Search engine optimization (SEO) helps improve your site’s visibility in search results and drives unpaid traffic to your store. With eCom (E-Series), many essential SEO elements are built in. Your site automatically includes clean URLs, a sitemap.xml, a robots.txt file, and alt text for product images. Social sharing features are also included to support marketing efforts.

To boost your store’s ranking even further, follow the guide below to optimize your site for both search engines and customers.

Adding keywords to product names and descriptions

Use keywords that potential customers might search for. This helps search engines understand what your store offers and improves your rankings. Here are some tips for finding keywords:

• Brainstorm search terms related to your products.
• Look at hashtags used on social media for similar products.
• Use Google Search Console to find queries that lead visitors to your site.
• Check related searches shown at the bottom of Google search result pages.

Adding custom meta tags to product pages

When analyzing a webpage, search engines get information about its content from the meta tags that include the title and description. Search engines use this information to describe pages as they appear in the search results and rank them by relevance.

Visitors read these descriptions to decide if they want to click on the result. You can edit meta tags for every product in your store to make your store more inviting.

To add custom meta tags for your products:

1. Navigate to Catalog > Products .
2. Select the desired product, then click View on eCom on the right. This will open the product page in eCom admin.
3. Switch to the SEO tab.
4. Write your texts in the Page title and meta description fields. The text should be short and readable (50-400 characters), ideally under 155 characters, so it’s not cut off on the Google results page. Include your main keywords in product names and early in the description but avoid keyword stuffing.

5. Check how the product will look on Google when indexed.

   

6. Click Save.

Adding custom meta tags to category pages

Categories allow you to organize products in your store and help visitors navigate the site. By default, eCom creates meta tags automatically from category names and descriptions. You can add custom meta tags to individual product categories to make them look more attractive to potential customers on the search results page.

To add custom meta tags for your categories:

1. In eCom admin, navigate to Catalog > Categories.
2. Find the desired category in the left panel and click it, or create a new category.
3. Switch to the SEO tab.
4. Write the text in the Page title and meta description fields. It’s best to keep the title under 80 characters and the description under 160 characters. This way, they won't be cut off on the search results page.

5. Check how the product will look on Google when indexed.

   

6. Click Save.

Adding alt text to product and category images

Alt text helps with SEO and improves accessibility for visually impaired visitors. It also appears if an image fails to load. By default, eCom uses product or category names as alt text. You can customize this in your product or category settings:

1. In your eCom admin, navigate to Catalog > Products.
2. Click on the product to edit.
3. After uploading an image, in the Product gallery, hover over the image and click Actions > Edit Alt Text.
4. Update the alt text and press Save.

Adding custom meta tags to website pages

With your eCom website, you can set SEO details for each page to help search engines and visitors understand your content

• SEO titles create the title tag for the page.
• SEO descriptions create a brief summary of a page.
• Site images appear as a preview when someone shares the page on social media.

eCom automatically adds meta tags to each page based on SEO settings you set up in the Website editor. Make sure you include relevant keywords to SEO titles and descriptions so tags give more context for search robots and help visitors use your site more effectively.

SEO settings for the homepage and custom pages are set up separately. If you leave the homepage SEO fields empty, tags will be automatically generated from your site’s content. If you don’t create SEO settings for custom pages, then the page will get the homepage SEO settings.

Adding custom meta tags to the homepage

A homepage is the first page your visitors see when they open your site. A one-page site consists of the homepage only, while a multi-pages site consists of the homepage and custom pages you add on Instant Site.

To create SEO settings of the Instant Site homepage:

1. In eCom admin, navigate to Website > Edit Site.
2. At the top left, click Settings > SEO.
3. Add site title, description, or image.
4. Click Publish.

Adding custom meta tags to custom pages

Custom pages are unique pages that you add to your website. It’s recommended to add a page-specific description and title since that copy is displayed in search results. A relevant and catchy description can encourage people to click through to your site.

To create SEO settings of the Website page:

1. In eCom admin, go to Website > Edit Site.
2. At the top left, click Page and select the page.
3. Switch to the Settings tab.

4. Click the title to add relevant SEO texts or images.

   

5. Click Publish.

Collecting product reviews from customers

When ranking websites in search results, search engines consider self-published content as well as what others say about your site and your products. Make it a priority to create space for customer feedback.

Through customer reviews, ratings, and comments you can increase your store’s rankings. Customer-generated content also provides relevant keywords and lots of backlinks to your online store. On top of that, customer reviews build a sense of trust, help people make purchase decisions, and increase conversion rates in your store. Learn more about collecting customer reviews and ratings on your site.

