Shopify FAQs

Question 1

What is Shopify and why should I use it?

Accepted Answer

Shopify is a leading eCommerce platform that powers over 4 million stores worldwide. It's ideal for businesses of all sizes because it's easy to use, highly customisable, and scales with your growth. As a Certified Shopify Partner, we recommend it for its reliability, built-in SEO features, and extensive app ecosystem.

Question 2

How much does Shopify cost?

Accepted Answer

Shopify offers several plans: Basic (£19/month), Shopify (£49/month), and Advanced (£259/month). Each tier includes different features and transaction fee structures. We can help you choose the right plan based on your business needs and expected sales volume.

Question 3

Can I migrate my existing store to Shopify?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. We specialise in migrations from WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop, Wix, and other platforms. We handle product data, customer records, order history, URL redirects, and SEO preservation to ensure a seamless transition with minimal downtime.

Question 4

How long does it take to build a Shopify store?

Accepted Answer

A typical Shopify store build takes 4–8 weeks depending on complexity. Simple stores with a premium theme can be ready in 2–3 weeks, while custom builds with bespoke features may take 8–12 weeks. We provide a detailed timeline during our discovery call.

Question 5

Should I use a free or paid Shopify theme?

Accepted Answer

Paid themes typically offer more customisation options, better performance, and dedicated support. However, Shopify's free themes have improved significantly. We help you evaluate your needs — if a free theme meets your requirements, there's no need to overspend.

Question 6

Can you customise my Shopify theme?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we customise themes extensively — from colour schemes and typography to layout changes and custom sections. We can also add custom Liquid code for features not available through the theme editor.

Question 7

What's the best Shopify theme for my business?

Accepted Answer

The best theme depends on your product range, brand aesthetic, and functionality needs. For large catalogues, we recommend themes like Impulse or Turbo. For minimal, lifestyle brands, themes like Dawn or Pitch work beautifully. We'll guide you through the selection process.

Question 8

How do I bulk edit products in Shopify?

Accepted Answer

Shopify offers built-in bulk editing for products, prices, and inventory. You can also use CSV imports/exports for large-scale changes. We often use apps like Matrixify for complex bulk operations and can train your team on the most efficient workflows.

Question 9

Can I sell both B2B and B2C on Shopify?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Shopify Plus has native B2B features, and for standard plans, apps like SparkLayer enable wholesale pricing, custom catalogues, and trade-only sections alongside your regular storefront.

Question 10

How do I set up inventory tracking and low-stock alerts?

Accepted Answer

Shopify has built-in inventory tracking that you can enable per product. For low-stock alerts, you can use Shopify Flow (on higher plans) or apps like Stocky. We can set up automated alerts so you never miss a reorder point.

Question 11

Is Shopify good for SEO?

Accepted Answer

Shopify has solid built-in SEO features including customisable title tags, meta descriptions, URL handles, and auto-generated sitemaps. With proper optimisation of product descriptions, image alt text, and site speed, Shopify stores can rank very well.

Question 12

How can I improve my Shopify store's conversion rate?

Accepted Answer

Key strategies include optimising product pages with compelling descriptions and high-quality images, streamlining checkout, adding trust badges, implementing abandoned cart emails, and ensuring fast page load times. We audit stores regularly and typically improve conversion rates by 20–40%.

Question 13

Do you offer ongoing marketing support?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we offer monthly management packages that include SEO, email marketing, social media, and PPC management. Our retained services ensure your store continuously improves and adapts to market changes.

Question 14

What are the must-have Shopify apps?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your needs, but commonly recommended apps include Klaviyo (email marketing), Yotpo (reviews), ReCharge (subscriptions), and ShipStation (shipping). We're careful about app bloat — too many apps can slow your store — so we recommend only what you truly need.

Question 15

Can Shopify integrate with my accounting software?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Shopify integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, and other accounting platforms. We can set up automatic syncing of orders, refunds, and inventory to keep your books accurate without manual data entry.

Question 16

Can I connect Shopify to my CRM?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Shopify integrates with HubSpot, Salesforce, and many other CRMs. We specialise in Salesforce Marketing Cloud and can set up powerful customer journeys that sync with your Shopify data.

Question 17

Do you offer Shopify training?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We provide 1-to-1 and team training sessions tailored to your store. We cover everything from basic product management to advanced theme customisation. Every client also receives custom documentation specific to their store setup.

