The Etsy SEO landscape is changing. Unfortunately, it’s not changing for the better. As an Etsy Seller, you need to up your etsy SEO strategy. The two methods are crucial for boosting your product rankings in search results pages . It’s an ongoing battle. The best Etsy seo solution is to develop a well-rounded etsy SEO strategy using both seo techniques including optimizing titles , backlinks and keyword targeting .
Here are a few tips you must recognize if you want boosting your product rankings in search results pages.
Choose a shop title that describes your products.
Your shop title is a brief bit of text that describes your store, so shoppers know what you make and sell, and it’s one aspect of your shop you can use to influence Etsy SEO.
This title will become the page title for your shop page and is the first text a user will see when a search engine links to your shop, so take advantage of the opportunity to title your shop appropriately. Think of a title that indicates the kind of products you sell. For example, Etsy shop SoapMakingTools sells soap-making tools.
If you know that shoppers are likely to find your products by searching for your actual name, include your name in the shop title, so you can easily be found.
Your shop title can be up to 55 characters long, and when you enter a new shop title or edit the existing one, you’ll be able to preview how it will appear in Google search results.
2. Determine your keywords.
Keywords are a big part of Etsy SEO, and it’s no different on Etsy, but how do you go about determining which keywords are right for your shop?
How keywords work in Etsy search
First, you need to know a bit more about how Etsy determines the placement of listings in search results. Items in Etsy’s search results must match a user’s search, and items that are an exact match will appear highest in search results. For example, if a shopper searches for “cat shirt,” the search algorithm will find all items that match both “cat” and “shirt” in either listing tags or titles. Then, the algorithm will use keywords to place those items in the most relevant order.
Here’s what Etsy considers when ranking search results:
- An exact phrase match is stronger than matching the search terms individually. For example, “cat shirt” will be placed higher than a match for “cat” or “shirt.”
- If a word or phrase in a search appears in both the title and tags of a listing, Etsy considers that listing more relevant than a listing that features the search term in the tags or title alone.
- Words at the beginning of titles are more important than words at the end. For example, “cat shirt blue size large” would rank above “blue size large cat shirt.”
Finding keywords for your Etsy listings
When deciding which keywords will perform best for your listings in search, first think like a shopper. If you were looking to purchase a specific item or type of item, what terms would you use to search for it? Test those keywords by typing them into Etsy’s search tool to see what comes up to determine if it’s a good fit.
You also want to think in terms of specifics or long tail keywords. These keywords contain three or more words and are closely linked to sales because there’s less competition, and users searching for precisely what they want are more likely to make a purchase. For example, if you include “gold personalized name necklace” in your keywords list, users who search for that exact term will easily find your listing, and shoppers in the market for a gold personalized name necklace are likely to purchase one.
When considering potential keywords, it’s easy to rely on physical item descriptions, such as an item’s size or color, for example. But don’t overlook other opportunities to reach shoppers who may be searching for items for certain occasions or that fit certain aesthetics, for example. In addition to describing your product in terms of what it is, consider other search terms a buyer might use, such as the following:
- Occasions: Etsy users may search for terms like “bachelorette party,” “stocking stuffer,” “first anniversary,” or “tacky sweater party.”
- Style: Shoppers often have an aesthetic in mind, so consider how this affects how your listing is found. Is your product “rustic,” “minimalist,” “nature-inspired,” “art deco,” etc.?
- Solutions: Does your product offer a solution to a buyer? Consider how a user may search for a problem solver like “drawer organizer” or “microchip pet tag.”
Finally, use SEO tools to research which keywords are most searched for. You can use a popular tool like Google Keyword Planner, but there are Etsy-specific search tools, such as Marmalead, which helps Etsy sellers find and analyze keywords specifically for their shops.
3. Avoid using the same keyword too often.
When a buyer searches for something on Etsy, the search algorithm won’t display more than one or two listings from a particular buyer regardless of how well the listings match the user’s search. This is known as de-clumping, and Etsy does it to ensure that a variety of different shops appear in search results.
For example, a search on Etsy for “blue vintage dress” reveals several different shops, as illustrated in the screenshot below.
FlyingAppleVintage has only two listings that appear in the above results even though a search for “blue vintage dress” within the shop itself reveals pages of listings that meet that criteria, as indicated below.
Because of this de-clumping in Etsy search results, you shouldn’t use the same primary keyword for more than a few of your items, or you’ll simply be competing against yourself in search.
For example, if you sell a variety of vintage dresses in your shop, it doesn’t benefit you to use the keyword “vintage dress” for every dress you have for sale. Instead, vary your keywords, using “vintage dress” only a couple of times and coming up with similar keywords like “vintage gown” or “antique sundress.”
Select Etsy SEO Keywords Carefully
Keywords are the foundation of improving Etsy SEO. Etsy prefers to highlight shops that include direct matches with shoppers’ keywords.
To uncover the best keywords for your shop, think like a buyer.
What would your target customer search for? Which terms would they be most likely to key into the search bar?
After identifying keywords by embodying your target consumer, explore direct competitors’ keywords to ensure all relevant terms have been gathered.
While organic research is a great starting place, using an SEO tool like Ubersuggest helps with in-depth keyword data and provides metrics on backlinks, content ideas, and additional keyword suggestions.
Use keywords in tags, titles, categories, and attributes for a robust Etsy SEO strategy to more effectively match your listings with consumer queries, which could potentially result in increased visibility.
However, don’t overdo it on keywords by jamming titles full of them or other keyword stuffing methods. Etsy is actively working to reduce the visibility of titles stuffed with keywords.
Optimize Your Shop Sections
Shop sections structure products into explorable groups. Potential sections include groupings by size, type, color, etc. These sections appear as links on the left sidebar of the shop.
