Whether you're just starting out or already have a running store, if SEO is not part of your strategy, you're missing out. You can definitely use paid search, social media and other channels to drive leads. But why waste the opportunity to generate tons of traffic for free? From a place where potential buyers already come to search for products — search engines.
While Magento is highly optimized for SEO, it's easy to get overwhelmed with all the basic SEO features it offers. That's why we've created an easy-to-follow Magento SEO checklist.
It's divided into three parts — technical, on-page and off-page SEO. But don't worry. You can cover a lot of these all by yourself with the ultimate .
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1. Technical SEO Checklist
To show your content on Google, search crawlers need to crawl and index your website. That's what technical SEO is responsible for.
It's a common misconception that "technical SEO" is hard to work with, especially if you're not a developer. It might be. But not in Magento.
There are a lot of aspects the platform allows you to cover directly from the admin panel. So, you don't have to be a developer to improve technical SEO. And we'll prove it to you.
Website speed
More often than not Google prioritized fast-loading pages. So, it's a fundamental ranking factor and the first thing you should put on your SEO checklist.
Explore different speed testing tools to learn what point you're at right now. Then build an improvement roadmap to speed up Magento.
Even though you complete all the points we describe in this guide, you have a much higher chance of ranking if your website is fast. Don't underestimate that.
Tips for better website speed:
- Invest in a reliable hosting provider
- Remove unnecessary extensions
- Optimize image size and format
- Defer JS and CSS loading (when possible)
- Use critical CSS
- Configure page cache and Varnish
Robots.txt file
Before going to your website, search crawlers read the Magento 2 robots.txt file. It tells them whether you want your pages crawled or ignored.
Thus you can point search crawlers in the right direction, and keep them away from certain URLs to optimize the crawl budget.
Robot.txt configuration in the Magento admin
Tips for robots.txt:
- Restrict crawlers' access to sensitive pages like login, checkout, shopping cart, customer account, etc.
- Don't allow crawling internal pages
- Include XML sitemap into robots.txt
- Don't allow indexing irrelevant pages
Meta robots
Although you set the "allow" and "disallow" directives in the robots.txt, you still need meta robots. The latter provides instructions about crawling and indexing a particular page.
Example of the meta robots in the page code
So, you need meta robots in your Magento 2 SEO checklist to define what pages to crawl, index, skip from indexing and display in search results.
Tips for meta robots:
- Don't add meta robots to pages you already blocked in robots.txt
- Make sure"noindex" pages are not included in the XML sitemap
- Remove "noindex" directive when moving to production
- Use "noindex,follow" directive for internal search results pages
- Add "noindex" directive for URLs with query parameters (e.g. filterable results in layered navigation)
XML Sitemap
Magento XML sitemap is a map with all your website links. It's essential for your Magento SEO since it's a primary way for Google to discover your website pages. Magento allows you to generate a sitemap directly in the admin panel. Besides, the frequency and priority options for indexing are already configured for you.
Magento XML sitemaps grid
So all you need to do is generate the XML sitemap and enable the automatic sitemap generation in the settings. Then submit the Magento sitemap XML to Google Search Console and give it some time to discover your pages.
Tips for XML sitemap:
- Update your sitemap regularly
- Keep sitemap size under 50MB
- Don't include more than 50,000 URLs in a single XML sitemap file (you can divide it into multiple sitemaps)
- Don't include pages blocked by the robots.txt in the sitemap
- Reference XML sitemap in robots.txt
HTML sitemap
Unlike the XML sitemap, the HTML sitemap is used to improve navigation for website users. Nonetheless, it can also benefit search crawlers if you structure it properly and include all important URLs there. Unfortunately, Magento doesn't have the HTML sitemap by default. So you need to rely on the .
