Pet Store SEO Tips That Actually Help Us Sell More

We’ve tested dozens of marketing hacks, but nothing drives consistent growth like following proven pet store SEO tips. If you’ve been relying solely on social media or email blasts to make sales, it might be time to dig into what’s helping other online pet brands thrive: search visibility.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through how our clients improved their rankings, sped up their site, and used SEO to get more pets—and pet parents—to their online store. I’ll also include real strategies inspired by communities and agencies that specialize in pet eCommerce.

Why Our Clients Needed Pet Store SEO in the First Place

Running an online pet store means you’re not just competing with other small businesses—you’re up against retail giants and Amazon listings. Our clients quickly realized that if they weren’t showing up on Google’s first page, they were invisible. SEO gave them a way to stand out using what they already had: great products, real customer photos, and a story people could trust.

They learned from the pros at 1Digital® Agency that SEO isn’t just about keywords. It’s about creating helpful content, improving site speed, optimizing images, and designing an experience that helps Google—and your customers—find what they need quickly.

Pet Store SEO Tips We Now Swear By

1. Speed Comes First—Always

One of the most frustrating things for a shopper? A slow website. Check out this advice from Shopify’s technical Q&A forum to optimize the load times in your website. It says there that you should:

• Compress all product photos using lossless tools
• Remove unused apps and scripts
• Switch to a lightweight Shopify theme
• Use lazy-loading for images and videos

You might not have to rebuild your site—just fine-tune the tech under the hood. And the SEO payoff comes within weeks.

2. SEO-Friendly Product Descriptions Matter

If you’re used to copy and paste manufacturer descriptions, big mistake. Once you start writing your own descriptions with real keywords like “durable chew toy for large dogs” or “hypoallergenic cat treats,” traffic will undoubtedly improve. The key is relevance—write as if your customer is Googling exactly what they need.

Also make sure each product page has:

• A unique title tag and meta description
• Descriptive alt text on all images
• Keyword-focused bullet points

This small effort could help your product pages rank individually, not just the homepage.

3. Use Canva to Design SEO-Boosted Graphics

If you’re sharing products on Pinterest or adding banners to your homepage, don’t miss out on optimizing them. Thanks to a post on Reddit, you may now start using Canva with a plan.

Name every image before uploading it (e.g., “raw-dog-food-for-sensitive-stomach.jpg”) and overlay graphics with headline-style text that includes relevant keywords. These SEO-friendly visuals will help you with both on-page SEO and social shares.

You may even use ChatGPT prompts to write the text on your graphics to cut design time in half.

4. Create Educational Blog Content for Pet Owners

Try to publish one blog per week. Each one should answer a real question you’ve seen in your customer DMs or Google searches—like “What’s the best leash for a reactive dog?” or “How often should I brush my Maine Coon?”

It’s not about selling. It’s about building trust and showing up when people search for answers. Every blog post links back to your products naturally, which helps with internal linking and time on site. You could also keep your paragraphs short, use H2 headings with the main keyword, and include FAQ sections using schema markup.

Blogs you could start writing include:

“How to Choose the Best Dental Treats for Small Dogs”
“Why Our Calming Cat Beds Work for Anxious Pets”
“Traveling with Pets: What to Pack and What to Leave Behind”

5. Engage with the Pet Community on TikTok (Yes, It Helps SEO)

TikTok might not feel like SEO territory, but hear us out. Platforms like TikTok now show up in Google search results. And if your video captions, voiceovers, or on-screen text include the right terms, they help your brand appear in both search and social discovery.

Check out the tips from TikTok’s “How to Grow Your Pet Account” page and start posting:

• Pet reaction videos
• Product demos
• “A day in the life” behind the scenes

The trick? Use your keyword phrases in the text on screen. If your product is a “cat scratcher for small apartments,” say it. That phrase can help boost visibility when your video is shared.

What Might Happen After Implementing These Pet Store SEO Tips

Once these steps are followed consistently, you’ll eventually start noticing:

increase in organic traffic within three months

• Dropped bounce rate
• Time on site should increase
• TikTok referrals showing up in Google Analytics
• Better ranking for high-intent terms like “eco-friendly dog collars” and “non-toxic pet shampoo”

And perhaps the best part? Your customers will then begin saying they “found us on Google,”.

SEO Tips Specific to Pet Store Owners

Not every SEO guide understands what you’re selling. So here are a few more tailored insights we picked up for you:

Use niche filters in your site navigation like “grain-free,” “for senior pets,” or “organic treats”—these are natural keywords.
Feature user-generated content (like pet photos with your products) and name those image files accordingly.
Add a pet breed or size in your copy when applicable: “Best brushes for Golden Retrievers” works better than “good dog brush.”
Offer a size guide or comparison chart for things like beds, collars, and food portions—it increases dwell time and relevance.
Don’t ignore your mobile layout—most pet owners browse while multitasking.

From SEO Advocate to Another

SEO isn’t just for big box stores or tech-savvy brands. With the right pet store SEO tips—and consistent effort—you’ll see your visibility, trust, and conversions rise steadily.

If your traffic is flat or you’re overly reliant on ads, take a week to implement just a few of these tips. Track what happens. Learn from others in the Shopify Community or reach out to our professionals who specialize in helping online pet brands grow.