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How to Add Meta Tags to Shopify: Boost Your Store’s SEO

Farnaz Kia

Friday, 31st May 2024

You’ve spent hours curating products and writing great descriptions for your Shopify store. But have you thought about meta tags? These little bits of code can really impact how easily people find your site online.

HTML meta tags act like secret messages to search engines, giving them a clear picture of what your store offers. They’re essential for improving rankings, drawing in more customers, and boosting sales.

Want to learn how to add meta tags to Shopify? Let’s jump right in.

What Are Meta Tags in Shopify?

Meta tags are pieces of HTML code that provide information about a webpage. They are not directly visible on the webpage itself but are embedded in the HTML code and are used by search engines to understand the content of the page.

Meta tags are important for search engine optimization (SEO) as they help search engines accurately index and rank web pages.

The two most important meta tags for SEO are the title tag and the meta description.

In the context of a Shopify store, meta tags are typically used to provide information about products, collections, and pages.

Shopify allows you to edit these meta tags directly within the Shopify admin interface, typically by navigating to the product, collection, or page and finding the “Search engine listing preview” section.

How to Add Meta Tags to Shopify Pages

Shopify automatically generates meta tags based on the content of your store, but customizing them can help improve your store’s SEO.

Let me show you how to edit meta tags in your Shopify pages.

Editing Meta Tags in Your Shopify Theme

First, log into your Shopify admin and navigate to Online Store > Themes.

Find your current published theme and click “Actions” > “Edit code.” This will open your theme’s code editor.

In the code editor, open the “theme.liquid” file. This is your theme’s main template file.

Look for the <head> section of the code. This is where you’ll add your meta tags.

To add a title tag, use this format: <title>Your Page Title Here</title>.

For meta descriptions, use this format: <meta name="description" content="Your meta description here">.

Be sure to replace the placeholder text with your own title and description.

Adding Meta Tags to Your Shopify Homepage

Your homepage meta titles and descriptions are managed a bit differently.

In your Shopify dashboard, go to Online Store > Preferences.

Scroll down to the “Title and meta description” section.

Here, you can enter your homepage title tag in the “Homepage title” field.

Add your homepage meta description in the “Homepage meta description” field.

Click “Save” to apply your changes.

Your homepage title and description are crucial for SEO. They’re often the first thing people see in search queries, so make them pop.

Use your main keywords wisely and craft a description that really reflects your brand.

Here’s an example of a great homepage meta description from the Shopify blog:

Adding Meta Tags to Product Pages

For individual product pages, you can add meta tags right in the Shopify admin.

When editing a page or product, scroll down to the “Search engine listing preview” section.

Click “Edit website SEO” to expand this option.

Here, you can enter your page title in the “Page title” field and your meta description in the “Meta description” field.

Remember to use unique titles and descriptions for each page.

Once you’ve added your meta tags, click the “Save” button to apply your changes.

It’s a good idea to preview your page to make sure everything looks good.

You can also use the “View Page Source” option in your browser to double-check that your meta tags are showing up correctly in the page’s source code.

Here’s an idea for a meta description for a product page:

Optimizing Your Shopify Meta Tags for Search Engines

If you want your Shopify store to rank well in search engines, you need to make sure your meta tags are on point.

Meta tags are like the secret sauce of SEO – they tell search engines what your page is all about and help them decide where to rank it.

But here’s the thing: not all meta tags are created equal. You can’t just slap any old keywords in there and expect to shoot to the top of the search results.

Nope, you need to do your research and craft meta tags that are both relevant to your page’s content and compelling enough to make people want to click.

Research the Right Keywords for Your Meta Tags

Before you start writing your meta tags, you need to do some keyword research.

What are the main keywords that people are using to search for products like yours?

You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find out.

Once you have a list of relevant keywords, it’s time to start weaving them into your meta tags.

But don’t just stuff them in there willy-nilly! Make sure they flow naturally and make sense in the context of your page’s content.

Craft Compelling Meta Titles and Descriptions

Your meta title and description are the first things people will see when your page shows up in search results, so you need to make them count.

Your meta title should be around 50-60 characters and include your main keyword near the beginning. Make it snappy and attention-grabbing — think of it like a headline for your page.

As for your meta description, you have a bit more room to play with — aim for around 150-160 characters. This is your chance to give a brief summary of what your page is about and why people should click through to read more.

Use active voice, include a call-to-action, and don’t be afraid to show a little personality. Just make sure not to exceed character limits, as search engines will cut off any extra text.

Avoid Duplicates

One of the biggest mistakes I see people making with their meta tags is using the same ones across multiple pages. This is a big no-no. Each page on your site should have its own unique meta tags that accurately reflect its content.

Don’t forget to keep your meta tags up-to-date. If you make changes to a page’s content, be sure to update the meta tags to match.

Stale or irrelevant meta tags can hurt your SEO and make it harder for people to find your page. Using Shopify’s built-in SEO features and editing your theme’s code can help ensure your meta tags stay current.

Visit the Shopify Help Center for more tips on how to improve your page title tags.

Shopify Apps and Tools for Meta Tag Optimization

You’ve mastered the basics of creating great meta tags; now let’s explore some handy tools and apps. These resources can save you time on tedious tasks like keyword research and writing meta descriptions.

Top Shopify Apps for Generating Meta Tags

There are so many awesome Shopify apps that can help you generate meta tags for your store. One app I really like is SEO Manager. It automatically creates meta tags based on your page’s content and lets you edit them all at once.

Another excellent choice is Smart SEO. It not only creates meta tags but also offers helpful SEO analysis and tips to make your store even better. These tools can really cut down on the time you spend adding meta tags manually.

Of course, these apps aren’t a magic bullet – you still need to put in the work to make sure your meta tags are relevant and compelling. But they can definitely save you some time and hassle, especially if you have a lot of pages to optimize.

Monitor Meta Tags on Google Search Console

Once you’ve got your meta tags all set up and optimized, it’s important to keep an eye on how they’re performing. That’s where Google Search Console comes in.

With Google’s free Search Console tool, you can monitor how well your site does in search results. It shows which of your pages are popular with visitors, reveals what keywords led them there, and displays the meta descriptions they see.

By adding this tool to your Shopify store, you’ll have a solid handle on improving SEO.

Keep an eye on these metrics to see what’s hitting the mark and what might need a little help. If you find that a page isn’t getting as many clicks as you’d hoped, try playing around with different meta titles or descriptions. A small change can sometimes make a big difference.

Further Reading:

Conclusion

Adding meta tags to your Shopify store is a game-changer. By optimizing your titles, descriptions, and keywords, you’ll be well on your way to dominating search results and attracting your ideal customers.

Remember, learning how to add meta tags to Shopify is just the beginning. Consistently monitoring and refining your meta tags will keep you ahead of the competition and ensure your store’s long-term success.

Start creating unique, compelling meta descriptions for all your Shopify pages! Your store’s success story starts with a few simple lines of code.

Written by Farnaz Kia

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