Example of the Magento HTML sitemap
Tips for HTML sitemap:
- Create one HTML sitemap if you have a small website
- Create multiple HTML sitemaps if your website is large
- Don't display all website links in an HTML sitemap at once (enable lazy loading or other methods to avoid loading delays)
- Add top-priority pages at the top of the HTML sitemap
- Enable search within the HTML sitemap
Structured data (rich snippets)
Once you get to the top search positions, you're not guaranteed to get traffic. Since other pages are there too, you need to stand out to get more clicks. That's what structured data or rich snippets are there for. Structured data markup is a code with all the page details added to the HTML code.
It helps search engines get more details about your pages and determine if they respond to the searcher's request better. Additionally, it helps Google to show you featured snippets or rich results based on the markup.
Example of the product structured data settings in Magento
e.g. some examples include reviews, rating, organization, breadcrumbs, author, page type, howto, FAQ etc.
In default Magento you only have reviews and ratings. But you can also add multiple other rich snippets directly from the admin panel.
URL structure
A good rule of thumb is to keep your URLs descriptive, short, and lowercase. This makes them less intimidating for website visitors and easier to read for web crawlers. Besides your URLs need to be keyword-optimized to tell Google what your page is about.
e.g.
- A good URL example would be: https://mystore.com/jackets/hyper-elements-jacket
- Avoid URLs like this: https://mystore.com/cms/page/view/page_id/354
However, it's not easy to get URL structure like that with default Magento settings since it adds a lot of unnecessary things to them.
HTML extension in products and categories
By default, Magento adds the .html extension to all website URLs. While the .html doesn't influence the SEO ranking much, cleaner URLs are still preferred. Besides this extension can cause a lot of issues down the road (when you decide to migrate to a different eCommerce platform). So it's recommended that you remove it.
Replacing the .html extension in Magento catalogue SEO settings
Note: remove the .html extension only if you're starting out. Remove it for existing stores leads to URL migration which you need to avoid.
No categories in URLs
Magento doesn't include categories in the product URLs by default since it includes sub-categories as well. If you have a lot of these, your URLs can get lengthy too quickly. Bulky URLs are hard to read and even appear spammy when your subcategories have similar names.
Removing categories from product URLs in Magento catalogue settings
URL redirects and rewrites
URLs change. The page stops existing, you change the URL to make it more SEO- friendly, etc. Regardless of the reason, you always should redirect traffic from the old URL to the new one. Unless you do that, people will land on the 404 pages and leave.
- Magento allows you to Use Web Server Rewrites to make URLs more readable.
Web server rewrites option
- Besides, you can create a redirect automatically on any URL change if you tick a corresponding option.
Option to create permanent redirects on URL change
- Finally, you can manually create 301 and 302 redirects using the built-in tool.
Creating 301/302 redirects in Magento
But if you want to get more of the Magento redirects, configure the auto-redirects or create the redirect rules.
Navigation
While navigation helps customers find products faster, it can cause significant SEO challenges for search robots.
Facet (layered navigation)
Each product filter adds a parameter to the URL making each of these URLs unique to web crawlers. Except for crawling all of these pages, search bots can find that they're that much different from one another.
Not only are you wasting your crawl budget, but facing duplicate content penalties.
Example of the URL with the layered navigation filters
As we've recommended before, you should add the NOINDEX directive to the URLs with query parameters. But in the case of the layered navigation, you can remove these pages from indexing using the robots.txt, noindex robots or canonical tags.
Pagination
Another form of navigation is pagination on categories or blog pages. Unlike in faceted navigation, you don't need to block these pages from indexing. It's enough to specify the relationship between them for search engines.
Tips for pagination pages:
- Include next/prev attributes
- Add self-referencing canonical tags for paginated pages
- Don't block paginated pages through robots.txt or meta robots NOINDEX directive
HTTP vs HTTPS
If you want to earn your visitors' trust serve them through the secure HTTPS connection. Moreover, Google says to prioritize the HTTPS websites over the HTTP. Make sure you have the following configured under Stores > Configuration > General > Web:
- Base URL and Base Link URL start with HTTPS
- Use Secure URLs on Storefront > Yes
- Use Secure URLs in Admin > Yes
Pro tip: ensure that the traffic lands on the correct content by redirecting traffic from HTTP to HTTPS. Set the Auto-redirect to Base URL option to Yes (301 Moved Permanently).
