Magento SEO Checklist: From Setting Up to Maintaining a Store

Store Setup & Configuration

Set your preferred domain with or without "www":
Configure a single, canonical domain version in your Magento settings to avoid duplicate indexing and consolidate authority.

‍Enable HTTPS across the entire site:
Secure your store with an SSL certificate and force HTTPS to meet Google’s standards for security and trust.

Enable SEO-friendly URLs in Magento settings:
Turn on clean, human-readable URLs to improve indexing and make product pages more accessible to users and search engines.

Set correct store views for multilingual/multistore setups:
Create distinct store views for each language or region to manage localized content, metadata, and targeting accurately.

Connect to Google Search Console and GA4:
Link your store to these tools to monitor search visibility, traffic trends, and technical SEO health.

URL Structure & Canonicals

Enable canonical tags for products and categories:
Add rel="canonical" to help search engines understand the primary version of similar or duplicate pages across your catalog.

Use short, descriptive, keyword-rich URLs:
Avoid unnecessary parameters or IDs in URLs, and use keywords that match search intent and product naming.

Disable category paths in product URLs (if SEO strategy allows):
Shorter URLs reduce duplication and simplify link sharing; disabling category paths can also help consolidate authority.

Avoid URL rewrites that cause duplicate content:
Manage rewrites carefully in Magento’s admin to prevent multiple URLs resolving to the same product or page.

Audit and clean up query parameters from indexed URLs:
Use Search Console or a crawler to identify unnecessary URL variations with parameters and prevent them from being indexed.

Meta Tags & Head Elements

Configure meta title and meta description templates globally:
Set up automated templates to ensure consistent, scalable metadata for products, categories, and CMS pages.

‍Customize titles and meta descriptions per product/category/page:
Override templates for top-priority or high-traffic pages to fine-tune CTR and relevance.

‍Use static titles for important CMS pages (not dynamic or duplicate):
Avoid generic or auto-generated titles that dilute branding and relevance for landing pages or policies.

Avoid default or empty meta content in mass product imports:
Check bulk-imported data for missing metadata to prevent blank snippets in SERPs and indexing issues.

‍Add meta robots control via theme or SEO extension if needed:
Use meta directives to control indexing at the page level, especially for filtered or low-value content.

Product & Category Optimization

Write unique titles and descriptions for every product:
Avoid duplication across SKUs by writing original metadata that reflects product features and user intent.‍

Optimize category descriptions with relevant keywords:
Add keyword-rich, informative text to category pages to improve rankings for broader terms and improve crawl depth.

‍Add alt text and optimized filenames to product images:
Use meaningful file names and descriptive alt attributes to support image SEO and accessibility.

Use product schema markup (JSON-LD via extension or theme):
Enable structured data to help products appear in rich results with price, availability, and reviews.

‍Ensure configurable and variant products don’t cause duplication:
Use canonical tags or URL structure to consolidate multiple variants under a single indexable product page.

Layered Navigation & Filters

Prevent indexing of layered navigation pages with dynamic parameters:
Use meta robots or canonical tags to stop search engines from indexing filter-generated URLs.

Add rel="nofollow" to filter links if not canonicalized:
Help search engines ignore filter combinations that lead to duplicate or thin content.

‍Use AJAX for filtering to reduce crawlable URLs:
Load filters without generating new indexable URLs to reduce crawl bloat and duplication.

Implement canonical URLs for filtered product views:
Point all filtered views to the main category page unless filters create unique, index-worthy content.

Block layered navigation parameters in robots.txt or via meta robots:
Prevent filters like color or price from being crawled unless they are part of your SEO strategy.

XML Sitemap Configuration

Enable Magento’s built-in XML sitemap generation:
Set up auto-generated sitemaps to include key content types and keep them up to date with site changes.

Include products, categories, CMS pages, and images:
Ensure your sitemap provides full visibility into your store’s core content for search engines.

Set update frequency and priority values accurately:
Use sitemap settings to signal how often content changes and which pages are most important.

Submit sitemap in Google Search Console:
Submit your sitemap index URL to GSC to monitor coverage, discoverability, and errors.

Remove broken, redirected, or noindexed URLs from sitemap:
Keep your sitemap clean by excluding irrelevant or blocked pages to improve crawl efficiency.

Robots.txt & Crawling Control

Customize robots.txt to block crawl waste (e.g., /checkout/, /customer/, /search/):
Prevent crawlers from accessing backend or dynamic pages that waste crawl budget and have no SEO value.‍

Disallow session IDs and layered navigation filters:
Avoid indexing URLs with session parameters or filters that can generate near-infinite duplicates.

‍Allow important JS, CSS, and image resources to be crawled:
Ensure bots can load assets required to render and index your site properly, especially for mobile-first indexing.

Audit crawl stats in Google Search Console for anomalies:
Look for unexpected spikes or drops in crawl rate or coverage to catch problems early.

‍Avoid blocking essential assets or internal scripts:
Double-check that your robots.txt doesn’t accidentally block critical files needed for layout, UX, or schema.

Structured Data & Rich Snippets

Add product schema with price, availability, and ratings:
Use structured data to enable enhanced listings and improve CTR with visible product details in search.

Use breadcrumb schema for category pages:
Add breadcrumb markup to enhance internal linking and provide context to search engines.

Implement site-wide organization schema (via extension or theme):
Add structured data for your brand, contact info, and site type to support Knowledge Panels and trust signals.

Validate structured data in Google’s Rich Results Test:
Regularly test schema markup to confirm it’s implemented correctly and aligned with Google’s standards.

Monitor Search Console for structured data errors:
Watch for errors or warnings that could prevent your content from appearing in rich results.

