Actually Important! SEO and Web Accessibility for Ensuring the Quality of Your Shopify Store

While the visual design is important in EC site creation, the quality of "invisible parts" is also essential for achieving actual results.
In particular, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and Web Accessibility (ensuring ease of use) are directly linked to both improving user experience and increasing customer acquisition.
At Commerce Media, we consider SEO and Web Accessibility from the Shopify store design phase and conduct rigorous quality control, thoroughly checking before launch.
This article explains the overview and importance of SEO and Web Accessibility for those considering building or replacing a Shopify store, as well as points to check when entrusting a partner company with Shopify store construction.

About SEO

What is SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) refers to measures taken to rank a site higher in search engine results. By understanding the algorithms of major search engines like Google and taking appropriate action, you can increase traffic from organic searches* without advertising costs.

*Organic search refers to regular search results displayed by search engines, excluding ad placements.

History of SEO

In the early days of search engines in the late 1990s, the number of links and keyword frequency were central to evaluation. However, after 2000, with the increase in SEO through illicit links and keywords, Google shifted to excluding these methods and emphasizing original content and natural language that is useful to users.
In the 2010s, with the spread of smartphones, mobile compatibility and local search became important, and understanding search intent, usability, and trustworthiness became evaluation criteria.
Since 2015, expertise and trustworthiness have become essential, especially in the health and finance sectors, and SEO has transformed from technical manipulation to prioritizing user-centric experiences. Therefore, modern SEO requires not only creating high-quality content but also frequent content updates, mobile optimization, improved display speed, and consideration for Web Accessibility.
Thus, in current SEO, quick, "trick" measures are counterproductive, and long-term, solid, and comprehensive measures from site design to post-launch content updates are crucial.

SEO in Shopify

Shopify comes standard with basic SEO settings, allowing you to optimize title tags and meta descriptions, correct markup including heading tag structure, and image alt text from the admin panel.
Many themes are also built with display speed and mobile-friendliness in mind, so the key is to enrich content such as products and blog posts and apply SEO settings correctly when creating content.

However, some themes may not have sufficient optimization for structured data or heading tags, so it is necessary to check whether the design is SEO-friendly from the theme selection stage.
Also, even if a theme has an SEO-friendly design, incorrect settings or certain customization methods can negatively impact SEO, which is an important point to note.

About Web Accessibility

What is Web Accessibility?

Web accessibility refers to designing a website so that all users can comfortably use it, regardless of physical disability, age, or usage environment. Key elements include setting high contrast for readability, supporting keyboard operations, and providing alternative text for images and links.

History of Web Accessibility

Web accessibility gained international attention from the early 2000s, and the "WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)" formulated by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) has been widely used as a standard. Today, accommodating diverse user groups is considered part of a company's social responsibility.

Shopify's Web Accessibility Measures

Many Shopify themes consider Web accessibility, but not all themes are sufficiently compliant. Additional settings may be required after construction for things like image alt text input, form label settings, and designs that consider color diversity.

Points to note when entrusting a Shopify partner company with construction

When entrusting a partner company with store construction, it's important to note that "SEO and Web Accessibility support may not be included in the standard plan." Many construction companies prioritize security and the basic functioning of features, tending to treat SEO and Web Accessibility as separate areas.
While addressing SEO and Web Accessibility often requires specialized knowledge and extensive work, this can be mitigated by addressing them from the store design phase.

Therefore, when selecting a partner company, it is recommended to confirm whether they can handle SEO and Web Accessibility from the design phase.

As mentioned at the beginning, at Commerce Media, we consider SEO and Web Accessibility from the design stage for all projects. Before launching, in addition to functional operation tests, we conduct duplicate tests with a team of 3-4 people using our unique checklist that comprehensively covers SEO and Web Accessibility, and we provide feedback on the results to our clients.

Furthermore, for Web Accessibility, we routinely check items defined by our company based on WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) (exceptions may apply depending on conditions).

The author, who has been involved in EC site construction with various partner companies, was also very surprised by the strict quality control when joining the company. However, after witnessing firsthand how operating our own store and its sales became the pillar of our business, I now understand that it is our commitment to "building stores that truly sell."