Facebook OG tags and Twitter cards
While Open Graph (OG) tags and Twitter cards don't have a direct impact on SEO, they are still worth mentioning in this Magento SEO checklist. These tags, also known as social media tags, influence how your link appears when shared on social networks.
Instead of just a plain text form, your link appears with the title, description and image when using the social media tags. Your links are more appealing, get more clicks and brand recognition which correspondingly influences SEO.
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| Facebook post without open graph tags | Facebook post with open graph tags |
That's why we recommend implementing these directly from the admin using tools like .
Mobile friendly
Google's focus has been shifting to mobile-first indexing in the past few years. So, your website being fast and optimised on the desktop doesn't guarantee rankings if your mobile version is slow.
Besides, a lot of online shoppers make purchases from their mobile devices. Keep this in mind when optimising your store next time.
2. On-page SEO Checklist
Once the technical part is covered, you'll mostly work with the on-page or on-site SEO. On-page SEO is a process of optimizing website content and HTML code for search engines and users. It usually includes working with elements like internal links, meta tags, URLs, canonicals, images and other content.
In other words, on-page SEO works with elements directly on the page. So it's less intimidating than the technical SEO.
And that's what we'll cover next on our Magento 2 SEO checklist.
Keyword and competitor research
People click on your page in search if it answers their query. But it's on Google to determine if your pages have all the right answers searchers might be looking for.
That's why the first step you take in your on-page SEO journey is keyword and competitor research. Use tools like Google Keywords Planner, Ahrefs or Sertstat to do the work.
Find keywords you want to rank for and see what your competition is doing. What are their top pages, what keywords do they rank for, and what types of content do they create? Then just do better.
Example of the keyword research report with low-volume keywords
Tips for keyword research:
- Use low-volume keywords — it's easier to rank for them
- Choose one primary keyword per page
- Consider the intent behind the searches, not just the monthly volume
- Choose long-tail keywords for your content
Canonical tags
If you have pages with similar content you are at risk of being penalized for the duplicate content. Only if you don't use canonical tags. These are the tags that indicate the main version of the page (for products with different variants or categories with pagination).
Canonical tag settings for products and categories in Magento 2
Magento allows you to add canonical tags to products and categories by default. But to add them to the other pages you need to resort to some third-party tools.
Meta titles and descriptions
You don't have to be in the top first position in SERP to drive more clicks. You can still do that by being in the second or third positions if you optimize your meta tags — title, description and keywords. You can do that in the Search Engine Optimization section on all Magento pages.
Example of the meta title and description that exceed the recommended number of characters
Meta tags are extremely important since they convince searchers to click. And the more clickable they are the more traffic you get.
However, it can get overwhelming to set meta tags manually for all products and categories. Try meta tag rules to create meta titles and descriptions in bulk next time.
Tips for meta titles and descriptions:
- Include your target keyword in both your title and description
- Don't exceed the 50-60 character limit for the meta title and 150-160 for the description
- Add target keywords closer to the beginning
Breadcrumbs
We've mentioned breadcrumbs partially when we talked about the structured data since they are displayed in search. But they benefit not only search crawlers.
Breadcrumbs show a page in the website architecture and allow visitors to quickly navigate back to the category, blog or homepage. So it's important to optimize this element for the on-page SEO.
Magento breadcrumbs
Product description
In the SEO terms, product description is one of the most important elements on the page. When crafted properly it can bring and keep you listed at the top of SERP. But that's what most merchants get stuck at.
Optimizing product descriptions with keywords only won't get you to the top. You should keep a couple of things in mind when creating your product descriptions.
