E-commerce SEO Agency Checklist for 2026
January 9, 2026
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E-commerce SEO is no longer just “rank category pages.” Buyers now jump between Google results, AI answers, shopping comparisons, and platform-native search. Your agency needs to win visibility across all of it, then tie that visibility to revenue.
If you want a partner that treats ecommerce SEO agency selection like a performance program, start here: E-commerce SEO agency.
What to look for in an e-commerce SEO agency in 2026
1) SKU-level optimization, not just collections
A real ecommerce agency optimizes at the SKU and variant level, because that is where conversion intent lives.
Your agency should have a clear approach to:
unique product titles and descriptions
variant handling (size, color, bundle)
internal linking across PDPs, collections, and guides
inventory and out-of-stock strategy
2) Schema depth that supports rich results
Structured data helps search engines understand your products and can enable richer displays like price, availability, ratings, and shipping details. Google explicitly calls out these outcomes for Product structured data.
Minimum schema expectations for e-commerce:
Product structured data for core PDP attributes
Review and aggregate ratings where applicable
FAQ structured data only when you follow Google’s guidelines
If you want a practical shortlist of what to implement, use AI e-commerce schemas.
3) AI Search visibility and citation strategy for products
When someone asks “best wireless mouse under $50,” the buying journey can start and end with an AI answer. Your agency should show you:
which prompts you to win or lose
where you are cited
Which competitors show up beside you
Passionfruit’s product positioning emphasizes AI Search analytics (sessions, key events, revenue) plus page-level citation tracking across major AI engines.
For a quick grounding in how this changes SEO priorities: AI Search and SEO.
4) Technical foundations that reduce crawl and conversion friction
A strong agency will prioritize indexation, crawlability, and speed early, because e-commerce sites are crawl-heavy and UX-sensitive.
Google recommends aiming for good Core Web Vitals as part of search success and user experience.
Questions to ask agencies before you sign
“Show me your product page playbook.”
Look for specifics on:
unique content per SKU (not spun templates)
How they handle large catalogs at scale
internal linking logic for large stores
schema validation process
“How do you measure revenue impact?”
You want more than traffic charts. A serious answer includes:
organic revenue by landing page type (PDP vs collection vs guide)
assisted conversions for organic
incrementality thinking, not vanity metrics
If you need context on pricing and what drives cost, this helps: why SEO is expensive.
“How do you win AI answers and citations for e-commerce?”
Ask for:
Examples of pages that got cited
How they structure PDP copy so AI can quote it
How they build comparisons that win high-intent prompts
A tactical companion piece is: AI overview optimization.
Red flags that usually mean wasted months
They avoid the schema or treat it as optional. Google’s documentation is clear that structured data can enable richer product displays in search.
They cannot explain catalog-scale execution. E-commerce is operational, not just editorial.
They only report “rankings” and “traffic.” You need revenue and conversion framing.
They ignore speed and page experience. Core Web Vitals and page experience matter for search and usability.
A practical engagement structure that fits most stores
Month 1
Technical audit, indexation cleanup, analytics baselines, competitive mapping
Months 2 to 3
High-impact PDP and collection fixes, schema rollout, internal linking improvements
Months 4 to 6
Content expansion tied to categories, comparisons, and buyer questions, plus AI visibility tracking
Ongoing
Weekly monitoring, iterative improvements, and AI Search visibility reporting
If you want examples of what “good” looks like across agencies, this directory is useful for benchmarking: top e-commerce SEO agencies.
FAQs
How long until e-commerce SEO shows ROI?
Most stores see early movement in 3 to 4 months, but meaningful revenue impact usually takes longer, depending on category competition and site health.
Should we prioritize category pages or product pages?
Both. Category pages capture broader intent, product pages convert, and internal linking connects them.
How important is schema for e-commerce SEO?
It is foundational for communicating product attributes and enabling rich results like price, availability, and ratings.
What should an e-commerce SEO agency do about AI Search?
They should track prompt visibility, citations, competitors, and connect that visibility to revenue where possible. Passionfruit explicitly positions its analytics around sessions, key events, and revenue across major AI engines.
If we want one partner that covers monitoring plus AI Search performance analytics, where do we start?
Start with an e-commerce SEO agency support that includes page-level citation tracking, competitor tracking, and AI Search analytics in one workflow.
