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Shopify SEO

Optimize Shopify Collection Pages for SEO [2026]

Claudio Gerlich··13 min

Most stores focus on product pages. That's a mistake.

Collection pages (category pages) are SEO gold.

Why? Because they:

  • Have high search volume ("backpacks", "hiking boots")
  • Attract broad, purchase-ready audiences
  • Are the perfect place to inform customers and then guide them to products
  • Rank with less competition than individual product pages

At smplx., we've seen that a well-optimized collection page often brings 2-3x more traffic than a product page -- and with less effort.

In this guide, we'll show you how to optimize collection pages for maximum visibility.

Why Collection Pages Are So Important for SEO

Imagine you're searching for "60L backpack buy." You find three results:

  1. Backpack A -- individual product page
  2. Backpack B -- individual product page
  3. A store with 20+ backpacks in a well-structured category page

Which one do you click? Probably #3. You see more options, can compare, and have a better user experience.

That's the reason: Google prefers collection pages because they give users a better overview.

Additionally:

  • Collection pages often rank for broader keywords (100-10,000 search volume)
  • They are less competitive than individual product pages
  • They offer backlink opportunities ("Top 10 Backpacks 2026")
  • They are an internal link hub -- many internal links go from collection pages to product pages

1. Writing Unique Collection Descriptions

The biggest mistake: Empty or generic collection descriptions.

Bad Description:

Backpacks

Find backpacks for your adventures here.

Good Description:

Backpacks for Outdoor & Hiking

Whether it's a day hike or a multi-day trekking adventure -- our outdoor backpacks
are equipped for every expedition. All models offer:

- Waterproof materials for protection in rain
- Ergonomic designs for all-day comfort
- 50-70L capacity for longer tours
- Lightweight and durable -- maximum 2kg own weight

Choose your size and your adventure awaits!

Structure of a good collection description:

[Category + Primary Keyword in H1]

[Introduction: For whom? What problem do the products solve?]
- Max. 2-3 sentences

[Core features as bullet points]
- 4-6 points with keywords

[Call-to-action or hint]
- "Discover now" or "Filter by..."

Best Practices:

  • Length: 200-400 words (longer = better)
  • Primary keyword in the first 100 characters
  • Focus on benefits: What do the products have in common? What problem do they solve?
  • Use formatting: Bullet points, paragraphs, lists for readability
  • Be specific: "Backpacks for Women" instead of "Backpacks"

Template for Collection Descriptions:

[Product Category] for [Target Audience/Use Case]

[Intro: How do these products help your life?]

Our [Category] offer:
- [Feature 1 with keyword]
- [Feature 2 with keyword]
- [Feature 3 with keyword]
- [Feature 4]

[Additional context or tips]

[Related content link or filter hint]

Example:

Hiking Boots for Men -- Comfort & Safety on Every Trail

Hiking boots are more than just shoes -- they're the foundation of your outdoor adventure.
Our collection offers models for every trail and every weather condition.

What should you look for?
- Waterproof materials for wet conditions
- Ankle support for secure footing on uneven terrain
- Non-slip soles with aggressive tread
- Lightweight construction for long hikes

Whether you're a beginner or experienced hiker -- you'll find the right boots here.
Sort by size or terrain and discover your next adventure!

2. Structuring Sub-Collections Properly

Sub-collections are collections within collections. They are a powerful SEO strategy.

Example Structure:

/collections/backpacks (Main Category)
  |-- /collections/backpacks-women (Sub-Collection)
  |-- /collections/backpacks-men (Sub-Collection)
  |-- /collections/backpacks-trekking (Sub-Collection -- by Use Case)
  |-- /collections/backpacks-30l (Sub-Collection -- by Size)
  +-- /collections/backpacks-waterproof (Sub-Collection -- by Feature)

Why is this important?

  1. Keyword coverage: You rank for broader AND more specific keywords

    • Main category: "backpack" (10,000 searches)
    • Sub-collection: "men's backpack" (3,000 searches)
    • Sub-collection: "trekking backpack 60l" (500 searches)

  2. User Experience: Users can find what they're looking for faster

  3. Internal link structure: You create a logical hierarchy that Google follows

Setting Up Sub-Collections in Shopify

In Shopify, you do this with Automated Collections or Smart Collections:

  1. Go to Products > Collections
  2. Create "Backpacks -- Women"
  3. Set a "Condition": Tag is contains "women" or Product title contains "women"
  4. Save

This is a filter approach. Better alternative: Metafields.

