The entire concept of online marketing revolves around the idea of connecting buyers with sellers. Businesses can win and retain customers’ patronage by creating brand awareness, and SEO has a big role to play in it.
Do you know that about 90% of customers rely on the internet to find local businesses? In such a scenario, businesses must have a strong grasp of the nuances of the online market.
It is statistically proven that businesses can attain higher rankings on search engines and conversions with SEO. The higher the rank on leading search engines like Google and Bing, the more customers are likely to locate your online store, generating more traffic and increased in sales.
If you have an online business or are planning to start one, continue reading this article to get a clear insight into SEO, its need, and the best Shopify SEO apps on the market.
What is SEO?
A vital part of digital marketing, SEO, or Search Engine Optimization refers to the procedure of enhancing content relevance, technical configuration, and other significant aspects of your web pages to secure better ranking and greater visibility on Google, Bing, Yahoo!, and other search engines.
The principal aim of SEO is to ensure
- Qualitative traffic – Qualitative traffic can be attained by offering your target customers a remarkable experience through useful and relatable content. You must keep improving your website by using leads, traffic, sales, and interactions.
- Quantitative traffic – When you reach your target audience and know their taste patterns, it’s easier to gain more traffic.
- Organic traffic – Once you achieve enough customers and gain their satisfaction, they will browse through your website from the search engine results pages (SERPs) organically. You won’t have to shell out additional money for the traffic.
The objective of engaging the target customers is accomplished by implementing some techniques such as link building, on-page optimization, keyword research, valuable content creation, etc.
Why do you need a Shopify SEO app?
Now that you are acquainted with the meaning and objective of SEO, it’s time to fully understand the significance and need for a Shopify SEO app.
Suppose you run a fashion store that offers reasonably priced, high-quality apparel and has recently gone online to tap the global market. Despite the fair pricing and top-notch customer service, you have yet to be able to gain a satisfactory customer base. Only a few customers are visiting your online store.
What went wrong?
You may want to focus more on marketing and advertising to make a mark. This would help your business gain some visibility amidst innumerable competing brands. HHowever, when the world has gone digital, building a credible reputation offline and online is crucial.
Shopify SEO apps take care of your digital marketing needs. These apps and tools are integrated with features supporting SEO to render you a competitive advantage while saving precious time and effort.
The Best Shopify SEO Apps Free & Paid
Here’s a catalog of the top free and paid Shopify SEO apps for you to choose from.
SEO Optimizer – Trusted SEO App by Booster Apps
Since its launch in 2015, SEO Optimizer has been one of the most reliable free SEO apps developed by Booster Apps. This app ensures more organic traffic and better search engine rankings for businesses. Moreover, users are enabled to make strategic decisions based on the insights and detailed analytics of their website’s SEO performance. The app has served innumerable businesses and garnered positive feedback from around 4,520 customer reviews.
Pros
- SEO Optimizer is rated 4.8 by customers on the Shopify app, showing its effectiveness in boosting sales revenue.
- Users can avail of hassle-free one-click installation, and it requires no codes.
- The basic services of this app come free of cost. It also offers a one-day free trial, a Pro Plan at $39 per month, and a Premium Plan at $69 per month.
- Free services include alt-text optimization, checking of new images once every week, unlimited image sync quota, etc.
- The bulk image compression engine enhances SEO scores and page load speed, while the AutoPilot feature detects and fixes SEO issues.
- Users can analyze and compare competitor pages to better judge the market.
- Additionally, users are offered 24×7 live chat human support whenever they require assistance or have queries.
Cons
- This app is mostly useful for startups and SEO beginners.
- It is not very user-friendly for freshers with limited to no knowledge of SEO.
USP
SEO Optimizer primarily focuses on SEO’s core components encompassing both off-page and on-page optimizations so that your product/s features in the top search results. Over 382,000 stores on Shopify have benefitted from SEO Optimizer.
ConvertMate
ConvertMate has quickly become an essential SEO tool for Shopify users. This app ensures more organic traffic and improved search engine rankings by optimizing and creating product descriptions, meta tags, image alt texts, and URL slugs based on popular keywords. With its ability to create ready-to-rank blog articles specific to a store’s niche, ConvertMate has positive feedback and a rating of 4.8/5 from users.
