There are over 2 million Shopify websites on the internet, so it’s a plain fact that the Shopify platform is popular.
It’s also generally accepted as pretty good for SEO. The platform is fast, secure, compatible with a wide range of mobile-optimized, fast themes, and page-level data is easy to edit. Shopify also offers high uptime and automatically generates an XML sitemap.
But Shopify, like any eCommerce platform, can only be so “optimized” out of the box. There comes a point at which, despite the fact that the bones of Shopify are good for SEO, you’re going to need to take it upon yourself to actively optimize the platform.
With that said, here are some signs it’s probably a wise idea to hire a Shopify SEO agency sooner rather than later.
1.Customer behavior is erratic (particularly organic behavior)
If you have a number of organic visitors to your online store that seem to follow weird journeys, bouncing immediately or visiting a number of pages before ultimately exiting, the problem could be that you’re not attracting visitors that are properly targeted.
The issue might be that your website is optimized for keywords that are not aligned with customer expectations. Fixing this issue will require thorough keyword research and subsequent optimization.
2.Organic traffic growth is slow, negative, or stagnant.
Even without looking at what traffic to your eCommerce business does, if a quick look at your Google Analytics shows that your organic traffic is stagnant, slow, or falling off the map, then you need to do something about it. Your Shopify eCommerce store could be getting penalized by Google, recent updates may have injured your rankings, or something else could be going on.
Enlist the help of an SEO consultant or a Shopify SEO agency to look into your technical SEO, content strategy, and overall Shopify marketing initiatives to try to determine why this might be the case.
3.Keyword fluctuations are impossible to read or trends are negative.
Drop-offs in rankings can be caused by penalties, natural fluctuations, or even long-term shifts in user behavior trends. If it’s difficult for you to ascertain the reason why then your best hope for help will come from dedicated Shopify SEO experts.
4.You need supporting services, like design or development, to boost UX.
Conversion rates are not affected by search engine optimization along. Web design and the overall UX of your website will also affect these. Moreover, design and development can significantly impact the success of a Shopify SEO campaign.
In addition, if you’re looking for supporting organic marketing services like content marketing or social media marketing, a Shopify SEO agency is your best bet.
5.You rely heavily on PPC to keep your eCommerce website afloat.
If you lean on PPC to get customers to your online store, that’s unsustainable. Paid search marketing is effective and can be optimized, but if that’s the only way customers are finding your website, your bills are probably going to be high.
Shopify SEO services will help offset the cost of paid strategies by creating tenable, long-term, sustainable organic traffic streams to your Shopify website.
6.You have no idea what keywords to target.
There are (almost literally) an infinite number of different keywords in eCommerce SEO, and each of them is associated with different search intent and buyer persona. Targeting the “wrong’ ones will get you nowhere and cost you money.
There is a reason there are SEO experts in the industry. They know what to look for when organizing a search engine optimization strategy. You might not have the faintest idea what keywords to target. An SEO expert will.
Or, they’ll figure it out, and that’s just as good.
7.If you can’t do it yourself!
There are four main pillars of SEO. Content strategy, technical SEO, on-page optimization, and off-page optimization, the bulk of which refers to link strategy.
Being an expert in even one of these categories requires years and years of insight and experience, particularly with link building and content strategy. No single person is an uncontested expert in each. That’s why teams work together.
If you can’t optimize your website yourself, the most sustainable long-term solution is to work with a Shopify SEO agency that can help you do it, without draining all of the time from your day.
Set Yourself Up for Success with an Experienced Shopify SEO Agency
For more than ten years, 1DigitalⓇ Agency has worked with eCommerce businesses in all corners of the industry, on platforms including but not limited to Shopify and Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, Magento, Volusion, WordPress, and others.
They’re a highly rated and reviewed Shopify SEO agency and have a number of case studies showcasing their success. Visit their website for more information (1DigitalAgency.com) or get in touch with them directly at 888-982-8269.
