Etsy SEO! What’s It All About?

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Rhinestone Mumma

Everyone is talking about it but just exactly what is it and what do I need to know to improve it. Well, that is the question.

I am going to list some key points of simple strategies you can use to understand what Etsy SEO is all about and how you can implement them into your listings to increase views and ultimately sales.

So, why does it matter?

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is basically how potential buyers find you in Etsy searches and off Etsy searches like Google. It is really important to have top notch Etsy SEO. Etsy will reward shops and listings with a boost in searches with good SEO optimisation and unfortunately will leave you behind if you don’t.

The keywords and phrases in your tags, title, categories and attributes 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 is listed in searches 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 guess what, no cha-chings. So what do they mean when they say keywords? Keywords are a one to three word phrases that describe your product.

You firstly need to stand back from your product and start thinking like a buyer. What would buyers search for when looking for my item? As a strategy, I right down a list of keywords and short two to three word phrases that best describes my item. This gives me a basis to start using some tools to test if they would be good keywords and what words might be useful.

So here we go….

Etsy Rank – my personal favourite. It not only gives you brilliant 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.
Google Keyword Planner – gives you the tools to research the current industry standard for keywords not just for Etsy but for off Etsy searches like Google and Bing.
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 drop down ARE the words and phrases people are searching for to find items. Why is Pinterest important? In my opinion, the good utilisation of Pinterest to promote your Etsy products is a game changer. I literally generate 1000’s and 1000′ of views through my pins.
Etsy – This is another good way of finding keywords and phrases that potential buyers are using right now to find products like yours. I can’t stress this enough the right now bit, Etsy and algorithms are a funny thing. They are constantly changing and evolving. If you use this method it is always a good idea to give your listings a check up and see if there is anything you can change on a regular basis.

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 optimisation for Etsy search. Focus on writing short, clear and 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 same keyword phrases as your tags. I can hear you ask why;

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.
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.
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/separators (/ , | – ~) if you like between your keywords and phrases but as mentioned before, try to make a sentence that makes sense the flows without too much punctuation. Let me state right up front, 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.

Listing Consistency

So there is truth in the theory list more items and the sales will come but, I don’t think there is a magic number of listings that turns on a switch to more sales. What is true, when you list a new item or an item is sold and renews Etsy rewards you with a boost in your search ranking.

You can trick Etsy into ranking you higher by renewing your listings manually before the 4 months is up which will give it a boost but of course this will cost you 20 cents. If you do plan to try this method make sure you are renewing at peak traffic times, times your target audience is online and shopping which can be hard to pinpoint if you sell your products all around the world. I am in Australia and I get most of my Etsy sales in the early morning, when it is evening in the United States. You just have to work out what’s best for you.

The Etsy algorithm rewards listings that get sales and will show these listings to more buyers in search. As a general rule, if your listing has been renewed on more than 2 occasions without a sale, it’s time to look at why you are not getting any sales and either fix the problems or remove it.

Set and Forget?

I think as a general rule it always good to check in with your listings every 4-6 months to see how they are going. Things are constantly changing and it’s a good idea to keep up with those changes. I would also keep an eye on under performing listings and listings that have had an unexpected drop in views and sales and see what might be the issue.

Let’s Get Social

OK. So you have put in the hard yards and optimised your listings for SEO so now what? This is not a time to sit back and wait for the sales. You need to be spreading your wings and promoting your listings all over social media platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter using all those keywords and hashtags. In a future blog I will tackle strategies and tips to use on different social media platforms so watch this space.

Here are some more in depth resources you can use to improve your social media visibility;

Pinterest – What’s It All About

Updating Your Titles and Tags

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 of the strategies listed above are not a quick fix although you may see a rise in search ranking in a few minutes, chances are that 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.

Have a great day and any feedback, comments or questions are welcomed.

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.

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.