Pros
- ConvertMate is rated 4.8 by customers on the Shopify app, demonstrating its effectiveness in boosting organic traffic.
- Users benefit from a fully customizable AI output that aligns with their brand voice and style.
- The app offers real-time keyword analysis, ensuring relevant and up-to-date content optimization.
- Ready-to-rank blog articles include internal linking to products and collections, enhancing SEO.
- The Standard plan starts at $59 per month, and although it does not support meta tags, it covers 1,000 products. The Advanced plan at $139 per month includes meta tags and supports up to 5,000 products. The Max plan, priced at $279 per month, unlocks support for 15,000 products and includes blog article creation.
- Despite the higher subscription price, the app significantly increases organic traffic, providing tremendous value.
Cons
- The app is relatively pricey compared to other SEO tools on the market.
- The Standard plan lacks meta tag support, which may limit its usefulness for some users.
USP
ConvertMate focuses on optimizing both on-page SEO components and creating blog content, ensuring your products and collections rank highly in search results. With its advanced AI capabilities, real-time keyword analysis, and customization options, ConvertMate stands out as the most profound AI SEO app for Shopify, making it our #1 recommendation in the SEO category.
SEO Booster – SEO Marketing by Secomapp
SEO Booster qualifies as a powerful SEO marketing app for professionals and beginners. This app was developed by Secomapp to help online stores gain greater visibility and website ranking on search engines.
Pros
- SEO Booster comes with a user-friendly interface, making website optimization smoother for businesses.
- Some key features of this highly-rated app, like sitemap creation, meta tag optimization, updating keywords and ALT texts, broken link checking, etc., immediately boost website ranking and visibility.
- The app offers several SEO settings that can be tailored according to your business requirements.
- Another distinguishing feature is its top-notch customer support that remedies issues and answers queries users come up with.
- It helps to enhance your store’s credibility by auto detecting and fixing issues quickly.
- The app implements full JSON-LD for structuring data more conveniently.
Cons
- SEO Booster offers limited features for the free version, making it incompatible with businesses with advanced SEO requirements. You have to subscribe to the paid versions of $39 and $79 per month, depending on the services you want to opt for.
- The app allows limited flexibility in setting link redirects, editing tags, etc.
USP
SEO Booster’s USP lies in its features, such as broken link checking, customizing meta tags, mobile optimization, etc.
Plug in SEO by SureSwift Capital
Plugin SEO is another popular SEO app that mainly helps medium to small-scale businesses make it big in the e-commerce industry. This app has been tried and tested by over 30,000 online stores worldwide.
Pros
- Plug in SEO integrates with Bing, Google, Search Console, Langify, Judge.me, and Locksmith.
- Users can access numerous SEO tools that run audits for SEO issues and fix them in easy-to-follow instructions, monitor organic traffic, and develop meta titles, templates, and keywords at par with current trends.
- Services like blog checks, basic SEO checks, automatic email alerts, and assistance are offered for free for a lifetime.
Cons
- The free version offers basic SEO features that are most useful for beginners. Three advanced plans – the essential SEO plan, small store, and medium store are available based on a monthly subscription model priced at $19.99, $29.99, and $49.99, respectively.
- New users may find the instructions and guidance videos complex and difficult to follow.
- Some users need help to afford the high-priced premium subscription model.
USP
SureSwift Capital developed Plug in SEO to help businesses efficiently analyze, fix, modify, and optimize their store’s SEO with tools like JSON-LD structured data and broken links. Businesses can easily accomplish their sales objectives by utilizing the app’s multiple features optimally.
Smart SEO by Sherpas Design
Rated 4.9 by customers, Smart SEO by Sherpas Design offers the best tools and automated solutions to deal with crucial SEO aspects like page speed, image optimization, meta tags, ALT tags, etc.
Pros
- The major plus point of Smart SEO is using automation to generate ALT tags and meta descriptions, manage sitemaps, and detect and fix broken links.
- Some features, like image optimization, ALT tags, meta tags optimization, etc., are offered free of cost.
- Smart SEO offers JSON-LD structured data to secure a better ranking on Google and a multilingual meta tag feature.
Cons
- The free version has a limited scope. Businesses have to shell out $7.99-$29.99 per month to avail of its advanced plans.
