An ecommerce SEO checklist for a new store

Ecommerce SEO for a new store comes down to a handful of habits: clear page titles and descriptions, tidy URLs, complete product and category pages, fast mobile pages, reviews, sensible internal links and basic tracking. Do them in that order and keep them up as you grow.

What is ecommerce SEO?

Ecommerce SEO is the work of making your store easy for search engines to find, read and show to people who are looking for what you sell. It is not a trick. It is mostly good housekeeping, done early.

A new store has no history, so there is no point chasing difficult terms yet. Get the foundations right, then add content as you learn what your customers search for.

1. How should you write page titles?

The title is the clickable line in search results. Each page needs its own.

• Put the most important words first, such as the product type.
• Add the detail people search for: material, size or color.
• Keep it to roughly 50 to 60 characters so it is not cut off.
• Add your shop name at the end if there is room.
• Never reuse a title across pages.

Example: “Handmade soy candle, cedar and sage” is better than “Product 12”.

2. How should you write meta descriptions?

The description is the short text under the title. It does not set rankings directly, but a clear one earns more clicks.

• Aim for about 140 to 160 characters.
• Say what the page offers and give one reason to click.
• Write it for a person, not a robot.
• Make each one unique.

3. What makes a good URL?

Short, readable and stable. Use words, not codes: /products/soy-candle-cedar-sage is clear. Avoid changing URLs after launch. If you must change one, set up a redirect from the old address so visitors and search engines do not hit a dead end.

4. What does a complete product page need?

Product pages earn most of your sales, so they get the most care.

• A specific product name.
• A description that starts with what it is and who it suits.
• Materials, sizes, weight, care and what is in the box.
• Clear photos, with descriptive file names and alt text.
• Options such as size and color set up properly.
• Price and availability that are accurate.
• Delivery and returns information, or a link to it.
• Reviews, once you have real ones.

Do not copy supplier text word for word. Many shops use the same copy, and yours then adds nothing. See products for how to manage products, variants and options, and how to use AI to write product descriptions for a drafting method with a review checklist. The SEO agent in the AI workforce can take on SEO copy, and you decide what runs automatically and what needs your approval.

5. How should you organize categories?

Categories help shoppers browse and help search engines understand your range.

1. Group products the way a customer would, not the way your supplier does.
2. Keep the structure shallow, ideally two levels.
3. Name categories with the words people search for.
4. Add a short intro on each category page, in your own words.
5. Avoid empty categories.

6. Does speed matter?

Yes. Slow pages lose shoppers and are a negative signal for search. You can improve speed without technical skill:

• Resize photos before uploading. Do not upload a huge original.
• Use as few third-party scripts and widgets as you can.
• Keep pages focused instead of stacking many sections.
• Test your key pages with a free speed tool and fix the biggest item first.

We do not publish speed scores for morebasket stores, because they depend on your own images and choices.

7. Is your store good on a phone?

Most shoppers browse on phones, and search engines judge your mobile pages first. Open your store on your own phone and try to buy something. Check that:

• Text is readable without zooming.
• Buttons are easy to tap.
• Photos load quickly.
• Checkout works from start to finish.

8. How do reviews fit in?

Reviews add real customer words and build trust. morebasket collects product ratings, and you moderate them and reply as the shop in your admin. Check how your storefront theme shows them. See reviews. Ask every buyer, reply to every review, and never fake them.

9. How should you link your pages together?

Internal links tell shoppers and search engines which pages matter and how they relate.

• Link from the home page to your main categories and best sellers.
• Link from a product to its category and to related products.
• Link from guides and blog posts to the products they mention.
• Use descriptive words as the link text, never “click here”.

Every page should be reachable by a link from another page.

10. What should you track?

You cannot improve what you cannot see. At the start, keep it light:

• Set up Google’s free search reporting for your domain so you see which searches show your store.
• Add basic traffic analytics.
• Record a few numbers monthly: visits from search, top pages, orders.

Check them monthly, not daily. Search results move slowly.

What else is worth doing early?

• Your own domain. The plan list on pricing puts a custom domain on the Pro plan.
• A product feed. Send your catalog to Google and Meta. See send your products to Google and Meta.
• Helpful pages. About, delivery, returns and contact pages answer questions before shoppers ask them.
• Be listed elsewhere. Directories, marketplaces and honest mentions all help over time.

Quick checklist

Step	Done when
Titles	Unique, product type first
Descriptions	Unique, clear, about 140 to 160 characters
URLs	Short words, stable
Product pages	Complete facts, photos, options, delivery info
Categories	Customer-style names, short intro
Speed	Images resized, few extra scripts
Mobile	You completed a test purchase on a phone
Reviews	Collecting and replying
Internal links	No page without a link to it
Tracking	Search reporting and traffic analytics on

Nobody can guarantee a ranking, and results take time. For the wider picture, including AI answers, read how to get your store found in Google and AI assistants.

Next step

Take your five best products and work down the checklist for each one. Start with titles and descriptions, since those take the least time. If your store is not live yet, create your first store and come back to this list before you publish.