E-commerce SEO Checklist: The 17 Things to Do Rank

If you’re wondering what the best e-commerce SEO checklist looks like, then look right here because I’ve got it! Allow me to show you how to make your online store #1 on Google’s search result pages. 

SEO for e-commerce websites is more important than you realize. It’s a great way to attract customers, keep them engaged, and boost product sales. If that sounds good to you, then keep reading! 

The Ultimate E-commerce SEO Checklist

Whether you’re just launching your e-commerce website or you’re trying to improve your current SEO strategy, this e-commerce seo checklist is for you. I’ll be walking you through everything you need to do to make your e-commerce website rank high on Google and boost traffic. And not just any traffic—but the right traffic.

It’s one thing for people to visit your e-commerce website and a whole other thing for the right people to visit. These people have a higher chance of converting into paying customers. That’s what makes SEO for e-commerce websites so important.

This e-commerce SEO checklist will cover basic, on-page, off-page, technical, and local SEO best practices. Let’s dive right in!

Basic SEO Checklist

First up on this SEO optimization checklist are the basics. These are the things you simply have to do if you want any hope of ranking at all. To miss out on them is to create an SEO strategy that simply doesn’t work.

Think of this as the groundwork that ensures everything else works effectively. Here’s the basic SEO checklist:

1. Keyword Research 

The first step on our e-commerce SEO checklist is performing keyword research for your store. Keywords are the backbone of SEO. For an e-commerce website, targeting the right keywords is super important. 

An SEO checklist for e-commerce sites just isn’t complete without keyword research. Doing keyword research can increase visibility, drive quality traffic, and boost conversions. Here’s how to get it right:

• Understand Search Intent — Search intent refers to why someone is searching for a keyword. Knowing your customers’ why allows you to create content that answers their burning questions.
• Use Keyword Research Tools — SEO tools can help you find high-volume, low-competition keywords that are relevant to your e-commerce business. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Ubersuggest are great places to start. There are also several other e-commerce marketing tools out there.
• Focus on Long-Tail Keywords — Long-tail keywords help you target specific people with specific needs. For example, instead of just targeting “running shoes,” go for “best running shoes for flat feet” or “women’s lightweight running shoes.”
• Identify Primary and Secondary Keywords — Know your primary keyword and research secondary keywords that relate to it. This helps you avoid repeating the same keyword over and over again in your article or product page.

Pro Tip: Focus on transactional keywords that align with your products.

2. Competitor Analysis

There are several other e-commerce businesses offering your services. If you want to stand out you need to study the competition. Find out how they do SEO for their e-commerce website and do it better.

If your competitors are ranking higher, it means Google favors their SEO strategy. Learning from them helps you stay ahead. Follow this e-commerce seo checklist for competitor analysis:

• Identify Top Competitors — Find out which e-commerce stores are ranking for your target keywords. 
• Make Their SEO Strategy Work For You — Check what keywords they rank for, where their backlinks are coming from, and how they optimize their website pages.
• Improve on Their Weaknesses — Find gaps in their SEO strategy and do better than them.

3. SEO-Friendly Domain & URL Structure

Your domain name and URLs impact both SEO and user experience. Keeping your domain name short and memorable is the best way to optimize for search engines and people. The name you choose should be easy to spell and remember. 

You should also optimize your URLs by keeping them short and descriptive. For example, use yourstore.com/best-running-shoes/ and not yourstore.com/product?id=567. And probably the most important SEO tip: Use breadcrumbs for navigation.

Breadcrumbs help users and search engines understand site structure. Here’s an example: Home > Women’s Shoes > Running Shoes > Nike Air Zoom

On-page SEO Checklist

Next on the SEO e-commerce checklist is on-page SEO optimization. On-page SEO focuses on optimizing individual pages of your e-commerce store. The goal remains the same: improve rankings, drive traffic, and enhance user experience. 

Unlike off-page SEO, on-page SEO is entirely within your control—so you need to get it right. 