Adding your business address to your website

When you use an eCom website, your chances of appearing in local search results improve if both Google and your customers can see your location. If your business has a physical location, it’s recommended to add your address and a map to the Contact Us section of your site.

Adding a favicon to your website

A favicon is a small icon that shows in a browser tab before the website name, in bookmarks, in search results, and elsewhere on the web. It gives more visibility to your site's brand.

To add a favicon to Instant Site:

1. In eCom admin, go to Website > Edit Site.
2. Click Settings > SEO & Sharing > Site favicon.
3. Click the + Add favicon button. To update an existing favicon, click Change favicon.
4. Upload an image or file from your device that you want to use for the favicon.
5. Click Publish to apply the changes.

The favicon will added your Instant Site.

Using a custom domain name for your website

To succeed in search your site needs its own domain (rather than a default .company.site URL). It helps strengthen your SEO by consolidating traffic, links, and content under a recognizable brand. Having your own domain will also help customers remember your brand and make your site look more professional. Learn how to connect your own domain.

Setting custom URL slugs for products and categories

eCom automatically generates SEO-friendly URLs for products and categories based on their names. You can also set custom URL slugs for products and categories to boost your SEO and make the customer experience more engaging (for example, create easier-to-remember URLs or even add emojis to them).

To set custom URL slugs for a product or category:

1. In eCom admin, go to Catalog > Products or to Catalog > Categories.
2. Open the product or click on the category in the list.
3. Go to the SEO tab and click Customize product URL or Customize category URL‍.
4. Enter your custom URL slug.
5. Save the changes.

The URL for this product or category on your Instant Site or WordPress site will be updated. All the previous slugs will now redirect to this one.

Use the Bulk Product Editor or CSV import/export to update multiple slugs at once.

Setting up 301 URL redirects for your website

301 redirects send visitors from old or inactive URL to an active page. This helps preserve your SEO rankings, ensures customers can still find your content, and is especially useful when running marketing campaigns or moving your site from another platform.

To set up a single URL redirect:

1. In eCom admin, go to Website.
2. Scroll down to the Instant Site redirects and click Create Redirect.
3. Click Create Redirect.
4. In the left field, enter the old link. For example, a page with a deleted product.

5. In the right field, enter the actual link you want to redirect to. Double-check URLs and if there are lowercase and uppercase letters in the link. You must enter them exactly as they are. Both from and to URLs can be either a relative URL (for example, /promo or /search=&123) or a full URL (for example, http://www.example.com/promo).

   

6. (optional) To add another redirect, click Add Redirect.
7. Click Create Redirect.

Verifying your domain with Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free service that helps you monitor and improve your site’s presence in Google search results. Before you can use its features, you need to verify your domain so Google knows you’re the rightful owner of the site. Note, your custom domain must be active and correctly connected to your Instant Site.

To verify ownership of your website in Google Search Console:

1. Open Google Search Console.

2. Enter the web address of your Instant Site as a URL prefix property type.

   

3. Click on Continue.
4. Choose the HTML Tag method from a list of different verification methods.

5. Copy the meta code that pops up.

   

6. Leave the Google Search Console open, then open the eCom admin > Website page in a new browser tab.
7. Scroll down to the Header meta tags and site verification section, click Add Code and paste your meta tag there.
8. Save the changes.
9. Return to your Google Search Console, then click on Verify to complete the verification process.

It usually takes a few days for the data to show in Google Search Console. Check the status of your site verification in Google Search Console > Settings > Ownership Verification page.

Submitting a sitemap to Google

eCom automatically creates a sitemap and includes it in your robots.txt. You can also submit it manually via Google Search Console for faster indexing.

Using Google Analytics to track SEO efforts

With Google Analytics you will have access to lots of stats and insights on how your existing and potential customers find and use your store. Create a Google Analytics account to set up a property and set up a tracking code so Google can collect your website data. Once connected you can find referral sites, see a number of store page views, search queries, what shipping method visitors choose, and other reporting on your site through our built-in integration with Google.

Building high-quality backlinks

Backlinks are links to your site from other reputable, relevant websites. They can significantly improve your search rankings and credibility in the eyes of both Google and potential customers.

Ways to earn valuable backlinks:

• Write guest posts for popular blogs in your industry.
• Ask your suppliers or manufacturers to feature and link to your store on their websites.
• Publish helpful blog articles and link them to your products.
• Collaborate with influencers or reviewers who can mention and link to your store.