Launching a Shopify store is easy.
Getting it noticed on Google is the harder part.
You may have great products, a fast website, and a smooth checkout. But if other websites rarely mention or link to your store, building organic visibility can take time.
That’s where backlinks can help.
A backlink is a link from another website to your Shopify store. For example, a blogger linking to one of your products or a publication mentioning your brand and linking to your website.
But remember: more backlinks don’t always mean better SEO.
Quality, relevance, and context matter.
Google explains that links help search engines discover pages and understand relationships between websites. Learn more about Google’s crawlable links.
So, how can you build useful backlinks for your Shopify store?
What Makes a Backlink Valuable?
Not every backlink carries the same value.
Before pursuing a link, consider:
- Relevance: Is the website related to your industry?
- Trust: Does it look like a genuine, established website?
- Audience: Could its readers be interested in your products?
- Context: Does the link naturally fit the content?
- Traffic: Could the link actually bring visitors?
Don’t focus only on SEO metrics such as Domain Authority or Domain Rating.
Ask a simpler question:
“Would this link make sense to a real customer?”
1. Create Content People Want to Link To
If you want websites to link to your store, give them something worth referencing.
Instead of publishing generic posts just for SEO, create useful resources such as:
- Buying guides
- Product comparisons
- Tutorials
- Checklists
- Original research
- Industry reports
- Detailed how-to guides
For example, a Shopify skincare store could publish an ingredient comparison guide.
A beauty blogger might then reference that guide in an article.
That’s a natural backlink opportunity.
Google’s people-first content guidance recommends creating useful content primarily for people rather than content created mainly to manipulate search rankings.
2. Turn Your Products Into Stories
Your products can attract attention beyond product searches.
Think about what makes your brand different.
Maybe you:
- Manufacture locally
- Solve a specific problem
- Use unusual materials
- Have an interesting founder story
- Serve a niche audience
- Use sustainable packaging
For example, an eco-friendly Shopify brand could explain how it developed its packaging.
That story could attract sustainability websites, business publications, or ecommerce blogs.
The backlink becomes part of a useful story rather than the only goal.
3. Reach Out to Relevant Websites
You don’t need to contact hundreds of websites.
Focus on sites that already discuss your industry.
Look for:
- Niche blogs
- Industry publications
- Online magazines
- Product review websites
- Local publications
- Resource pages
Before contacting them, read their content.
Then offer something useful, such as:
- Expert insights
- Original research
- A case study
- An interview
- A useful guide
Avoid sending the same generic email to everyone.
Personalized outreach usually makes more sense because you’re showing why your content is relevant to their audience.
4. Use Guest Posting Carefully
Guest posting can help you share your expertise and reach a relevant audience.
For example, a Shopify store selling office furniture could contribute an article about creating a comfortable home office.
A relevant resource from the store could be included naturally where it helps readers.
But don’t publish low-quality articles simply to collect links.
Google’s spam policies address manipulative link-building practices.
Useful content should come first.
5. Find Unlinked Brand Mentions
Someone may already be talking about your business without linking to your website.
Search for:
- Brand name
- Company name
- Product names
- Founder name
- Unique product names
If you find a relevant article mentioning your brand without a link, contact the publisher politely.
Ask whether they would consider linking to your website or the product mentioned.
You’re not starting from scratch because they already know your brand.
6. Recover Lost Backlinks
Backlinks can disappear when you:
- Delete products
- Change URLs
- Remove blog posts
- Redesign your store
- Change your site structure
During a backlink audit, look for links pointing to:
- 404 pages
- Deleted products
- Old collection URLs
- Outdated content
If the backlink is valuable, a relevant redirect may help users and search engines reach the correct current page.
Shopify’s SEO documentation covers redirects and other SEO considerations.
7. Research Your Competitors’ Backlinks
Your competitors can show you where potential opportunities exist.
SEO tools can help identify websites linking to similar businesses.
You may discover:
- Industry publications
- Bloggers
- Resource pages
- Product comparison sites
- Business websites
- Podcasts
- Partner websites
Tools such as Ahrefs provide backlink research features.
Don’t copy every link your competitors have.
Instead, ask:
“Why did this website link to them?”
If you have something genuinely useful, you may have an opportunity too.
8. Build Relationships With Complementary Businesses
You don’t need a huge publication to earn a useful backlink.
Look for businesses serving the same audience without directly competing with you.
