections/
• /blogs/
• /pages/
This forced URL structure limits your ability to fully customize URLs or create a logical hierarchical structure. It also affects how search engines interpret your site and how well you can guide users through intuitive navigation.
Why this matters:
• It limits your ability to control URL structure
• It can affect topical organization and internal linking strategies
• Your URLs may be less clean or keyword-rich than you’d like
How to fix it:
• Use clear and descriptive product and collection names
• Optimize slugs manually when creating new content
• Use internal links and breadcrumbs to reinforce structure
• Focus on titles, headings, and internal content since URL control is limited
4. Auto-Generated Meta Titles and Descriptions
Shopify will often pull your product names or collection pages into your meta descriptions and title tags by default. If you don’t customize them, your store may end up with duplicate pages, inconsistent branding, and missing relevant keywords that help you appear in search engine results.
These Shopify SEO issues can negatively impact click-through rates and reduce your SEO success, even if your products are high-quality.
Why this hurts your SEO:
• Search engines see repeated or generic meta tags
• Click-through rates drop if your titles don’t reflect search intent
• You miss out on keyword targeting opportunities
How to fix it:
• Manually write unique meta titles and descriptions for each page
• Use Shopify’s built-in SEO fields or install an app like Smart SEO
• Keep titles under 60 characters and descriptions under 155
• Include primary keywords, but focus on clarity and clickability
Pro tip: Avoid using the exact same format for every product. Add variety and human-friendly language where it makes sense.
5. Theme Code Issues That Break SEO
Many Shopify themes appear clean on the surface, but behind the scenes, they often contain problematic code that hurts SEO efforts. These issues are especially common in third-party or heavily customized themes.
Examples include broken canonical tags, missing alt text, or multiple H1s on one page. These errors reduce your site’s ability to create a positive user experience and make it harder for search engines to properly index content.
Most common problems:
• Multiple H1 tags on the same page
• Missing or broken canonical tags
• Empty alt attributes on images
• Poor use of heading structure
• Bloated or disorganized code
How to fix it:
• Audit your theme using tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or Google Search Console
• Make sure each page has only one H1 and logical subheadings
• Use descriptive alt text for every image
• Fix or update the canonical tag in the theme.liquid file
• Clean up unused or duplicated code blocks
Pro tip: If you’re not comfortable editing Liquid templates, work with a Shopify developer to make clean SEO adjustments without breaking design or functionality.
6. Slow Page Speeds from Apps and Media
As Shopify stores grow, site speed often suffers due to too many apps, unoptimized product images, large files, or outdated code. Slow-loading sites create a poor user experience and directly reduce organic traffic and SEO performance.
Google’s search engine optimization guidelines emphasize page speed as a ranking factor, especially on mobile. Many Shopify merchants do not realize how much it affects their visibility in search results.
Why this matters:
• Slow sites frustrate users and increase bounce rate
• Core Web Vitals can impact mobile rankings
• Third-party apps often load extra JavaScript that blocks rendering
How to fix it:
• Compress images before uploading (use WebP or TinyPNG)
• Remove unused Shopify apps and integrations
• Use lazy loading for images and videos
• Minimize and combine CSS and JavaScript where possible
• Test with Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Shopify Analyzer
Pro tip: Focus first on mobile performance. Google uses mobile-first indexing, so your site needs to be fast and usable on phones before anything else.
7. Out-of-Stock or Retired Product Pages Left Hanging
Many Shopify store owners delete or unpublish product pages when an item is out of stock or no longer available. This removes valuable content and often leads to broken links, which confuse search engines and hurt your visibility in search engine results.
Instead of deleting pages, keep the content live with clear messaging. Redirect retired products to a relevant collection page or newer product to maintain link equity and user flow.
Why this hurts your SEO:
• Deleting a page removes any authority or traffic it had
• Broken links damage your site’s crawlability and user experience
• Google may drop your URLs from the index completely
How to fix it:
• For temporary stock issues, keep the product page live and clearly mark it as sold out
• For permanently removed items, use a 301 redirect to a relevant collection or similar product
• Avoid redirecting everything to the homepage, which confuses both users and search engines
• Use Google Search Console to track crawl errors and fix them as they appear
Pro tip: Create evergreen category or landing pages for product types. That way, even if individual items rotate in and out, the core URL continues to rank.