CMS Page Optimization

Optimize home, about, and contact pages with unique meta tags:
Treat static pages as ranking assets with descriptive metadata and clear, user-focused content.

Add content and internal links to thin CMS pages:
Support UX and SEO by expanding minimal content and linking to related products or categories.

Use SEO-friendly URL keys for all CMS pages:
Customize URLs to be short, readable, and aligned with target keywords.

Ensure header hierarchy is logical and scannable:
Use clear, consistent heading structure to organize content and aid both accessibility and crawling.

Add schema markup where appropriate (FAQ, Article, etc.):
Use structured data to enhance common CMS pages with rich features and semantic signals.

Mobile & Performance SEO

Use a responsive Magento theme:
Ensure your store renders cleanly on all devices with mobile-first layouts and flexible media.

Minimize page size with compressed images and minified scripts:
Reduce load time and bandwidth by optimizing all frontend assets.

Implement lazy loading for product images:
Only load images when they enter the viewport to reduce initial load time, especially on long category pages.

Optimize for Core Web Vitals via PageSpeed Insights:
Focus on LCP, CLS, and INP scores to ensure your mobile performance meets Google’s ranking expectations.

Use full-page caching and Varnish where possible:
Speed up load times for users and bots by caching rendered HTML and minimizing server load.

International & Multistore SEO

Use hreflang tags across store views for different regions:
Help search engines deliver the correct language or regional version of your pages based on user location.

Assign unique metadata for each language or currency version:
Avoid duplicate meta content across store views by localizing titles and descriptions appropriately.

Prevent cross-store duplication with correct canonical tags:
Ensure each store view references itself or the right regional canonical to avoid duplicate indexing.

Segment sitemaps per store view:
Create and submit separate sitemaps for each language or region to improve crawl targeting and tracking.

Configure proper locale and currency for each view:
Ensure each version reflects accurate pricing, formatting, and region-specific content for the intended audience.

Indexing & Duplicate Control

Noindex internal search, cart, login, and filtered URLs:
Prevent indexing of functional or dynamically generated pages that don’t serve organic traffic.

Prevent duplicate content from pagination and sorting options:
Use rel="canonical" or rel="next"/"prev" to manage pagination and avoid splitting signals across variations.

Use rel="next"/"prev" on paginated category pages (or canonical to page 1):
Help Google understand content relationships across paginated series while preventing duplication.

Audit indexed URLs in GSC and compare to intended content:
Ensure only valuable pages are indexed by cross-referencing GSC coverage reports with your sitemap and goals.

Avoid mass-indexing of near-identical variant pages:
Manage variants using product options and canonical tags to avoid flooding the index with similar pages.

Internal Linking & Navigation

Link products to related, upsell, and cross-sell items:
Use native Magento functionality to improve internal linking and increase conversions by suggesting related items.

Add internal links from blog or CMS content to products:
Support commercial pages with contextual links from content to transfer authority and improve discovery.

Use breadcrumb navigation on all product and category pages:
Help users and crawlers understand page context and improve crawl depth and UX.

Ensure mega menu links are crawlable and follow HTML structure:
Design menus using standard HTML elements to ensure all links are visible to crawlers.

Avoid orphaned product or landing pages:
Make sure every important page is linked from at least one other page to ensure crawl access and visibility.

Blog & Content Marketing (via Extension)

Install an SEO-friendly blog extension (e.g., Magefan Blog):
Magento doesn’t include a blog by default, so install a well-coded extension to support content-driven SEO.

Target informational keywords with blog articles:
Use blog content to capture top-of-funnel traffic and support product discovery through relevant informational queries.

Link from blog content to product/category pages:
Guide users deeper into your store and support product rankings by linking directly from blog content.

Optimize blog URLs, metadata, and heading structure:
Treat blog posts like landing pages with custom titles, H1s, and optimized meta tags.

Enable schema markup for blog posts:
Add Article or BlogPosting schema to make your blog content eligible for rich results in Google.

SEO Extensions & Tools

Use reliable SEO extensions:
Install trusted extensions to enhance Magento’s native SEO capabilities without bloating performance.

‍Avoid bloated extensions that slow performance:
Choose lean, well-maintained tools that don’t add unnecessary JavaScript, CSS, or admin panel lag.

‍Ensure extensions don’t conflict with native or theme settings:
Test compatibility with your theme and core Magento features to avoid schema duplication or UI issues.

Keep Magento and all extensions updated:
Stay current with security patches and performance updates to ensure all SEO tools function properly.

‍Test all SEO settings after updates or theme changes:
Revalidate structured data, sitemaps, and meta settings whenever your store undergoes a major change.

Ongoing SEO Maintenance

Track keyword rankings and organic traffic performance:
Monitor how your site performs for key terms and adjust strategy based on trends and performance shifts.

Monitor crawl errors and index coverage in GSC:
Regularly review GSC reports for issues that may prevent pages from being indexed or appearing in search results.

Update plugins, themes, and WordPress core regularly:
Keep your installation current to avoid vulnerabilities, improve performance, and stay compatible with SEO plugins.

Reoptimize underperforming pages quarterly:
Review low-ranking or low-converting pages and improve content, metadata, or internal links to revive their potential.

Perform a full SEO audit bi-annually:
Conduct a comprehensive audit every six months to identify gaps, issues, and opportunities across all SEO areas.

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Maria Harutyunyan

A well-structured approach is the cornerstone of successful SEO. That's why we’ve developed a series of in-depth checklists designed to streamline your SEO strategy. From building high-quality backlinks and optimizing your WordPress site to tackling on-page SEO and technical optimizations, our checklists offer precise, actionable steps to help you confidently navigate every aspect of SEO.

April 3, 2025

Magento SEO Checklist to Boost Rankings of Your Stores