Is there a Shopify theme that is SEO friendly? #
Let's jump into the topic without too much fluff. Yes! And again, yes!
Want a 100% working advice right away for a Shopify SEO-friendly theme? You got it!
Never, ever buy a theme from ThemeForest or any other marketplace if you are serious about SEO. There is no quality control over there; they will make it attractive with content and juicy images and marketing, but the SEO performance is always a big question mark.
So, expensive themes from the Shopify theme store? #
Haha, almost there! But not exactly. Of course, the themes from the Shopify theme store are passed through quality control, but still, if the theme is made by third-party developers, you can't be sure about the SEO performance. We know this; we went through this. Shopify has a strict checklist for Shopify theme developers for listing their themes in the Shopify theme store, but this doesn't guarantee the SEO performance.
Oh, what's your point then? #
You might think we are going to sell you something we made ourselves. Well, that's not the case. Everything is pretty simple: just go with the official Shopify themes. They are the best in terms of SEO performance. We would even recommend going with the free themes; they are lightweight, there is no marketing intention behind them, they are just made for the purpose of being a theme.
If you are not sure which one to choose, we have already done the research for you. Check out the best Shopify themes for SEO.
I went too far with my theme, what should I do now? #
You know it depends. Sometimes it is better just to start from a new page rather than struggle with the old theme and try to make it SEO friendly. Like you are closing one hole and another one is opening. It is an endless loop.
We are afraid to give advice because maybe you can easily fix the SEO issues in your current theme; it requires having a look at it. Our agency specializes in Shopify SEO. If you want us to have a look at it, you can check our Shopify SEO Audit.
Okay, we have promoted our services. Now back to our problem. As we have said, if you feel your theme is too old or too modified, what you can do is install a new Shopify theme to your store as a copy - non-published theme and try to move the settings and customizations into the new theme. This way you will understand how much work you need. If the theme is heavily customized, then it might require manually moving the logic in the code to the new theme, but this is already a different conversation. If you need help with this, you can request a free quote for Shopify theme migration.
Basic tools to check the SEO status of a Shopify Theme. #
You can run an analysis of your Shopify website using the form below.
It will run a basic SEO audit on your Shopify theme and give you a report about the SEO performance of your Shopify theme.
In the SEO tab, you can see the SEO performance of your Shopify theme. If in the SEO tab it is lower than 90, then you should start thinking about improving your SEO presence.
For the Performance tab, it is more forgiving (you can see even lower than 70) because it is very hard to get a perfect score, but for SEO it must be above 90.
I am now worried about my performance score. #
Usually, this is what happens after checking the SEO score: people see the performance score and start to worry about it. Well, it is a different topic; we will not go into details here. We will have a separate article about it. You can request a free quote for Shopify performance optimization fixes for your Shopify website.
Our Shopify CRO Audit is a comprehensive analysis of your website's performance and conversion potential .
What else impacts the SEO performance of a Shopify theme? #
- Images: The first thing we need to pay attention to is the size of the images being used in the theme. Are they optimized? What size of the images are being loaded?
- Render-blocking resources: This is the main issue with Shopify themes. They use a lot of resources, and they are not optimized for performance.
- Heavy JavaScript: This is another main issue with Shopify themes. They use a lot of JavaScript, and they are not optimized for performance.
- Lagging animations: This is another issue with Shopify themes. They use a lot of animations, and they are not optimized for performance.
- Shopify apps: This is another issue with Shopify themes. They use a lot of apps, and they are not optimized for performance.
If you are not sure about the SEO performance of your Shopify theme, you can request a free quote for a Shopify SEO Audit.
Best Shopify Themes for SEO #
We have already done the research for you. Check out the best Shopify themes for SEO
Glossary Terms in This Article:
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Answers for SEO-Friendly Shopify Theme
- Which Shopify theme is best for SEO?
- Dawn is the best overall theme for SEO, with a score of 92 and excellent performance metrics. You can learn more about the Dawn theme here. You can also download the PDF report here.
- Which theme has the best performance?
- Trade offers the best performance with a near-perfect score of 98. You can check out the Trade theme here and download the PDF report here.
- How can I improve my Shopify theme's SEO?
- Optimize images, reduce render-blocking resources, and implement a strategic content plan with effective meta tags. For more details, see the Shopify theme store.
- How can I audit my Shopify theme for SEO?
- You can use Shopify SEO Audit by cro.media to evaluate your theme's performance, speed, and SEO-friendliness. For a detailed analysis, visit the Shopify SEO Audit page.
- Why is Largest Contentful Paint important?
- LCP measures how long it takes for the largest visual element to load, impacting both user experience and SEO. For details on optimizing LCP, visit the Lighthouse documentation.
- What is an ideal First Contentful Paint time?
- An FCP under 2 seconds is ideal for enhancing user experience and improving SEO. You can check FCP benchmarks in the web.dev performance scoring guide.
- What's the difference between Shopify Theme and Shopify headless website?
Sometimes it can be confusing to understand the difference between a Shopify theme and a Shopify headless website. A Shopify theme is a pre-built template which you can use to build your website.
A Shopify headless website is a custom website that is built using the Shopify API.
It is more flexible, and you can build a custom website with custom features. It is more expensive to build a Shopify headless website, but it offers greater flexibility and customization options.
- What should I do if my current theme has poor SEO performance?
- If your current theme has poor SEO performance, it might be better to start fresh with a new theme rather than trying to fix numerous issues. Consider installing a new Shopify theme as a copy and moving your settings and customizations to it. If your theme is heavily customized, you may need to manually transfer the logic to the new theme. For assistance, you can request a free quote for Shopify theme migration.
- How can I check the SEO status of my Shopify theme?
- You can run a basic SEO audit using tools like the one provided in the form below. This will give you a report on the SEO performance of your Shopify theme. If the SEO score is below 90, you should consider improving your SEO presence. For a detailed analysis, visit the Shopify SEO Audit page.
- What factors impact the SEO performance of a Shopify theme?
- Several factors impact the SEO performance of a Shopify theme, including image optimization, render-blocking resources, heavy JavaScript, lagging animations, and the use of Shopify apps. Ensuring these elements are optimized can significantly improve your theme's SEO performance.