If only selling artsy-craftsy stuff was so easy…
If only the sheer beauty and unparalleled uniqueness of your handmade items were enough…
But alas.
You’ve got to promote even the finest artwork pieces if you want them to break through the buzzing diversity of goods.
So, today you will get to know how to optimize your listings for Etsy SEO on the leading platform for selling handmade items so that every listing you create finds its buyer.
First Things First – What Is Etsy SEO?
Before we detail Etsy SEO optimization, let us start with the basics. So, what is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization. It is defined as a set of actions directed towards driving more traffic to the website or a particular web page from search engines.
While the SEO topic is mainly associated with optimizing the website for proper search engine ranking, you can apply similar strategies to Etsy stores as well.
SEO on Etsy is the procedure of optimizing the listings to ensure they appear at the top of Etsy’s search results and are also ranked by search engines on the Internet.
Every search engine has its own algorithms, and Etsy is not an exception.
How SEO for Etsy Works
Etsy search engine optimization algorithms connect platform users with the goods they are looking for. Etsy has a sophisticated buyer-product matching strategy, which involves two distшinct stages:
- Query matching
- Ranking
Query matching pairs the customer’s search request with Etsy inventory listings. Etsy parses titles, tags, categories, and attributes to find listings that match the search term.
After this, Etsy defines the ranking of every listing that might make a good match for the user’s request. The marketplace evaluates eight factors to ensure buyers can find what they are looking for:
- Relevance: to what extent the search term matches the Etsy keywords in the title and listing. Listings with exact-match keywords are ranked better and appear higher in the search results
- Recency: considers when the listing was created. A new listing gets a temporary boost and appears in top search results.
- Listing quality: is shaped by how well the listing converts. Every purchase results in a higher listing quality, pushing the listing forward.
- Customer and market experience: defines the store’s score depending on its rating (positive and negative customer reviews) and the level of completing the About shop section.
- Shipping price: since shipping rates play a crucial role in the decision-making of Etsy shoppers, the platform ranks shops with free or discounted options higher.
- Language and translation: the shop’s and listing language should match the language the customer chooses.
- Store location: for Australia, Canada, and some countries in the EU, the shop’s location is also considered when ranking the listings.
- Customer habits: Etsy considers the shopper’s previous experience and interests to define what to show in search results.
As you know how the Etsy search algorithms work, let’s see what you can do in terms of search engine optimization Etsy to bring your listings to top positions.
Etsy SEO Tips 1. SEO Keyword Analysis – What Keywords to Choose?
Etsy marketing and SEO heavily rely on keywords. If you want to thrive in this marketplace and successfully sell your items there, you’ve got to learn how to conduct SEO keyword research.
There are a few effective ways to determine what keywords would perform better for your shop and listing.
At first, think like a buyer. What phrases would you use to search for a product? What are the critical attributes? What particular words would you pick? Once you get some ideas, type these phrases in the Etsy search bar. You’ll see more keyword ideas that might work for your product.
Besides, you can always use Etsy SEO tools to automate the keyword selection process. A robust SEO keyword tool will provide you with in-depth keyword data so you can make your own conclusions based on the detailed metrics.
As you define potential keywords, you should not limit yourself to descriptive facts (color, size, shape, etc.) only. Some shoppers might be looking for items for specific occasions like mom’s birthday, Valentine’s day, etc.
The list of keywords might also include the style identifiers: rustic, minimalist, art deco, etc.
Etsy SEO Tips 2. Be Thoughtful About Your Etsy Shop Title
Your shop title is a piece of text (around 55 characters) that explains what your store is about to Etsy users. Many sellers turn it into a slogan or tagline.
The buyer will see it under your shop name as they land on your store homepage. It will also become visible in the search engine results when the search engine links to your store. Some Etsy shop title examples:
The shop title is essential for SEO optimization both within the Etsy ecosystem and outside it. However, avoid spamming the shop title with Etsy SEO keywords. Preserve the title readability and ensure you give your customers an immediate idea of what your store is about. Add one focus keyword relevant to the whole concept of your store.
Etsy SEO Tips 3. Item Titles
The item title is also the page title for your listing page. Etsy allows you to make it 140-characters long. However, mind that search engines would show only around 55-60 characters for your page title. So if you consider the change that your buyers might find you outside of Etsy, you’ve got to put the most relevant information and the most competitive yet searchable keywords at the beginning.
If you are uncertain what keywords to include in the title, you may use any Etsy title generator to get a better idea of search phrases that sell. Anyway, we suggest focusing on relevant keywords with low competition yet high search volume.