Tips for product descriptions:
- Never use the manufacturer descriptions unless you want to be penalized for duplicate content
- Break the product into paragraphs and use the H titles properly
- Remember: you write for people, not search engines
- Maintain keyword density of 3%, don't overdo it
- Include the target keyword within the first 100 words
- Divide content between Magento product tabs so it's easier to find relevant content
Category content
Although categories are not your primary selling pages, you can use them to drive traffic. Since Magento has a category description section, use that to increase the category keyword density and make your category rank higher.
Add the description at the top, answer some FAQs at the bottom, and include an information banner. But don't overdo it.
Besides you can enable the category structured data. So your products appear in the search along the category and drive more attention.
Images and videos
Search crawlers can see your images too. So a properly optimised title and alt-tags can increase the chances of your product appearing in the Google image search.
The same goes for videos. Optimize video titles and descriptions with keywords to help it rank better. You can do that in the product Images and Videos section in the admin.
Magento image alt text
But don't forget to lazy load both of these so they don't cause any loading issues.
Hreflang tags (for multi-language stores)
Hreflang tags are a part of the Magento SEO checklist that often gets overlooked. If you have different pages in multiple languages, why not use them to their fullest potential? Hreflang tags help search engines to pull out the localized version of a page in search results, based on the users' query.
Based on that, hreflang tags allow you to reach a wider audience while improving your Magento SEO.
Hreflang tags on Magento product page
Usually, you add hreflang tags to your HTML code or sitemap. But since we promised our SEO checklist is beginner-friendly, you can use the tool to add them directly in the admin panel.
Tips for hreflang tags:
- Always include self-referencing x-default tag
- Add country codes to hreflang tags if you target different language variants (GB English, AU English, US English)
- Divide hreflang tags between websites into groups to avoid issues
3. Off-page SEO Checklist
We've come to the last section of our Magento SEO checklist and it includes the off-page SEO. Basically, it's a process of increasing the website ranking through activities outside of the website. It's a marketing strategy aimed at getting backlinks from relevant sources, social media shares and mentions from other websites.
This strategy increases the authoritativeness and trustworthiness of the website and boosts your SEO.
Social media marketing
While social media doesn't influence the search rankings directly, it drives traffic to your store and increases engagement with your store. This in turn signals to Google that your website is relevant and deserves its attention.
Social media is an entirely new area so it requires some effort to succeed.
Tips for social media marketing:
- Choose a platform that works best for your niche
- Create audience-specific content (short-form content performs best on Instagram and Tiktok, while long-form is best for YouTube)
- Use the OG tags we've talked about earlier to make your posts more "clickable" on social networks
- Engage with your audience, ask questions and encourage interaction
- Try social media advertising
Link-building
The main goal of off-page SEO is to gain links from reputable websites to increase your trustworthiness. There are multiple different ways to build backlinks to your store:
- create valuable content others will like to share
- reach out to the industry experts, influences and bloggers and offer your content as a resource
- participate in forums and other online communities and share insights with the link to your website when appropriate
- find websites that mention your brand, but don't provide a link and ask them for a backlink
- write a piece of content for reputable websites as a guest post and ask for a backlink to you
- create content such as infographics, free tools, and studies that drive links naturally
- research what backlinks your competitors have, create a better version of the same type of content and ask the source to link back to you
Magento SEO Checklist: What's After?
While some options might be easier to optimize than others on this SEO checklist, one thing remains the same for all — you need to track every change you make. It allows you to see the results and tweak your strategies accordingly, especially when it comes to the on- and off-page SEO.
For that, you'll need the most common Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4. The former allows you to submit your website to Google and points to the indexing issues you're facing. The latter provides insights into your store performance in terms of traffic, conversions and customer behaviour.
But if you want to get it one step further with these two, try our and .
In either case, remember that better SEO doesn't happen overnight. It's a process that yields results in the long term. So don't get discouraged when you don't see results right after making changes. Just keep working on this Magento 2 SEO checklist and see that traffic grow.
