Keyword research for shopify store is very crucial. To rank your store on google you need to be expert on the keywords research.
It’s the art and science of understanding the exact words and phrases your potential customers are typing into search engines. By targeting these keywords, you can attract high-quality traffic that’s ready to buy.
This guide will walk you through, step-by-step, how to use the powerhouse tool SEMrush to find profitable keywords for your Shopify store. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Brainstorm Your “Seed” Keywords
Before diving into any tool, start with what you know best: your products. Grab a notepad or open a new document and jot down the basic terms that describe what you sell. These are your “seed” keywords.
Think like a customer. If you were looking for your products, what would you type into Google?
- Product Type: (e.g., “leather dog collar,” “soy wax candles,” “bamboo toothbrush”)
- Product Category: (e.g., “dog accessories,” “home fragrance,” “eco-friendly products”)
- Brand Names: Include your own and your top competitors’.
Keep this list simple. We’ll use these seed keywords as a starting point to uncover a treasure trove of related terms in the next step.
Step 2: Expand Your List with the Keyword Magic Tool
Now, let’s head into SEMrush. The Keyword Magic Tool is your new best friend for expanding that initial seed list into hundreds or even thousands of potential keywords.
- Log in to your SEMrush account.
- Navigate to the Keyword Magic Tool from the left-hand sidebar under “Keyword Research.”
- Enter one of your seed keywords into the search bar (e.g., “soy wax candles”).
- Select your target country and hit “Search.”
Instantly, SEMrush will generate a massive list of related keywords. You’ll see terms like “scented soy wax candles,” “handmade soy wax candles,” and “soy wax candles for sale.”
Step 3: Analyze and Prioritize Your Keywords
A huge list is great, but now we need to find the gems. Focus on these key metrics to determine which keywords are worth targeting:
- Intent: This is crucial for e-commerce! SEMrush categorizes intent into four types:
- Transactional (T): The user wants to buy something (e.g., “buy lavender soy candle”). This is gold for your product and category pages.
- Commercial (C): The user is investigating products before buying (e.g., “best soy wax candles”). Perfect for blog posts and comparison guides.
- Informational (I): The user wants to learn something (e.g., “how are soy wax candles made”). Ideal for blog and FAQ content.
- Navigational (N): The user is looking for a specific site (e.g., “Your Brand Name candles”).
- Search Volume: This shows how many times a keyword is searched per month, on average. Higher volume means more potential traffic, but often more competition.
- Keyword Difficulty (KD%): This score (from 0-100) estimates how difficult it would be to rank on the first page of Google for this term. For a new store, target keywords with a lower KD% (ideally under 40) to get some early wins.
Your goal is to find a balance: keywords with decent search volume, the right user intent, and a manageable difficulty score.
Step 4: Discover What Your Customers Are Asking
Content marketing is a powerful way to drive traffic. By answering your customers’ questions, you build trust and establish authority.
In the Keyword Magic Tool, click on the “Questions” filter. SEMrush will instantly show you all the question-based keywords related to your seed term. For “soy wax candles,” you might find:
- “Are soy wax candles better?”
- “How long do soy wax candles burn?”
- “What are the benefits of soy wax candles?”
Each of these is a perfect topic for a blog post on your Shopify store. Answering these questions can attract customers who are in the early stages of their buying journey.
Step 5: Spy on Your Competitors (Ethically!)
Want to know which keywords are already making money for your competitors? SEMrush makes it easy.
- Navigate to the Organic Research tool under “Competitive Research.”
- Enter the domain name of a direct competitor.
- Click on the “Positions” tab.
You can now see a list of the top keywords your competitor is ranking for, along with their search volume and the specific page that ranks. This is an incredible way to find proven, high-value keywords that you might have missed. Look for keywords where their ranking is weak (e.g., position 5-15) – these could be opportunities for you to swoop in and steal the traffic.
Step 6: Map Keywords to Your Shopify Pages
You have your finalized list of keywords. Now what? The final, critical step is to assign them to specific pages on your Shopify store. This is called keyword mapping.
- Transactional Keywords: Assign these to your most relevant product and category pages. For example:
- “handmade leather wallet” -> Product Page for that specific wallet.
- “men’s bifold wallets” -> Category Page showing all bifold wallets.
- Informational & Commercial Keywords: Assign these to your blog posts, guides, and FAQ pages. For example:
- “how to clean a leather wallet” -> Blog Post.
- “leather vs. canvas wallets” -> Comparison Guide/Blog Post.
Mapping keywords ensures that every page on your site has a clear purpose and targets a specific set of terms, which is exactly what Google loves to see.
By following these steps, you can move beyond guesswork and build a data-driven SEO strategy that drives targeted traffic and, most importantly, sales for your Shopify store. If you need help for shopify seo feel free to email us.