Optimizing the item title for SEO is important to be found by customers, but do not forget about shoppers’ experience. Do not make them feel that you crafted the title for Etsy shop search algorithms only. This would turn them away from your store and push them to shop from your rivals.
Clearly describe your product at the beginning of the title. Get into the customers’ shoes and use the keywords they might use to find your items.
We also recommend avoiding these mistakes when giving your item a title:
- Do not make your title and tags match – repeat only the most relevant keywords in your title and tags, not all of them.
- Avoid using the same keyword multiple times but in different word combinations (like leather collar, leather dog collar, leather collar for dog, black leather collar for dog) – add different keywords to broaden your reach.
- Do not add misspelling, plural, or UK & US word variants – SEO Etsy tools are smart, and they will account for these things when matching the query with listings.
- There is no point in specifying the marketplace name (like Etsy dog tag) – search engines will rank your items if you add relevant keywords, even if you do not add marketplace-related keywords.
Etsy SEO Tips 4. Make Use of Every Etsy Tag You Have Available
When you create an Etsy listing, you’ll see that some fields are mandatory and some are not. Tags are not obligatory, but you should understand that they are essential for Etsy seller search optimization.
You are free to add up to 13 tags, and we strongly recommend using them all. As you come up with the ideas for tags, you may use an Etsy tag generator that would give you clues on what keywords to include.
Each tag can have 20 characters, meaning that’s a good place to add long-tail keywords that are more specific and provide more information about the product.
Consider picking synonyms that shoppers might use to search for your product. For example, computer and laptop, cap and hat, top and T-shirt, etc. Mind regional peculiarities of word choice as well (but do not use translated words). For instance, you may benefit from adding flip-flops and thong sandals to tags, but not tongues (a French word for flip-flops).
Etsy SEO Tips 5. How to Finetune Your Etsy Shop Sections for SEO
Shop sections allow you to organize your goods by specific criteria so that buyers can easily find what they need. At the same time, how you name the sections can always impact the SEO ranking of your items.
Each section gets a landing page with the title, which derives from the section name and is visible to the users looking for the item through search engines. You can create a section name that is as long as 24 characters, but the section landing page title can be around 66 characters.
Etsy SEO Tips 6. How to Optimize Etsy Listings
When you want to reach more leads and are considering optimizing your listings for SEO, you can’t deny that updating the item description is also essential
An item description is not just a piece of text that might grab the buyer’s attention and convince them to purchase from you. This is also a strategic place for optimizing your SEO efforts. So, here is how to improve Etsy SEO for item descriptions:
- Search engines use the first 160 characters as a meta description (will be displayed in search engine results right under the title). Make sure you write attention-grabbing sentences while using some relevant keywords.
- What goes after 160 characters is also important. Keep the description catchy and enticing for buyers, yet add keywords for search engines (search engines run through the entire page content).
Etsy SEO Tips 7. Link to Your Listings from Social Media or Blog
Search engines love it when there are inbound links to Etsy listings. We do not know for sure how the algorithms work, but it seems that the search engine considers the web page interesting if other resources link to it. Thus, your listing is more likely to be highly ranked by search engines.
So, Etsy recommends linking to your Etsy shop or particular listings from your blog, Instagram, Pinterest, or other profiles. You may also want to encourage other bloggers to feature your listings.
Etsy SEO Tips 8. Offer Free Shipping
As we already mentioned above, free shipping is not just a great selling point for your prospects. Even though this trick has nothing to do with SEO keyword search, it works like a charm. This platform promotes listings that offer free shipping or at least some shipping discounts, so make use of this peculiarity.
Run Your Retail Business Smartly
In this article, you received Etsy SEO help to push your handmade business forward. With these Etsy SEO tips, you are sure to drive more quality leads to your store.
How are you supposed to handle all the channels if you can barely cope with one or two? No worries. With SellerSkills, you will have more time to grow your retail business. By automating the workflows and integrating all your sales channels in one hub, you’ll be three times effective while working less.
With SellerSkills, you can move listings across the channels in just mere seconds. One, two, three, and you bring your Amazon listings to Etsy, eBay, Walmart, Shopify, or even Google Shopping or vice versa. You’ll love the flash-like speed and the increased amount of orders. Because more channels, more sales.
Running an inventory is a breeze with SellerSkills as well. No more manual item quantity updates and the overselling mistakes that cost you your reputation. With automation inventory control, your inventory is under complete control.
Your handmade or unique items deserve to appear on top of Etsy results!