Fix missing aggregateRating error in Shopify and boost SEO

Are you encountering the frustrating “Missing field ‘aggregateRating’” error in Google Search Console for your Shopify store? You’re not alone. This common issue affects many Shopify merchants and can impact how your products appear in search results. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the root cause of this error and provide step-by-step solutions to resolve it, ensuring your product schema is complete and optimized for search engines.

Understanding the “aggregateRating” Field Error

What is the aggregateRating Field?

The aggregateRating field is an important component of product schema markup. It provides search engines with information about the overall rating of a product based on multiple reviews. When this field is missing, it can lead to incomplete rich snippets in search results, potentially affecting your click-through rates and overall search visibility.

Why Does This Error Occur?

This error typically occurs due to incomplete implementation of product review schema in your Shopify theme. Even if you’re using a product review app, the theme may not be properly configured to output the aggregateRating data in the required format for search engines.

The Impact on Your Store

Missing the aggregateRating field can prevent your products from displaying star ratings in search results, which can significantly impact your store’s visibility and appeal to potential customers browsing search engine results pages.

Solutions to Fix the Missing aggregateRating Field

Solution 1: Modify Your Theme Code (Recommended)

The most effective solution to this issue involves adding a specific code snippet to your theme files. Here’s how to implement this fix:

1. Navigate to your Shopify admin panel
2. Go to “Online Store” > “Themes”
3. Find your current theme and click “Actions” > “Edit code”
4. Locate the sections/product-template.liquid file
5. Find the area near the product title output
6. Add the following code snippet:

{% if product.metafields.reviews.rating.value != blank %}
  <script type="application/ld+json">
  {
    "@context": "http://schema.org/",
    "@type": "Product",
    "name": {{ product.title | json }},
    "aggregateRating": {
      "@type": "AggregateRating",
      "ratingValue": "{{ product.metafields.reviews.rating.value.rating }}",
      "reviewCount": "{{ product.metafields.reviews.rating_count.value }}"
    }
  }
  </script>
{% endif %}

This code checks if there’s a review rating available for the product and, if so, outputs the appropriate schema markup with the aggregateRating field.

Solution 2: Use a Schema Markup App

If you’re not comfortable editing theme code, consider using a dedicated schema markup app from the Shopify App Store. These apps can automatically generate and insert the correct schema, including the aggregateRating field, without requiring manual code edits.

Some popular options include:

1. JSON-LD for SEO
2. Schema Plus for SEO

These apps often provide additional SEO benefits beyond just fixing the aggregateRating issue.

Solution 3: Consult with a Shopify Expert

For those who are unsure about implementing these changes or have a complex theme setup, consulting with a Shopify Expert might be the best course of action. They can provide a tailored solution that addresses your specific store configuration and ensures all schema markup is correctly implemented.

Best Practices for Product Schema Implementation

Regularly Audit Your Schema

Make it a habit to regularly check your product pages using Google’s Rich Results Test tool. This will help you catch any schema errors early and ensure your products are always optimized for search.

Keep Your Review App Updated

If you’re using a product review app, make sure it’s always up to date. App developers often release updates that improve schema implementation and compatibility with search engine requirements.

Implement Schema Across All Products

Ensure that your schema implementation is consistent across all product pages. This uniformity helps search engines understand and index your entire product catalog effectively.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Schema Duplication

After implementing a fix, you might encounter schema duplication issues. This can happen if your theme already has some schema markup in place. To resolve this:

1. Use browser developer tools to inspect your page source
2. Look for multiple instances of product schema
3. Remove or consolidate duplicate schema to ensure only one complete and accurate set remains

Compatibility with Theme Updates

When updating your Shopify theme, always re-check your schema implementation. Theme updates can sometimes overwrite custom code, so it’s crucial to verify that your aggregateRating field remains intact after any theme changes.

Handling Products Without Reviews

For products that don’t have any reviews yet, ensure your implementation doesn’t output empty or incorrect aggregateRating data. The code snippet provided earlier includes a conditional check to only output the schema when ratings are available.

By following these guidelines and implementing the suggested solutions, you should be able to resolve the missing aggregateRating field error in your Shopify store’s product schema. This will improve your product listings in search results and potentially boost your store’s overall search engine performance. Remember to regularly monitor your Google Search Console for any new issues and keep your schema markup up to date with the latest best practices.