The Simple and Smart SEO Show

Shopify SEO Tech Stack: The Essential Apps and Tools You Actually Need

• Season 4 • Episode 169

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In this episode, Crystal breaks down the must-have SEO tech stack for Shopify sellers who want to show up in search results, build authority, and grow sustainably without feeling overwhelmed.

You’ll learn about the core apps that make SEO easier, free tools to track and audit your progress, and optional power tools if you’re ready to take things to the next level.

Whether you’re just getting started with Shopify or looking to improve your existing SEO strategy, this episode will help you focus on the right tools so you can stop guessing and start growing.

Key Takeaways

  • You don’t need 50 tools — just a few key apps and resources to support your SEO efforts.
  • Start with free tools like Google Search Console and Microsoft Clarity to understand your current performance.
  • Add must-have apps that create fresh content and improve site speed, like a review app and TinyPNG.
  • Explore advanced tools like Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, and Surfer SEO as you grow.

Resources & Mentions

Action Steps for Listeners

  1. Install at least one new SEO tool today (Google Search Console is a great place to start).
  2. Download the Shopify SEO Tech Stack Checklist to make setup easy and track what you’ve implemented.
  3. Tag Crystal on Instagram @simpleandsmartseo2 to share your progress.

Connect with Crystal

Next Episode:
Don’t miss the next episode, where we’ll talk about optimizing your images so they bring in traffic — not just likes!

Send me a text!

Does SEO feel confusing, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to figure out? You’re not alone. That’s why I created the AI SEO Foundations course, powered by Crystal GPT: your personal AI SEO coach designed for busy, creative business owners like you.

Ditch the overwhelm and discover what SEO can do for your business! Head to SEOin7days.com (with the number 7!) and get started today—let’s make your brand easy to find and impossible to ignore.

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[00:00:00] Crystal Waddell: Hey friends, welcome back to the Shopify SEO from Strategy to Action podcast series. In episode one, we talked all about mindset. Busting SEO myths. And really getting our visibility, confidence in check.

So make sure to check out episode one if you haven't listened already. 

[00:00:14] Understanding Your Shopify SEO Tech Stack

[00:00:14] Crystal Waddell: Today we're getting into something a little bit more practical, your Shopify SEO tech stack.

This episode is all about the tools that help your site show up in Google and Pinterest searches.

Because let's be real. SEO isn't about doing everything. It's about doing the right things with the help of tools that make it easier. So what is a tech stack anyway?

I'm so glad you asked. A tech stack is the group of tools, apps, and integrations that work behind the scenes to help your website rank in search,

track performance, and stay optimized.

So let's break it down into three simple buckets. 

[00:00:50] Must-Have Shopify Apps for SEO

[00:00:50] Crystal Waddell: Number one: must have Shopify apps. So these are the apps that improve how your site is seen by search engines and make ongoing SEO [00:01:00] easier.

This is like a review app.

Which helps add fresh, keyword, rich content and social proof.

Which is, the digital equivalent to word of mouth and then also an email app. This allows you to build your list, boost return traffic, which actually helps SEO indirectly. Then there's InstaIndex, one of my favorite SEO tools.

It helps ensure that pages are getting indexed fast by Google and Bing. Which we know is huge because Bing Powers ChatGPT. Then there's apps like TinyPNG. These types of apps compress images to help speed up your site. And then something like the Pinterest save button is huge for e-commerce stores.

This encourages people to pin, it helps build back links. And get you referral traffic. 

[00:01:50] SEO Audit and Tracking Tools

[00:01:50] Crystal Waddell: The next set of tools are SEO Audit and Tracking Tools. So the first two tools I'm gonna tell you about today are free tools that anybody can use and [00:02:00] anyone can access. These tools, tell you what's working and what needs attention.

So the first is Google Search Console. This helps you see what keywords you're already showing up for. And it also tells you if you've got big problems like broken links so you can fix indexing errors and submit your site map. ' cause did you know if you don't submit your site map your pages don't show up as indexed in Google search console, that nobody can actually find your site?

Yeah. That's scary, right? And then the second tool is Microsoft Clarity. This tool gives you heat maps and recordings that show where people click, scroll and bounce on your site. So one thing I like to do is to bookmark your Clarity dashboard and check it weekly. That way you can see what your customers are doing and not doing on your site. And you can see where they get stuck.

[00:02:47] Optional Power Tools for Advanced Users

[00:02:47] Crystal Waddell: So number three, optional power tools. If you're ready to go a little bit deeper, try these Uber suggest or Ahrefs. even the free versions. This helps you find out what people are searching for and gives you a little [00:03:00] bit more technical insight into how your website is performing. Keywords everywhere and keyword surfer.

These are tools that are kind of cool that if you use Chrome or maybe even Firefox. They show keyword search volume on the side while you're browsing and doing keyword research. Also, google Analytics four, another free tool that allows you to understand how people find and move through your store and surfer, SEO, which is my favorite.

And you'll wanna tune into episode five for more information on this powerful optimization tool.

[00:03:31] Shopify SEO Tech Stack Checklist

[00:03:31] Crystal Waddell: If this sounds helpful, but just a little bit overwhelming, I created a Shopify SEO Tech stack checklist just for you. It's only $7 and it includes a complete breakdown of all the tools that I recommend.

Set up tips for search console, clarity and more, and a printable tracker so that you know what's installed and what's next.

Grab it at simpleandsmartseo.com/tech and take the guesswork out of getting started.

[00:03:56] Final Recap and Next Episode

[00:03:56] Crystal Waddell: So to recap, you don't need 50 tools. Just a [00:04:00] few right ones that help you show up and track your progress. start with one today. Like Google Search Console. That's probably the most important. And then if you have a slow loading site and you find out that you have large images,

a tool like Tiny PNG is gonna make your efforts go a long way, and then, after that you can always build your tech stack as you go.

Next time, we're talking about one of the most overlooked parts of SEO: your images. We'll cover how to optimize your visuals, so they bring in traffic. Not just likes. So until then, go install at least one new tool from today's episode and tag me if you do. I'm @simpleandsmartseo2 on Instagram, and I'd love to hear all about your progress.

You've got this. 

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Crystal Waddell

Host