Ecommerce SEO: 16-Point Checklist You Should Tick in 2025

Most of the SEO tips available online don’t work. Why? Because often, the store owners forget the basics, unthinkingly following the so-called “SEO Gurus.”

To help you do SEO correctly, we prepared a 16-point e-commerce SEO checklist to get sustained traffic and growth.

Follow this checklist to optimize your store from all the basic aspects one by one.

Let’s start with the basics first.

What is Ecommerce SEO?

Ecommerce SEO is the process of tweaking diverse elements like content, meta details, URL and site structure, internal linking, etc., on an ecommerce website to improve the site’s rankings on search engine result pages. The objective of ecommerce SEO is to enable more people to see your products when they search for relevant terms and buy your products..

The optimization activities works within these three main categories:

1. Technical SEO
2. On-page SEO
3. Off-page SEO

Technical SEO For Ecommerce

It refers to optimizing the technical elements of your e-commerce site, which ensures that your site is successfully crawled by search engines.

• 1. Sitemap.xml
• 2. Robots.txt
• 3. Canonical tags
• 4. Website Architecture (URL Structure)
• 5. Page Speed
• 6. Structured Data

1. Sitemap.xml

Sitemap.xml is a file that lists all website URLs,helping search engines like Google, Bing, etc., to crawl and index your website more effectively. The sitemap file typically contains URLs to all important pages and media files on a website, along with metadata like the last modified date, change frequency, and priority of each page, etc.

For example, here’s an XML sitemap of an online store:

How to Add a Sitemap to Your Ecommerce Site?

While it may feel challenging to create and update a sitemap for your ecommerce site, it is not. Most popular ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Magento, etc., have in-built options for your website.

In Shopify, you can also use free and paid Shopify apps to generate sitemaps for your ecommerce websites.

HTML & XML SEO Sitemap Generator by FMEextensions is an extension you can use in your Magento ecommerce store to create sitemaps automatically.

Ecommerce SEO Tips For Sitemaps

• Ensure all important pages are in the sitemap.
• Keep the sitemap updated to reflect the latest changes on the website.
• Use XML formatting for the sitemap for better readability by search engines.
• Submit the sitemap to search engines via their webmaster tools for faster indexing.

2. Robots.txt

Robots.txt is a text file webmasters create to instruct web robots how to crawl pages on their website. It is in your website’s root directory, and the search bots read the file first to understand which pages to crawl or ignore on the site. It is a simple yet powerful tool for controlling how search engines index your site’s content.

Here is the robot.txt file for our website—meetanshi.com.

How to Create Robots.txt File?

Follow the below steps to create a robots.txt file for your Shopify store.

1. Go to Online Store > Themes from your Admin Panel in Shopify.
2. Go to Actions > Edit Code.
3. Now, from ‘Templates’ choose ‘Add a new template’.
4. Choose ‘Robots.txt’ from the dropdown.
5. Select ‘Create template’ and add your robots.txt rules.

If you have trouble doing this, you can use Shopify apps from the store to edit and manage your Robots.txt file.

Robots.txt Tips For Ecommerce Website

• Avoid using robots.txt to hide sensitive data. Use methods like passwords instead.
• Ensure that critical commercial content is not disallowed from crawling.
• Regularly check for errors or misconfigurations in the robots.txt file.
• Use proper syntax and formatting to avoid confusion by crawlers.
• Add comments in the file for future context and reference.

3. Canonical tags

These are HTML elements used by webmasters to indicate the webpage they prefer when there is similar content on their websites. They are also called canonical links or rel= “canonical”.

These tags help search engines like Google and Bing identify the page chosen by the webmaster and show them in search engine result pages.

Without these tags, similar content on different pages may compete for ranking. And that’s not good for either of the pages.

Here is how Moz has used a canonical tag on one of their blogs.

How to Create Canonical Links?

Creating and adding canonical links is easy. First, determine the page/content you want to prioritize over similar content.

Here is how you can do it in Shopify.

1. Go to Online Store > Themes from your Admin Panel in Shopify.
2. Go to Actions > Edit Code.
3. Check the Layout directory and find the theme.liquid file.
4. Open the file and add the canonical tag pointing to the chosen URL in the HTML code.
5. Do the same for all duplicate pages on your Shopify store.
6. Validate the addition of the tag using Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool.

