Bigcommerce SEO
BigCommerce SEO is the process of improving a BigCommerce store so product, category, and content pages can rank better in search engines and drive more organic traffic and sales.
Start here
- Write unique product descriptions — no exceptions.
- Keep URLs clean, titles short, and meta descriptions punchy.
- Check internal linking so important pages aren't buried.
- Audit third-party scripts — they're often the slowest part of your store.
- Treat SEO as ongoing maintenance, not a launch checklist.
I've seen too many stores treat SEO like a switch you flip once. It's not.
What I'd do first
- Write unique product descriptions for every item. No copy-paste from manufacturers.
- Set clean, descriptive URLs with hyphens (e.g.,
/blue-widgetnot/p=123). - Keep title tags under 60 characters and meta descriptions around 150–160 characters.
- Add alt text to every product image — describe what's in the photo, not just keywords.
- Check your internal linking: can a shopper reach any important page in 3–4 clicks?
Plain-English take
BigCommerce SEO is about making your store easy for Google to read and your customers to use. That means:
- Technical stuff: canonicals, redirects, sitemaps, HTTPS — the boring but essential foundation.
- On-page content: titles, descriptions, product copy that actually says something useful.
- Site structure: categories that make sense, links that connect pages, breadcrumbs so nobody gets lost.
- Performance: images that aren't bloated, scripts that don't slow things down.
None of it is rocket science. It's just consistent, boring work.
When it actually matters
- You're launching a new BigCommerce store and want organic traffic from day one.
- You've been running ads but your organic numbers are flat.
- You have hundreds of products and categories — structure becomes critical.
- You're competing with other stores selling the same stuff; unique copy is your edge.
- You notice Google isn't indexing your new product pages quickly.
What I got wrong
- I used to think SEO was a one-time setup. It's not — every new product, every category change, every theme update needs a check.
- I left manufacturer descriptions in place because "they're already written." That's exactly what kills your uniqueness.
- I overloaded stores with tracking scripts and apps. Performance tanked. Now I audit every third-party script.
- I ignored canonicals until a duplicate content issue hit. Now I check them every time I touch a page.
Next step
Quick answers
What is BigCommerce SEO?
BigCommerce SEO is the practice of optimizing a BigCommerce online store to improve its visibility in search engine results. It includes technical setup, on-page content, site structure, and link building tailored to the BigCommerce platform.
How do I optimize product pages on BigCommerce?
Optimize product pages by writing unique descriptions, using keyword-rich titles and meta descriptions, adding alt text to images, implementing product schema, and ensuring fast load times.
What are common BigCommerce SEO mistakes?
Common mistakes include leaving duplicate manufacturer descriptions, using long unclear URLs, overloading with slow third-party scripts, and treating SEO as a one-time task instead of ongoing maintenance.
Sources
Primary documentation is linked directly. Anything commercial is marked nofollow.
- BigCommerce Ecommerce SEO — Primary platform guidance on ecommerce SEO structure, internal linking, unique descriptions, and crawlable site architecture.
- Google Search Central — Authoritative source for indexing, crawling, structured data, titles, meta descriptions, and general SEO best practices.
- Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide — Useful for core on-page and technical SEO fundamentals that apply to BigCommerce stores.
- BigCommerce Help Center — Platform-specific documentation for settings, themes, redirects, and SEO-related storefront behavior.
Notes from Callum Bennett.