As I am an Etsy Seller, most of my posts are geared to Etsy Success although any of my guides and tutorials will be useful for if you use other platforms to sell your products. You can visit my Etsy Store at Rhinestone Mumma

Here are some of my recent blog posts you might be interested in;

How To Get More Etsy Sales

Pinterest! What’s It All About?

Etsy Hyperlinks! What’s It All About?

Etsy Shop Policies! What’s It All About?

If you want to join our community on Facebook Etsy Sellers Promote & Help we would love to have you on board. We are always discussing ways to improve our Etsy experience and grow our sales.

Have a great day 🙂

How To Get More Etsy Sales

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Rhinestone Mumma

Things You Can Do Right Now For Free To Get More Sales On Etsy!

Have an Etsy Shop and want more sales? Silly question really. We all want more sales and anything we can do to improve those sales we want to know.

Read on to discover simple, free and plain English no nonsense easy ways to make more sales in your Etsy Shop and make your sales go through the roof.

PLEASE NOTE: This article is constantly updated to keep in line with Etsy policies and the changing algorithms.

Keywords

So here we go….

Etsy Rank – my personal favourite. It not only gives you brilliant 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.
Google Keyword Planner – gives you the tools to research the current industry standard for keywords not just for Etsy but for off Etsy searches like Google and Bing.
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 drop down ARE the words and phrases people are searching for to find items. Why is Pinterest important? In my opinion, the good utilisation of Pinterest to promote your Etsy products is a game changer. I literally generate 1000’s and 1000′ of views through my pins.
Etsy – This is another good way of finding keywords and phrases that potential buyers are using right now to find products like yours. I can’t stress this enough the right now bit, Etsy and algorithms are a funny thing. They are constantly changing and evolving. If you use this method it is always a good idea to give your listings a check up and see if there is anything you can change on a regular basis.

It’s All In A Title

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 KEYWORDS 101: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW, 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 optimisation for Etsy search anyway, so focus on getting your message across using the best keywords in this space but at the same time constructing a sentence that makes sense. I can hear you ask why.

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 should I click or scroll on by stage.
But really, the most important reason is, Etsy ranks the first 40 characters as the most 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 these keywords in the first 40 characters.

You should also try to use general keyword phrases and targeted keyword phrases in the first 40 characters. 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/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 right up front, punctuation does not affect your Etsy SEO in a negative way, in fact it makes no difference. What it does do is break down your title into easy to read phrases that actually makes sense. Just for the record I prefer the vertical bar | as my separator.

Tag That

Here is a little run down on good and bad tag choices;

Use all 13 tag spaces.
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 so you can correct.
Tags can be up to 20 characters long. Use phrases and avoid using one word tags if you can.
Have a look at 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.
Use the Etsy search bar to see what naturally drops down when you start typing in a keyword. These are the keyword phrases buyers are using to find items like yours. Alternately, you can also use Pinterest in the same way.
Your tags should be as unique as possible and repeating the same words throughout is just a wasted opportunity. The more unique tags you use, the more chances your item has to show up in many searches.
Don’t repeat words you have selected in your category and attributes, they 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. For example colour.
Don’t add tags in multiple languages. Your tags should be in the language you set your shop up in.
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.

Going Going Gone

Only you know the time, effort and cost that goes into creating your pieces. Sit down with yourself and work out your time, materials, expenses, shipping costs (if you are offering free shipping), packaging and fees to come up with a realistic price structure.

Take the time to compare your prices with other sellers in your niche. How do you compare? If you find your price is slightly higher you can offer things like free shipping, multiple item purchase discounts and gift wrapping to entice the sale.

A Picture Tells A Thousand Words

Think of your photos as the window of your shop front inviting buyers to come on in and have a look.

You have 10 photo spaces to use so use as many of the photo spaces provided you can to show buyers what you are selling. I like using a plain white or pale background for my main photo but that’s just my personal preference as I like a clean uniform look in my shop. Google search is also moving towards a clean background where you can search similar items just on image alone. Pinterest is already utilising this type of search. Ever noticed the little square top right of an image? Click on that and it will take you to similar items. You can jazz up your photos with backgrounds and scenes, perspective and situation shots with the other 9 photo spaces.

