Making the leap from WooCommerce to Shopify? Exciting times! But there's one important thing you need to get right — your URL structure.
It might not be the first thing you think of when planning a migration, but URLs are gold when it comes to keeping your SEO intact.
Shopify and WooCommerce have very different URL structures and if you don't account for these differences, you could risk losing valuable search rankings.
Read: Shopify vs WooCommerce Platform Comparison
Key differences: WooCommerce vs. Shopify URL structures
WooCommerce, being part of WordPress, gives you loads of flexibility with your URLs. You can pretty much customise them however you like.
Shopify, on the other hand, keeps things way more standardised. The structure is less flexible, but it is consistent.
Typically, WooCommerce URL structures look like this:
- Product Page:
https://yourstore.com/product/product-name/
- Category Page:
https://yourstore.com/product-category/category-name/
- Blog Post:
https://yourstore.com/blog/post-name/
Shopify URL structures look something like this:
- Product Page:
https://yourstore.myshopify.com/products/product-name
- Category Page:
https://yourstore.myshopify.com/collections/collection-name
-
Blog Post:https://yourstore.myshopify.com/blogs/blog-name/post-name
This means you'll need to adjust your old WooCommerce URLs to fit this new Shopify format when migrating from WooCommerce to Shopify.
Why should you care? The SEO impact
You’ve worked hard to build up your SEO, so the last thing you want is to lose it all in the move. Even if you've never implemented SEO efforts on your website the chances are you will be ranking naturally for lots of important keywords. This is why setting up proper redirects from your old WooCommerce URLs to your new Shopify ones is essential.
301 redirects are your best friend during a migration
Setting up 301 redirects from your old WooCommerce URLs to the new Shopify URLs tells search engines that your content has moved, not disappeared. This helps maintain your rankings and ensures your customers don’t end up on a 404 page.
Examples of URL redirects from Shopify to WooCommerce
Product Page:
From https://yourstore.com/product/old-product-name/ to https://yourstore.myshopify.com/products/new-product-name
Category Page:
From https://yourstore.com/product-category/old-category-name/ to https://yourstore.myshopify.com/collections/new-collection-name
Blog Post Page:
From https://yourstore.com/blog/old-post-name/ to https://yourstore.myshopify.com/blogs/blog-name/new-post-name
Make use of Shopify’s built-in redirect tool
Shopify is brilliant at making this process even easier with its built-in URL redirect tool. You can create redirects manually or in bulk, saving you time and headaches.
Protecting your SEO during migration
Moving from WooCommerce to Shopify is definitely a big step, and while Shopify’s URL structure is more rigid, it’s also reliable. The key to a successful migration is handling those URL differences with care. By setting up the right 301 redirects, you’ll keep your SEO rankings steady and your customers happy.
Remember, the migration process doesn’t have to be stressful. With a little planning and the right tools, you can make the switch without missing a beat.
Thinking about migrating but feeling overwhelmed?
At Rainy City Agency, we specialise in making platform migrations to Shopify or Shopify Plus as smooth as possible. Drop us a message and let’s chat about how we can turn your WooCommerce to Shopify migration into an easy-as-possible experience!
