Yoast SEO checklist for WooCommerce stores

Before publishing a product or updating a category page in WooCommerce, run through this checklist. Each item is actionable and specific to WooCommerce stores running Yoast SEO.

Per-product checklist (run on every product)

1. Set a focus keyword. Open the Yoast SEO meta box. Enter the primary keyword you want this product page to rank for. Use a specific phrase (“blue stainless steel widget”, not “widget”).

2. Write a custom SEO title (40-60 characters). Default: Product Name | Site Name. Better: “Product Name — Category | Site Name”. Include the focus keyword near the start.

3. Write a meta description (120-156 characters). Don’t leave it blank — Google will pull random text from the page. Write one sentence describing the product and why someone should click. Include the focus keyword naturally.

4. Set the primary category. If the product is in multiple categories, set one as primary in the Product Data panel. This controls the breadcrumb path and canonical URL.

5. Check image alt text. Every product image should have descriptive alt text. Include the focus keyword in the main product image alt text.

6. Add a product short description. Yoast can use the short description in the meta description template. It also shows on the product page next to the add-to-cart button. 50-100 words is enough.

7. Preview the Google snippet. In the Yoast meta box → Google preview. Confirm the title and description display correctly and aren’t truncated in a bad place.

8. Check the Yoast score for obvious misses. A red score often means a missing meta description or focus keyword. Fix those. Ignore the “content too short” warning on product pages.

Store-level setup (do once)

9. Configure title templates for products, categories, and the shop page. Yoast SEO → Search Appearance → WooCommerce. Set templates that include the page title and site name as a minimum.

10. Enable breadcrumbs for WooCommerce. Yoast SEO → Appearance → Breadcrumbs. Enable, then add the breadcrumb shortcode or function to your theme’s product page template.

Using Asteris for WooCommerce instead of Yoast

Asteris for WooCommerce’s SEO module runs this same checklist in the product edit screen. If you’re on Asteris for WooCommerce, the per-product checklist items are surfaced in the Asteris SEO panel instead of the Yoast meta box.

Yoast SEO for WooCommerce hub → · Asteris for WooCommerce SEO module →