Question 18

What happens after my store is built?

Accepted Answer

We don't disappear after launch. We offer monthly management packages, ongoing training, and ad-hoc support. Most of our clients stay with us long-term because we become an extension of their team.

Question 19

How do I get in touch if I have a problem?

Accepted Answer

You can reach us by phone on 01722 580 522, by email, or through our contact form. For clients on monthly plans, we offer priority response times and dedicated support channels.

Question 20

What is LLM SEO and why does it matter for my Shopify store?

Accepted Answer

LLM SEO (also called Generative Engine Optimisation or GEO) refers to optimising your store so AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity cite or recommend it in responses. As more shoppers start product discovery through AI chat rather than a Google search box, being mentioned in those answers drives traffic and trust — even if the user never clicks a traditional search result. LLMs pull from sources they deem authoritative and well-structured. The better your content, the more likely you are to be cited.

Question 21

How do LLMs decide which Shopify stores to recommend?

Accepted Answer

LLMs are trained on large datasets of web content and also perform real-time web searches. They favour stores with: clear, factual product copy; structured data (schema markup); strong backlink profiles from trusted editorial sites; and consistent brand mentions across review platforms, Reddit, and forums. Essentially, they look for the same signals that build genuine authority.

Question 22

Does traditional SEO still work for Shopify in an AI-first world?

Accepted Answer

Yes — traditional SEO remains the foundation. Google still drives the majority of e-commerce traffic. LLM optimisation layers on top of it: most of the tactics that help you rank on Google (quality content, fast pages, structured data, backlinks) also improve your visibility in AI-generated answers. Think of GEO as an extension of SEO, not a replacement.

Question 23

What is Perplexity and should I optimise for it specifically?

Accepted Answer

Perplexity is an AI-powered search engine that cites sources inline. Unlike ChatGPT, it crawls the live web for every query, making it important to track. To appear in Perplexity results, ensure your site is crawlable, your content directly answers common questions, and you have a strong presence on high-authority sites it tends to index (Reddit, major review platforms, news sites).

Question 24

How can I tell if an LLM is already mentioning my Shopify store?

Accepted Answer

Ask ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity directly: "What are the best stores to buy [your product category]?" and note whether your brand appears. Tools like Profound, Brandwatch, and Mention are beginning to track AI citations. Set up these queries regularly — monthly at minimum — and log your position.

Question 25

Should I create a dedicated FAQ page to help LLMs find answers?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. FAQ pages with concise, direct answers are highly suited to how LLMs retrieve information. Structure them so each question is an H2 or H3 and the answer follows immediately. Mark the page up with FAQPage schema. Cover questions your customers actually ask — pull from your support tickets, reviews, and Google Search Console query data. LLMs love content that answers a single question clearly in 2–4 sentences, then expands.

Question 26

Does Shopify's AI assistant (Sidekick) affect how my store appears in external LLMs?

Accepted Answer

No — Sidekick is an internal merchant tool for managing your store. It has no bearing on how external AI assistants like ChatGPT or Perplexity index or cite your public-facing store pages. Those external tools rely on your site's public content, crawlability, and authority signals.

Question 27

What schema markup should every Shopify store implement?

Accepted Answer

At minimum: Product (with price, availability, SKU), Organization or LocalBusiness, BreadcrumbList, FAQPage on FAQ pages, and Review/AggregateRating on product pages. If you have a blog, add Article schema. These help both Google and LLMs parse your content accurately.

Question 28

Does Shopify add schema markup automatically?

Accepted Answer

Most modern Shopify themes (especially Dawn and other official themes) include basic Product and BreadcrumbList schema out of the box. However, the implementation is often minimal. You should audit it with Google's Rich Results Test and supplement with a schema app (like Schema Plus or JSON-LD for SEO) for more comprehensive coverage.

Question 29

How does schema markup help with AI-generated answers?

Accepted Answer

Schema provides machine-readable facts: your product name, price, rating, availability, and brand. When an LLM or AI search engine processes your page, structured data acts as a reliable summary it can extract without parsing ambiguous prose. Stores with clean schema are more likely to be cited with accurate details — reducing the chance of an AI hallucinating incorrect prices or specs about your products.

