Ecommerce SEO Basics
SEO Fundamentals Checklist
This is the absolute first thing we do when starting a new project. Before content strategy, before link building, before anything — we make sure the fundamentals are locked in. Use this checklist to audit your own store.
1. Title Tags
Every page has a unique, descriptive title tag
Include primary keyword near the beginning
Keep under 60 characters to avoid truncation
Include your brand name at the end (e.g., | Brand)
Use modifiers for long-tail variations (best, buy, review, 2025)
2. Meta Descriptions
Every page has a unique meta description
Include primary keyword naturally
Keep under 155 characters
Include a call-to-action (Shop now, Free shipping, etc.)
Highlight unique selling points
3. Heading Structure
One H1 per page containing the primary keyword
Logical heading hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)
H2s cover main subtopics / categories
H3s used for supporting points
Don't skip heading levels
4. URL Structure
URLs are short, descriptive, and keyword-rich
Use hyphens to separate words
Avoid parameters and session IDs in URLs
Logical folder structure (/category/subcategory/product)
All URLs are lowercase
5. Internal Linking
Category pages link to relevant subcategories and products
Product pages link back to their category
Blog posts link to relevant product/category pages
Use descriptive anchor text (not 'click here')
Implement breadcrumb navigation
6. Image Optimization
All images have descriptive alt text
Images are compressed (WebP format preferred)
Use descriptive file names (blue-running-shoes.webp)
Implement lazy loading for below-fold images
Include product images in your sitemap
7. Schema Markup
Product schema on all product pages (price, availability, reviews)
BreadcrumbList schema on all pages
Organization schema on homepage
FAQ schema on FAQ pages
Review/Rating schema where applicable
8. Technical Foundations
XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
Robots.txt properly configured
Canonical tags set correctly on all pages
SSL/HTTPS enabled site-wide
Mobile-responsive design
Core Web Vitals passing (LCP < 2.5s, CLS < 0.1, INP < 200ms)
Previous
Ecommerce SEO Basics
Introduction
Want the full resource library? Browse all resources
Need help implementing? Get in touch
Work Together With SEO Experts who understand ecommerce
World’s first Ecom-founded SEO agency