AM Keyword research for a Shopify store is different from keyword research for a blog. A blog mostly chases questions. A store needs to rank for the searches people type when they are close to buying: "linen duvet cover queen", "waterproof hiking boots women", "cast iron skillet 12 inch". Those searches belong on collection and product pages, and the way you find and assign them decides whether those pages ever rank.
This guide walks through the full process: collecting seed terms, expanding them with Google autocomplete and competitor stores, sorting keywords by intent, mapping them to specific pages, and keeping two pages from competing for the same search.
Start with seed terms from your own store
Seed terms are the plain words that describe what you sell. They are the starting points for everything else, so collect them from places that reflect how customers talk, not how suppliers label products.
- Your product types and collections. Write down every category you sell in simple words: "duvet covers", "pillowcases", "sheet sets".
- Your store search data. In the Shopify admin, go to Analytics > Reports and open "Searches by search query" and "Top online store searches with no results". These show the exact words visitors type into your search box, including products you do not stock yet.
- Search Console. If the store has been live a few months, open Performance > Search results and sort queries by impressions. These are searches Google already associates with your pages.
- Customer language. Reviews, support emails and return reasons use the words buyers actually use. "Doesn't pill" and "stays cool" are often better modifiers than anything in the supplier sheet.
- Attributes. Material, size, color, use case, audience and style. These become the modifiers that turn one seed into dozens of specific searches.
Aim for 10 to 30 seed terms for a focused store. More than that usually means the store covers several niches, and each deserves its own keyword pass.
Expand seeds with Google autocomplete
Google autocomplete is one of the most useful free keyword sources for stores because the suggestions come from real searches. Type a seed term into Google and note the suggestions. Then type the seed followed by each letter of the alphabet ("linen sheets a", "linen sheets b", and so on) and note those too. Repeat with the modifier first ("queen linen sheets", "organic linen sheets").
Also collect the "People also ask" questions and the "Related searches" at the bottom of the results page. Questions are usually blog material; related searches often reveal subcategories you had not thought of.
Doing the alphabet method by hand for 30 seeds is several hundred searches, so most people automate it. The Niche Research and Keyword Miner in AM Jarvis runs the A to Z autocomplete expansion for a seed in any of 18 countries, groups the results into a keyword map, and gives each term an "untapped" score based on the current search results. If you research several markets, run the same seeds for each country, since product words differ (duvet versus comforter, trainers versus sneakers).
Add search volume carefully
Autocomplete tells you a search exists, not how often it happens. For volume, Google Keyword Planner is free with a Google Ads account, although it shows broad ranges unless you run ads. Paid SEO tools give tighter estimates. Treat all volume numbers as rough. For a store, a keyword with modest volume and strong buying intent is usually worth more than a big informational term.
Learn from competitor stores
Stores that already rank for your category have done part of the work. Look at them the way a merchandiser would:
- Find them. Search your main category keywords and note which stores (not marketplaces) show up on page one.
- Read their navigation. Main menus and collection names show how an established store groups the category. If three competitors all have a "Linen Sheet Sets" collection and you do not, that is a gap.
- Read their title tags. Search
site:competitor.com linenand read how they phrase titles for collections and products. - Check their sitemap. Shopify stores publish
/sitemap.xml, which links to child sitemaps for products, collections, pages and blogs. The collections sitemap is a fast list of every category page they have built. - Look at their blog. Posts that rank tell you which questions in your niche bring traffic.
Use this to find keywords and page types, not to copy their pages. Your collection for "linen sheet sets" still needs its own description, products and structure. Our guide to niche keyword research covers competitor analysis in more depth.
Sort every keyword by intent
Once you have a list, the key decision is which kind of page each keyword belongs on. Google shows different page types for different searches, and your page has to match what Google already rewards. Search the keyword and look at page one: if it is full of category pages with product grids, the keyword wants a collection. If it is mostly single products, it wants a product page. If it is articles and videos, it wants a blog post or guide.
| Intent | Example searches | Best Shopify page |
|---|---|---|
| Category, buying | linen sheet sets, womens hiking boots, ceramic planters | Collection page |
| Specific product | stonewashed linen sheet set queen sage, brand plus model name | Product page |
| Attribute or subcategory | king size linen sheets, waterproof hiking boots wide fit | Subcollection (automated collection) |
| Comparison | linen vs percale sheets, best hiking boots for flat feet | Blog post linking to collections |
| How-to and care | how to wash linen sheets, how to break in hiking boots | Blog post or care page |
| Store and trust | your brand plus reviews, your brand plus shipping | Homepage, FAQ, policy pages |
The most common mistake on Shopify is trying to rank product pages for category searches. A single product rarely ranks for "linen sheets" because Google wants to show a page with a choice of products. That search belongs on a collection.
