Understanding SEO Marketing: A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Your Shopify Store with Organic Traffic

Any SEO Strategy in 2025 works best paired with systems and AI like ChatGPT or Claude! Which is your favorite Large Language Model?

Struggling to get traffic to your Shopify store? 

You’ve built a beautiful site, stocked your shelves with great products—but no one’s showing up.

That’s where SEO marketing comes in.

In this blog, we’ll break down what SEO marketing actually means, why it matters for your eCommerce store, and how you can start seeing results without becoming a tech wizard.

Plus, you’ll discover how Crystal Waddell and the SEO Squad can help you shortcut the learning curve and grow your traffic faster.

What Is Search Engine Marketing?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) marketing is the process of improving your website so that it shows up in search engine results pages (SERPs)—especially Google—when people search for products like yours.

Instead of paying for ads, SEO focuses on earning organic traffic: visitors who find you naturally through searches.

Think of SEO as your digital storefront sign. If it’s done well, it attracts the right people—at the right time—to the right products.

Why SEO Matters for Your Shopify Store

"Ultimately those tasks—keyword research and other SEO tasks—I could easily outsource that. I could create an SOP in a week... And now focus on other things.” — Andrew Ansley

If you're relying only on social media or paid ads, you’re likely spending more time or money than necessary.

Here’s what SEO can do for your online store:

• 🚀 Drive consistent traffic to your product pages

• 🎯 Attract buyers who are actively searching (aka “high intent”)

• 💰 Reduce ad spend and increase your profit margins

  
  

💡 Example: One SEO Squad member optimized just three product pages and saw a 133% increase in organic traffic in 60 days:

Actual SEO Squad Search Data and Results

How Search Engines Work (Without the Tech Overwhelm)

Let’s keep it simple: major Search engines like Google use bots (called crawlers) to scan your site and decide where it should rank.

To rank higher, your site needs what search engines analyze, like:

• Clear keywords (what people are searching for)

• Easy-to-understand structure (menus, headings, internal links)

• Fast load time, mobile-friendly layout, and working links (technical SEO)

• Valuable content that matches search intent

Key Elements of an SEO Strategy for Store Owners

"You cannot let the AI make a decision on what [abstract concepts] mean. You have to define it. And if you give it an example, that's even better." - Andrew Ansley

Here’s what you need to focus on to get more eyes on your store:

🔍 Keyword Research

Find what your target audience is searching for.

Tools like Google Search Console and Ubersuggest and Keywords Everywhere help you discover high-volume, low-competition keywords.

✅ Tip: Start with keywords like “eco-friendly candles” or “plus-size activewear” depending on your niche.

🛠 On-Page SEO: Focus on Search Intent

Optimize individual product and blog pages:

• Use relevant keywords in titles, URLs, and meta descriptions

• Add ALT text to your images

• Write helpful, detailed product descriptions

🧰 Technical SEO: Clean Sites Show Up More In Search Results

Make sure your website is easy for search engines to crawl and index:

• Improve page speed

• Fix broken links

• Use clean code and mobile responsiveness

🔗 Off-Page SEO: When Organic Search Referrals

Boost your credibility with:

• Backlinks from blogs, influencers, or directories

• Social shares

• Brand mentions

SEO Is a Long-Term Game — But You Don’t Have to Play It Alone

“So many people… they're not even in a place where the struggle is scale. Their struggle is, how do I just get leads?” — Andrew Ansley

Learning SEO can feel like drinking from a firehose, especially when you're juggling product fulfillment, customer service, and marketing.

That’s why I created the SEO Squad—a step-by-step mentorship community for Shopify store owners who want to grow traffic without burnout.

🎤 “I built the SEO Squad to be the resource I wish I had when I launched my first store. I’m here to help you cut through the noise.” — Crystal Waddell

Want to Grow Your Store With SEO?

You don’t need to be an expert to get real results.

You just need a guide who knows the path—and a community that won’t let you quit.

A community of Shopify store owners and creatives leveling up their websites: the SEO Squad

👉🏽 Apply to Join the SEO Squad

Ready to turn your website into a traffic machine?

The SEO Squad is accepting new members now. Spots are limited, so don’t wait.

Recap: What You’ve Learned Today

✅ SEO marketing efforts help you attract organic traffic to your Shopify store

✅ You need keyword rankings research, on-page SEO, and technical optimization

✅ You can succeed with SEO—even if you’re not techy

✅ Crystal Waddell’s SEO Squad is here to help you get results faster

Not ready to join yet?

Grab my 7-Day SEO and AI Foundations Coure here and work at your own pace.

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Author: Crystal Waddell

Crystal Waddell, Author and Founder of Simple and Smart SEO

Crystal is the founder of the SEO Squad and has helped several Shopify store owners grow their organic traffic with simple, effective SEO strategies.

She’s an SEO Shopify SEO Specialist, passionate about helping other entrepreneurs build sustainable, search-powered brands through her podcast, The Simple and Smart SEO Show.

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Interested in how AI can help you improve your SEO?

Learn more about SEO efforts that make a difference and how AI can help you with some of the more repetitive tasks in this podcast featuring SEO consultant Andrew Ansley.

This part 1 of a 3-part series about SEO, AI, and Systems!