Shopify SEO Checklist for Australian Ecommerce Stores (2025)

1. Technical Foundation

Technical SEO is the backbone of everything else. Before optimising a single product title, make sure your store is structurally sound.

URL Structure

• ☐ Use clean, descriptive URLs — /products/womens-running-shoes-australia not /products/SKU-12345
• ☐ Keep URLs lowercase with hyphens, not underscores
• ☐ Remove unnecessary parameters from your URL structure
• ☐ Shopify automatically adds /products/ and /collections/ prefixes — do not try to remove these; work with them
• ☐ Avoid keyword-stuffing URLs — one or two primary keywords is enough

Canonical Tags

Shopify creates duplicate URLs by default — the biggest technical SEO issue on the platform. Every product accessible via a collection (e.g. /collections/shoes/products/running-shoe) and via the direct URL (e.g. /products/running-shoe) creates duplicate content.

• ☐ Confirm Shopify is outputting canonical tags pointing to /products/[handle] — it does this by default but check via View Source
• ☐ Never link to the collection-scoped product URL in your internal links — always use the canonical /products/ URL
• ☐ If you use a third-party SEO app, verify it is not overriding Shopify's canonical logic incorrectly

Site Speed for Australian Users

Google uses Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor, and Australian users have specific speed expectations. With most AU users on mobile and varying connection quality outside major cities, speed is non-negotiable.

• ☐ Use Shopify's free Dawn or Sense themes — they are the fastest out-of-the-box options
• ☐ Compress all product images to WebP format before uploading — aim for under 100KB per image
• ☐ Remove unused Shopify apps — every installed app adds JavaScript to your storefront, slowing load times
• ☐ Use a CDN-delivered font or system font stack rather than loading Google Fonts
• ☐ Lazy-load images that appear below the fold
• ☐ Test your store with PageSpeed Insights targeting a Mobile score above 70 and Desktop above 85
• ☐ Check your Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) is under 2.5 seconds on a simulated Australian connection

Crawlability and Indexing

• ☐ Submit your sitemap (yourstore.com.au/sitemap.xml) to Google Search Console
• ☐ Set your preferred domain (www vs non-www) in Shopify Admin under Domains
• ☐ Verify your robots.txt is not blocking important pages — Shopify auto-generates this but check it
• ☐ Add your store to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
• ☐ Check for crawl errors weekly in Search Console for the first 3 months

2. Product Page SEO

Product pages are where sales happen — and where most Shopify stores do the least SEO work. Every product page is an opportunity to rank for a specific, high-intent search query.

Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

• ☐ Write a unique title tag for every product: [Product Name] — [Key Attribute] | [Brand]
• ☐ Include the primary keyword naturally in the first 60 characters of the title tag
• ☐ Write meta descriptions of 140-160 characters that include the keyword and a clear value proposition
• ☐ Include Australian context where relevant — "free shipping Australia", "Australian stock", "ships from Sydney"
• ☐ Avoid duplicate title tags across products — even if products are similar, differentiate them

Product Descriptions

• ☐ Write unique product descriptions — do not copy manufacturer descriptions; Google penalises this
• ☐ Aim for at least 300 words on your top 20% of products (by revenue)
• ☐ Include the primary keyword in the first paragraph naturally
• ☐ Use H2 and H3 subheadings within long descriptions to structure content
• ☐ Address common customer questions — shipping times, sizing, materials, care instructions
• ☐ Include Australian-specific details: compatibility with Australian power standards, local warranty information, AU sizing conversions

Image Alt Text

• ☐ Add descriptive alt text to every product image — "blue leather crossbody bag Australia" not "img123"
• ☐ Avoid keyword-stuffing alt text — describe the image naturally and include the keyword once if relevant
• ☐ Name your image files descriptively before uploading: womens-white-linen-dress-size-10.webp
• ☐ Add alt text to lifestyle and in-context images too, not just white-background shots

Internal Linking on Product Pages

• ☐ Link to 2-3 related products within each product description
• ☐ Link to the parent collection page from each product page
• ☐ Use keyword-rich anchor text for internal links — not "click here"

3. Collection and Category Pages

Collection pages are among the highest-value pages on your Shopify store for SEO — yet most AU store owners leave them as blank grids with no text. This is a significant missed opportunity.

• ☐ Add a unique title tag to every collection: Buy [Category] Online Australia | [Brand]
• ☐ Write a 150-300 word introductory paragraph at the top of each major collection
• ☐ Add a longer descriptive section at the bottom of the collection page (below the product grid) — 300-500 words addressing buyer intent, product range, and your AU-specific offering
• ☐ Include FAQs at the bottom of collection pages targeting informational queries related to that category
• ☐ Structure collection hierarchy logically — main collections, then sub-collections, all internally linked
• ☐ Avoid creating too many collections for tiny product ranges — fewer, richer collection pages outperform many thin ones
• ☐ Set a unique meta description for every collection page
• ☐ Add your best-selling products to your top collections — collection pages rank partly based on the relevance and quality of the products within them

4. Blog Content Strategy for Shopify AU

Shopify's built-in blog is one of the most underused SEO tools on the platform. For Australian ecommerce stores, a well-planned blog can capture informational search traffic and funnel it toward purchases.