Decide which keywords to target first
A new store cannot win every keyword at once, so score the list before building pages. Four questions do most of the work:
- Do you sell exactly this? A keyword for a product you do not stock, or stock in only one variant, will not convert even if it ranks.
- Who ranks now? If page one is all large marketplaces and national retailers with thousands of reviews, a new store will struggle. If you see small stores, thin category pages or forum threads, there is room.
- How specific is it? "Sheets" is hopeless for a small store. "Stonewashed linen sheets queen" is realistic, and the person searching knows what they want.
- What is it worth? Think in margin, not just volume. A keyword tied to your highest margin collection earns its place higher in the queue.
A practical rule is to start with the collections that match your best-selling products and have beatable results, then add subcollections and supporting blog posts around them. Broad head terms come later, once the store has links, reviews and a record of satisfied searchers. Mark each keyword in your list as now, next or later so the build order is clear to anyone on the team.
Map keywords to pages
A keyword map is a simple table: one row per page, with the primary keyword, a few close variants, and the page type. It is the document that stops your store from growing into a pile of overlapping pages.
- Group keywords that mean the same thing. "linen sheet set", "linen sheet sets" and "linen bed sheet set" are one topic. Google shows the same results for them, so one page should cover all three.
- Pick the primary keyword for each group. Usually the phrase with the most volume or the clearest intent.
- Assign each group to one page. Existing page if one fits, new page if not.
- Write down the URL handle you will use. Keep it short and matching the primary keyword, such as
/collections/linen-sheet-sets. - Link related pages. Note which collection each blog post should link to and which subcollections should link back to the parent.
A small example for a bedding store:
| Page | Primary keyword | Variants |
|---|---|---|
| /collections/linen-bedding | linen bedding | linen bed linen, french linen bedding |
| /collections/linen-sheet-sets | linen sheet sets | linen sheet set queen, linen bed sheets |
| /collections/linen-duvet-covers | linen duvet cover | linen duvet cover king, stonewashed linen duvet cover |
| /products/stonewashed-linen-sheet-set | stonewashed linen sheet set | color and size names |
| /blogs/guides/how-to-wash-linen-sheets | how to wash linen sheets | do linen sheets shrink, linen sheet care |
If you want to go further and plan a full cluster of supporting articles around a category, the keyword map in Niche Research can be expanded into a deeper topical map, which is useful when you plan blog content months ahead.
Avoid keyword cannibalization
Cannibalization happens when two or more of your pages target the same search, so Google has to pick one and often rotates between them. On Shopify stores it shows up in predictable places:
- Two collections for one topic, such as "Linen Sheets" and "Linen Sheet Sets", with the same products.
- A blog post and a collection both optimized for "linen sheets". The post should target a question or comparison instead.
- Several products with the same title pattern, such as ten products all titled "Linen Sheet Set" with only the color changed. Use variants, or make titles specific.
- Tag and filter pages that repeat a collection's title and content. See our guide on product tags and SEO for how to keep those out of the index.
To check for it, open Search Console, go to Performance > Search results, filter by a query, then open the Pages tab. If two or more of your URLs get impressions for the same query and neither ranks well, pick one to be the main page. Merge the content, redirect the other if you delete it, and point internal links to the winner.
Note: Some overlap is normal. A product page will get impressions for its category keyword, and that is fine as long as the collection page is the one you optimize and link to for that term.
Put keywords where Shopify uses them
With the map finished, apply each primary keyword in the places that carry weight:
- Title field. For products and collections this becomes the H1. Use the keyword naturally, for example "Linen Sheet Sets".
- Search engine listing. On each product and collection, edit the page title (up to 70 characters, keep the important part in the first 60) and meta description. Our guide on SEO titles and meta descriptions has formulas.
- URL handle. Set it once, before the page gets links. If you change it later, keep the redirect option checked.
- Collection description. A short, useful introduction with the keyword and one or two variants, plus links to subcollections.
- Product description. Specific details in the words buyers use: materials, dimensions, fit, care.
- Image alt text. A plain description of the image, which naturally includes the product name.
For product titles in particular, see how to write Shopify product titles for SEO. Updating dozens of product SEO titles and meta descriptions one by one is slow; a bulk editor with a preview step speeds that up.
Keep the list alive
Keyword research for a store is not a one-time job. Every month or two, check three things. First, new queries in Search Console that bring impressions to the wrong page or to no page, which point to missing collections. Second, the "searches with no results" report in Shopify, which shows products or words shoppers expect you to have. Third, new product lines, which need their own seed terms and map rows before the products go live. Adding the page to the map first, then building it, keeps the store organized as it grows.