Shopify's out-of-the-box SEO is workable but leaves significant gaps that hurt rankings if you don't address them. The platform auto-generates URLs, creates duplicate content through collection filters, and loads bloated themes that slow page speed. Most Shopify stores rank poorly because owners assume the defaults are enough. Start with title tags and meta descriptions. Shopify auto-fills these with product names and generic text. Write unique titles under 60 characters that include your target keyword and brand. Meta descriptions should be 150–160 characters with a clear value proposition. Do this for every product, collection, and blog post. Duplicate content is Shopify's biggest structural flaw. Products appearing in multiple collections create duplicate URLs. Use canonical tags to point all variants back to the primary product page. Install an app like SEO Manager or edit your theme's liquid files to add rel=canonical tags. Also check that pagination uses rel=next and rel=prev correctly. Site speed kills Shopify stores. The average store loads 15+ apps that inject JavaScript on every page. Audit your apps monthly and remove anything not actively driving revenue. Compress images to under 150KB using TinyPNG or ShortPixel before uploading. Consider switching to a lighter theme like Dawn or Debut. At Ottawa SEO we've seen stores drop from 8-second loads to under 2 seconds just by cutting app bloat and optimizing images. Internal linking requires manual work. Shopify doesn't auto-link related products or use breadcrumbs well. Add contextual links from product descriptions to relevant collections and blog posts. Use descriptive anchor text, not "click here". Build out blog content that targets informational keywords and links to your commercial pages. Finally, submit your sitemap to Google Search Console. Shopify auto-generates one at yourstore.com/sitemap.xml, but verify it's indexing properly. Check for crawl errors weekly and fix broken links immediately. URL structure can't be changed without 301 redirects, so plan your collection hierarchy carefully from the start.