4. Optimize Product Pages for SEO

Your product pages are your biggest revenue drivers. This is where you want shoppers to be. And with the right SEO strategy, they’ll take to it like bees to honey.

You need to optimize your product pages for search engines and conversions.

• Product Title Optimization — Keep your product titles clear and descriptive. Include important attributes such as brand, model, color, and size. For example, Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 – Women’s Running Shoes (Black, Size 8). 
• Write Unique & Persuasive Product Descriptions — Writing optimized product descriptions is crucial for your e-commerce website. Avoid manufacturer descriptions because this will create duplicate content. Instead write unique, benefit-driven descriptions.
• Optimize Product Images — Image optimization is a key step in our e-commerce SEO checklist to improve site speed. You’ll need to compress images to improve page speed. You can use a tool like TinyPNG to get it done. 

Pro Tip: Add alt texts to images and save them with descriptive file names (e.g., nike-air-zoom-pegasus-women-black.jpg).

5. Use SEO-Optimized Headings (H1-H6)

The main page title should always be H1 and no other text should use this tag. Your H1 tag should have your primary keyword in it, preferably at the beginning of the title. H2-H6 should be used for subheadings.

Break your content into sections with H2s, H3s, and H4s for better readability. Here’s an example structure for an article titled “Best Running Shoes for Women”:

H1: Best Running Shoes for Women

H2: Why Choosing the Right Running Shoe Matters

H2: Top Features to Look for in Running Shoes

H3: Cushioning & Comfort

H3: Durability & Material

Pro Tip: Articles like this should be linked to relevant product pages. 

6. Internal Linking Strategy

Internal linking helps Google crawl your site efficiently and keeps users engaged. As I mentioned earlier, you should always link your articles to relevant product pages. And you should link your articles to each other. 

7. Optimize Title Tags & Meta Descriptions

We’ve all heard the saying “First impressions matter”. Well, it also matters in SEO. Title tags and meta descriptions are the first things users see on Google’s search results. 

Because of this, you have to make sure they are well-optimized. A good title will boost click-through rates (CTR) and help search engines understand your page. Your title and meta descriptions should include your primary keyword.

Pro Tip: Keep your title under 60 characters so it doesn’t get cut off in search results. And keep your meta descriptions under 155 characters. 

Off-page SEO Checklist

You shouldn’t ignore off-page SEO for e-commerce websites. This SEO strategy focuses on building authority, trust, and relevance through external factors. On-page SEO involves working directly on your website but off-page SEO is like working from the shadows.

These are the external things you do to boost ranking such as backlinks and brand mentions. Search engines see these as indicators of credibility and influence. This will directly impact how high your site ranks.

8. Build High-Quality Backlinks

A strong backlink strategy is a major part of any e-commerce SEO checklist. A backlink is when another site links to your site. Having backlinks tells Google that your site has quality content. 

But not every backlink is a good backlink. When you’re building backlinks, it’s important to remember that quality over quantity is key. You should focus on getting links from authoritative sites in your industry.

Here’s a simple strategy to help you get high-quality backlinks: 

• Guest Blogging — Write expert articles for reputable industry sites.
• Product Reviews & Influencer Outreach — Send products to influencers in exchange for reviews & links.
• Broken Link Building — Find broken links on other sites and suggest your page as a replacement.
• Brand Mentions: Turn unlinked mentions into backlinks. You can use tools like Ahrefs to find them.

Pro Tip: Track backlink growth with Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush. 

9. Monitor and RemoveToxic Backlinks

Not all backlinks help your SEO—some can actually harm your rankings. Spammy links from low-quality sites do a lot more harm than good. You can use tools Google Search Console and Ahrefs to analyze your backlink profile.

Find toxic or spammy links and use Google’s Disavow Tool to remove them. Remember the focus should be on quality, not quantity. 20 good backlinks are better than 2000 spammy ones.