For example, a coffee equipment store could connect with:
- Coffee roasters
- Cafés
- Barista trainers
- Food bloggers
- Hospitality websites
A wedding accessories store could work with:
- Wedding planners
- Photographers
- Florists
- Event venues
- Bridal websites
Collaborate on guides, interviews, research, or useful resources.
These relationships can also bring referral traffic and potential customers.
9. Strengthen Your Internal Links
Backlinks aren’t the only links that matter.
Your Shopify store also needs a clear internal linking structure.
For example:
Blog post → Collection page → Product page
A blog about choosing running shoes could link to your running shoe collection, sizing guide, and relevant products.
Good internal links make navigation easier and help search engines understand how your pages connect.
Shopify also provides guidance on optimizing store SEO and site structure.
10. Earn Genuine Product Reviews and Mentions
Product reviews can introduce your store to a new audience.
Look for:
- Industry bloggers
- Product reviewers
- Niche publications
- Online magazines
- Relevant creators
Focus on genuine editorial coverage rather than simply asking for a backlink.
The product should have a real reason to be covered.
How Many Backlinks Does a Shopify Store Need?
There is no magic number.
You don’t need 100, 500, or 1,000 backlinks before your store can rank.
Focus instead on earning relevant links from websites that make sense for your business.
A good backlink can:
- Bring targeted visitors
- Increase brand exposure
- Support SEO
- Introduce your products to new audiences
So don’t make “get 1,000 backlinks” your goal.
Make “create a website worth referencing” the goal.
The Technical Side of Backlink Building
This is where things can become time-consuming.
Backlink building may involve:
- Backlink audits
- Competitor research
- Referring-domain analysis
- Broken-link recovery
- Redirect checks
- Anchor-text analysis
- Internal-link planning
- Technical SEO
- Outreach
- Performance tracking
And outreach alone can take hours.
You need to find relevant websites, research contacts, write personalized messages, follow up, and track responses.
Can You Do It Yourself?
Yes.
You can learn backlink building through SEO guides and tools.
But learning SEO and managing an SEO campaign are two different things.
If you’re already handling products, customers, orders, inventory, marketing, and sales, SEO can become another major responsibility.
The technical side can take considerable time to learn properly.
When Should You Get Help From an SEO Expert?
You don’t have to outsource everything.
However, technical and strategic SEO can benefit from experienced help.
An SEO professional can assist with:
- Backlink audits
- Competitor analysis
- Technical SEO
- Redirect issues
- Link opportunity research
- Internal linking
- Outreach strategy
- SEO monitoring
The biggest benefit may simply be saving time and avoiding costly mistakes.
You can learn these tasks yourself, but becoming confident with technical SEO and backlink analysis can take weeks or months.
If you’re busy running your Shopify store, expert help can allow you to focus on customers and business growth while the technical work is handled properly.
Backlink Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid shortcuts such as:
- Buying backlinks purely to manipulate rankings
- Automated link-building services
- Spammy directories
- Forum comment links
- Excessive link exchanges
- Keyword-stuffed anchor text
- Low-quality guest posts
- Links from unrelated websites
- Mass-produced content created mainly for links
Google’s Search Essentials and spam policies explain practices that can violate its guidelines.
A natural backlink profile takes time to build.
A Simple Shopify Backlink Plan
Start with a manageable process:
1. Audit Your Existing Links
Find out which websites already link to your store.
2. Research Competitors
Identify relevant websites linking to similar businesses.
3. Create One Useful Resource
Build something original that other websites would genuinely want to reference.
4. Build a Prospect List
Find relevant blogs, publications, businesses, and resource pages.
5. Start Personalized Outreach
Explain why your content is relevant to their readers.
6. Track Results
Monitor referring domains, referral traffic, rankings, and organic conversions.
Remember, backlink count is only one part of your SEO strategy.
Conclusion
Getting backlinks for a Shopify store isn’t about collecting as many links as possible. It’s about earning relevant, trustworthy links by creating useful content, building relationships, and giving other websites a reason to mention your brand.
You can handle basic backlink activities yourself, but audits, technical SEO, competitor research, redirects, and ongoing monitoring can take a lot of time.
If you’re focused on running your store, working with an SEO expert can save time and help you build a more structured SEO strategy.
Create something worth linking to, build genuine relationships, and let your backlink profile grow naturally.