Metafields for More Precise Sub-Collections

With Liquid code, you can link sub-collections from main collections:

<section class="collection-links">
  <h2>Backpacks by Category</h2>
  <ul>
    <li><a href="/collections/backpacks-women">Backpacks for Women</a></li>
    <li><a href="/collections/backpacks-men">Backpacks for Men</a></li>
    <li><a href="/collections/backpacks-trekking">Trekking Backpacks 50-70L</a></li>
    <li><a href="/collections/backpacks-daypack">Day Packs 20-30L</a></li>
  </ul>
</section>

3. Handling Filter URLs and Crawlability Properly

This is a technical but critical SEO issue with collection pages.

When a user filters for "backpacks in red," a URL like this is created:

/collections/backpacks?color=red&size=60l&price=100-300

Google sees this URL. The problem: There could be infinite URL variations:

  • /collections/backpacks?color=red&size=60l
  • /collections/backpacks?size=60l&color=red (different parameter order)
  • /collections/backpacks?color=red&color=blue&size=60l (multiple filters)

This leads to crawl duplicates and weak rankings.

Solutions:

Option 1: Most Important Filter Combinations as Separate Collections

/collections/backpacks-red
/collections/backpacks-60l
/collections/backpacks-red-60l

Advantage: Clean URLs, better rankings Disadvantage: Manual management

Option 2: Dynamic Parameters with Canonical Tags

<link rel="canonical" href="{{ collection.url }}" />

This tells Google: "The real URL is /collections/backpacks, ignore the filter parameters."

Problem with this: Filters are then "invisible" from an SEO perspective. Users can filter, but Google doesn't see that "red backpacks" exist.

Option 3: Hybrid Approach (recommended)

  1. Main collections without parameters (/collections/backpacks) -- rankable, clean URLs
  2. Sub-collections for the most important filters (/collections/backpacks-red-60l) -- also rankable
  3. Parameter filters (with rel="canonical") -- user experience, but not for Google
{% if request.page_type == 'collection' %}
  <!-- If a clean sub-collection, no canonical -->

  <!-- If user applies filter, canonical to the main collection -->
  {% if request.query_string %}
    <link rel="canonical" href="{{ collection.url }}" />
  {% endif %}
{% endif %}

4. Handling Pagination Properly

When a collection has > 50 products, Shopify splits it into pages:

/collections/backpacks?page=1
/collections/backpacks?page=2
/collections/backpacks?page=3

Google sees multiple versions of the "same" page. That's a problem.

Solutions:

Option 1: Rel="next"/rel="prev" Tags

{% if paginate.next %}
  <link rel="next" href="{{ paginate.next.url }}" />
{% endif %}
{% if paginate.previous %}
  <link rel="prev" href="{{ paginate.previous.url }}" />
{% endif %}

This tells Google: "This is a sequence of pages, crawl them all."

Option 2: rel="canonical" on Page 1

{% if paginate.next %}
  <!-- We're on page 1+, canonicalize to page 1 -->
  <link rel="canonical" href="{{ collection.url }}?page=1" />
{% else %}
  <!-- We're on the last/only page -->
  <link rel="canonical" href="{{ collection.url }}" />
{% endif %}

This concentrates link juice on page 1.

Our recommendation: Use rel="next" and rel="prev". Google crawls all pages and also indexes page 2, 3, etc. -- that's okay if the content differs.

5. Canonical Tags on Filtered Views

When your user navigates to /collections/backpacks?sort=price_asc, you should canonicalize:

{% if request.query_string %}
  <!-- User has sorted or filtered -->
  <link rel="canonical" href="{{ collection.url }}" />
{% else %}
  <!-- Standard view, no filters -->
  <link rel="canonical" href="{{ collection.url }}" />
{% endif %}

This is a defensive measure against duplicates.

6. Collection Pages and the Bekateq Example

Our Bekateq case study shows how powerful collections can be.

