Master Shopify SEO with Google Search Console 🎯

Step-by-Step Guide to Verifying Your Shopify Domain and Sitemap

Author

Owen Mulhern
July 26, 2024


Ready to boost your Shopify store’s visibility and drive more organic traffic?

This week, we’re diving into a crucial aspect of your store’s success that is often missed -  setting up Google Search Console and submitting your Shopify sitemap.

53% of all website traffic comes from organic search…and with 75% of users never scrolling past the first page of search results, it’s essential to rank as high as possible.

These simple steps can significantly improve your SEO ranking and get your store in front of more potential customers.

⬇️ Let's dive in ⬇️

The Pulse

Meta Unveils New AI Model That Rivals Google and OpenAI Models
Meta announced its most capable open-source artificial intelligence (AI) model called Llama 3.1 on Tuesday. The new model is available to WhatsApp and Meta AI users, as well as Meta's partner ecosystems like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Nvidia, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

Holiday Ecommerce Playbook: Strategies and Insights for 2024
Have you noticed there’s quite a bit going on this year? Between the election, economic unease, and the shortest holiday buying season since 2019, consumers have their hands full. That’s why our experts say you shouldn’t expect the kind of spending growth your business saw in 2021 and 2022. Read more about how to prepare here.

You Can Make More Money….But You Can’t Make More Time
What if you had someone who handled all of the low value distractions in your business for you? What if they were able to take over all the tasks that drain your energy & pull you away from your true priorities? Learn how now….

Boost Your Shopify Sales — Free Insights ⬇️

Ecommerce Booster is the only app that:

Delivers a tailored action plan through built-in AI tools to optimize your product pages
&
Helps you begin to drive more sales in record time.

The Deep Dive

How to Set Up Your Shopify Store Using Google Search Console and Shopify Sitemap for Improved SEO Rank

Setting up your Shopify store to rank higher in Google search results is important for driving organic traffic and increasing sales.

Two essential steps in this process are verifying your domain with Google and submitting your Shopify sitemap to the Google Search Console. 

Why Verification and Sitemaps Matter

Before diving into the steps, let's understand why these actions are important.

Verifying your domain with Google ensures that the search engine recognizes you as the rightful owner, which is imperative for gaining trust and authority.

Submitting a sitemap allows Google to understand the structure of your site, ensuring all your pages are indexed and found easily by potential customers.

Step-by-Step Guide to Verifying Your Domain and Submitting a Sitemap

1. Verifying Your Domain with Google

  1. Sign in to Google Search Console

    • Go to Google and type in "Google Search Console."

    • Click on the result that says "Sign in to Google Search Console."

  2. Add a Property

    • Once signed in, click on "Add Property."

    • Choose "Domain" for a more robust verification or "URL prefix" if you don't have domain access.

  3. Domain Verification

    • For domain verification, you’ll need to add a TXT or CNAME record to your domain’s DNS settings.

    • Copy the provided TXT or CNAME record from Google Search Console.

    • Log in to your domain provider (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap) and paste the record into the DNS settings.

  4. Verify Ownership

    • Return to Google Search Console and click "Verify."

    • Note: DNS changes can take from 30 minutes to 24 hours to propagate.

  5. URL Prefix Verification (Alternative Method)

    • If domain verification is not possible, use the URL prefix method.

    • Enter your full website URL and choose "HTML tag" as the verification method.

    • Copy the provided HTML tag.

  6. Add HTML Tag in Shopify

    • Go to Shopify admin, navigate to Online Store > Themes > Actions > Edit Code.

    • Find the theme.liquid file and paste the HTML tag within the <head> section before the <body> tag.

    • Save the changes and verify in Google Search Console.

2. Submitting Your Shopify Sitemap

  1. Navigate to Google Search Console

    • Once your domain is verified, go to the property you just verified.

  2. Submit Sitemap

    • On the left-hand side, click on "Sitemaps."

    • Enter sitemap.xml in the "Add a new sitemap" field.

    • Click "Submit."

  3. Verify Submission

    • Ensure your sitemap is successfully submitted and check for any errors.

    • You may need to refresh the page to see the status.


Benefits of Google Search Console and Sitemaps

Enhanced Indexing

By submitting your sitemap, you help Google index all your pages more efficiently. This means that every time you update your Shopify store, Google will know about the changes, leading to better indexing and potentially higher rankings.

Performance Monitoring

Google Search Console allows you to track how your store performs in search results, monitor which keywords are driving traffic, and identify any issues affecting your site’s visibility. This data is invaluable for ongoing SEO efforts.

Data-Driven Decisions

Using the insights from Google Search Console, you can make informed decisions about your SEO strategy.

For example, if you notice that certain keywords are driving a lot of traffic, you can create more content around those terms to capture even more visitors.

As mentioned - according to recent statistics, 53% of all website traffic comes from organic search, making SEO one of the most critical aspects of digital marketing.

Furthermore, 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results, emphasizing the importance of ranking high on Google.

Setting up Google Search Console and submitting your Shopify sitemap are foundational steps in optimizing your store for search engines.

When you take these steps, you are making sure that Google can efficiently crawl and index your site, and significantly increase your chances of ranking higher in search results.

This process is quick, taking only a few minutes, but it has a long-lasting impact on your store’s visibility and success.

For more in-depth guidance on SEO and optimizing your Shopify store, check out Shopify’s help center  and the Semrush Blog for sitemap details.  With the right tools and strategies, you can drive more organic traffic and grow your e-commerce business effectively.

Wrapping Up!

Optimizing your Shopify store for search engines might seem like a large task, but with Google Search Console and a properly submitted sitemap, you’re well on your way to better visibility and increased traffic. 

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out."
- Robert Collier

These small steps can lead to significant results in the long run.

Until Next Time,

The Early Checkout Team

What Did You Think Of Today's Email?

Help Us Get Better For You!

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

The Early Checkout Team

Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here!

Make An Impact & Be Seen: Advertise With Us

Want To Help Us Make TECO The #1 Shopify Community In The World?Make Us Better For You: Share Your Thoughts

At The Early Checkout, we are strongly committed to protecting your privacy and providing a safe & high-quality online experience for all visitors. See our Terms & Conditions here. If you have any questions, reply to this email or visit our Website to view our official policies.