At the same time, you can also use Shopify apps and Magento extensions to add them to your ecommerce store.

Tips For Canonical Tags on Ecommerce Store

• Avoid self-referencing canonical tags to prevent confusion.
• Use canonical tags consistently and accurately across the website.
• Test canonicalization across devices and browsers for compatibility.
• Ensure canonicalized pages have similar content to the chosen version.
• Monitor changes in site content to maintain the integrity of canonical tags.

4. Website Architecture (URL Structure)

Website architecture refers to the organization and structure of URLs within a website. How the URL arrangement of a website  affects the site’s SEO and influences the crawling and indexing of the site’s content and user experience.

How to Build an Intelligent Site Architecture?

Here is how you can build an effective and smart site structure to add maximum SEO value for your website while ensuring an excellent user experience.

1. Plan a clear and logical hierarchy for the website’s content right from the beginning.
2. Choose descriptive and keyword-rich URLs that reflect the content of each page.
3. Use consistent URL structure throughout the website.
4. Optimize URL length to be concise and readable.
5. Use proper redirections for any URL changes to maintain SEO integrity.

Website Architecture Tips For Ecommerce Website

By following the tips below, you can drive maxim SEO value from your website’s structure:

• Avoid using dynamic parameters in URLs when possible.
• Keep URLs human-readable and descriptive to improve CTRs.
• Audit and optimize URL structure as the website grows and evolves.
• Use hyphens to separate words in URLs for better readability and SEO.
• Add relevant keywords in the URL slug for better search engine visibility.

5. Page Speed

Another important checklist for ecommerce websites is the page speed. Page speed refers to the time a webpage takes to fully load all its elements on the user’s browser. Page speed plays a crucial role in both SEO for ecommerce websites and user experience.

As an ecommerce business owner, you need to ensure that your site loads faster for the users.

How to Make Your Ecommerce Site Load Faster?

1. Optimize multimedia content to reduce file and page sizes.
2. Combining CSS and JavaScript files to minimize HTTP requests
3. Enable browser caching to store frequently accessed resources locally.
4. Use lazy loading to defer the loading of non-critical resources until needed.
5. Utilize content delivery networks (CDNs) to distribute content geographically.

In addition, ecommerce platforms like Shopify and Magento have apps and extensions to optimize your page for better speed.

Page Speed Tips For Ecommerce Websites

• Test website performance on different network conditions and devices.
• Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to monitor page speed regularly.
• Use responsive design techniques to optimize performance across devices.
• Prioritize above-the-fold content to load quickly for a better initial user experience.
• Ensure a load time of under 2 seconds for optimal user engagement and SEO benefits.

6. Structured Data

Structured data, also known as schema markup, is a standardized format used by webmasters to provide search engines with detailed information about the content on webpages.

It helps the search engine understand and display more information about the content or products, as in the case of ecommerce websites. This enables the users to find more information than usual and leads to better CTRs.

Here is an example of how search engines use structured data.

This is another example of schema markup.

How to Use Structured Data For Ecommerce Sites?

1. Identify relevant schema markup types for your content, like articles, products, etc.
2. Add schema markup using JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa formats in the page’s HTML code.
3. Use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to validate the structured data.
4. Check the performance and regularly adjust schema markup based on search engine guidelines and updates.

There are several apps in the Shopify store that you can use to quickly add schema markup in your store. The same goes for Magento stores, as well.

Structured Data Tips For Ecommerce Sites

• Add structured data for high-value content, such as products or reviews.
• Keep schema markup up to date with changes to website content or offerings.
• Test structured data across different devices and search engines for compatibility.
• Use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to create and validate schema markup.
• Monitor search engine documentation for updates and new schema types to leverage.

On-Page SEO for Ecommerce

Now that we have looked at the crucial ecommerce technical SEO checklist, let’s move on to on-page SEO for ecommerce websites. Check for the following on-page elements to ensure your site has a strong SEO foundation and performs well.