Question 30

How should I write Shopify product descriptions for SEO and LLMs?

Accepted Answer

Write for humans first, but be precise. Include: the product name, key specs (materials, dimensions, weight), primary use case, and differentiating features. Avoid vague marketing language — LLMs are more likely to cite factual, specific claims. Use natural language that answers "why would someone buy this?" in the first two sentences. Specificity beats superlatives: "Made from 300-thread-count Egyptian cotton, 140cm × 200cm" outperforms "luxurious premium fabric."

Question 31

Should I have a blog on my Shopify store for SEO purposes?

Accepted Answer

Yes — a content-rich blog significantly improves your chances of ranking for informational queries and being cited by LLMs. Write buying guides, how-to articles, and comparison posts relevant to your niche. These attract backlinks, establish topical authority, and give AI tools something substantive to reference when answering product-category questions.

Question 32

What content formats does Google's AI Overview favour?

Accepted Answer

Google's AI Overviews (formerly SGE) favour content that: directly answers a question in the opening paragraph; uses clear H2/H3 headings that mirror common search queries; contains lists or step-by-step instructions for how-to topics; and comes from a site with established E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) signals.

Question 33

Can I use AI tools to write product descriptions and blog posts for my Shopify store?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but edit everything before publishing. AI-generated content is acceptable to Google as long as it's helpful, accurate, and not mass-produced thin content. The risk is generic, repetitive copy that adds no real value. Use AI as a first draft, then inject specific product knowledge, brand voice, and real customer pain points that an LLM wouldn't know. Google penalises scaled, low-quality AI content — not AI content itself. Quality is the test.

Question 34

How long should Shopify product descriptions be for SEO?

Accepted Answer

For simple products, 150–300 words is usually sufficient. For complex, high-consideration purchases (furniture, electronics, supplements), aim for 400–800 words covering features, benefits, specs, use cases, and FAQs. The goal isn't word count — it's answering every question a buyer might have before they go to a competitor or ask an AI.

Question 35

Does Shopify handle technical SEO well out of the box?

Accepted Answer

Shopify handles many basics automatically: it generates a sitemap.xml, creates canonical tags to prevent duplicate content, forces HTTPS, and uses a CDN for fast asset delivery. However, it has known limitations — notably the rigid URL structure (/products/, /collections/) and the inability to remove query-parameter URLs without apps. Understanding these constraints helps you prioritise what to fix.

Question 36

How do I fix duplicate content issues on Shopify?

Accepted Answer

Shopify creates duplicate URLs when a product appears in multiple collections. Shopify adds canonical tags pointing to the /products/ URL, which usually prevents indexing issues. However, you should verify these canonicals are correct using Google Search Console and avoid linking internally to the collection-scoped URLs.

Question 37

Does site speed affect Shopify SEO rankings?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Core Web Vitals (especially LCP and INP) are a confirmed Google ranking signal. Shopify's hosted infrastructure is generally fast, but stores can slow down through too many apps injecting JavaScript, unoptimised images, and heavy themes. Use Google PageSpeed Insights and Shopify's Speed Report regularly. Compress all images (WebP format), lazy-load below-the-fold content, and audit your installed apps for render-blocking scripts.

Question 38

Should I block AI crawlers from indexing my Shopify store?

Accepted Answer

For most merchants, no. Being crawled by AI bots like GPTBot (OpenAI) and ClaudeBot (Anthropic) means your content may be included in their training data and real-time search retrieval — which can lead to your store being cited in AI answers. Blocking them prevents that. Only block them if you have strong reasons (e.g., confidential wholesale pricing pages). Add rules to your robots.txt via the Shopify theme editor.

Question 39

How do I edit robots.txt on Shopify?

Accepted Answer

Since Shopify 2.0 themes, you can edit robots.txt via Online Store → Themes → Edit code → templates/robots.txt.liquid. This lets you add or remove rules for specific crawlers. Be cautious — incorrectly blocking key paths can remove large sections of your store from search engines entirely. Always test changes in Google Search Console's robots.txt tester.

Question 40

What is the best URL structure for Shopify collections and products?

