Shopify Keyword Research: A Free Method for a New Store
Shopify keyword research for a new store can be done entirely with free tools: collect candidate phrases from Google’s autocomplete and related searches, marketplace search boxes and your own Search Console data once you have it, check rough volumes in Google Keyword Planner, then search each phrase yourself to see what kind of page Google ranks. The output is a short list where each phrase has one page of your store assigned to it.
This is the method we use for our own app sites at MITS, where every page targets a phrase from a keyword list built this way. Shopify’s own keyword guidance, from its Help Center page on adding keywords (read October 23, 2026), covers where the phrases go once you have them.
Start from problems, then products
A new brand’s product names are not searched for yet, so start from what a buyer types before they know your brand: the problem (“dry skin in winter”), the use (“candle for a small bedroom”), the type of product with a qualifier (“soy candle unscented”), or a comparison (“soy vs paraffin candles”).
Write 20 to 30 such seed phrases from customer emails, reviews of similar products and how you would describe the product to a friend. They are the input for the sources below.
Five free sources
| Source | What it gives you | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Google autocomplete and “People also search for” | Real phrases people type, in their order | Type each seed slowly and note the completions; add a letter after the seed (a, b, c) for more |
| Google Search Console | The queries your pages already appear for, with impressions and position | Once the store is live and verified, sort queries by impressions; positions 8 to 20 are the nearest wins |
| Google Keyword Planner | Monthly search ranges and related ideas | Free with a Google Ads account; in our account without ad spend it shows ranges (such as 100 to 1K), which is enough to rank phrases |
| Marketplace and App Store search boxes | What shoppers type when they are ready to buy | Type seeds into a marketplace search box and note the suggestions |
| Competitor pages | Phrases in titles and headings of pages that rank | Read the titles and H2s of the top three results for each seed |
Shopify’s Help Center says phrases with more searches also have more competition, and advises prioritizing specific keywords. Our reading is that a new store reaches page one sooner with specific phrases. Favor specific phrases with clear buying intent over broad ones at first, and record where each number came from so you can compare like with like later.
Check the results page before you choose
A phrase is only useful if the kind of page you can make matches what Google shows. Search each candidate in a private window and note what ranks:
- Product pages and shops (shopping results, collection pages): the phrase wants a product or collection page.
- Guides and lists (“how to”, “best”, “vs” articles): the phrase wants a blog post or guide.
- A mix: either can work; look at which type sits higher.
Two phrases whose top results share most of the same pages are one topic; target them with one page, not two. Phrases whose top results are different belong on different pages.
Map one keyword to one page
Turn the list into a simple table: phrase, rough volume, intent, and the URL that owns it. The rows below are illustrative examples, not measured volumes.
| Phrase | Volume range | Intent | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| soy candles | 1K–10K | Category | Collection: Soy Candles |
| lavender soy candle 8 oz | 10–100 | Product | Product page |
| how long to burn a candle the first time | 100–1K | Question | Blog post |
Rules that keep it clean:
- One main phrase per page, plus close variants.
- No two pages for the same phrase. If two of your pages chase it, merge them or give one a different target.
- Every important phrase has an owner, even if the page does not exist yet; that becomes your content list.
Then put each phrase where Shopify reads it: the page title, meta description, the title that becomes the H1, image alt text and the body text, in readable sentences. Our guide on where to put keywords on Shopify covers each field, and free SEO tools for Shopify lists more free tools for the checks above.
Repeat the research every few months once Search Console has data, and replace estimates with the queries your own pages receive. More SEO guides sit in the Shopify SEO hub.
FAQ
How do I find keywords for my Shopify store for free? Collect phrases from Google autocomplete, related searches and marketplace search boxes, check rough volumes in Google Keyword Planner, and once your store is live, use Google Search Console to see the queries your pages already appear for.
Should a new store target high-volume keywords? Shopify’s guidance notes that higher-traffic keywords also have more competition. A new store may rank sooner for specific phrases that show buying intent.
How many keywords should one page target? Each page targets one main phrase plus close variants. If two pages target the same phrase, merge them or give one a different phrase.