• 7. URL Slug
• 8. Meta Title and Meta Description
• 9. Product Description
• 10. Headings and Subheadings
• 11. Internal Links
• 12. Image Optimization

7. URL Slug

The URL slug is the part of a URL that identifies a specific page or piece of content. This appears after the domain name and gives an overall idea of what the page is about. The URL slug is also supposed to include the focus keyword of the content on the page.

Here is an example of a URL slug.

How to Use URL Slug For Your Ecommerce Site

1. Keep the URL slug concise, descriptive, and relevant to the content.
2. Avoid using special characters, numbers, or irrelevant words
3. Include target keywords naturally within the URL slug.
4. Use hyphens to separate words for readability.
5. Use lowercase letters for consistency.

While you can edit the URLs on your ecommerce platforms like Shopify and Magento, it would be laborious if you have a large site. That’s where you can use apps and extensions.

Here are a few extensions you can use on your Magento store.

URL Slug Tips For Ecommerce Websites

• Regularly audit and update URL slugs as content evolves or changes.
• Include the primary keyword of the page in the URL slug for SEO benefits.
• Keep the URL slug static and avoid changing it frequently to maintain link equity.

8. Meta Title and Meta Description

The meta title tag represents the title of a webpage. This appears as the clickable headline in search engine results. On the other hand, the meta description provides a short summary of the page content.

Adding focus keywords and keyword variations to the meta details is a great way to improve your search performance, user experience, and CTR.

Here is an example of a meta title and description in Google SERP.

How to Use Meta Titles And Descriptions For Ecommerce Sites

Failing to give enough care and time to crafting competing titles and meta descriptions adversely affects your SEO rankings and CTR.

Here is how to do it properly for better SEO value and user experience.

1. Write a compelling and descriptive title tag that accurately summarizes the page content.
2. Keep the title tag under 60 characters to ensure it displays correctly in search results.
3. Write a concise and informative meta description under 160 characters that encourages users to click.
4. Include relevant keywords or relevant variations naturally within the title tag and meta description.
5. Use action-oriented language and words to encourage users to click on your website.

In Shopify and Magento, you can add and edit your meta description and title when building the product page. However, if you want to use apps and extensions, you can use them, as well.

Meta Description and Title Tips For Ecommerce Sites

• Review and update title tags and meta descriptions based on performance data and changes in content.
• Test different variations of meta title and descriptions for better click-through rates.
• Customize title tags and meta descriptions for each page to maximize relevance.
• Avoid keyword stuffing and prioritize readability and user experience.
• Add unique selling points or offers in the description to make it stand out.

9. Product Description

A product description is a written explanation of a product. It includes the product’s features, benefits, and specifications. This is an important part of on-page SEO for ecommerce websites, as businesses usually add relevant keywords and keyword variations in product descriptions.

Here is an example of a product description.

How to Write Product Descriptions?

You need to strike a balance between providing accurate details of the product and optimizing the content. Here is how you can write and use product descriptions on your ecommerce site.

1. Make sure that you focus on key features and benefits of the product in a clear and concise manner.
2. Use descriptive language and storytelling while creating product descriptions to engage potential buyers.
3. Don’t forget to include technical specifications, dimensions, and materials, if applicable, to make the description impressive.
4. Always incorporate relevant keywords and their semantic variations naturally throughout the product description for SEO.
5. Test the product descriptions on mobile devices and make adequate changes to make them more readable and user-friendly.

Product Description Tips For Ecommerce Sites

• Use bullet points or lists to break up text and improve readability.
• Add high-quality images or videos to supplement product descriptions.
• Use user-generated content—reviews and ratings—to offer more insights.
• Update product descriptions to reflect changes in inventory, specifications, or customer feedback.
• Test different formats and lengths of product descriptions to choose the one that resonates the most with the audience.

10. Headings and Subheadings

Headings and subheadings are HTML elements (H1, H2, H3, etc.) used to structure and organize content within a webpage.

Headings make it easier for users to understand the content and define the hierarchy of the content. From an SEO perspective, the subheadings let the search engines know the content in depth.

How to Create Headings And Subheadings

Writing headings and subheadings is an important part of writing an article or blog. Here are a few ways to do it.