Accepted Answer

Shopify forces /products/ and /collections/ prefixes — you cannot remove them without third-party workarounds. Within those constraints, keep slugs short, descriptive, and keyword-focused. Avoid dates or stop words in URLs. For example: /products/leather-wallet-mens is better than /products/product-123-mens-genuine-leather-bifold-wallet-2024. Keep it readable and match the primary keyword naturally.

Question 41

How do I find the right keywords for my Shopify store?

Accepted Answer

Start with Google Search Console to see what queries already bring people to your store. Then use keyword tools (Ahrefs, Semrush, Ubersuggest, or free tools like Google Keyword Planner) to find related terms with manageable difficulty. Focus on long-tail, intent-specific phrases ("buy men's leather wallet UK" rather than "wallet") — they convert better and are more achievable for smaller stores.

Question 42

Should I optimise for conversational queries since people use voice search and AI chat?

Accepted Answer

Yes. People querying AI assistants use natural, full-sentence questions: "What's the best coffee grinder for beginners under £100?" rather than "coffee grinder beginner cheap." Structure your FAQ pages, blog posts, and product copy to match these longer, intent-driven phrases. This improves your chances of being cited in AI answers and captured in voice search results simultaneously.

Question 43

Where should I place keywords on a Shopify product page?

Accepted Answer

Prioritise: the page title (under 60 characters), the H1 (product name), the first 100 words of the description, image alt text, the URL slug, and the meta description (for click-through rate, not direct ranking). Avoid keyword stuffing — use variations and related terms naturally. One primary keyword with 2–3 supporting terms per page is the right ratio.

Question 44

How do I optimise Shopify collection pages for SEO?

Accepted Answer

Collection pages are among the highest-value SEO assets on Shopify because they target category-level keywords with high purchase intent. Add a unique description (150–300 words) at the top or bottom of each collection, include the target keyword in the page title and H1, and internally link between related collections. Avoid leaving description fields blank — Google may treat them as thin pages.

Question 45

Do backlinks still matter for Shopify SEO in 2025?

Accepted Answer

Yes — backlinks remain one of Google's strongest ranking signals. They also influence LLMs: a store cited in trusted editorial outlets (The Guardian, Which?, niche industry blogs) is more likely to be recommended by AI tools. Focus on earning links from relevant, high-authority domains. Quantity matters far less than quality and relevance.

Question 46

What are the most effective link-building strategies for Shopify stores?

Accepted Answer

The most sustainable tactics: (1) product PR — send samples to journalists and niche bloggers for honest reviews; (2) create genuinely useful resources (buying guides, industry data) that others naturally link to; (3) supplier/partner link exchanges on relevant pages; (4) digital PR campaigns around original research or data; (5) HARO (Help a Reporter Out) responses for relevant media opportunities.

Question 47

How do brand mentions (unlinked) affect SEO and LLM visibility?

Accepted Answer

Google's systems can associate unlinked brand mentions with your store as a relevance signal. For LLMs, unlinked mentions on forums like Reddit, Trustpilot, and niche communities are highly influential — these are among the sources LLMs weight heavily when deciding which brands to recommend. Encouraging customers to review and discuss your brand organically on these platforms is a compounding, long-term asset.

Question 48

How do product reviews affect Shopify SEO?

Accepted Answer

Reviews generate fresh, unique content on product pages — a positive signal for search engines. They also enable AggregateRating schema, which can unlock star-rating rich snippets in Google search results, significantly boosting click-through rates. Apps like Judge.me, Okendo, and Yotpo make this straightforward on Shopify.

Question 49

Do Google reviews and Trustpilot ratings influence AI recommendations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. LLMs are trained on and retrieve from third-party review platforms when assessing brand credibility. A store with hundreds of positive Trustpilot reviews and a strong Google Business Profile is more likely to be recommended with confidence by an AI than a store with sparse or negative reviews. Treat your off-site reputation as part of your SEO strategy.

Question 50

Should I respond to negative reviews for SEO purposes?

Accepted Answer

Responding to negative reviews helps your reputation rather than rankings directly — but brand reputation is increasingly what LLMs use to decide recommendations. A pattern of thoughtful, professional responses to criticism signals a trustworthy business. Ignoring negative reviews, especially in bulk, can create an impression of poor service that AI tools may pick up on and reflect in their answers.

Question 51

What are the best SEO apps for Shopify?

