Product handles are the unique URL identifiers assigned to each product in your shop, distinct from the product names. For example, in the URL www.example.com/products/red-scarf, the product handle is red-scarf. When you’re optimising your online shop for search engines, one aspect that often gets overlooked is the importance of product handles in URLs.
Shopify store owners need to clarify how product handles will support a shop’s SEO strategy, particularly concerning their length and the use of relevant keywords within them.
The role of URLs in SEO
While product handles are important, they shouldn’t be the main focus of your SEO efforts. Over the years, search engines like Google have realised that website owners can easily manipulate URLs by using any text they choose. As a result, URLs have become less important compared to factors like quality content and backlinks.
Good content and reliable links take time and effort to create, making them stronger indicators of a page’s relevance. So, while having a well-crafted URL can provide some benefits, it shouldn’t be your primary concern. That said, it still isn’t one to ignore. A good URL structure can help customers and search engine crawlers understand your store and it’s products. It can also help improve the appearance of your search engine listings, where in some cases the url of your products will be displayed. Customer’s tend not to trust “dodgy looking”, url handles, so putting some thought into your product handles can help avoid this situation.
How to make a good product handle
When picking product handles, the goal is to find a middle ground between being clear and being too short. Here’s how to approach it:
- A handle that’s too brief may miss out on potential traffic because it doesn’t have enough relevant keywords. For instance, a handle like blue-bag might not tell customers much about the product.
- On the other hand, a handle that is stuffed with too many keywords can look spammy and might be ignored by search engines. An example would be large-blue-leather-handbag-for-women-with-gold-hardware, which is too long and crammed with keywords. A better option might be blue-leather-handbag or womens-blue-handbag. These are descriptive without being overwhelming.
Finding this “just right” spot is essential—too much or too little can hurt your SEO efforts.
To find effective product handles, a quick search using your favourite keyword tool can help you discover useful keywords for your products. This can guide you in creating handles that attract more visitors while staying easy to read.
Another important point to think about is how you plan to share or print your product URLs. If you might say these links aloud or print them, it’s better to choose shorter versions. Long URLs can be awkward and hard to get right. Additionally, while you can create redirects to make cleaner URLs, managing multiple products this way can be a hassle.
How to edit Shopify Product handles
Login to your store via the admin panel and navigate to the product you want to edit the handle for.
- Scroll down to the Search engine listing preview section.
- Here, you’ll find a field where you can edit the product handle. Update it to a clearer and more SEO-friendly version using the tips mentioned above. Make sure to save/publish your changes.
Note: Shopify will automatically suggest a redirect when you change your url handle. In 99.9% of cases you should accept this redirect, it will help make sure that customers don’t get lost of they are using the old url. And it will keep search engines happy too.
Using Shopify apps
If you’ve got lots of products and want an easy way to manage them, you can install a bulk editing app from Shopify. Apps like Bulk Product Edit or Matrixify let you export your product list into a spreadsheet.
You can then edit your handles in the spreadsheet and import it back into Shopify. This is great if you have many products or want a record of your changes.
Conclusion
In summary, while Shopify product handles do play a role in your shop’s SEO, they shouldn’t be your top priority. Focus more on creating quality content and building links. When crafting your product handles, aim for a balance between being clear and concise. By following these tips, you can improve your shop’s performance in search engines and keep your product URLs user-friendly.
