Optimize the main components of your product
Identify what keywords to use when starting to sell on Etsy, incorporate them into your product. In addition to keywords, when matching queries, Etsy also considers product components such as title, tags, product attributes, etc. to see if they are relevant to the buyer’s search.
Product Titles
Etsy allows you to use up to 140 characters in your product title. The first 30 characters are the most important for optimize Etsy SEO. Use your most valuable keyword in the first word of the title. Avoid unnecessary keywords in the first position, such as size, color, or brand name.
Use long-tail keywords in the title: Shorter keywords have more traffic, but also more competition. By using more specific keywords, you are more likely to make a sale. This is because people who use specific keywords are more likely to buy than those who search for general terms. Using long-tail keywords also gives you less competition.
Titles with more than three all-caps words will not be ranked highly by Etsy. Some special characters, such as percent (%), ampersand (&), can only be used once. The dollar sign ($) and caret (^) are not allowed at all.
Here are some tips to help you optimize your titles:
- Using Multiple Keywords in Your Title
Etsy has stated that titles that are short, easy to read, and easy to understand lead to better sales conversions. A title with 75 to 120 characters is ideal because it is not too long for buyers to read. It also gives sellers enough space to add in several important keywords.
- Separating Your Keywords
Including multiple keywords in your title helps your quality score. However, make sure that your keywords are easier to read by separating them. You can separate them using commas, dashes, forward slashes, or another special character.
- Creating Professionalism from the Title
A professional title will impress your customers at first glance. Titles that are all caps or all lowercase will look unprofessional. So, Etsy recommends capitalizing the main words.
- Prioritizing Relevant Keywords at the Beginning of the Title
Customers tend to look at the first 20-40 characters of a title from the search results they receive. The rest will be cut off and only displayed if the buyer clicks on your listing. Therefore, the first 40 characters need to be the most relevant words that will let customers know that this is the product they are looking for.
Tags (Etsy Tags)
Etsy tags serve two main purposes: Helping buyers discover your products and helping Etsy match search queries to your products. Each Etsy product allows for up to 13 tags:
- Make your tags valuable: Choose tags that are relevant to your product and that buyers are likely to use in their search queries.
- Continuously revise your tags: As your product inventory changes and as you learn more about what keywords are effective, revise your tags to reflect this.
- Use a variety of keywords: Include a mix of general and specific keywords in your tags. This will help your products appear in a wider range of search results.
Things to Avoid When Using Tags:
- Do not repeat tags
- Do not use tags that are already included in the attributes
- Do not have spelling errors in your tags
- Do not add multiple languages in the same tag
Product Attributes
Product attributes are additional details that you can use to describe your products, such as color, size, material, and more. They serve two main purposes:
- Helping buyers filter search results: When buyers search for products on Etsy, they can use filters to narrow down their results. By including relevant attributes in your listings, you can help your products appear in the search results of buyers who are looking for specific features.
- Helping Etsy match search queries to your products: Etsy’s algorithm uses attributes to understand the content of your listings. By using accurate and relevant attributes, you can help Etsy match your products to relevant search queries.
Product Categories
Etsy categories help buyers narrow down their search results and also play an important role in Etsy SEO. Etsy uses them when matching listings to search queries.
Product Listing Content
In addition to optimizing your product title, tags, and categories, you also need to optimize the content of your product listing.
Here are some ways to optimize your content:
Product Images
You should take photos of your product from multiple angles. If possible, use real photos of the product. You can also take photos that help people understand the size, material, etc. of the product.
In addition, because Etsy is a marketplace for handmade goods, your product photos should also have a handmade feel. This can help you increase your score in Etsy’s ranking process.
Product Description
While Etsy’s search algorithm does not scan the product description, it plays an important role in increasing conversion rates, which in turn can help improve your ranking.
There is no word limit for the product description. The length of the content will depend on what you want to convey, but you should still keep the following in mind:
- Write the important information first: This will help grab the customer’s attention and make them want to learn more about the product.
- Make your description easy to read: A long text will scare your customers away. Use short paragraphs (4-5 lines). Use bold, italics, and underline to distinguish between main and sub information.
- Add links: When selling on Etsy, URLs can be clickable and lead to other information pages. Add URLs to the description to direct customers to see more products in your store.
Optimize customer experience
Etsy’s search algorithm considers customer experience scores to rank your store. Here are some factors that can affect your rating.
Product Reviews
A study showed that customers often look at previous reviews before deciding whether or not to buy a product. In addition to encouraging customers, these reviews also have a direct impact on customer experience scores.
Etsy always supports and ranks highly products that receive positive reviews.
Shop Introduction
The shop introduction helps customers better understand your shop and what you have to offer them. An engaging introduction is a space to showcase your personality and build trust with customers.
Make the most of your introduction by telling stories about your shop through images and videos. The more buyer-friendly you are, the higher your chances of getting sales.
Sales policy
The store has a transparent sales and return policy. Bringing customers comfort, trust and purchasing decisions.
Etsy offers samples of shipping policies, payment options, and returns. You can use these templates to create your own policies for your store.
In addition, your store also needs to have a Q&A (question and answer) section, helping customers get immediate answers to their problems.
Offer competitive shipping rates
Etsy says that shoppers are more likely to buy from sellers who offer low or free shipping. Consider the following tips to offer competitive shipping rates to your customers:
Combine shipping costs into the price
Combining estimated shipping costs into your product price can make the shipping fee seem more reasonable to customers.
For example, if you are selling a T-shirt for $30 USD and the shipping cost is $5 USD, you could split the shipping cost and add half ($2.5 USD) directly to your selling price. This way, customers may be more likely to accept a $2.5 USD shipping fee.
Free Shipping
In 2019, Etsy announced that products with free shipping would be prioritized in search results. You can either factor the entire shipping cost into the price of your product or set certain conditions for customers to receive free shipping.
For example, you could offer customers free shipping on orders over $60 USD.
This way, you can both satisfy customers and sell more products.
Achieving a successful Etsy SEO strategy requires real perseverance and doing things right step by step. No seller is successful without daily effort.
What are you waiting for? Start working on your Etsy sales plan and become a successful seller!