Accepted Answer

Recommended apps by use case: Schema markup — JSON-LD for SEO, Schema Plus. General SEO audit and meta tags — SEO Manager, Plug in SEO. Image optimisation — Crush.pics, TinyIMG. Reviews with schema — Judge.me, Okendo. Redirects and broken links — Redirectify. Avoid installing too many SEO apps simultaneously — they can conflict and add bloat.

Question 52

Do Shopify SEO apps actually improve rankings?

Accepted Answer

They help you implement best practices more easily, but they don't guarantee rankings. The most impactful apps automate schema markup, image compression, and redirect management — tasks that genuinely improve crawlability and technical health. Apps that claim to "boost rankings instantly" or automate keyword insertion are generally overselling. SEO gains come from sustained, quality improvements, not any single tool.

Question 53

Should I connect Google Search Console to my Shopify store?

Accepted Answer

Yes — this is non-negotiable. Google Search Console shows you which queries drive impressions and clicks, flags crawl errors, lets you request indexing of new pages, and reveals Core Web Vitals issues specific to your store. Connect it via the Shopify admin (Online Store → Preferences) and also submit your sitemap.xml directly in GSC. Check it weekly at minimum.

Question 54

How do I optimise a Shopify store for multiple countries?

Accepted Answer

Use Shopify Markets to manage currency and language localisation. For SEO, implement hreflang tags to tell Google which version of a page serves which country/language. Use subdirectories (yourstore.com/en-gb/) rather than separate domains where possible, as they consolidate domain authority. Translate content properly — machine translation alone creates thin content that can harm rankings in target markets.

Question 55

Does having a Google Business Profile help my Shopify store's SEO?

Accepted Answer

If you have a physical presence or serve a local area, yes — a fully optimised Google Business Profile can drive significant local search visibility and feeds into AI tools that field location-specific queries. Even for primarily online stores, a Business Profile strengthens brand E-E-A-T signals and can influence Google's Knowledge Panel for your brand.

Question 56

How do I measure SEO performance on my Shopify store?

Accepted Answer

Use Google Search Console for organic impressions, clicks, average position, and CTR. Use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to track organic traffic converting to revenue. Set up channel groupings to segment organic vs paid vs direct. Key metrics to watch monthly: organic sessions, landing page conversion rates, top queries by clicks and impressions, and pages with declining traffic that need refreshing.

Question 57

How do I track whether my store is being cited by AI tools?

Accepted Answer

There is no native analytics dashboard for AI citations yet. Current approaches: (1) manually query major AI tools monthly with your target category keywords and note appearances; (2) monitor referral traffic from Perplexity and Bing Copilot in GA4; (3) track direct and dark social traffic increases (often correlated with AI discovery); (4) use emerging GEO monitoring tools like Profound or Otterly.AI as they develop.

Question 58

What KPIs should I set for Shopify SEO?

Accepted Answer

Focus on outcome metrics, not vanity metrics. Prioritise: organic revenue and organic-attributed conversions (GA4); organic sessions to key landing pages (GSC); average position for target keywords (GSC); organic CTR improvements after meta description optimisation; and number of pages receiving at least one click per month (a measure of your indexable footprint).

Question 59

What is E-E-A-T and why does it matter for Shopify?

Accepted Answer

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness — the framework Google uses to evaluate content quality. For Shopify stores, it means demonstrating genuine knowledge of your products, providing a transparent and trustworthy shopping experience (clear policies, real contact info, authentic reviews), and having your brand recognised by authoritative third-party sources. Both Google and LLMs use similar signals when deciding what to surface.

Question 60

How do I demonstrate E-E-A-T on my Shopify store?

Accepted Answer

Practical steps: add an authentic About page that tells your brand story and expertise; include author bios on blog posts; show clear contact details, return policies, and terms; display verified reviews prominently; earn editorial press coverage; and link out to authoritative sources where relevant. These signals collectively tell Google and AI systems that your store is a real, credible business.

Question 61

Will Google penalise my Shopify store for using AI-generated content?

Accepted Answer

Not automatically — Google's stance is that AI content is acceptable if it's genuinely helpful and not produced at scale to manipulate rankings. What triggers penalties is mass-producing thin, repetitive, or unhelpful content regardless of how it's created. If you use AI tools to draft content, ensure every page is reviewed, fact-checked, and adds real value that a competing page doesn't already offer.

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