Semrush for Shopify keyword research

Keyword research for Shopify goes wrong when it ends as a spreadsheet.

A store owner does not need 2,000 keywords sorted by volume. They need to know which search terms deserve collections, which belong inside product pages, which need buying guides, and which should not become pages at all.

That is where Semrush can be useful.

But the tool is not the strategy. It is a way to find demand, compare competitors and organise evidence. The hard part is translating that evidence into Shopify architecture.

This process is for using Semrush to make better page decisions.

If the question is not keyword research but audit sequencing, use the Shopify SEO audit process with Semrush. If you need broader tool-selection guidance, start with the Shopify SEO tools hub.

Start with the catalogue, not the keyword tool

Before opening Semrush, list the store’s real commercial groups.

For example:

• product categories
• subcategories
• materials
• use cases
• sizes
• colours
• audiences
• brands
• price bands
• compatibility types
• seasonal groups
• problem/solution groups

A keyword tool can suggest demand, but it does not know whether your catalogue can support a page.

If the store only has three suitable products, creating a new collection for a modifier may be weak. If the store has 80 relevant products and clear buying intent, the same modifier could deserve its own collection.

The catalogue decides what is possible. Search demand decides what is worth shaping.

Decide the page type before chasing volume

Every keyword group should be mapped to a likely page type.

This is the step many keyword exports miss.

A keyword with volume is not automatically a page. It might be a filter, a paragraph in a collection, a product detail, a buying guide, or no action.

Use Semrush seed terms carefully

Start with a small set of seed terms tied to real catalogue groups.

Do not begin with the broadest possible market term unless the store can compete there.

Good seed terms:

• the store’s main commercial collection names
• subcategory names
• product-type names
• material/use-case terms
• best-selling product groups
• existing Search Console queries
• competitor collection names

For each seed, look for:

• intent
• modifier patterns
• repeated language
• commercial specificity
• competitor page types
• long-tail groups
• terms that reveal missing collections

The goal is not to collect everything. The goal is to identify page decisions.

Build keyword groups around Shopify pages

For each group, decide:

• existing URL
• new collection
• improved collection
• product page
• buying guide
• comparison page
• filter/no page
• ignore

Example:

This prevents the site from creating thin collections for every phrase.

Use Keyword Magic Tool to find modifiers

Keyword Magic Tool is useful for finding modifier patterns around a category.

Look for modifiers such as:

• audience: men, women, kids, pets, beginners
• use case: waterproof, winter, travel, wedding, gym
• material: leather, cotton, oak, stainless steel
• size: small, large, compact, wide
• colour: black, white, green, navy
• compatibility: iPhone, Ford, Bosch, Shopify, WordPress
• problem: sensitive skin, narrow feet, back pain
• commercial: best, cheap, premium, sale

Then ask a Shopify question:

Does this modifier deserve a page?

The answer depends on:

• product depth
• margin/revenue potential
• search intent
• internal-link support
• whether the page would be meaningfully different
• whether it would compete with an existing collection

If the answer is weak, do not create the page.

Use competitor data to understand page types

Competitors can reveal what kind of page Google is rewarding.

For a keyword group, check whether ranking pages are:

• collections
• product pages
• buying guides
• marketplace listings
• brand pages
• blog articles
• comparison pages
• category hubs

If the results are mostly collections, a blog post is unlikely to be the best target. If the results are mostly buying guides, a product grid may not answer the intent.

The page type matters as much as the keyword.

Collection opportunity scoring

Score potential collection pages before building them.

Use:

• search demand
• product depth
• commercial value
• differentiation from existing collections
• internal-link support
• content/evidence available
• operational ability to maintain it

A high-volume term with weak product depth is dangerous. A lower-volume term with strong catalogue fit can be a better page.

Suggested scoring:

Build or improve the highest-scoring opportunities first.

Product-page keyword research

Product pages should not chase broad collection terms.

Use Semrush and Search Console to identify:

• exact product-name demand
• brand/model searches
• specification searches
• compatibility terms
• variant terms
• problem/solution terms linked to the product

Then improve the product page evidence:

• title clarity
• description depth
• specifications
• media
• variant information
• FAQs if genuinely useful
• internal links to parent collections

Do not force collection keywords into product pages where they do not belong.

Guide and comparison opportunities

Some keywords should become supporting content, not collections.

Examples:

• “how to choose…”
• “best X for Y”
• “X vs Y”
• “what size X do I need”
• “how to clean/maintain/use X”
• “Shopify vs WooCommerce” style decisions

These pages should support commercial pages by linking naturally to the collections, products or service pages they help.

A buying guide that never links to commercial pages is disconnected. A commercial page that tries to answer every educational question becomes bloated.

Avoid keyword cannibalisation before it happens

Before creating a new collection or guide, check:

• do we already have a page targeting this intent?
• would the new page overlap with a stronger page?
• will both pages link to each other clearly?
• is one page a parent and the other a child?
• should the modifier be a filter instead?

If two pages exist for the same intent, neither may perform well.

This is especially common after migrations, where old WordPress categories, WooCommerce product categories, tags and Shopify collections all collide.

Turn the research into an action map

Your final output should not be a keyword export.

Create a map with:

• keyword group
• search intent
• target page type
• existing URL
• recommended action
• product depth
• commercial priority
• internal links needed
• status

Example actions:

• improve existing collection
• create child collection
• merge weak collection
• handle as filter
• write buying guide
• improve product page
• monitor only
• no action

This is the point where keyword research becomes Shopify SEO.

A practical research process

1. Export existing Search Console queries.
2. List real catalogue groups.
3. Use Semrush seed terms for each group.
4. Cluster modifiers by intent.
5. Identify ranking page types.
6. Map each group to Shopify page type.
7. Score collection opportunities.
8. Check cannibalisation risk.
9. Prioritise actions.
10. Build internal links into the pages you choose.

Common mistakes

Avoid:

• creating collections for every keyword variation
• chasing volume without product depth
• treating filters as SEO pages by default
• writing blog posts for collection intent
• forcing broad terms onto product pages
• copying competitor pages without checking catalogue fit
• ignoring existing Search Console evidence
• exporting keywords without assigning page types

What good looks like

Good Shopify keyword research leaves you with fewer, better page decisions.

You should know:

• which collections to improve
• which collections to create
• which modifiers should remain filters
• which products need stronger evidence
• which guides support commercial pages
• which opportunities are not worth chasing

That is the outcome: not more keywords, but a clearer store.