As Shopify store owners, we do try our best to appeal to our customers in different ways to increase their engagement. Some say that a booming social media presence is key, others focus on the impact of targeted email marketing but at the end of the day if potential customers land on the product page and they aren't compelled - it's all for nothing. 

Welcome to the world of Shopify, where every store owner has the power to customize their online shop to an exceptional degree - and that's the good news. One of the most powerful, yet sometimes overlooked features Shopify offers is Metafields.

What are Metafields?

Imagine you have a store where you sell all sorts of products, from clothes to electronics to home goods. Each product has basic information that everyone expects to see, like its name, price, and a short description. But sometimes, this basic information isn't enough to fully inform your customers or help them make decisions. 

For example, if someone is buying a shirt, they might want to know what materials it's made from for comfort or care instructions for washing. Or if they're looking at a piece of furniture, they might want to see dimensions, colors, and fabrics to ensure it fits in their space. This is where Metafields come into play.

Think of Metafields as extra spaces or fields where you can store these special details that go beyond the usual product info. They allow you to capture and display important information that isn't typically included in the standard Shopify product setup. This means you can add specific attributes or features that make your product more appealing or easier to understand.

Metafields help you customize your online store by letting you provide all the necessary information that your customers need to make informed choices. They’re like secret compartments in your product listings, holding extra details that can improve the shopping experience and give your customers the confidence they need to hit that "buy" button.

Now, Shopify has introduced a special type of Metafied - Category Metafields - which let you play a different game. Don't look at it as an upgrade but as an additional tool. 

What Are Category Metafields?

Category Metafields are special tools that help you add important information to your products based on their specific categories in Shopify. These Metafields make it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for on your website, marketplaces, and even on search engines.

For instance, if you sell a product like a blender you can categorize it under Luggage & Bags > Suitcases > Carry-On Suitcases. Then you can use Category Metafields to provide extra details like the case material, storage features, and what type of wheels it has. Some Category Metafields may be added automatically by Shopify's intelligent predictions, while others you can choose to add yourself. Therefore, these Metafields come with default entries that you can either use as is or customize to fit your brand’s needs.

In the image below, you can see what it looks like on the Shopify admin product page.

 

 

If you want to read more about how to add Category Metafields to your store, you can read this article published by Shopify itself. 

 

How to use Category Metafields

Now that we understand what Category Metafields are, let’s cover how to use them to your advantage.

Once you've selected your Category Metafields, it would be a shame to leave them tucked away in the backend. Accentuate Custom Fields (ACF) is a Shopify app that can help you display these keywords on your storefront in an SEO-friendly manner. 

I promise, it's easy.

Accentuate Custom Fields includes an SEO Keywords theme extension that simplifies adding product-specific keywords directly to your product pages. This means search engines can better understand your products, helping your store rank higher and attracting more shoppers.

The benefits:

• Display important keywords right on your product pages.
• Help search engines understand your content for better ranking.
• Attract more organic traffic by standing out in search results.

If you haven't yet downloaded Accentuate Custom Fields from the Shopify App Store, don’t miss out! You can get it below. Enjoy our special BFCM offer with promo code shopcircle for 20% off your purchase!

Install Accentuate Custom Fields

 

How to Add SEO Keywords to Your Theme 

Assuming that you’ve got ACF installed, the rest is just a few clicks. 

Open your theme editor and choose the spot where you want to place the keyword. Next, click "Add block" and pick the SEO Keywords extension. 

You can customize your keywords using Shopify's product categories or other dynamic sources you may have set up. This way, the keywords stay relevant and help your product get noticed by more shoppers.

Here is a quick video of the steps I mentioned for visual learners:

 

The last step is to customize the look of the keywords you chose, and this is when you can get as creative as you would like!