In addition to aiding overall shop organization, sections can help improve your Etsy SEO.
Each section functions as an independent location, complete with a unique landing page and title derived from the section name. These individual landing pages supply more opportunities to use your keywords.
Consider using section titles that double down on keywords, again improving shop organization and the likelihood of appearing early in searches.
Use All Available Tags and Optimize Them
You can have 13 tags in item descriptions. Use this opportunity to make the most of your keywords.
Each tag has space for 20 characters, so focus on long-tail keywords and think beyond your existing keywords.
Etsy encourages using regional phrases, synonyms, and multi-word phrases when building out tags. However, the platform discourages repetitive tagging, intentional misspellings, multiple languages, and pluralizing keywords.
By optimizing these tags, you can better identify your product, allowing your consumer to find your shop more easily, which can improve your Etsy SEO.
Use all 13 tags in each listing.
When you’re setting up a product listing, you’ll be required to fill out certain fields, including the listing title, category, and description. These fields are mandatory as indicated by the asterisk beside them, and Etsy considers the information provided in all of these fields when displaying search results.
However, the tags section isn’t mandatory, but it’s extremely important to include a variety of tags to optimize your listings for search. You can use up to 13 tags, and it’s best to use all of them.
When you’re brainstorming tags, consider synonyms that people may use to search for your item, such as “cap” and “hat.” Also think of how differences in shoppers’ regions could affect how they search for an item. For example, if you sell flip-flops, you might also want to use “thong sandals” to reach buyers in other countries. You can also include longtail keywords in your tags.
Here are a few “don’ts” to keep in mind when it comes to tags:
- Don’t repeat tags. For example, if you sell headbands for babies, you don’t want to use both “baby headband” and “infant headband.” Instead, diversify tags to get your items in front of more sellers by using a variety of tags such as “baby headband” and “infant headpiece.”
- Don’t use a tag that’s already included in attributes. For example, if you’ve already indicated that you’re selling a red-and-gold scarf when you filled out your item’s attributes — the extra details you can add about your listings after selecting a category — you don’t need to add a tag for “red and gold scarf.”
- Don’t include plurals or misspellings in your tags. Etsy looks at root words when a user enters a query, and it also redirects users who make common spelling mistakes.
- Don’t add tags in multiple languages. Use only the language you selected when you set up your store. Etsy will translate listings for you.
Be Thoughtful About Your Shop Name
Your store name becomes the title for your store page, which is visible in SERPs. When crafting this all-important shop title, ensure what you sell is clear to consumers.
If your name is too whimsical, for instance, consumers may bypass your products in search of better-defined pastures.
For example, Etsy seller The House Plant Nursery chose a name that clearly states what a consumer will encounter upon entering their shop.
This technique eliminates confusion and drives the consumer directly to their intended source.
Another consideration when choosing your shop name is its length. With character caps on usernames across social media platforms, from 15 on Twitter to 55 on Etsy and Facebook, it’s worth considering a short name that won’t get cut off by these sites.
Include High-Quality Photos
As the adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. When it comes to Etsy photographs, it’s arguable that a picture is worth infinitely more.
As an online-only platform, photos need to attract attention, maintain attention, and convert consumers.
According to Etsy, product photos are the deciding factor for purchasing a shop, outweighing price, the cost to ship, and customer reviews.
Etsy allows sellers to add up to ten photos per item, so choose your images wisely. As more users are drawn to pictures, your overall ranking may increase.
Front-load listings with keywords.
Put the important details about your shop or item — in other words, the keywords you want to rank for — at the beginning of every field when making a new listing. This not only catches a shopper’s attention, but it also helps Etsy determine which items fit with a user’s search term.
When listing products you have for sale on the items’ listing page, consider how you can get the most important features of your item in the first few words of the following areas:
- Item title: Clearly describe your item at the beginning of the item title, and use keywords a shopper would use to search for this particular item.
- Item description: The first 160 characters of your item description are used to create the meta description for your listing page, which is the text that appears beneath your page title in search engine results. While your description can be longer than 160 characters, it’s important to place your product’s vital keywords within the first 40 characters.
- Shop sections: Your shop can have up to 20 custom sections, each of which will have its own landing page. Each landing page will have a page title based on the section name.
Like your shop title, these page titles are what a user will see in a search engine that links to your shop. Section names can be up to 24 characters.
Update Your Listings Often
When you renew existing Etsy listings, they receive a small boost in the site’s search rankings.
Although this practice isn’t a long-term Etsy SEO solution, it can increase search visibility for more competitive keywords.
By giving your listing an extra boost in periods of high consumer activity (e.g., holidays), you could increase the number of consumers who see your listings.
Gain Backlinks
Backlinks, or inbound links, are links to your store or products from external sites. These are vital to Etsy SEO strategy as they increase search engine confidence in a site.
You can earn backlinks, even if you’re not a well-known brand using these three strategies:
- Build Your Blog: Blogs can expand your audience, increase your SEO score, build your presence as an industry leader, and help you score quality backlinks. By creating unique, valuable content, others may link to your shop or specific products.
- Get Social: When sharing links to your blog and shop on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social media channels, you increase the likelihood of reaching new consumers who may backlink to your shop.
- Reach Out: Identify mediums that would likely feature your shop or your products. These outlets can include blogs, publications, and Instagram accounts. After making this list, start reaching out. Incentivize these individuals to link to your site by offering them a discount or a sample item.
Conclusion
Entrepreneurs everywhere are looking for a way to jumpstart their business. In the e-commerce world, this isn’t any different. There are many different ways to sell products, but Etsy is one of the best out there. The artisans have been able to create a community around their products, and now they have the ability to reach a lot more people than just their local markets. The recent update has also helped a lot of the sellers who were struggling with certain aspects of marketing and SEO.