Magento SEO optimization: complete guide

Magento has good SEO capabilities, but you need to configure them. With the right settings, your store can rank high in Google. This guide teaches you how.

Basic SEO settings

Configure meta tags

Per product: Catalog > Products > [Product] > Search Engine Optimization

• URL Key: use-descriptive-url
• Meta Title: Product Name | Your Store
• Meta Description: Unique description of 150-160 characters

Per category: Catalog > Categories > [Category] > Search Engine Optimization

Optimize URL structure

Good URLs are short and descriptive.

Configuration: Stores > Configuration > Catalog > Catalog > Search Engine Optimization

Recommended settings:

• Product URL Suffix: .html or empty
• Category URL Suffix: .html or empty
• Use Categories Path for Product URLs: No (prevents duplicate content)

Canonical URLs

Canonical tags prevent duplicate content issues.

Enable: Stores > Configuration > Catalog > Catalog > SEO

• Use Canonical Link Meta Tag for Categories: Yes
• Use Canonical Link Meta Tag for Products: Yes

Technical SEO

XML Sitemap

Magento automatically generates a sitemap.

Configuration: Stores > Configuration > Catalog > XML Sitemap

Settings:

• Frequency: Daily
• Priority: Categories 0.5, Products 1.0
• Submit to search engines: Enable

Robots.txt

Manage via Marketing > SEO & Search > Site Map

Important rules:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /checkout/
Disallow: /customer/
Disallow: /catalogsearch/
Sitemap: https://yourstore.com/sitemap.xml

Structured data (Schema.org)

Magento supports basic structured data.

Extend with extensions:

• Amasty SEO Toolkit
• Mirasvit SEO Suite
• Mageplaza SEO

Schema markup for:

• Products (price, stock, reviews)
• Breadcrumbs
• Organization
• FAQ

Content SEO

Product descriptions

Tips:

• Write unique descriptions (no manufacturer texts)
• Use your main keyword in the first 100 words
• Add specifications in bullet points
• Minimum 300 words per product

Category pages

• Add intro text above products
• Use H1 for category name
• Add filters (faceted navigation) with SEO-friendly URLs

Internal linking

• Link from product descriptions to related products
• Use descriptive anchor texts
• Create a logical category structure

Performance SEO

Google rewards fast websites.

Key metrics:

• Largest Contentful Paint: < 2.5s
• First Input Delay: < 100ms
• Cumulative Layout Shift: < 0.1

Optimizations:

• Enable Magento caching
• Use a CDN
• Optimize images
• Minimize JavaScript

SEO checklist

SEO extensions

Free:

• Magento native SEO features

Paid (recommended):

• Mageworx SEO Suite Ultimate (~$299)
• Amasty SEO Toolkit (~$249)
• Mirasvit Advanced SEO (~$169)

These extensions offer:

• Automatic meta templates
• Rich snippets
• SEO audit tools
• Redirect management