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Etsy SEO! What's It All About?

Improve your Etsy SEO and start getting sales

By Karleen MurrayPublished 3 years ago 10 min read
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SEO is an acronym for the words Search Engine Optimization. It is how potential buyers find you when they do a search within the Etsy platform and on off Etsy searches like Google and Bing. It is really important to understand what SEO is and how you can optimize each and every one of your listings to give them the best possible chance of being seen in a search.

The keywords and phrases in your tags, titles, categories, attributes and descriptions all play a part in getting your items in front of potential buyers. Simply, Etsy will look at all of these things in determining whether your item will be shown in a search for a particular buyers query.

So let's start at the very beginning.

KEYWORDS

You can have the best product ever created on Etsy but without good keywords in your titles and tags, nobody is going to find you and you probably won't get many sales. So what do I mean when I say keywords? Keywords are a one to three word phrase/s that best describe what you are selling.

When I am listing an item I ask myself, what would a buyer search for when looking for this item? As a strategy, I right down a list of all the keywords and short two to three word phrases that best describes the item I want to list. This gives me a basis to start expanding on this and using some tools to test if they would be good keywords and what words might be useful.

Here are some of the tools you can use for free to see how your keyword suggestions perform. But, don't put all your eggs in the one SEO research basket, use these tools to get an overall feel of what may be good keyword phrases you can use.

Etsy Search Bar - This is a great way of testing keywords and keyword phrases to see what auto populates in the Etsy search bar. The phrases that auto populate are the keywords phrases that potential buyers are using within the the Etsy platform in real time to search for items like yours. I can't stress enough though the right now part, algorithms and people are a funny thing and they can change and evolve so it is a good idea to revisit your SEO on a regular basis.

Erank Rank - Gives you tools to discover keywords and phrases in real time of what is being searched for on Etsy, it can check for spelling mistakes and give you detailed analysis on your listings and spot issues and opportunities that can improve your SEO.

Marmalead - Gives you the tools to help you find the keywords real shoppers on Etsy are using to find listings like yours. It is also super easy to use and understand.

Pinterest - this is probably not one you would associate with when looking for keywords. It's a bit like using the Etsy search bar method by typing in keywords and phrases that you think a buyer might use to find products like yours and the words and phrases that auto populate ARE the words and phrases people are searching to find topics.

TITLES

So you have done your research and have great keywords and phrases ready to go, so what now? There are 140 characters available to you in your title, but that doesn't mean you need to use them all. Contrary to popular belief, and as reported in the Etsy Seller handbook, when writing titles, use your most descriptive keywords and keep a buyer in mind, not a computer. The first 40 characters are the most important for your SEO optimization in an Etsy search. Focus on writing shorter, clearer and more descriptive titles getting your message across using the best keywords in this space but at the same time constructing a sentence that is easy for a buyer to read. Lead with the keywords that best describe your item and don't just jam pack your title full of the small keyword phrases similar to your tags. I can hear you ask why;

1. Buyers only get a sneak peak of what you have to offer when they search for products so it's a good idea to get your message out on what you are selling at this crucial stage especially on mobile devices.

2. The first 40 characters are more relevant as they are at the beginning of your title. So basically if you want to get found in searches for a particular keyword phrase, put this in the first 40 characters.

3. If you want to appear in searches on Etsy and in Google/Bing searches, keep your title simple, easy to read and understand.

You should also try to use general keyword phrases and targeted keyword phrases. Not sure what that means. Here is an example of a general keyword  phrase crochet pattern and a targeted keyword phrase could be crochet beach bag pattern. 

Include spaces and separators (/ , | - ~) if you like between your keywords and phrases but as mentioned before, try to make a sentence that makes sense that flows without too much punctuation. Let me state, punctuation does not affect your Etsy SEO in a negative way, in fact it makes no difference.  What is does do is break down your title into to easy to read phrases that actually makes sense.  Just for the record I prefer the vertical bar | as my separator.

TAGS

Tags also play an important part in getting your items found in searches.

I used to be of the belief that your title keywords and phrases have to match your tags, which is how we used to write our titles and yes, there will still be an overlap with some of your keyword phrases in both your title and tags. If you are using the best keyword phrases in your title than yes, use these in your tags.

Here are my top 10 tag tips....