- Users face difficulty in familiarizing themselves with the app in the first place.
- Concrete results can be identified in the long run.
USP
Some of the distinguishing features of Smart SEO entail automating your store’s on-site SEO, enabling the addition and deletion of pages, creating instant meta tags and ALT tags, optimizing your store’s images and page speed, and identifying and fixing broken links.
SEO King by Engage Apps
Engage Apps have designed SEO King to offer an efficient one-stop solution for the SEO requirements of businesses of all kinds and scale. The app aims at increasing page speeds, optimizing images, and boosting SEO to draw organic traffic to your site.
Pros
- Users can alter product image size or compress images without tampering with their quality. Moreover, the images bear watermarks, securing them against potential thefts.
- The app offers a free plan but also has separate paid plans for small, medium, and large shops, with prices ranging from $9.99-$14.99 per month.
- With SEO King, you can scan your store occasionally and instantly detect problems pertaining to 404 errors, index issues, and broken links.
- The app also comes with advanced AI tools and auto-updating features that help generate product content and articles.
Cons
- The auto ALT text updates are not up to the mark.
- Users can use limited features with the free plan.
USP
Besides optimizing keywords, meta tags, sitemaps, and JSON-LD, features like auto-translate optimized content and AI-developed content set SEO King apart from its counterparts.
Image SEO by Hextom
Every business understands the value a high-quality image brings in boosting sales volume. However, only a few know how to compress images to achieve a better page loading time and higher ranking. Image SEO was launched by Hextom on September 29, 2016, to optimize images.
Pros
- Users can perform several functions like resizing, rotating, trimming, cropping, watermarking, and adding text to images with the Bulk Image Edit feature.
- The app optimizes loading time, file names, and ALT text for your product images.
- There are also options to preview before uploading and undo or revert changes made to images.
Cons
- Only the starter plan is offered for free. Among the subscription models, the advanced plan is priced considerably at $49.99/month.
USP
Image SEO markets itself as an “All in One Image Editing App” and lives up to its claims. With this single app, businesses can resize, crop, watermark, compress, backup, upload, and restore images.
SPO (SEO Product Optimizer) by SillyCube Technology Ltd.
SEO Product Optimizer (SPO) by SillyCube Technology Ltd. is a well-known Shopify app that helps businesses improve their social media presence. This is essentially useful for startups and small-scale businesses striving to expand their customer base.
Pros
- The app integrates with Bing, Google Trends, Facebook, Twitter, Google PageSpeed, and Amazon.
- Users can avail of the free plan and 14-day free trial or upgrade to the basic monthly plan available at $15.99 based on the business requirements.
- Features like JSON-LD structured data, custom link previews without codes, etc., ensure organic traffic to your site.
- It is easy to determine trending keywords that will immediately command the attention of your target customers.
- You don’t require any coding skills to alter your product’s link previews.
Cons
- The app might not be convenient for all users as it is incompatible with certain programming languages.
- The free plan is inadequate to support the SEO requirements of many businesses. It is generally resourceful for small startups.
USP
Custom social link previews, bulk edit link previews, automatically suggested data (JSON-LD), and keyword optimization makes SPO an ideal choice for small to medium businesses. The niche keyword research and suggestions are the product differentiators, securing higher ranks on SERPs.
SEO AMP by Shop Sheriff
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) by Shop Sheriff is a highly recommended Shopify app focusing on page loading speed and product presence on SERPs to enhance mobile user experience.
Pros
- The app is user-friendly, with easy setup and navigation.
- Since SEO AMP directly operates with Google and provides multiple integrations, you can rest assured that your page will get indexed at the top positions.
- The powerful page-builder helps users to optimize their home page, collections, and blogs.
Cons
- The enterprise plan, priced at $99/month, is unaffordable for numerous businesses that look for the services offered under this plan.
USP
This app allows users to augment page loading speed and key SEO essentials to optimize their mobile store and ensure higher page ranking.
SEO Master – Auto SEO Booster by Giraffly
SEO Master – Auto SEO Booster by Giraffly is an excellent SEO checker that monitors your online store and offers complete guidance on the sections that require optimization.
Pros
- The app allows users to conduct SEO checks free of cost.
- JSON-LD structured data helps you increase your click-through rates and gain prominence in search results.
