Google Ads and SEO for Shopify Stores: How to make it work

Google Ads and SEO for Shopify Stores That Are Struggling to Convert

Google Ads and SEO are often treated as separate strategies, but for online retail stores, especially Shopify stores, they work best together. If you are spending money on Google Ads and not seeing consistent sales, the problem is rarely the platform. The issue is how Google Ads and SEO are being used, or ignored, as a combined growth strategy. Many online retailers come to us after months of ad spend with little to show for it. Traffic is there, but sales are not. This is where alignment matters.

Why Google Ads Alone Is Not Enough for Online Retail

Google Ads can drive traffic fast. That is its strength. But traffic without trust, relevance, and structure rarely converts. Common issues we see with struggling Shopify stores include:

• Ads driving users to unoptimised product pages
• No keyword alignment between ads and on-page content
• Thin product descriptions with no SEO value
• Slow page speed affecting Quality Score
• No long-term visibility outside paid ads

When Google Ads runs without SEO support, every click costs you. The moment you pause ads, traffic stops.

How Google Ads and SEO Support Each Other

Google Ads and SEO share the same foundation. Keywords, search intent, landing page experience, and relevance.

When they work together:

• SEO improves landing page relevance, which lowers cost per click
• Google Ads data reveals high-intent keywords to target with SEO
• Strong content increases conversion rates from paid traffic
• Organic rankings reduce reliance on ongoing ad spend

Google rewards consistency. When your Shopify store shows strong organic signals and paid relevance, performance improves across both channels.

Talk To Katrina Puranik about Google Ads & SEO - She is an expert at getting these two marketing strategies to fit together and work for you. 

Shopify Case Study Insight: Turning Ads into Sales

One Shopify retailer came to us after spending over $4,000 on Google Ads with minimal return. Their products were strong, but their site was not supporting the ads.

Why Shopify Stores Need SEO to Make Google Ads Profitable

Shopify makes it easy to launch, but it does not automatically make your store visible or persuasive.

SEO supports Google Ads by:

• Improving Quality Score
• Increasing on-page trust signals
• Supporting long-tail keyword searches
• Capturing buyers earlier in the decision process

When a shopper clicks your ad and sees detailed, helpful, keyword-aligned content, they stay longer and buy with confidence.

SEO Content Is Not Just Blogs

For Shopify stores, SEO lives in:

• Product descriptions
• Collection pages
• FAQs and buying guides
• Internal linking structure

Ads bring the visitor. SEO convinces them.

The Real Cost of Ignoring SEO

Without SEO:

• Every sale relies on paid traffic
• Customer acquisition costs keep rising
• Competitors build visibility while you rent traffic
• Growth stalls once ad budgets cap out

Google Ads should amplify what already works. SEO makes sure something is working underneath.

What to Focus On First If Your Store Is Struggling

If your Shopify store is not converting from Google Ads, start here:

• Align ad keywords with product page content
• Optimise your top 5 revenue products for SEO
• Use ad search terms to guide content creation
• Improve page speed and mobile usability
• Track performance in one clear dashboard

This is where most online retailers turn things around.

At Ranking Australia, we work with online retailers who want clarity, not guesswork. Our team combines Google Ads expertise with SEO strategy, supported by real performance data through our dashboards. You see what is working, what is costing you money, and where growth opportunities exist. We specialise in helping Shopify stores build sustainable traffic, not short-term spikes. When Google Ads and SEO are aligned, results become predictable and scalable.

Ask Us about a Google Ads and SEO Profitability Audit for Shopify Stores

What it includes:

• Review of current Google Ads performance
• SEO readiness check of key product pages
• Keyword alignment analysis between ads and site
• Clear action list to improve conversions