BigCommerce SEO checklist for beginners: simple steps to boost your store

Getting your BigCommerce store to rank well in search engines doesn’t have to be complicated. This technical SEO checklist breaks down the essential optimizations that will help improve your store’s visibility, drive more organic traffic, and ultimately increase sales—without requiring advanced technical knowledge.

Why technical SEO matters for your BigCommerce store

Technical SEO forms the foundation of your online store’s search performance. Think of it as ensuring your store is built on solid ground before you start decorating the interior. Without these technical elements in place, even the best content and products might never be discovered by potential customers. It’s like having a beautiful retail store hidden down an unmarked alley—no matter how amazing your products are, customers can’t buy what they can’t find.

The beginner’s technical SEO checklist for BigCommerce

1. Set up and verify essential accounts

Get indexed by Google:

• Create a Google Search Console account
• Verify ownership of your BigCommerce store
• Submit your sitemap (automatically generated by BigCommerce)

Monitor your SEO performance:

• Set up Google Analytics 4 to track visitor behavior
• Connect GA4 with your Search Console for comprehensive insights

This foundational step is crucial—without being properly indexed by Google, your store is essentially invisible to potential customers searching online.

2. Optimize your URL structure

BigCommerce gives you control over your URLs, so make them count:

• Use hyphens between words (e.g., yourstore.com/mens-athletic-shoes)
• Include relevant keywords
• Keep URLs simple and descriptive
• Avoid numbers and special characters

According to HigherVisibility’s BigCommerce SEO best practices, optimized URLs that include primary keywords significantly improve search visibility. Think of your URL as a street address for your digital storefront—it should be clear, logical, and help both visitors and search engines understand what they’ll find at that location.

3. Fix broken links and redirect chains

• Run a site audit using tools like Screaming Frog to identify broken links
• Set up 301 redirects for any outdated or changed pages
• Eliminate redirect chains (where one redirect points to another redirect)

Broken links create dead ends in your store, frustrating customers and wasting your crawl budget. Imagine a customer following signs in a physical store only to find empty shelves—that’s essentially what happens with broken links online.

4. Improve site structure and navigation

Create a clear hierarchy:

• Organize products into logical categories and subcategories
• Implement a proper heading structure (H1, H2, H3) on all pages
• Build strong internal linking between related products and categories

As noted by IntuitSolutions’ technical SEO guide, a clear navigation structure helps both users and search engines understand your site organization. Think of your site structure as the floor plan of your store—customers should be able to intuitively navigate from department to department without confusion.

5. Optimize for mobile users

BigCommerce provides responsive templates by default, but you should still:

• Test your store using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test
• Ensure touch elements are properly spaced
• Verify text is readable without zooming
• Check that images scale correctly on smaller screens

With Google’s mobile-first indexing, how your site performs on smartphones directly impacts your rankings. Mobile optimization isn’t optional—it’s essential for today’s shoppers who browse and buy on their phones.

6. Boost page loading speed

• Compress and optimize all product images
• Leverage BigCommerce’s built-in CDN (Content Delivery Network)
• Minimize third-party scripts and unnecessary apps
• Monitor Core Web Vitals in Google Search Console

According to BigCommerce’s technical SEO support documentation, utilizing their CDN significantly reduces latency and improves load times for customers around the world. Every second counts—research consistently shows that faster pages have lower bounce rates and higher conversion rates.

7. Implement SSL and fix security issues

BigCommerce includes free SSL certificates, which is excellent because:

• HTTPS is a confirmed Google ranking factor
• It builds customer trust during checkout
• It prevents “not secure” warnings in browsers

Make sure all your assets (images, scripts, etc.) load securely to avoid mixed content warnings. Security isn’t just about rankings—it’s about customer confidence, especially when they’re entering payment information.

8. Add structured data (schema markup)

BigCommerce automatically adds basic product schema, but you should enhance it with:

• Review and rating information
• Product availability data
• Organization schema (business hours, logo, social links)

Rich snippets created by structured data can increase click-through rates by 10–20% according to IntuitSolutions. Think of schema as a way to translate your store’s data into a language search engines can clearly understand and display to potential customers.

9. Optimize your robots.txt file

• Audit your robots.txt file to ensure it’s not blocking important pages
• Prevent search engines from indexing duplicate or thin content pages
• Use Google Search Console’s “URL Inspection” tool to test crawlability

Your robots.txt file acts as an instruction manual for search engine crawlers. According to BigCommerce’s support documentation, it’s essential to verify that critical directories like /product/ or /category/ aren’t accidentally blocked, which would prevent your products from appearing in search results.

10. Optimize images with ALT tags

• Add descriptive, keyword-rich alt text to all product images
• Include product names, colors, or distinguishing features
• Keep alt text natural and useful for visually impaired users

Image optimization serves a dual purpose—it improves accessibility for visually impaired shoppers while providing additional context to search engines about your product content. Well-crafted alt tags can help your images appear in Google Image searches, creating another avenue for discovery.

Next steps after implementing the basics

Once you’ve checked off these fundamental technical SEO items, you’ll be in a strong position to start seeing improvements in your organic search visibility. But SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time task.

Consider exploring more advanced optimization strategies or leveraging tools like CrocoAI that can help BigCommerce store owners automate SEO content creation and maintain a consistent publishing schedule—a crucial factor for long-term SEO success. Creating fresh, relevant content that targets your key product categories can strengthen your site’s topical authority and drive more qualified traffic to your store.

Technical SEO is your foundation for growth

Implementing this beginner-friendly technical SEO checklist will give your BigCommerce store the solid foundation it needs to compete effectively in search results. The beauty of BigCommerce is that many technical SEO elements are already built into the platform, making it easier for beginners to achieve good results without extensive technical knowledge.

Start with these fundamental optimizations, monitor your results in Google Analytics and Search Console, and gradually expand your SEO efforts as you become more comfortable with the technical aspects. Your BigCommerce store’s improved search visibility will lead to more traffic, more customers, and ultimately, more sales.