Marketing & SEO
Everything Embroidery Market 2026
Class Resource Guide
©Kate + Rae Designs
Class Goal
Understand how to optimize the important parts of their Shopify store for search engines AND customers.
• What SEO actually means
• What keywords/search terms are
• How to optimize products
• How to optimize collections
• How titles and meta descriptions work
• How images affect SEO
• Why internal links matter
• How Google finds their website
• How to use Google Search Console
• How Google Merchant Center fits in
• How Pinterest, social media, email, and educational content can drive traffic
• What they should actually work on when they get home
Table Of Contents
Please do not think you need to all this at one time. SEO is not something you "finish", it is something you work on for the entire life of your business.
Shopify SEO
Sections 1-9
Google Search Console
Sections 10-17
Marketing Beyond
Section 18-19
1. What is SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
All that really means is that we're making it easier for search engines like Google to understand what we sell so they can match our website with people searching for those things.
But here's the important part:
We are not building our website for Google.
We are building it for our customers AND making sure Google can understand it.
2. Think Like A Customer
One of the biggest mistakes I see business owners make is describing products using the words THEY use instead of the words their customers use.
Keywords
A keyword is simply a word or phrase someone might type into a search engine.
You do NOT need to stuff the same phrase into your page 20 times.
Think naturally:
What is it?
Who is it for?
What style is it?
What occasion is it for?
What makes it different?
3. Product SEO
Shopify Admin → Products → Choose your example product
Product Title
Your product title needs to make sense to someone who has never seen your business before.
Bad Example: Girl's Christmas Shirt
Good Example: Girl's Embroidered Christmas Reindeer Applique Shirt
STUDENT CHECK:
☐ What is the product?
☐ Would a customer search these words?
☐ Is the title clear without seeing the picture?
Product Description
Your description isn't just a place to stuff keywords.
Its first job is to help your customer.
Things To Include In Description
What is this?
Who is it for?
What does the customer receive?
What are the important details?
What questions might they have before purchasing?
Important
If I have to choose between writing something that sounds good to my customer and writing something weird because I think Google wants it, I'm writing for my customer.
4. Headings: H1, H2, H3
Think of headings like an outline. They help people scan the page and help search engines understand how the information is organized.
H1 Headings
The main title of the page.
Usually the product title, collection title, page title, etc.
H2 Headings
Major sections underneath it.
H3 Headings
A smaller section underneath an H2.
Lets Make It Make Sense
H1 = What is this PAGE about?
H2 = What are the main SECTIONS?
H3 = What are the smaller TOPICS inside those sections?
5. Product's Searching Engine Listing
Page Title
This is the title Google may use when your page appears in search.
It should clearly identify the page and naturally contain useful descriptive language.
Meta Description
The meta description is your opportunity to explain what this page offers and encourage someone to click.
URL
Good:
/products/personalized-baby-blanket
Not helpful:
/products/product-12345-final-new
6. Collection SEO
Products aren't the only pages that can show up in Google search
A collection should help someone understand:
What products are here?
Who are they for?
What kinds of things will I find?
Collection Title & Description
Collection Search Engine Listing
7. Image SEO
Alt text is supposed to describe the image. It is not a place to cram every keyword you can think of
Alt text should help with ADA compliance for a visually disabled person to know what they are viewing.
8. Internal Linking
An internal link is just a link from one page of YOUR website to another page of YOUR website.
For Example:
Product → Collection
Collection → Product
Blog Post → Product
Product → Related Product
Homepage → Collection
FAQ → Helpful Page
9. Your Homepage
If you knew absolutely nothing about this business, could you tell me what they sell within a few seconds?
WALK THROUGH:
☐ Main heading/message
☐ Featured collections
☐ Featured products
☐ Navigation
☐ About/business information
☐ Links to important pages
☐ Mobile experience
10. Google Search Console
Now we've worked on our website. How do we find out what Google is actually seeing and what people are searching.
Google Search Console
Helps you understand how your WEBSITE performs in Google Search.
It does NOT require you to publish your home address.
Google Business Profile
Is a separate product associated with business presence in Google Search/Maps and has separate eligibility and address requirements.
11. Search Console Performance
Performance → Search Results
Clicks
“How many times someone clicked through to my website from Google.”
Impressions
“How many times my website appeared in Google Search.”
Click Through Rate (CTR)
“Of the people who saw my result, how many clicked?”
Average Impressions
“Where my pages have generally appeared in search results.”
12. Queries
Performance → Queries
This is one of my favorite parts because Google is literally telling us what people searched when our website appeared.
Could this query help me improve a product?
Could I create a collection around it?
Could it inspire a tutorial?
Could it tell me what customers call a product?
Could it give me a future product idea?
Search Console isn't just a report card. It can be an idea generator.
13. Pages
Performance → Pages
This shows which website pages are receiving visibility/traffic through Google Search.
Look for:
☐ Top pages
☐ Important products
☐ Important collections
☐ Pages receiving impressions
☐ Pages receiving clicks
A page with impressions but relatively few clicks may be worth reviewing.
Look at:
Title
Meta description
What the searcher was looking for
Whether the page actually matches the search
14. URL Inspection
URL Inspection lets you check a specific page on your website to see what Google knows about it.
URL Inspection = What does Google know about THIS page?
Page Indexing = What's happening across my WEBSITE?
How To Check A URL
Open Google Search Console.
Copy the full URL of the page you want to check.
Paste it into the Inspect any URL search bar at the top.
Review the results.
What Am I Looking For?
URL is on Google
Good! Google has indexed the page and it is eligible to appear in Google Search. This does not guarantee that the page will rank highly or appear for every search.