I use an inexpensive lightbox that came with lights and I bought a piece of white gloss Perspex to place items on as the direct background. You could also set up your own photo studio using white cardboard or a white sheet as a backdrop.

If you want to buy a Light Box in Australia Click Here

If you want to buy a Light Box in the United States Click Here

To give your photos that professional edge use a photo editor. There are many options available. Some are easy, some are not so easy. Some cost money, some are free to use. I personally like free. One of the best sites to do this is Canva. I also like and use a program called Ipiccy. You can edit photos and save them to your computer. You can make collages to promote your products on Social Media and there is simple design tools to add text and other images.

Item Categories and Specifics

When searching for items on Etsy there are a number of ways buyers can “drill down” the search criteria for a more specific search. When listing an item make sure you use the best category for your listing so you will be found by a potential buyer.

Depending on what category your items appear in there are also other options you can select to increase the chance of somebody finding your item like colour, occasion, style, recipient, theme, material etc.

It doesn’t hurt to take the extra time to fill in this additional information. It all helps.

Product Descriptions

You can also provide links to other items in your store that relate to a product. For example, you may be selling bracelets and you could direct buyers to other bracelets you are selling in your store they might be interested in. Remember, once somebody is interested enough to click through to see your detailed description you want to keep them there.

Store Sections – Get Your Ducks In A Row

It’s good to group what you are selling in your store. This can also help with another boost of using keywords in your shop.

Be specific and general in what you are selling in your store and group together like minded products. I find this is also a good way of directing people back to specific pages with easily created URL links. You can use these in your descriptions to encourage more sales.

You can create sections by going to your Shop Manager > Listings and on the right hand side find Sections and click on Manage. You can create new sections here and change the order of how you would like them to appear in your store. Once you have created your sections you can add your products when you are listing your items.

Keywords and Your Profile

As well as telling the World about you and your passion, use your profile page to add keywords. People love to read about sellers and why not add in keywords and phrases in your profile that will help Etsy shoppers and Google searchers find you.

You can also add a link to your store and your Social Media pages.

Try adding keywords to your Shop Announcements and Updates as well. Just like your own little blog letting people know when you list new products or lines or just to let people know about what you do and how you do it.

I know I have had trouble accessing Updates before which can only be accessed through the mobile Etsy Shopping App by clicking on More > Social Media > Shop Updates.

PSST….if you’re planning to open an Etsy Store, click on this link and get 40 free listings to get you started!

Offer Free Shipping and Quick Handling

If possible why not offer free shipping on your items. Obviously there will be a cost to you for shipping but if you incorporate the cost into your pricing you should be fine. People love something for free and it’s just another way to attract buyers to your items.

If you items are ready made and waiting to be shipped, consider selecting 1 day handling time by going to Shop Manager > Settings > Shipping Settings and create shipping rules here.

Etsy also offer an option of selecting items that have free shipping and have either 1 or 3 day handling times on the left hand side when searching, so you may as well be amongst them.

Sales and Coupons

Everybody loves a sale. Create a sale or a special coupon offer for your customers. Whether you want a buy a certain quantity and receive a percentage off or buy a certain dollar amount and receive a discount. You are in control.

Sales you create show up on the Etsy search pages in green below your item and encourages buyers to have a look. You can also create special coupon offers to send to certain customers, use on your Social Media platforms and include in your invoices that you send to customers.

Buyers can also select as a search option items on sale (visible to click on the left hand side when searching Etsy) so you definitely want to be part of this.

To access sales and coupons go to your Shop Manager > Marketing > Sales and Coupons and follow the preferred method of promotion from there.

Are You Being Served?

Just because you are running an online business doesn’t mean you can’t offer excellent customer service. Answer any questions quickly and thoroughly. Show your customers that they are valuable to you. Try to respond to any reviews that are left to let the customer know that you have read their review and appreciate that they have taken the time to respond. God forbid if you do get an unsavoury review (and hopefully there are not too many of them), I go out of my way to contact the customer to see what I can do to rectify the problem to ensure their experience is the best it can be.