Bekateq built 24 custom collection templates for different product categories -- each with:

  • Unique description
  • Custom meta tags
  • Tailored internal links
  • Specific schema markup

The result: Precise optimization for each category without duplicates.

The structure was:

/collections/backpacks (Master Template)
/collections/backpacks-kids (Custom Template A)
/collections/backpacks-women (Custom Template B)
/collections/backpacks-men (Custom Template C)
...

Each template had unique copy, optimized images, and relevant FAQ sections.

This isn't easy to do, but it's worth it.

7. Collection Pages and Schema Markup

Use CollectionPage and Product schema markup:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "CollectionPage",
  "name": "Outdoor Backpacks",
  "description": "High-quality backpacks for hiking and trekking",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Product",
      "name": "60L Outdoor Backpack",
      "url": "https://shop.com/products/backpack-60l",
      "image": "...",
      "offers": {
        "@type": "Offer",
        "price": "129.99",
        "priceCurrency": "EUR"
      }
    }
  ]
}

This helps Google understand your collection as a "listing page" -- not just as content.

8. Internal Linking from Collections

Collections should be linked to each other:

<!-- On Collection Backpacks -->
<p>Also interesting: <a href="/collections/tents">Tents</a> or
<a href="/collections/hiking-boots">Hiking Boots</a></p>

<!-- Sub-collections linking -->
<section class="collection-filter">
  <h3>Filter by Size:</h3>
  <ul>
    <li><a href="/collections/backpacks-30l">30L Day Packs</a></li>
    <li><a href="/collections/backpacks-60l">60L Trekking Backpacks</a></li>
  </ul>
</section>

This distributes link juice and shows Google how your categories relate to each other.

9. Title Tags and Meta Descriptions for Collections

Use Liquid variables:

<title>{{ collection.title }} | {{ shop.name }}</title>
<meta name="description"
      content="{{ collection.description | strip_html | truncatewords: 20 }}">

This is often too generic. Better: Custom Metafields

In Shopify:

  1. Settings > Custom Data > Collections
  2. Create "meta_title" and "meta_description" fields
  3. Use them in the theme:
<title>{{ collection.metafields.custom.meta_title | default: collection.title }}</title>
<meta name="description"
      content="{{ collection.metafields.custom.meta_description | default: collection.description }}">

Example values:

  • Title: "Outdoor Backpacks 50-70L | Waterproof | smplx."
  • Description: "High-quality backpacks for trekking & multi-day adventures. Free shipping from 50 EUR."

10. Common Collection SEO Mistakes

Mistake 1: Empty or Duplicated Descriptions

Many stores copy the same description into multiple collections. Google detects duplicates.

Solution: Unique, descriptive copy for each collection.

Mistake 2: Filters Leading to Crawl Explosion

Too many filter parameter combinations lead to thousands of URLs.

Solution: Most important filters as separate collections, the rest with canonical tags.

Mistake 3: No Sub-Collections

Everything in one collection = flat structure = bad for SEO and UX.

Solution: Hierarchical structure with main and sub-collections.

Collections stand alone, without links to related collections.

Solution: Cross-linking between related collections.

Mistake 5: Pagination Not Configured

Pages 2, 3, etc. are not linked or not crawled.

Solution: Implement rel="next"/rel="prev" tags.

Collection SEO Checklist

  • Unique 200-400 word description
  • Primary keyword in the first 100 characters
  • Custom meta title and meta description (not default)
  • 5+ sub-collections for categorization
  • Most important filters as separate collections
  • Other filters with canonical tags
  • Rel="next"/rel="prev" for pagination
  • Internal links to related collections
  • Collection/Product schema markup
  • Alt texts on collection images

Summary

Collection pages are the most underestimated SEO assets in Shopify stores. With proper optimization:

  • You rank for broader, more frequently searched keywords
  • You have less competition than with individual product pages
  • You create better internal link structures
  • You improve user experience and thus conversions

A well-structured collection strategy is the foundation of a successful SEO store.

Claudio Gerlich is the founder of smplx. and a technical Shopify partner since 2020. Based in Munsterland, NRW, we help stores with SEO, performance, and technical optimizations. Over 50+ successful implementations -- from B2C to B2B.

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