Foundations

  • 1. Submit XML sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
  • 2. Verify domain ownership in Google Search Console (DNS method preferred).
  • 3. Install Google Analytics 4 with ecommerce tracking enabled.
  • 4. Set canonical URLs sitewide; check that variants point to the parent product.
  • 5. Set up 301 redirects for all legacy URLs from a previous platform.

On-Page Templates

  • 6. Rewrite collection page titles to match high-intent keyword clusters.
  • 7. Add 200–400 word intro copy to top collection pages above the product grid.
  • 8. Replace generic product descriptions with intent-matched, distinct copy per product.
  • 9. Add structured H1 / H2 hierarchy to product templates.
  • 10. Audit and rewrite meta descriptions on the top 100 traffic-driving pages.

Schema & Structured Data

  • 11. Validate Product schema on PDPs (name, image, description, brand, sku, offers).
  • 12. Validate Breadcrumb schema matching the visible breadcrumb.
  • 13. Add Organization schema sitewide with sameAs links to social profiles.
  • 14. Add Review / AggregateRating schema where reviews actually exist.
  • 15. Validate all schema in Rich Results Test before relying on it.

Faceted Navigation

  • 16. Document a rule set: which filter combinations rank, which canonicalize, which noindex.
  • 17. Set robots meta on facet URLs you don’t want indexed (robots.txt alone leaks).
  • 18. Pick 5–10 high-value facet combinations to actively optimise.
  • 19. Audit tag pages — most should noindex unless they map to real category intent.
  • 20. Run a crawl to confirm faceted URLs match the documented rule set.

Core Web Vitals

  • 21. Profile LCP, INP and CLS on category, product and homepage templates with real-user data.
  • 22. Audit installed Shopify apps for JavaScript impact; remove apps not actively converting.
  • 23. Defer or async-load any third-party scripts not needed above the fold.
  • 24. Use Shopify’s image_url Liquid filter to serve next-gen formats with explicit dimensions.
  • 25. Confirm fonts are preloaded and don’t cause layout shift.

Content & Internal Linking

  • 26. Build a content calendar around your highest-ROI keyword clusters.
  • 27. Cross-link related collections (e.g., ‘winter coats’ ↔ ‘winter boots’).
  • 28. Add internal links from blog posts into relevant collection and product pages.
  • 29. Replace orphan pages (pages with no internal links) by adding contextual links.
  • 30. Audit anchor-text distribution — avoid over-optimised, exact-match internal anchors.

Off-Page & Authority

  • 31. Audit existing backlinks for toxic links; disavow if necessary.
  • 32. Submit profile to relevant Canadian directories (semrush.com, topseos.com, niche directories).
  • 33. Reach out to Canadian publishers in your category for editorial placements.
  • 34. Create at least one linkable asset (research, calculator, guide) per quarter.
  • 35. Monitor referring-domain growth monthly — declining DR is a leading indicator of decay.