Shopify SEO Audit Checklist: 12 Checks That Actually Matter

Shopify gets the basics right out of the box, but its URL structure and theme apps create predictable problems. Use this checklist to audit a store in an afternoon.

The checks to run

1. Indexability. Confirm key pages return 200, are not noindexed and are not blocked in robots.txt.
2. Canonicals. Each page should canonicalise to itself (or to the one preferred duplicate) on the https, single-host URL.
3. Redirects. One hop from old to new URL; no chains or loops; http→https and www/non-www resolved.
4. XML sitemap. Lists only indexable, canonical 200 URLs and is submitted in Search Console.
5. Title tags. Unique, include the primary keyword early, and fit roughly 580 pixels.
6. Meta descriptions. Unique and persuasive; treat length as a click-through concern, not a ranking one.
7. Headings. One clear H1 that matches the page topic; logical H2/H3 outline.
8. Internal links. No orphan pages; important pages within three clicks of the homepage; descriptive anchor text.
9. Broken links. Fix internal 404s and links that go through redirect chains.
10. Images. Descriptive alt text, compressed formats, explicit dimensions to avoid layout shift.
11. Structured data. Valid schema for products, articles, breadcrumbs or local business, matching visible content.
12. Speed & Core Web Vitals. Check LCP, INP and CLS on templates, not just the homepage.

Shopify-specific pitfalls

• Duplicate product URLs: the same product is reachable at /products/x and /collections/y/products/x. Shopify canonicalises to the first, but internal links should point there too.
• Collection filter and sort parameters can generate thousands of crawlable URLs; make sure they are canonicalised or kept out of the sitemap.
• Apps inject JavaScript and extra headings. Re-test speed and heading structure after installing an app.
• Thin tag and vendor pages: noindex or consolidate those that have no unique value.
• Variants and out-of-stock products: keep the page live with clear messaging rather than returning a 404 when stock runs out temporarily.

How to prioritise

Start with anything that stops pages being crawled or indexed (robots, noindex, canonicals, redirects), then fix titles and headings on your highest-traffic pages, then work down. Don't spend a day on cosmetic warnings while indexing problems exist. A whole-site crawl groups results by impact so you can work in that order.

Download the free audit checklist (XLSX) to track these checks across clients or sites.