1. Use all 13 tag spaces.

2. Check your spelling. Incorrect spelling will not get your items in front of anyone. You can use tools like erank that will alert you of any spelling mistakes in any of your tags so you can correct them.

3. Tags can be up to 20 characters long including spaces. Use keyword phrases and avoid using one word tags if possible.

4. Have a look at your shop stats to discover keyword phrases buyers are using to find your items and add these to your tags. Alternately, you can remove tags that are not very popular.

5. Use the Etsy search bar to see what auto populates when you start typing in a keyword. These are the keyword phrases buyers are using to find items like yours right now. You can also use Pinterest in the same way a long with the other methods already mentioned.

6. Your tags should be as unique as possible and repeating the same words again and again is just a wasted opportunity. The more unique tags you use, the more chances your item has to show up in many different searches and placed in front of more potential buyers.

7. Don't repeat words that appear in your categories and attributes for example color. Your attributes act like tags in a search as well. If an exact term appears in your category or attributes you don't need to repeat it.

8. Don't add tags in multiple languages. Your tags should be in the language you set your shop up in.

9. No need to worry about plurals. Etsy looks at the root words and your listing will still be considered for a buyers query with or without.

10. Don't just set and forget. Revisit your tags and SEO every few months to see what might have changed and what you could improve on especially if you are not getting sales.

Here is an example of one of my listings, crochet bag pattern. Obviously I am going to use this as one of my tags but, I could add other tag variations like crochet bag tutorial, handbag pattern pdf, digital bag pattern, bag making, diy crochet bag, just to name a few.

CATEGORIES & ATTRIBUTES

The category and attributes associated with your item also play a part in the algorithm placement when a buyer makes a query in a search. They act as an extension of your tags. You should always try to assign attributes where applicable and if there is not an exact match, try to pick something that is as close as possible.

DESCRIPTIONS

This is your chance to tell a potential buyer all about the product you are selling. List all the information relating to what you are selling like colors available, the materials you have used and the size. There might be a story behind what you have made so share this with a buyer too. This is also a good place to take advantage of using keyword phrases to aid in helping your listing being discovered in off Etsy searches. The first 160 characters of your description is used to create the meta description for your listing and is the wording that appears under your title in search engine results.

UPDATING YOUR TITLES & TAGS

As mentioned above, SEO is not a set and forget thing. You should be revisiting your listings on a regular basis to ensure there is nothing you can improve, especially if you are not getting sales after a few months.

There are a few ways you can make quick updates and changes to your listings. You can add or remove a tag from multiple listings at once by checking the box on those listings in your Shop Manager, click Editing Option and select Edit Tags from the drop down. You can also edit your titles, tags, price and shipping profiles in the Quick Edit Tool without having to open up each listing one at a time.

BE PATIENT

All the strategies I have listed above are not necessarily going to have a big impact straight away. You may see a rise in search ranking in a few minutes, but the chances are you're going to have to wait for a couple of days for a more established shop with high views and lots of sales or a few weeks for newer shops with less views and sales. In off Etsy searches it can take anywhere up to 30 days. I would advise if you make any changes to your listings you allow at least 30 days to give your listing a chance to get some traction and then reassess.

TO FINISH

If you wanted to download my Etsy SEO Workbook & Planner you can work through my step by step guide on the strategies and resources I use when listing an item. This workbook and planner can be used again and again for all your items.

Once you have your SEO rocking, I also have a great Etsy Social Media Planner Kit that covers Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter that you can use again and again, track your posts and identify trends of what is working and what is not.

Both planners I have listed above will take you to my Etsy store to purchase at a price of $6.95 (price may vary depending on where you are in the world). These planners can be used again and again so they are great value.

You are welcome to visit my Etsy Store at Rhinestone Mumma. I opened my store in 2017 because I wanted a platform to sell my original crochet designs and pdf patterns. I have since started to expand into craft supplies like beading and buttons as many of my designs incorporate these things. I only use eco friendly materials and I particularly love working with cotton fibers.

If you want to join our community on Facebook Etsy Sellers Promote & Help follow the link to request to join. We are always discussing ways to improve our Etsy experience and grow our sales.

Have a great day and I wish you lots of sales and success!

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About the Creator

Karleen Murray

I'm just a girl with a passion for creating original crochet designs and pdf patterns and sell them on Etsy. Follow me to discover ways you can improve your own Etsy experience from someone that is living the dream right now.

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