Shopify is a CMS system designed with the creation of online stores in mind. It is an e-commerce platform with a reputation in the local and foreign markets. Currently, the software is used in several hundred countries around the world and is constantly evolving, supporting both large and small online trading activities. Entrepreneurs wishing to start their own Shopify-based business should get to know this platform a bit better, especially in terms ofSEO.

Shopify as a CMS

Shopify allows you to build an online store based on a subscription system. It is therefore a SaaS (Software as a Service) software – for an appropriate fee, the platform provides access to its content, which the entrepreneur uses to launch his own website for online sales. The subscription price depends on the selected package. The subscription gives the entrepreneur access to a number of new extensions and updates that are implemented within the platform. Such a solution is extremely convenient for many people who want to run their own e-commerce store, because it is not necessary to have technical knowledge, for example in the fields of HTML and CSS, to start an online business. A characteristic feature of this SaaS system is the focus on the needs of the customer (i.e. the store administrator). Along with the subscription fee, you do not have to deal with updating plugins yourself or pay extra forhosting . These are services included in the subscription price; – you pay and you can enjoy the convenience and time savings. The use of Shopify is simple and intuitive, and the administration panel is conducive to introducing changes and systematic expansion of the website. According to Statista data, approximately 20 percent of stores available online use this e-commerce platform. Shopify is most commonly used in the US, where the system covers nearly 30% of the online market. In Poland, it remains less recognizable, but it is worth taking into account when planning the launch of your own store.

Due to its very simple operation, Shopify is eagerly used by people who want to try their hand at the e-commerce industry. The platform supports many functional plugins and from the very beginning greets the administrator with templates to choose from, which are not only attractive to the eye, but also allow you to quickly configure the site for online sale. However, it should be remembered that each website must be properly visible on the web in order to generate a profit. An effective form ofmarketingispositioning(SEO). The goal of this strategy is to increase the website’s visibility in the organic results of a search engine such as Google. To do this, it is necessary, among other things, to properly optimize the store. How is Shopify performing in this respect?

Shopify’s SEO Pros

Here are some of the most important advantages of Shopify over SEO. This information is especially important for people who are considering choosing this type of platform to launch a store.

# 1 Access to source code

A characteristic feature of CMS systems with the SaaS model is limited access to many important functionalities. Most often, such e-commerce platforms are “closed” to changes made manually by the administrator. Shopify is taking a step ahead in this context. And although it is a SaaS system, it is permissible to edit the source code of the template, which in practice means that a person who has an online store in this CMS can implement almost any functionality. However, to do this, you need to know HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Liquid (this is a Shopify programming language written in Ruby). Access to the source code greatly facilitates the optimization work that has an impact on SEO.

Source:Shopify. Sample source code fragment.

# 2 Editing a template with no technical skills

Launching your online store on Shopify begins with selecting a template. It is on this basis that individual elements of the website will be adapted, according to the characteristics of a specific business. Editing without technical skills includes, among other things, configuring the footer and header, and modifying the colors. Also, the implementation of products does not require programming knowledge. Shopify support is synonymous with simplicity and convenience. Particularly noteworthy is the functional administration panel, thanks to which the management of the platform’s resources becomes extremely comfortable even for a layman.

Source: Shopify. Administration panel.

# 3 Shopify apps

With the purchase of a subscription, the Shopify store admin gets access to a variety of applications – these are plug-ins, also known as extensions. Their main task is to facilitate individual processes while running a business. In total, there are over a dozen thousand of them in the Shopify AppStore. Some are free, while others have free plans or require an additional subscription. The administrator independently decides which applications will be used. Thanks to them, the launch and operation of the store becomes even more affordable.

# 4 UX design and responsiveness

Shopify is easy to use not only for administration but also for users visiting the store running on this system. The templates are designed in line with UX design, therefore they guarantee simplicity and intuitiveness when navigating the website, which may have a positive impact on the conversion rate. At the same time, Shopify is well aware of how many users use mobile devices, such as smartphones. Therefore, the templates are fully responsive and look great on any screen. For the sake of speed of loading, the system prefers images in WebP format to JPEG due to their lower weight. Keep in mind that both responsiveness and UX design have an impact on SEO. Incorrectly designed websites, with numerous errors, as well as the lack of optimization for mobile devices,

Shopify’s downsides for SEO

Each CMS system available on the market has disadvantages. There are no perfect solutions, so you should carefully read the specifications of each platform when starting an online business. What are Shopify’s downsides in terms of SEO?

# 1 Some changes require advanced technical knowledge

Shopify is one of the e-commerce platforms that are extremely powerful. This fact is an advantage, but in the case of starting the store on your own, there may be a problem with the implementation of some solutions. Shopify is an example of this. Adding various types of functionalities to support search engine positioning may require advanced technical knowledge.There is a list of codeson the official Shopify website that are ready to be used absolutely for free. This is, for example, pagination configuration or navigation elements. When implementing an SEO strategy, it is also possible to implement applications (plugins) that facilitate certain processes. However, you should know that not all of them are free – so all you have to do is subscribe to them.

# 2 Simple SEO shop editing may require template code editing

Shopify templates are designed to provide basic store positioning functionality. These are, for example, automatically generated canonicaltags, sitemap files and robots.txt, or meta tags. However, a ready-made template is not always a suitable solution for an entrepreneur. That’s why Shopify lets you create them yourself. It is enough to modify the base resources, thereby generating a personalized Liquid template (knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript and JSON required). And although in theory this is an attractive solution, in practice it can be a bit troublesome. A template prepared on your own will usually require you to take care of SEO from scratch. In such a situation, even theimplementation and editing of meta datacan boil down to having to edit the template code. This is a disadvantage only for people who want to prepare a personalized store template on their own, without the help of specialists. However, if you have technical knowledge, Shopify will allow you to expand the website by implementing interesting solutions and innovative functionalities that will support SEO. You can also commission the construction of the template – or even the entire store – to experts in this field.

Who will Shopify be the optimal solution for?

Shopify has a reputation in the market for its versatility. It is an e-commerce platform suitable both for people who want to configure the store on their own, as well as entrepreneurs commissioning this issue to specialists. The website may consist of an assortment of several, a dozen or even several hundred products. Currently, this system is used by both small and large enterprises that sell online. Shopify is an intuitive and easy-to-use platform, so setting up basic functionalities is not difficult. It won’t take long to set up your basic store on your own, and your site can be supplemented for free with many additional apps from the Shopify AppStore. Also, positioning a website based on this e-commerce platform is not difficult.

Shopify is the perfect e-commerce platform for you if:

• you value comfort and safety
• you want to quickly open a simple shop without technical skills,
• you want to enjoy the ease of use of your website,
• you focus on innovative solutions and comfort,
• you are planning the development of your store in the future,
• you want a store that will be positioned in the search engine.

Shopify and SEO – summary

If you want to set up a functional online store quickly, easily and without unnecessary costs, Shopify is the solution. This system supports SEO activities, among others thanks to the possibility of editing the source code, which greatly facilitates optimization and building visibility in Google. This is an ideal proposition for entrepreneurs who want to carry out B2C sales. In addition, Shopify will appeal to people who have not yet had any experience with online trading and setting up their own e-commerce site. Shopify makes launching your store much more convenient and time-saving.