1. Use descriptive and relevant headings to represent the content and each section under headings and subheadings.
2. Ensure a logical, hierarchical structure for headings and subheadings, starting with an H1 heading for the main title and using subsequent headings (H2, H3, etc.) for sub-sections.
3. Use target keywords naturally within headings for SEO benefits. Using the focus keywords on H1 and close variations on H2 and after is an excellent SEO technique.
4. Create headings and subheadings that are visually distinct and properly formatted for easy identification and better readability.
5. Avoid using headings solely for styling purposes. The headings and subheadings should reflect the content’s structure and make it easier for readers to read.

Headings and Subheadings Tips For Ecommerce Websites

• Regularly review and update headings as content evolves or changes.
• Utilize heading tags strategically to outline the main points of the content.
• Use concise and descriptive headings that capture the essence of the content.
• Limit the use of H1 headings to one per page for clarity and SEO best practices.
• Keep mobile users in mind and create short headings and subheadings for readability.

11. Internal Links

Internal links are hyperlinks that connect one page of a website to another page within the same domain. They help websites lead users and search engines to related pages or articles on the same domain.

Here is an example of internal links.

How to Use Internal Links For Ecommerce SEO

There are several ways to do internal linking on your ecommerce website. However, having an internal linking strategy can help you improve your site’s SEO and user experience.

Here is how you can do it for more SEO value.

1. Identify relevant anchor text and target pages for internal linking.
2. Ensure that the internal links are adequately formatted and functional.
3. Use descriptive anchor text that provides context about the linked page.
4. Add internal links naturally within the content where they are contextually relevant.
5. Monitor and update internal links as per the changes happening on the website and content.

While many ecommerce websites add internal links manually, there are SEO apps and extensions you can use in Shopify and Magento platforms.

Internal Linking Tips For Ecommerce Sites

• Prioritize linking to cornerstone or high-value pages to maximize their visibility and authority.
• Avoid excessive internal linking, as it can appear spammy and lower user experience.
• Implement breadcrumb navigation to enhance internal linking and site navigation.
• Use tools like Google Search Console to identify and fix broken internal links.

12. Image Optimization

Image optimization is the process of reducing image file sizes without reducing their quality for better website SEO and user experience. Every business uses a lot of multimedia on their websites.

Images are the go-to resource for ecommerce websites to represent their products to the users. In fact, the quality of product images influences the purchasing decision of the users considerably.

That’s why image optimization is crucial for any ecommerce site.

How to Optimize Images For Your Site

Although optimizing images is straightforward, many businesses or SEOs miss the right way to do it.

Here is how to optimize your site’s image for SEO.

1. Compress images using tools to reduce file sizes without sacrificing their quality.
2. Pick proper file format, like WebP, SVG, etc., as per your site’s requirements.
3. Implement lazy loading to defer the loading of off-screen images till needed.
4. Resize images to match their display dimensions on the webpage.
5. Use descriptive keywords for image filenames and alt attributes.

Apart from this, you can also use SEO image optimizer apps and extensions for Shopify and Magento platforms. This will surely make the process easier and more efficient.

Image Optimization Tips For Ecommerce Sites

• Add descriptive filenames that include relevant keywords for better image SEO.
• Use responsive images to serve correctly sized images on different devices.
• Optimize alt text to describe the image for both search engines and users.
• Regularly audit and optimize images to maintain website performance.
• Utilize image sitemaps to ensure proper indexing of images.

Off-Page SEO for Ecommerce

• 13. Google Merchant Center
• 14. Backlinks
• 15. Partnerships
• 16. Q&A Platforms

We have seen the crucial checklists for both on-page and technical SEO. Let’s now learn about the checklist for off-page SEO. Off-page SEO is what you do outside of your website, such as getting backlinks, creating business profiles, doing guest articles, etc.

Let’s check out the most essential factors of off-page SEO for ecommerce sites in 2025.

13. Google Merchant Center

Google Merchant Center is a platform that allows businesses to upload product data to Google. Doing this helps you make the product data available to shoppers across various Google services like Google Shopping, Google Search, and Google Images.

