From Zero to Hero: How a Technical SEO Audit Supercharged One Shopify Store
Is Your Shopify Store Technically Broken? A Real-World Fix
We've all been there, right? Pouring our hearts and souls into our Shopify stores, crafting beautiful product pages, and writing compelling blog posts… only to see traffic stubbornly flatline. It's frustrating, to say the least. Recently, in the Shopify Community, a user named sabbir90 shared a fascinating case study that really resonated with me – and I think it'll resonate with you too.
Sabbir90 detailed how they helped a client whose Shopify store just wasn't performing. The client was stuck in that dreaded "we post blogs but nothing changes" loop. Turns out, the problem wasn't a lack of content, but rather a bunch of technical issues that were hindering the site's ability to be crawled and trusted by Google. Think duplicate content, confusing canonicals, and a messy internal linking structure.
What I found particularly insightful was sabbir90's approach. Instead of immediately pitching solutions, they created a comprehensive 42-slide technical audit, outlining the exact issues and the steps needed to fix them. No fluff, just actionable advice. And guess what? The client hired them!
Here's the kicker: after implementing the fixes and restructuring the content, the client saw some impressive results in just three months:
- Views: 48.3K (+19.3K)
- Sessions: 18.9K (+5.4K)
- Total users: 16.3K (+5K)
- New users: 16.2K (+4.9K)
- Engaged sessions: 9.7K (+3.1K)
Check out the original post and image here:
What Technical Issues are We Talking About?
So, what exactly were these technical gremlins that were holding the site back? Here are a few key areas that sabbir90 highlighted:
- Duplicate Content: Multiple pages competing for the same keywords, confusing Google about which page to rank.
- Confusing Canonicals: Incorrect or missing canonical tags, leading to further duplicate content issues.
- Messy Internal Linking: Poor internal linking structure, making it difficult for Google to crawl and understand the site's hierarchy. Important pages were essentially buried.
- Thin Collection Pages: Collection pages with minimal content, offering little value to users or search engines.
How to Diagnose Your Own Shopify Store
Feeling a little uneasy? Wondering if your own store might be suffering from similar issues? Here’s how you can start digging:
- Google Search Console is Your Friend: Pay close attention to the "Pages" report. Look for issues like "Excluded," "Crawled - currently not indexed," and "Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user."
- Site Audit Tools: Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Screaming Frog can help you identify technical SEO issues on your site. Many offer free trials.
- Check Your Canonical Tags: Make sure your canonical tags are correctly implemented and pointing to the preferred version of each page.
- Review Your Internal Linking: Ensure your internal links are relevant and that your important pages are easily accessible.
- Beef Up Those Collection Pages: Add unique, keyword-rich descriptions to your collection pages. Don't just rely on a grid of products.
The Takeaway: Fix the Foundation First
The biggest lesson here, and something sabbir90 emphasized, is that publishing more content on a technically flawed site is like pouring water into a leaky bucket. You're just adding more noise without actually addressing the underlying problems.
Before you invest in creating more blog posts or product pages, take the time to ensure your Shopify store has a solid technical foundation. Clean up those duplicate pages, fix those canonical issues, and tighten up your internal linking. It might not be the most glamorous work, but it's essential for long-term SEO success. By focusing on the fundamentals, you can unlock your store's true potential and start seeing the traffic and sales you deserve.
It's a reminder that sometimes, the most effective strategies aren't about doing more, but about doing things *right*.