- The versatile features enable automatic tracking of your site, detecting and fixing SEO issues.
Cons
- The app comes with a huge number of features that can be overwhelming and confusing for beginners.
- Users have limited access to the range of features with the free plan. To derive the maximum benefits of this app, users have to switch to the premium plan available at $12.99/month.
USP
Some of the outstanding features, such as page speed checker, auto-detect broken links, on-page SEO scan, bulk audit ALT text and meta tags, broken link management, site report, automated templating, etc., make this app stand out.
SEO Manager by venntov
Shopify’s SEO Manager is a user-friendly SEO app that brings over 20 comprehensive features. Additionally, it integrates with Bing, Google, and Google Search Console, procuring a higher ranking.
Pros
- The app provides real-time performance reports and suggests actionable improvements to remove drawbacks and invite more traffic.
- It is very convenient for beginners or first-time users of SEO as the app offers complete stepwise guidance on the range of features and their functions.
- Identification and fixing 404 errors is easier with automated detection.
- Users can also have customized meta tags and descriptions.
Cons
- SEO Manager offers only one essential plan at $20 per month. So, users cannot avail of any feature without being charged.
- Some customers have reported issues with some functionalities of the app involving the ALT tags and meta descriptions.
USP
SEO Manager has streamlined tools for optimizing your website while eradicating manual effort. A wide range of features helps to fix errors, discover keywords, offer performance reports and suggestions, and create templates for titles, descriptions, etc.
SEO Pro + JSON LD & Site Speed
Expert Village Media Technologies introduced SEO Pro to optimize your Shopify store and fix any on-page issues related to SEO.
Pros
- Optimization of images and product pages has been made easy.
- Organizes content effectively and fixes issues like broken links immediately.
- Page loading speed is improved by running speed tests.
Cons
- The free plan may not work for all, and users have to upgrade to the paid plans to fully use the features offered by the app. The basic plan is $5.99 per month, while the pro and premium plans are priced at $9.99 and $19.99 per month, respectively.
- Does not offer substantial suggestions on improvements required on your site post-analysis.
USP
This app has been used and recommended by many based on the efficiency of its features like broken link checker, site SEO scanner, JSON-LD structured data, edit ALT tags, etc.
JSON-LD for SEO by Little Stream Software
Although the app has secured the last place on the list, it does not disappoint in helping your business achieve the desired results. This app was particularly designed by Little Stream Software to ensure greater conversion rates and organic search traffic on Google.
Pros
- This is an invaluable app for businesses looking for features like Google Rich results and Rich Snippets. This offers strong backing to businesses so that they retain an advantageous position while competing with their rivals on Bing, Google, and others.
- JSON-LD for SEO is compatible with every language Shopify supports.
- Users have access to unlimited support, 6-month monitoring, data audits, theme edits, and auto-updates for no added charges.
Cons
- Users may have to know how to code to support certain themes.
- The app comes at a whopping one-time charge of $399, which may be unaffordable for most small to medium businesses. Moreover, it does not offer any trial period.
USP
This app is best known for implementing practices that lead to more traffic and conversion rates. Automated data updates, rich snippets, and product reviews in search results have qualified this app as an absolute favorite.
How We Tested these Shopify SEO Apps
The benefits of using top-notch SEO apps are countless. While a good SEO app can take your business to new heights, an incompetent app can mar all your efforts and jeopardize your business. That’s why these Shopify SEO apps have been tested based on specific factors to determine their efficacy. Here are the factors:
- Ample SEO features – There are innumerable apps in the market that offer SEO. However, the abovementioned Shopify apps for SEO offer one or more advanced features that render businesses a massive edge while ranking on SERPs.
- Positive customer feedback – Customers tend to be the best judges when it comes to determining the effectiveness of apps. After analyzing the pros, cons, and feedback, it can be concluded that the users of these listed apps are highly satisfied and vouch for them.
- User-friendly – It doesn’t make much sense if you spend hours trying to unravel the features and functions of an app. These apps are extremely easy to install, set up, and navigate. So, don’t worry if you are a newbie; these apps don’t even require basic coding knowledge.
Recommendations for Optimizing your Shopify Store
Consider these factors to optimize your Shopify store:
- Keyword research – You need to have a clear idea of the target keywords that define your products well, lest your efforts will not be worthwhile. Keyword research tools can be used to identify high-traffic keywords. You must focus on long-tail keywords that uniquely define your products.
