Shopify SEO Basics for People Who Hate SEO

Let’s be honest — SEO sounds boring.
It’s got that same energy as taxes, printer errors, and those little pop-ups asking you to accept cookies.

But here’s the thing: if you’ve got a Shopify store and you’re ignoring SEO, you’re basically hiding your business behind a curtain and hoping people will stumble in by accident.

So let’s skip the jargon and go through the basics — what actually matters, what you can ignore, and how to fix the big stuff without losing your will to live.

What Even Is SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is how you get your website to show up when someone Googles what you sell.

And here’s the crucial bit: you and Google actually want the same thing.
Google wants to give its users exactly what they’re searching for.
You want people to find your business when they’re looking for what you offer.

So SEO isn’t about tricking the algorithm — it’s about making your website useful, fast, and clear enough that Google goes, “Yep, this one’s good.”

If Google is a librarian, SEO is you putting your book in the right section with a proper title, instead of chucking it under miscellaneous and hoping for the best.

Titles and Descriptions — The Basics Everyone Skips

Every page on your Shopify site needs:

A clear page title (what shows up in search results)
A short meta description (the little sentence underneath)

Example:
Title: Retro Pink Tote Bag – Handmade in the UK
Description: Soft cotton tote with 2000s-inspired embroidery. Ships worldwide.

That’s it.
No keyword stuffing, no overthinking. Just describe what it is, who it’s for, and why it’s worth clicking.

If your titles still say “Product Page – Shopify,” don’t panic — just fix them. Google loves clarity.

Image Alt Text — Accessibility and SEO

Alt text tells Google what an image shows, and it’s also what screen readers read out for visually impaired users — so it’s not just about ranking, it’s about accessibility.

Bad alt text: IMG_4235.jpg
Good alt text: Baby pink mini skirt with pleated hem

And great news — Shopify now uses AI to automatically suggest alt text.
Fucking timesaver.
You can still edit or tweak what it gives you, but it saves a massive amount of time if you’ve got a big store.

Page Speed — Because No One Waits Anymore

If your site takes longer than three seconds to load, most people are gone.

Shopify handles some of this for you, but you can help by:

Compressing your images (TinyPNG is your friend)
Removing unused apps and scripts
Avoiding giant autoplay videos on your homepage

You can test how fast your site is using Google’s own tool:
👉 Google PageSpeed Insights

A fast site doesn’t just please Google — it feels better for your visitors, which means more sales.

If you’re on one of my themes, like Y2K, you’re already sorted. I build everything with lazy loading, compression, and clean code baked in. Because I hate slow websites as much as you do.

Internal Links, Broken Links, and Redirects

Google crawls your site by following links.
If your internal links are broken or missing, Google can’t connect the dots — and visitors can’t either.

Here’s where most people go wrong:

Renaming pages without setting redirects
Redesigning their site and forgetting that old URLs still exist
Deleting products or collections that other pages still link to

I see it all the time — broken links and missing redirects that quietly kill your SEO.

If you rename or restructure your site, always set up 301 redirects (Shopify makes this easy). It keeps your backlinks intact and tells Google, “Hey, this page just moved — don’t panic.”

Clear Navigation Beats Fancy Graphics

Google’s not impressed by your hover animations.
It wants simple navigation, clean structure, and pages that make sense.

The easier your site is to explore, the more time people spend on it — and the more likely Google is to recommend it.

Stick to short menus, sensible page names, and internal links that lead somewhere useful. Think “Shop”, “About”, “Contact”, “Blog” — not “Discover the Magic” or “Our Journey Through Retail Excellence.”

Content Still Matters (Sorry)

Yes, keywords matter — but not like it’s 2010.

If you sell candles, your homepage should probably mention the word “candles.”
But don’t wedge it into every sentence like a lunatic.

Instead, focus on writing descriptions and pages that sound human. Tell people what you sell, what makes it special, and how it helps them.

If you’re genuinely helpful, Google notices. It wants good, clear answers — not keyword soup.

Keep It Simple, Keep It Updated

You don’t need to chase every SEO trend.
Just do the basics well, keep your site tidy, and update it every now and then.

Google likes to see signs of life — new products, blog posts, small tweaks. A stale website full of broken links and outdated content tells Google you’ve gone quiet.

The Shortcut Version

If you do nothing else, do these five things:

Write clear titles and meta descriptions.
Add alt text to every image (thank you, AI).
Keep your site fast.
Fix or redirect broken links.
Write like a real human.

That’s 80% of SEO right there.

The other 20%? That’s what I dig into when I run my Shopify SEO audits — the technical clean-up that keeps your site Google-friendly and sales-ready.

Final Thought

SEO doesn’t have to be mysterious, manipulative, or mind-numbing.
It’s just about making your website easier for people (and Google) to love.

When you keep things clear, fast, and tidy, you’re helping everyone win.

You get found.
Your customers find what they want.
And Google gets to feel smug about another good search result.

→ Need help with your Shopify SEO?

I offer audits that show you exactly what’s broken and how to fix it — no fluff, no jargon, no nonsense.
Find out more at Moxie Themes.