• ☐ Identify 20-30 informational keywords your potential customers search before buying — "how to choose a wetsuit Australia", "best protein powder for women Australia"
• ☐ Write at least one blog post per identified keyword — minimum 800 words, ideally 1,200-1,500 words
• ☐ Link from every blog post to the relevant product or collection page using keyword-rich anchor text
• ☐ Include Australian-specific context in every blog post — local regulations, seasonal relevance (remember: AU seasons are opposite to US and UK), local shipping timelines
• ☐ Publish consistently — Google rewards stores that add fresh content; aim for 2 posts per month minimum
• ☐ Use the blog to capture long-tail keywords that product pages cannot naturally target
• ☐ Compress and optimise blog images just as you do product images
• ☐ Add schema markup to blog posts (Article schema) — Shopify does not do this by default

5. Shopify-Specific SEO Issues

Shopify is an excellent ecommerce platform — but it has known SEO quirks that can silently hurt your rankings if you do not address them.

Duplicate Content

• ☐ The /collections/[handle]/products/[product] vs /products/[product] duplication is Shopify's most common issue — confirm canonical tags are correct (see Section 1)
• ☐ If you have product variants (sizes, colours), ensure the variant URLs are either canonicalised to the main product or are not being indexed individually
• ☐ Review your Search Console coverage report for "Duplicate without user-selected canonical" errors

Pagination

• ☐ Shopify paginates collections at page 2, 3, etc. (/collections/shoes?page=2) — verify these pages are indexable and not accidentally noindexed
• ☐ Do not noindex paginated collection pages — they help distribute link equity and can rank for their own queries
• ☐ Avoid duplicate content on paginated pages by ensuring page 2+ have unique content elements (different product sets)

Redirects

• ☐ Set up 301 redirects for any product or collection URLs you change — Shopify allows this natively in Admin > Navigation > URL Redirects
• ☐ Audit for redirect chains (redirect A to B to C) — these lose link equity
• ☐ Do not delete products — redirect discontinued product URLs to the most relevant active product or collection

App Bloat

• ☐ Uninstall any Shopify apps you are not actively using — uninstalled apps can leave behind JavaScript snippets in your theme
• ☐ After uninstalling an app, check your theme.liquid file for leftover app code and remove it

6. Schema Markup for Shopify

Schema markup tells Google exactly what your page content is — and enables rich results (star ratings, price displays, availability) in search results. These rich results significantly increase click-through rates.

• ☐ Shopify adds basic Product schema by default — verify this using Google's Rich Results Test tool
• ☐ Ensure your Product schema includes: name, description, image, sku, brand, offers (price, priceCurrency, availability)
• ☐ Set priceCurrency to "AUD" to signal AU pricing to Google
• ☐ Add Review and AggregateRating schema to products with reviews — this enables gold star ratings in search results
• ☐ Add BreadcrumbList schema to show your site hierarchy in search results
• ☐ Add Organization schema to your homepage including your AU business details (ABN optional, but address and phone recommended)
• ☐ Add FAQPage schema to collection pages and blog posts with FAQ sections
• ☐ Use Google's Rich Results Test on your 10 most important pages to verify schema is error-free

7. Australia-Specific SEO Considerations

These are the optimisations that separate AU-savvy Shopify stores from those using a copy-paste global approach.

Afterpay and Zip Product Schema

• ☐ If you offer Afterpay, Zip, or Klarna, add these as payment method mentions in your product descriptions — many AU shoppers filter by BNPL availability
• ☐ Use structured data to indicate instalment pricing where schema supports it (some rich result types support payment options)
• ☐ Display Afterpay/Zip badges prominently on product pages — these are Australian buyer trust signals that reduce abandonment

AUD Currency Display

• ☐ Display prices exclusively in AUD for Australian audiences — currency confusion destroys conversion rates
• ☐ Ensure your Google Shopping feed (if running) uses AUD as the price currency
• ☐ Explicitly label prices as "AUD" or use the AU dollar symbol in your schema markup

Shipping Policies for SEO

• ☐ Create a dedicated Australian shipping policy page and link to it from your footer and product pages
• ☐ Include specific delivery timeframes for each Australian state and territory — shoppers in Perth and Darwin are used to longer delivery times and want transparency
• ☐ Mention free shipping thresholds prominently — "free shipping Australia wide on orders over $75" in your title tags, meta descriptions, and product pages
• ☐ Add ShippingDetails schema markup to product pages — this can display estimated delivery dates in Google Shopping results
• ☐ Create a page or FAQ section addressing rural and regional Australia shipping — a significant underserved segment

Google Business Profile Integration

• ☐ If you have a physical AU location (warehouse, showroom, or store), claim your Google Business Profile and link it to your Shopify store
• ☐ List your ABN on your About page — it is an Australian trust signal that increases conversion from organic traffic
• ☐ Ensure your store's contact page includes an Australian phone number and address — these are local trust signals for Google

Shopify SEO is not a one-time project — it is an ongoing process. The stores that consistently outrank competitors in Australia are those that treat SEO as a monthly discipline: updating product descriptions, publishing blog content, acquiring backlinks, and monitoring Search Console for issues.

If you have worked through this checklist and want expert help executing the more technical items — or if you want a complete Shopify SEO audit before deciding where to focus — our team specialises in ecommerce SEO for Australian Shopify stores.