- Keyword optimization – Once you have the keywords, you need to optimize your content by incorporating those keywords into the meta descriptions, headings, page titles, etc. This will refine your content and draw more organic traffic.
- Blogging – One of the best ways to engage your customers is to regularly update informative and high-quality blogs on your website. This not only attracts customers but also builds credibility.
- Images – Using optimized images for your products add to their overall appeal and fetches higher rankings. You can optimize images by resizing and compressing them. Add relevant alt tags to gain visibility on SERPs.
- Speed – Speed has been counted among the key metrics for boosting search engine rankings. If your page loading is slow, it will most likely not go well with users. You must minimize the use of plugins and optimize images to ensure faster loading time.
- Internal linking – Internal linking is an essential element that redirects your customers to related topics and helps them navigate through your website. This enables customers to know your products well.
- Steer clear of duplicate content – Repetitive content can be monotonous and unpleasing for customers. Ensure your content is fresh and engaging while removing recurring keywords from multiple pages.
- Content-filled pages – Structure the content of each page properly so that it adds value to your products. Eliminate redundant content and offer relevant and informative topics so that you can easily be found on search engines by your target customers.
What about Free SEO Apps for Shopify?
If you are a new entrant in the e-commerce platform, you will find free SEO apps more resourceful to get a heads up. This also holds true when you are on trial run for some product or business idea. Nevertheless, if you intend to pursue SEO seriously for the larger benefit of your business, then free Shopify SEO apps are not adequate.
The first and most important reason for not using a free SEO app for long-run objectives is limited flexibility regarding features. For instance, you may not get access to detailed speed reports or JSON-LD structured data tools with the free plans.
Your business will take a backseat if you stay put with the limited free features. So, you can start with the free plan but must gradually move on to the trial plans for paid advanced models and eventually switch to them if you derive concrete results.
Conclusion
Incorporating the best SEO app is indispensable to ensure sustainability in the cut-throat market today. According to data, organic search contributes to 53% of the total website traffic. This not only underscores the need for SEO but also reflects how your growth will suffer in its absence.
Shopify handles all your SEO requirements with its series of custom SEO tools and apps. All you have to do is choose the one that best suits your company’s needs and shoves you to the top of the search engines.
FAQs
Can I do my own SEO on Shopify?
Yes, you can easily do your SEO on Shopify with the help of its apps and tools with built-in SEO features. These features will aid you in optimizing your product pages and website structure, monitoring your website’s performance, building high-quality backlinks, generating organic keywords, meta tags, etc.
Can I do SEO for free?
Yes. There are numerous free SEO apps and tools available in the market that are as effective as paid ones. However, it may be more painstaking and time-consuming, especially for the novice.
What type of SEO is best?
White-hat SEO is considered the best search engine optimization approach because it enhances your visibility and ranking while complying with the search engine guidelines. It implements ethical and sustainable methods to offer valuable and relevant content to users. With white-hat SEO, you can steer clear of dated practices like keyword stuffing.
How can I promote my Shopify for free?
Here are some steps you can implement to promote your Shopify store for free:
- Leverage social media by engaging with your target audience on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, etc.
- Optimize your website using Shopify apps for SEO to improve rankings and invite more traffic.
- Offer discounts and offers while also investing in paid advertisements.
- Partner up and collaborate with some influencers.
- Participate in online events and join communities relevant to your industry.
Which is the best free SEO tool?
Google Analytics has been ranked as the best free SEO tool by users worldwide.
How do I increase search results on Shopify?Which is the best free SEO tool?
Follow these seven simple steps to increase search results on Shopify:
- Optimize and simplify your site structure so customers can navigate easily and find the products they seek.
- Implement ways to enhance user experience. These include boosting page speed, using responsive designs, etc.
- Conduct keyword research and find the right keywords to increase your site’s traffic.
- Optimize your product pages, including the homepage, best-selling products page, products collection page, etc.
- Build high-quality backlinks to your store.
- Engage in content marketing to give customers a better idea of your brand. This helps to build credibility and trust.
Use Shopify apps for SEO that best suit your business requirements. This will help your store attain visibility and boost ranking on SERPs.