In the world of e-commerce, having a robust SEO strategy is crucial for driving organic traffic to your Shopify store. One often overlooked aspect of SEO optimization on Shopify is product handles. Product handles, also known as URLs or slugs, play a significant role in search engine rankings and user experience. Optimizing these handles can improve your store’s visibility and usability. In this guide, we’ll explore what Shopify SEO experts guide handles are, why they matter for SEO, and how you can edit them to be SEO-friendly.
Understanding Shopify Product Handles
Shopify product handles are the unique identifiers for each product’s page in your store’s URL structure. They are automatically generated based on the product’s title unless manually specified. For example, if your product title is “Premium Leather Shoes,” Shopify might generate a handle like “/products/premium-leather-shoes”.
Why Shopify Product Handles Matter for SEO
- Keyword Relevance: Product handles contribute to your page’s keyword relevance. Including relevant keywords in your handles can help search engines understand the content of your page.
- User Experience: Clean and readable product handles make it easier for users to understand the content of the page they are visiting. This improves usability and can reduce bounce rates.
- Search Engine Crawling: Search engines use URLs to crawl and index your pages. Optimized product handles can make it easier for search engines to understand the structure of your site and rank your pages accordingly.
How To Edit Shopify Product Handles
Now, let’s dive into the steps to edit Shopify product handles to be more SEO-friendly:
Step 1: Access Your Shopify Admin Panel
Log in to your Shopify admin panel and navigate to the “Products” section.
Step 2: Select the Product
Choose the product whose handle you want to edit by clicking on it.
Step 3: Edit the Product Handle
In the product details page, scroll down to the “Search engine listing preview” section. Here, you’ll see the current URL and a section to edit the “URL and handle” of the product.
Step 4: Optimize the Product Handle
When editing the product handle, keep these best practices in mind:
- Use Keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords that describe your product and align with your SEO strategy.
- Keep It Simple: Use lowercase letters, and hyphens to separate words, and avoid special characters or spaces. This makes the URL clean and readable.
- Be Descriptive: Ensure the handle accurately reflects the content of the page. Avoid generic handles like “/products/12345” and aim for something like “/products/premium-leather-shoes”.
Step 5: Save Your Changes
After editing the product handle, click on “Save” to update the URL. Shopify will automatically generate a redirect from the old URL to the new one to maintain SEO equity.
Additional Tips for Shopify SEO
- 301 Redirects: If you need to change a product handle after it has been live, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one to ensure a seamless user experience and preserve SEO rankings.
- Consistency: Maintain consistency in your URL structure throughout your Shopify store. This helps search engines understand your site’s hierarchy and improves indexing.
- Monitor Performance: Use Shopify’s built-in analytics or third-party tools to monitor the performance of your SEO efforts. Track changes in organic traffic, rankings, and conversions to assess the effectiveness of your optimizations.
Conclusion
Optimizing Shopify product handles for SEO involves strategic use of keywords, maintaining simplicity and clarity, and ensuring a good user experience. By following these steps and best practices, you can enhance your store’s visibility in search engine results and attract more organic traffic. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, so regularly review and update your product handles to align with your marketing goals and the latest SEO trends.
Implement these strategies today to make your Shopify store more discoverable and user-friendly!