URL is not on Google
Don't panic. Look at the information Search Console provides to help determine why the page isn't indexed.
15. Page Indexing
The Page Indexing report gives you a bigger-picture view of which pages Google has indexed and which pages are not currently indexed.
What Does "Indexed" Mean?
If a page is indexed, Google knows about the page and has added it to its search index, meaning it is eligible to appear in Google Search.
Indexed does NOT mean the page will automatically rank highly.
What Should I Look For?
Focus on your important pages, such as:
Best-selling products
Important collections
Main website pages
Blog posts and educational content you want people to find
If an important page isn't indexed, Search Console can provide information about why.
16. Sitemap
A sitemap is a file that helps Google discover and understand the important pages on your website.
Think of it like giving Google a map of your Shopify store so it can more easily find your products, collections, pages, and blog content.
Shopify Makes This Easy
Shopify automatically generates a sitemap for your store.
Your sitemap is typically found at:
yourstore.com/sitemap.xml
You do not need to manually create a sitemap every time you add a new product.
In Google Search Console
Google Search Console → Sitemaps
From here you can:
Submit your Shopify sitemap
Check whether Google successfully received it
See if Google encountered problems reading it
Ideally, you want to see a Success status.
Submitting a sitemap helps Google discover your pages.
It does not guarantee that every page will be indexed or rank in Google Search.
Short Cut To Remeber
Sitemap = Helps Google FIND the pages on my website.
Page Indexing = Shows which pages Google has added to its index.
URL Inspection = Lets me investigate ONE specific page.
17. Google Merchant Center
Google Merchant Center is where Google receives and manages information about the products you sell online.
It can help your eligible products appear across Google shopping experiences, including places where customers are actively searching for products to purchase.
How Does It Work With Shopify?
Shopify can connect your store and product information to Google through the Google & YouTube sales channel/app.
Information sent to Google can include:
☐ Product title
☐ Product description
☐ Product images
☐ Price
☐ Availability
☐ Product link
☐ Other required product information
This is another reason having clear product titles, good descriptions, quality images, and accurate product information is so important.
What Should You Do?
☐ Set up/connect Google Merchant Center if it is appropriate for your business and products.
☐ Connect your Shopify store through the Google & YouTube sales channel/app.
☐ Review which products are syncing to Google.
☐ Check for product warnings or errors.
☐ Correct missing or inaccurate product information.
☐ Keep your product information, pricing, and availability accurate.
What's The Difference
Google Search Console
Helps you understand how your website performs in Google Search.
Google Merchant Center
Helps Google understand and use information about the products you sell across eligible Google shopping experiences.
Important To Note
Connecting Merchant Center does not guarantee that your products will appear at the top of Google or automatically generate sales.
Think of it as giving Google accurate, organized information about what you sell so your eligible products can be considered for relevant shopping experiences.
Easy Way To Remember
Search Console = How is my WEBSITE performing on Google?
Merchant Center = What PRODUCTS am I giving Google information about?
18. Marketing Beyond Google
SEO can bring people to our website, but Google shouldn't be the only way people find us.
Pinterest
↓
Social Media
↓
Youtube
↓
Email
↓
Google
↓
Your Website
Your website should be the center.
Pinterest can be another way for customers to discover your products and find their way back to your Shopify store.
Unlike content that may disappear quickly in a social media feed, Pinterest content can continue to be discovered through searches and recommendations over time.
Your Pinterest content should have a purpose.
A Pin can lead customers to:
☐ A product
☐ A collection
☐ A tutorial or blog post
☐ An educational resource
☐ Another useful page on your website
Whenever possible, send the customer to the most relevant page, not automatically to your homepage.
Connect Pinterest + Shopify
Businesses selling eligible products can also explore connecting their Shopify product catalog with Pinterest so product information can be used across Pinterest's shopping features.
Easy Way To Remember
Pinterest = Help people DISCOVER you.
Your content = Give them a reason to CLICK.
Your Shopify store = Give them somewhere useful to GO next.
*** View our full Pinterest Playbook for more information on optimizing Pinterest for your business. ***
Email Marketing
Email marketing gives you a way to stay connected with customers and bring them back to your website after their first visit or purchase.
Instead of depending only on social media or search engines to reach your audience, your email list gives you a direct communication channel with people who have chosen to hear from your business.
Give People A Reason To Subscribe
Don't just say “Join our email list.”
Give customers a reason to want to stay connected.
This could include:
☐ Helpful tips or tutorials
☐ New product announcements
☐ Early access to new releases
☐ Inspiration and ideas
☐ Exclusive offers when appropriate
What Should I Email
Not every email needs to be a sale.
Create a healthy mix of:
Educate— Teach something useful.
Inspire — Show ideas, projects, customer examples, or ways to use your products.
Connect — Share meaningful business updates or behind-the-scenes content.
Sell — Share new products, restocks, launches, or promotions.
19. Where Do I Really Need To Start?
Please do not go home tonight and try to redo your entire website!
Actions Steps To Take
STEP 1
Fix your homepage.
STEP 2
Optimize your most important collections.
STEP 3
Optimize your best-selling products.
STEP 4
Set up/check Google Search Console.
STEP 5
Look at what Google is already telling you.
STEP 6
Choose 1–3 pages to improve.
STEP 7
Create a simple marketing plan to drive people back to your website.
Last Thoughts
SEO is not something you “finish.”
You build.
You watch.
You learn.
You improve.
The goal isn't to make Google happy.
The goal is to create a website that clearly communicates what you sell, helps the right customer find you, makes shopping easy and gives that customer a reason to come back.
CREATE • LEARN • GROW • BUILD COMMUNITY
Kate + Rae Designs