SEO: How to overcome common issues during platform migration

Platform migrations can feel risky, especially when organic traffic and revenue are on the line. 

The good news? Leveraging your SEO during a migration is less daunting than you may think. Specifically when migrating to a platform like Shopify, which has a simple out-of-the-box SEO editor. With the right planning and forward thinking, you can protect and even improve your performance. 

Migrating to a platform like Shopify doesn’t mean losing your SEO visibility. In fact, it can be a valuable opportunity to strengthen it. 

Let’s break down the key considerations.

Every ecommerce platform handles hierarchy differently. Some use “nested” paths (e.g., /mens/shoes/trainers), whilst others, like Shopify, use a ‘flat’ URL structure, where products and collections are independent (e.g., /products/trainer-name). 

One key consideration, highlighted by StudioHawk, is that you cannot customise the Shopify URL structure. All collection/ category pages are set up with www.example.com/collections/custom-collection-name, and all product pages are www.example.com/products/custom-product-name.

The Challenge: Every single URL on your site will likely change. 

The Solution: You must implement 301 redirects. This tells Google where old content has moved and passes the existing “ranking power” to the new URL. 

A flat URL structure (like Shopify’s) can actually make performance analysis easier later, as you can filter your data by simple variables like /products or /collections.

Before moving any products or content, you need to know exactly what you currently own. You cannot redirect what you haven’t tracked. 

Conduct an audit of your existing traffic and clicks by using Google Search Console and Google Analytics to export a list of your high-performing URLs.

Another method to find all the pages on your current site is to use the sitemap, which contains lists of all the key page URLs across the site. These are usually found under example.com/sitemap.xml but for instance on sites like Visualsoft this is found at example.com/sitemap-index.xml. For a deeper look into migrating from Visualsoft, you can download our dedicated migration guide.

Once you’ve mapped URLs, the next step is to align each old page with its new Shopify equivalent. 

You can do this via Navigation > Add Redirects within the Shopify backend. You can add these manually, or upload a .CSV file in a list. There are also apps to help with this, such as Redirectify and Easy Redirects. These track 404 pages to make sure any broken pages that users find are logged, so you can ensure missing redirects don’t slip through the cracks.

Shopify’s URL structure is ‘flat’, which means it doesn’t include an inbuilt category hierarchy. This makes internal linking essential, you need to ensure users can navigate between Category A > Subcategory A1 > Sub-sub Category A2. 

For example, Dresses > Party Dresses > Black Party Dresses might look like https://www.example.com/ dresses-c123/party-dresses-c456/black-party-dresses-c789 in WooCommerce, but in Shopify you’d have these as separate categories www.example.com/collections/dresses, www.example.com/collections/party-

dresses and www.example.com/collections/black-party-dresses, and use the menu and custom links in collections or breadcrumbs to ensure these are internally linked and accessible to users from the main category pages. 

If you’re migrating from WooCommerce, our dedicated migration guide explores this structural shift in more detail. 

To maintain structure, you’ll need to rely on navigation menus, collection page content, and strategic internal links to ensure users and search engines understand how your content is organised. 

Google ranks pages, not websites. It uses the content within a page to determine whether or not it is relevant to a search query. So, if you have products or collections which are specific to what someone is looking for, they need a unique page to rank.

While filters such as size, colour, or material enhance the user experience, they’re not typically treated as unique, indexable pages by search engines. This means that if there’s demand for a specific product type, such as black party dresses, you need a dedicated page that targets that intent directly. 

Creating these pages allows you to capture more qualified traffic, particularly from users who are closer to making a purchase. However, balance is key, too many similar pages can lead to internal competition, while too few can limit your visibility.

Therefore, building a well-structured catalogue, supported by thoughtful product tagging and segmentation, ensures you can expand strategically without creating unnecessary complexity. 

Shopify’s out-of-the-box, on-page SEO capabilities are strong, you don’t need an app for every small SEO task. Too many plugins can bloat the code and slow your site speed which will affect conversion rates and sales. 

It’s important to take the time to evaluate what is essential for your business. However, there’re a few app options which may be useful for scaling aspects, especially if you have a larger site:

Alt text editor: 

Easy Alt Text makes sure that all your product and site imagery have accessible alt text that describes the image. This isn’t just important for SEO as it gives context for Google, it’s vital for those with visual impairments. You can eliminate hours of manual writing and updating text by creating templates to ensure that any future images have this text. 

Structured data: 

StudioHawk suggests Yoast SEO for all-around SEO keyword targeting and structured data, while JSON-LD Express is specifically for structured data. Using these tools helps Google understand your pages in a machine-readable format, making them easier to process. This increases your chances to appear for Rich Results, showing prices, star ratings, and stock levels directly on the search results page.

A platform migration is an opportunity for a fresh start but the success depends on how well you protect your existing digital infrastructure. When handled poorly, it can result in traffic loss. When approached strategically, it becomes a chance to strengthen your foundations and unlock long-term growth. 

Whilst our core expertise is in Shopify development, we understand that SEO is a critical part of a successful migration. That’s why we work closely with trusted SEO partners, such as StudioHawk, to safeguard your rankings, identify growth opportunities, and support long-term performance. 

If you still have questions, you can download our platform specific migration guides for more detailed insights here. 

Or if you’re already planning your migration to Shopify, we can guide you through the technical build and connect you with the right SEO expertise for your needs. Contact us here.