SEO
Search engines like Google constantly crawl the internet in search of new data. While not immediate, fine-tuning your SEO will help your site rank higher and attract more visitors.
From Eshop v14, Common Ground provides a handful of useful SEO tools, whether you want to hide or show a page online, change the page title, or simply optimize your content for better visibility.
Update Eshop to the latest version from Eshop Editor Submenu.
Eshop SEO Settings
Site settings: Site title and description are usually shown on search results, it is the most important content for your SEO as web users should be able to identify your site instantly.
Site images: A favicon and social images are available for your SEO. The favicon will usually be displayed in the URL bar next to your site title. For social media sharing the social image will be used.
Site indexing: To appear in search engine results such as Google, your site must be indexed. This will allow search engines to crawl and index your pages according to the rules set in your robots.txt file.
To Enable Site indexing:
Navigate to the Site indexing settings.
Check the box labeled "Index this site."
Ensure your robots.txt file allows crawling (e.g., change
Disallow: /toAllow: /if necessary).Press Submit to save your changes.
SEO Settings: Article, Collection and Item Pages
Each Article, Item or Collection has their own SEO settings.
To access these settings, click on the "SEO Settings" button for each page.
Index this page: Instructs search engines like Google to include this specific page in their search index.
Page Title: Allows you to specify the title that appears at the top of a browser window or tab when someone visits your Eshop. This title is also displayed as a clickable headline in search engine results.
URL slug: Allows you to customize the part of an article page’s URL that comes after the domain name. For example, in the URL www.common-ground.io/stores, the slug is stores.
Description: Also known as Meta Description. A brief summary the page's content that appears below the page title in search engine results.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free online tool from Google that helps website owners and developers analyze their website's performance in Google Search. It provides various features to monitor, maintain, and enhance a website's visibility in Google search results.
To use this tool, you must first add a property.
From the two options, select Domain Method.
Enter your the primary Domain name associated with your Common Ground Eshop. (without
http://orwww.)Follow instructions in the prompt to Start Verification.
The verification tool will guide you through your domain provider to authorize the connection to Google Search Console. The process takes about a minute. If you've changed your primary domain in the Common Ground Backoffice within the last 10 minutes, the verification may fail. In that case, please wait a few minutes and try again.
Need more help? Here is how to add your domain to Google Search Console:
Domain Name Optimization
SSL Certificates:
Setting up a new domain or transferring an existing one?
Common Ground automatically handles issuing and installing SSL Certificates on your primary domain during domain connection.
Domain service providers such as GoDaddy manage the issuing of CSR Certificates.
How long does it take before my Eshop appears in search results?
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) helps your website appear in search engine results — but it’s not instant. SEO is a long-term process that depends on many factors. It’s normal for a new site to take weeks or even months to rank well.
Common Misunderstandings
Some users expect that simply publishing a site will lead to immediate traffic from Google. In reality, Google needs to discover, crawl, and assess your site before it can show up reliably in search results — and that takes time and effort.
Why It Takes Time
New Website = Low Trust
Search engines prioritise sites with a proven track record. A brand new site starts from scratch with no authority.Not Enough Content
Google needs readable text and structure to understand what your site is about. If your homepage has no text or product pages are missing descriptions, it can’t rank you effectively.No Backlinks Yet
Links from other trusted websites help Google see your site as trustworthy. Without them, you’ll rank lower.Technical Setup Matters
Sites without SEO basics like page titles, headings, and metadata won’t perform well, even if the design looks good.Indexing Isn't Instant
Even after submitting your site to Google, indexing can take days or weeks — especially if the site is small or new.
How to Improve SEO Early On
Add text to your homepage — at least a short paragraph introducing your store
Include unique descriptions on all item pages.
Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console
Promote your store and build links to it from blogs, social media, or partners.
SEO is a slow and steady process. Even with the right tools and setup, it can take time for results to appear. Be patient, keep improving your content, and focus on providing a high-quality experience — and search rankings will follow.