Secrets of effective listing optimization on Etsy

The main factor in successful sales on Etsy? The listing! It should not only familiarize potential buyers with the product, but also directly affects the ranking. Although the specific details of Etsy’s algorithms are a trade secret, there are several general principles that affect your store’s position on the platform:

• the presence of correctly selected keywords and tags;
• relevance of your listing in the context of the buyer’s request;
• number of positive reviews and overall rating;
• sales volumes;
• updates and activity;
• delivery methods, delivery time, and cost.

Let’s take a closer look at the first point – the correct selection of keywords and the use of tags. We’ll also analyze common mistakes beginners make when filling out product cards on Etsy and general information about their business.

How to choose and use keywords to optimize your Etsy listing

The easiest way to find relevant (appropriate, relevant, correct) keywords is to use external tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, Etsy Rank, and others.

It will be useful to study the listings of successful competitors to determine what words they use in titles, descriptions, and tags, and how they are distributed among these categories.

Etsy search query research yields equally meaningful results: pay attention to the tips and the Search Activity section on the results page.

The method of analyzing through customer reviews and questions to similar products also works well. Pay attention to the phrases and words that users use to describe and search for items.

Enter all the results in a table, supplement them with synonyms and variations. The following template will help you write an optimized selling headline:

Approximate algorithm for creating a Title Main key (what we sell): lamp/table lamp/nightlightFeatures: personalized/magical/Turkish/hand embossedCharacteristics: made of wood/epoxy resin/stained glass/USB connector/chicken-shaped/greenApplications: gift for a boyfriend/children’s room, etc.

The remaining keys in the table are used to describe the product and as search tags.

Mistake of creating a successful store #1. Ignoring available fields

Many novice sellers do not understand why they need to fill in the owner’s profile or waste time creating Shop Title (short description/title) and Announcement (detailed information).

Meanwhile, this is literally the “face” of your store in search results. That is, these fields will be perceived by Google as meta tags and will be used by a potential customer to decide whether your page is worthy of his attention.

Therefore, writing “welcome to my shop” or something similar is an extremely bad idea. It doesn’t sell, doesn’t attract, doesn’t grab the customer’s attention. To make the description really work and fulfill its functions, use keywords (but do not write the name of the store – Etsy will substitute it automatically).

In order to look at your storefront through the eyes of a user, enter etsy. com/shop/store name in the address bar and try to evaluate how attractive it is and whether it encourages people to buy from you.

Mistake #2. Insufficient number of tags

Even if you are sure that your customer will search for you by a certain keyword, you should not ignore the opportunity to add others. First, user requests can change depending on trends. Secondly, this way you will allow a wider range of potential customers to find your store. Therefore, competent listing optimization includes the use of the maximum number of tags.

For example: your main keyword is “scarf” and you are sure that 90% of customers find you by it. However, people can also search for similar products using the query “snood” or “stole”. And you lose that part of the audience that comes in this way.

Plus, you can add “knitted product” to the tags. This way, you will have a chance to be seen by those who are looking for something in the handmade category but have not decided on the format of the product.

Mistake #3. Lack of moments that customers value

Any listing in an online store is a replacement for a seller. And buyers don’t always make decisions based on the features and prices alone.

Therefore, in order to sell, the description should cover all the important points that the customer wants to know before buying. For example, delivery speed and cost. Or the possibility of getting a discount. Or non-obvious methods of use. Or the rules for caring for the product, etc.

By closing such questions/objections, you will make your listing much more effective and guarantee to increase sales.

Important! Please note that Etsy may change its rules and algorithms from time to time, so you should stay informed and update your listings to meet the platform’s requirements and expectations.