Do You Want Wrapping With That?

As you are already the creative type, why not create a unique way of wrapping everything with love. I think this is just as important as the actual item. Customers get the feeling that you care and will probably remember you. It could be as simple as wrapping items in tissue paper and sealing with a heart shaped sticker or you could source or design packaging to suit your products.

Etsy sellers are a creative bunch so why not check out what’s on offer in Etsy Packaging Products to see what you might find to suit your products.

Research, Research, Research

I cant’ say this enough….research. It is so important to have a look at the competition. How are they doing it. Ask yourself….what keywords and tags are they using. What do their photos look like. What are they saying about their product in their description? You can learn a wealth of information from what other people are doing and hey, people might just start looking at you for inspiration.

Add More Listings

What can I say but Etsy gets a warm fuzzy feeling when you add more listings to your shop.

Quite simply, the more items you have out there, the more chance someone will discover you and buy something from your shop and come back for more.

If you have a well-stocked shop it’s more likely that you will get multiple sales in one transaction and people are more likely to follow your shop to get updates on new arrivals. Throw in a buy a certain amount and get a percentage off sale then the sky is the limit.

Happy listing.

Thank you

Include a thank you card with every order. These are great because you are giving your customers something tangible they can keep. It will make it easier to find you again when they want to order next time and they can share with their friends and family.

You could include information like your Etsy Shop URL and Social Media pages like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. You could also encourage buyers to leave you a review. This is the message I print on my thank you cards;

Take a look at some of the inspiring designs available to purchase on Thank You Cards on Etsy right now.

Let’s Get Social

This is a whole can of worms and really deserves its’ own blog post which I will tackle at a later date. Watch this space.

Social Media promotion is where it’s at. Set aside some time every day to get social. If you haven’t already, set up Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Etsy have made it a lot easier with their new Social Media interface found under marketing. They provide some great tools to share shop milestones, products, sales and promotions. It’s all at your fingertips. My personal favourite is Pinterest. Whenever I list a new product, I Pin it.

Here’s your personal invite to come and collaborate on my Pinterest group board Etsy Sellers Promote

If you want to find out how Pinterest can generate more traffic to your Etsy items read more here Pinterest – What’s It All About

Branding

Having a logo and a memorable header/banner image in your Etsy Shop looks professional and will stay in someone’s mind over a shop with limited branding.

It’s not hard to incorporate a logo (come on, you’re creative) and a header image on your shop. Just as an idea for your header/banner image, you could use 4 or 5 images of your best selling products and place them together in one long image. The size to work towards for your Etsy banner is 760 pixels x 100 pixels. If you want something a little more professional, there are some great resources available online to help you.

Once you have your signature brand you can use these on your Social Media platforms, your business and thank you cards, anywhere you want to promote yourself.

Build A Blog Around Your Brand

This can be daunting, it was for me. Where to start, what to write about, how to do it. All I can say is, just start. You have nothing to lose.

To give you an example of how to go about writing a blog post encompassing your brand, my first blog post was about Chakra Healing. Not only is this one of my passions but I sell Chakra Healing Bracelets in my Etsy Shop. Some of the topics I discussed in the blog are the Chakra Meanings, what the Chakra colours mean and issues in your body and how it might relate to your Chakras. At the end of the blog I provided a link to my Etsy Shop section where I sell Chakra Beaded Bracelets. Now, you might think this is a shameless plug but I believe in what I am selling and I believe my bracelets if worn can help you. It all works hand in hand.

When you realise how you can blog about your niche products you will have so much to blog about, you won’t know when to stop.

Last But Not Least….

If you want 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 by you again and again.

If you want to check out my Etsy Shop you can have a look here Rhinestone Mumma

I am always looking for ways to improve and “tweak” things in my Shop and in my listings.