8. Blog SEO Gets Ignored or Underused
Many Shopify merchants overlook the blog, but it’s one of the most powerful ways to improve search engine optimization and drive more organic traffic to your online store. Publishing optimized blog content allows you to target relevant keywords, create internal links, and educate potential customers before they’re ready to buy.
Blog content also helps search engines understand your topical relevance and builds authority over time.
Common issues:
• No blog categories or topical structure
• Poor internal linking between blog posts and product pages
• Weak or missing meta tags, headings, and keywords
• Blog posts that are too short or too generic
Why this matters:
• Blog content can drive search traffic from people not yet ready to buy
• It helps build topical authority and brand trust
• Internal links from blog to product pages improve crawl depth and conversions
How to fix it:
• Plan content around topics your audience searches for
• Link blog posts to relevant products or collections
• Use SEO tools to optimize titles, headings, and metadata
• Group related blog posts into categories or series
• Update old blog content to keep it fresh and relevant
Pro tip: Add structured data to your blog for articles. This can help your content appear with enhanced listings in search results.
9. Missing or Misused Structured Data
Schema markup helps search engines understand the content on your Shopify store, including product details, reviews, and pricing. While some Shopify themes include basic schema, it’s often incomplete or conflicting due to apps or outdated templates.
Missing structured data means your products may not qualify for rich snippets, which can improve visibility and click through rates in search engine results.
Why this hurts your SEO:
• Your product pages may not qualify for rich results like star ratings or price
• Duplicate or conflicting schema can confuse crawlers
• Missing structured data leaves valuable ranking features on the table
How to fix it:
• Test your pages with Google’s Rich Results Test and Schema Markup Validator
• Use a Shopify app like Schema Plus or manually add structured data in theme files
• Focus on core types like Product, Article, BreadcrumbList, and Organization
• Make sure you’re not duplicating schema from multiple sources
• Keep schema fields accurate and updated, especially for price and availability
Pro tip: Rich snippets increase your visibility and click-through rate, even if your ranking position stays the same.
SEO Audit Checklist for Common Shopify SEO Issues
Use this quick list to evaluate your Shopify store. These are the most common issues I find when auditing client sites.
Technical SEO
• Check for duplicate product URLs
• Confirm canonical tags point to the main version
• Audit robots.txt and make sure it is not blocking important pages
• Run a crawl to find broken links, redirect chains, and orphaned pages
Content Optimization
• Ensure each page has a unique title and meta description
• Optimize product and collection descriptions for both users and keywords
• Add alt text to all images
• Keep heading structure clean with one H1 per page
Site Structure
• Review internal linking across products, collections, and blogs
• Use breadcrumbs to reinforce navigation
• Keep URLs short and readable
• Remove or noindex low-value tag pages
Performance
• Compress and resize images before uploading
• Remove unused apps and scripts
• Enable lazy loading for images
• Test mobile performance in Google PageSpeed Insights
Structured Data
• Validate schema for products, blogs, and breadcrumbs
• Add missing fields like price, availability, and reviews
• Use a reliable app or manually insert schema in your theme
Final Thoughts
Shopify makes it easy to launch an online store. But SEO takes a little more work, and a lot more attention to detail.
The platform has limitations, but you can overcome most of them with smart planning, clean structure, and consistent content. If you catch these issues early and fix them properly, you’ll see better rankings, stronger traffic, and more conversions over time.
If you’re not sure where to start, run through the checklist above. Or better yet, get a full audit to uncover hidden SEO issues that are costing you revenue.
Need Help with Your Shopify SEO?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by Shopify SEO issues, you’re not alone. Many ecommerce sites struggle with the same challenges, especially when trying to manage search engine optimization on top of running a business.
I offer expert support for Shopify store owners who want better rankings, fewer SEO problems, and more visibility in search results. Whether you need help fixing duplicate pages, improving your site speed, or optimizing meta descriptions, I’ve got you covered.
Reach out for a free consultation, and let’s improve your SEO together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Shopify SEO issues?
Duplicate URLs, thin tag pages, and poor site speed are the most frequent problems I see when auditing Shopify stores.
Can you fix Shopify SEO issues without code?
Yes, some issues can be fixed using apps or theme settings. But deeper fixes, like structured data or theme changes, may require editing code.
Does Shopify have built-in SEO?
Shopify includes basic SEO features, but you still need to customize metadata, optimize performance, and manage structured content manually.
Is Shopify good for SEO?
It can be, if configured correctly. Out of the box, Shopify needs some cleanup and optimization to perform well in organic search.