10. Leverage Social Media for SEO

While social signals don’t directly impact rankings, they help with brand visibility, engagement, and link-building opportunities. This makes social media a great way to grow your business. Create social media accounts and add your website link.

You can share engaging content like “Pack an order with me” videos or even just pictures of available products. Be sure to interact with people on social media to keep them engaged. And encourage customers to leave reviews and testimonials.

11. Get Featured in Industry Roundups and Interviews

Journalists, bloggers, and industry websites regularly feature expert insights. Being included in these roundups can drive high-quality backlinks and exposure. You can:

• Look for “Best of” or “Top 10” lists and pitch your product.
• Respond to HARO (Help a Reporter Out) queries daily.
• Network with industry writers to be included in features.

Technical SEO Checklist

Technical SEO ensures your e-commerce site is fast, crawlable, and mobile-friendly. It’s an SEO strategy that focuses on making your e-commerce website easier for search engines to index and rank your pages. Well-optimized sites improve user experience (UX) and reduce bounce rates, which can directly impact conversions. 

Every e-commerce SEO checklist should include a technical SEO strategy. Here’s our technical SEO checklist for e-commerce websites:

12. Improve Website Speed & Performance

Page speed directly affects conversion rates. If your pages load slowly, then customers will bounce. No one wants to wait three hours just to see the purple dress on your product page.

You can use PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to test speed. Optimizing images by compressing them can boost page speed. 

13. Ensure Mobile-Friendliness

Most people surf the internet on their phones so if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re already losing a good amount of potential leads. Plus, Google prioritizes mobile-first websites. This means the mobile version of your site must work just as well as the desktop version.

Here are some tips to help you do it right:

• Use a responsive design that adapts to all screen sizes.
• Choose an e-commerce platform that has mobile-friendly themes and templates.
• Test mobile usability with Mobile-Friendly Test.
• Avoid intrusive pop-ups that ruin mobile experience.

14. Implement Schema Markup for Rich Snippets

Schema markup helps search engines understand your content and enhances search results with rich snippets (e.g., product ratings, prices, stock availability). You can use product schema for e-commerce pages to show price, availability, and reviews.

Adding breadcrumb schema also helps for better navigation. And an FAQ Schema on product pages boosts visibility. You can test markup with Google’s Rich Results Test.

Local SEO Checklist 

If you have a physical e-commerce store then you’ll need local SEO to attract customers in your area. It’s a great way to drive sales at your store. A complete e-commerce SEO checklist includes local SEO strategies for businesses with physical stores.

15. Optimize Your Google Business Profile (GBP)

Creating a Google Business Profile (GBP) is the foundation of local SEO. A well-optimized profile helps your store appear in Google Maps and local searches. Here’s how to set it up:

• Claim and verify your Google Business Profile.
• Use your real business name (avoid keyword stuffing).
• Add a detailed business description (include keywords naturally).
• Select the right business categories.
• Add high-quality images (storefront, products, team).
• List your business hours and update them regularly.
• Encourage and respond to customer reviews and feedback.
• Add a direct link to your website and social media profiles.
• Use Google Posts to share updates, offers, and events.

16. Optimize for Local Keywords

Ranking for geo-specific keywords helps local customers find your store. Use location-based keywords in your titles, meta descriptions, and content. Here’s an example: the best organic skincare store in Brooklyn.

If you have more than one physical store, be sure to create local landing pages for different locations. You should also optimize product & category pages with local terms. For example, buy handmade bags in Houston.

Pro Tip: Use Google Keyword Planner to find local search terms.

17. Get Customer Reviews and Ratings

Reviews improve trust, engagement, and rankings in local search results. You should always encourage both physical and online customers to leave reviews. For local SEO, encourage happy customers to drop reviews on Google, Yelp, and Facebook.

And be sure to respond to positive and negative reviews professionally. If a customer has a complaint, address it immediately and be polite in your delivery. This way you show other customers that you’re friendly and reliable.