How to Use GMC For Your Business

Here is a quick guide on how you can use Google Merchant Center for your ecommerce business.

1. Create a Google Merchant Center account.
2. Upload product data feeds with details, like titles, descriptions, prices, images, etc.
3. Ensure that the data feed is compliant with Google’s requirements and policies.
4. Verify and claim your website URL to establish ownership.
5. Ensure accuracy and relevancy for better visibility
6. Optimize the data with suitable keywords.

GMC Tips For Ecommerce Websites

• Update product data feeds to reflect changes in inventory, pricing, and promotions.
• Utilize GMC’s features, like special offers and promotions, to attract shoppers.
• Use GMC’s integration with Google Ads for comprehensive advertising campaigns.
• Monitor metrics such as CTR, impressions, and conversions to optimize campaigns.
• Use high-quality images and accurate product descriptions to enhance product listings.

14. Backlinks

Backlinks are incoming hyperlinks from one external webpage to another. External backlinks indicate a vote of confidence or authority from the linking page to the linked page. Getting backlinks from high-authority pages like NY Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur, etc., can improve your trustworthiness in search engines’ eyes.

How to Build Backlinks For Your Ecommerce Site

Here are a few practical ways to build relevant, high-value backlinks to your ecommerce website.

1. Create high-quality, valuable content that naturally attracts backlinks.
2. Submit your websites to reputable online directories and business listings.
3. Find relevant niche websites for guest blogging or collaboration opportunities.
4. Assess your backlink profile using Google Search Console, Ahref, Semrush, etc.
5. Participate in online communities and forums, contribute valuable insights, and link to relevant content when appropriate.

Backlink Tips For Ecommerce Businesses

• Prioritize quality over quantity when acquiring backlinks
• Diversify anchor text to maintain a natural, diverse link profile.
• Focus on getting links from authoritative and relevant websites.
• Audit backlinks routinely to identify and remove any toxic or harmful links.
• Check your backlink profile and disavow low-quality backlinks to avoid penalties.
• Foster genuine relationships with influencers and leaders to earn natural backlinks.

15. Partnerships

Simply put, partnerships are collaborative relationships between businesses or organizations to achieve mutual goals. These goals could be anything from marketing campaigns to co-branded initiatives and joint ventures. Building relationships is crucial to running successful businesses, and hence, as a business, you need to build partnerships for strategic and business purposes.

How to Build Partnerships

Having a strategy to follow can help you improve your chances of building and nurturing relationships that matter to your business.

Here are a few actionable ways to build valuable relationships.

1. Identify potential partners with complementary products, services, target audiences, etc.
2. Create mutually beneficial partnership agreements outlining roles and expectations.
3. Collaborate on marketing, online events, or product launches for better impact.
4. Use each other’s networks and channels for promotion and distribution.
5. Communicate and assess the partnership performance regularly.

Tips to Build Better Partnerships

• Pick partners whose values align with your brand for compatibility and authenticity.
• Define the objectives for the partnership to assess success and performance.
• Foster trust and transparency via clear communication and accountability.
• Check the partnership performance and adjust strategies if needed.
• Build long-term partnerships for sustained benefits and growth.

16. Q&A platforms

Q&A platforms are online communities where users can ask questions and share knowledge on various topics. Platforms like Quora, Reddit, etc., are great examples of these platforms to get people-first, original experiences from real users. Using these platforms can help improve your business’s SEO performance.

How to Use Q&A Platforms For Your Business?

Creating content for these platforms is more than just answering questions or sharing experiences. You need to build a solid, actionable plan to utilize the opportunities these platforms offer.

1. Choose Q&A platforms that are frequently used by your target audience.
2. Create and optimize profiles on these platforms with keywords and branding.
3. Provide helpful answers to user questions, demonstrating expertise and authority.
4. Monitor and participate in discussions related to your industry or area of expertise.
5. Add appropriate links to resources on your site to lead readers to more information.

Q&A Platform Tips For Ecommerce Sites

• Provide value and helpful insights instead of overtly promoting your products.
• Engage with users and follow up on questions or comments to maintain a positive presence.
• Use these platforms for content ideas and inspiration based on user queries and pain points.

Ecommerce SEO Essential: Set up Google Analytics 4 Tracking

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) helps business owners gain valuable insights into online user behavior. With GA4, you can track user interactions across multiple platforms and devices, understand customer journeys, and optimize marketing strategies.

Using the data collected with GA4, you can arrive at valuable insights to make data-driven decisions for better website performance.

Here are some of the ways GA4 can help your business.

1. GA4 provides a unified view of user interactions across websites, apps, and other digital platforms.
2. It offers enhanced event-tracking capabilities. This allows businesses to measure specific user actions and behaviors.
3. GA4 enables cross-device tracking and provides insights into how users engage with content across different devices.
4. You can integrate GA4 with Google Ads and other marketing platforms for campaign optimization and improved ad performance.

Common Ecommerce SEO Mistakes & How to Avoid Them?

Despite having numerous checklists for ecommerce SEO, many businesses still make grave mistakes when it comes to ecommerce SEO. Having worked closely with numerous ecommerce businesses, we have identified a few common mistakes that most businesses make.

Here are a few of them and how to avoid them when you do SEO for your ecommerce site now.

1. Improper Heading Structure

Many businesses incorrectly use HTML heading tags or fail to use them at all on their pages. This not only confuses search engines but also compromises user experience, especially on mobile devices.

Improper heading structure leads to the following:

• Poor readability
• Limited SEO efforts
• Compromised accessibility
• Reduced user engagement
• Negative effects on rankings

You can avoid this mistake by using H1 tags for page titles and hierarchical heading tags of H2, H3, H4, etc., for subheadings. Using description headings with the purpose of maintaining the right content structure can also improve overall site SEO.

2. Broken Internal Links

Broken links happen when a page links to a deleted page. It is impossible for a website to always ensure that it does not link to a removed or deleted page. When this happens, it negatively affects user navigation and experience while making the site less reliable.

Broken internal links can also negatively impact website crawlability, indexing, and overall search engine rankings.

Here are a few effective ways to avoid broken internal links on your site.

• Conduct website audits to identify and fix broken internal links.
• Update internal links when restructuring or updating website content.
• Use Google Search Console to check crawl errors and identify broken links.
• Test internal links regularly to ensure they lead to functional, relevant pages.
• Implement redirects for outdated or removed pages to maintain link integrity.

3. Poor Navigation

Many businesses overlook the importance of navigation in SEO and user experience. This neglect leads to complex or confusing website navigation structures, which makes finding information hard for the users.

Poor navigation can cause higher bounce rates, decreased user satisfaction, and ultimately, loss of potential sales. Search engines may also find it hard to crawl and index pages, impacting organic visibility.

However, by paying attention to the overall design, you can resolve this. Here are a few to help you avoid this mistake.

• Design intuitive navigation menus with clear categories and labels.
• Have a logical hierarchy and organization of content for easy navigation.
• Use breadcrumbs to help users with additional navigation options and context.
• Conduct usability testing to find out navigation issues and gather user feedback.
• Monitor site analytics to track user behavior and improve navigation based on data.

4. Indexing Site Search Pages

This happens when search engines crawl and index internal search result pages which often contain duplicate content.

Letting this happen on your site can lead to a variety of issues, such as:

• Keyword cannibalization
• Diluted search engine authority
• Lower rankings for valuable pages
• Reduced website visibility and traffic
• Same products competing for rankings

Although these issues are a huge concern for businesses, the best way to avoid this issue is to use robots.txt file to block search engines from indexing unwanted pages. You can also use the ‘noindex’ directive to prevent crawlers from indexing the page. Another way to avoid this mistake is to use rel= “canonical” tags to show only the page you want.

How to Ensure Your Ecommerce SEO Is in Place?

SEO is one of the strategic elements that determine the success of an ecommerce website. That’s why doing SEO the right way is essential for your business’s growth.

We are confident that the 16-point checklist will help you make your ecommerce SEO even more focused and bring value.

And if you think that you need an expert ecommerce SEO company to help you with it, Meetanshi can help you. With years of experience and insights into performing extensive ecommerce SEO audits and helping ecommerce businesses, our team can help you.