Wondering how to take your Etsy shop to the next level? You're not alone! Every year, thousands of dedicated sellers like you look for ways to boost their visibility online and attract more customers.
With the right strategy, Etsy SEO can help you do just that. If you're interested in the best SEO practices for getting found on Etsy—we've got you covered. In this guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about Etsy SEO, from keyword research to page optimization.
Let's dive right in!
Etsy SEO refers to the process of optimizing your shop for Etsy's search algorithm (and for other search engine platforms) so that potential buyers can discover it more easily when searching for certain keywords and phrases related to your products or services. The goal is to make sure those keywords appear in places where people are likely to look for them—like product titles, descriptions, tags, and photos. It's a vital step towards ensuring people can find your product or service, which means more sales! The good news is, it's not rocket science—and you don't have to be an SEO expert to make it work. With just a few straightforward adjustments, you can start seeing an increase in traffic from organic searches and get more eyes on your products.
With the help of Etsy search, customers can easily find the products they're seeking and make purchases. The two stages of the search process are referred to as Query Matching and Ranking.
Here's the gist:
Query Matching: When a user inputs a search term, Etsy searches its inventory for listings that contain that term.
Ranking: Etsy assigns a score to the related listings based on the following criteria:
Context-Specific Ranking (CSR) technology is also used to rank listings. CSR assists in displaying pertinent listings that are more likely to be purchased based on shoppers' preferences across Etsy.
When it comes to your Etsy shop, you want to be found by as many shoppers as possible. You might have a fantastic product line, but if no one can find it, they'll never be able to buy from you!
That's why getting found on Etsy is not just about making your products look good—several other factors go into the ranking process. Starting with the fundamentals, let's look at nine essential areas for improving your Etsy shop's SEO and raising its exposure in search results.
The first step in boosting your shop's visibility is giving it a name that accurately reflects what you sell. Your listing's title is typically the first thing shoppers see when searching for something in your category, so it needs to be clear and descriptive. Avoid using too many words or characters in your title—you want to make it as short as possible without being misleading or confusing.
The best approach is to pick a name that's both descriptive and memorable. For instance, Custom Acrylic Pet Portraits would be an excellent start to a shop name if you're a pet portrait artist. If you're selling jewelry pieces made by hand and with specific materials, consider using phrases like "Handmade Hemp and Crystals Jewelry."
When it comes to Etsy SEO, this is one of the most critical components to get right since it will be used by search engines to decide whether or not to display your store page in their results.
Primary keywords are the terms that define your product best, such as 'blue,' 'hat,' or 'knit.' Secondary keywords are related terms, like 'suede' or 'winter.' However, prior to figuring out how keywords work in Etsy search, you need to understand how Etsy decides which listings will appear in search results.
Products on Etsy must match the words a user types into the search bar, with exact matches appearing nearest to the top of the search results. If a customer searches for "wedding invitations," the search will return all results that have both "wedding" and "invitation" in the listing tags or titles.
When ranking query results, Etsy SEO considers the following:
When choosing keywords for your Etsy listings, think like a buyer. Ask yourself, "What search terms would I use to find a certain product?" Make sure to test all new keywords by inputting them into Etsy's search field and see what pops up to determine if it's a strong option.
Think about specific phrases or long-tail keywords as well. The more unique your titles and descriptions are, the less likely someone else will use them—meaning less competition.
Additionally, customers who conduct in-depth searches before making a purchase are more likely to commit when they find your listing. For example, if you include "light blue hand-knitted winter cardigans" in your list of keywords, people who search for that exact phrase will find your listing effortlessly.
When thinking of possible keywords, it's easy to focus on just the size or color of your item. However, you can think of other search terms a buyer might use besides what your product is. For instance:
If you require a little help getting started in the right direction, you can always use SEO tools like Google's popular Keyword Planner to find out which keywords are the most popular in your category. Happy hunting!
When shoppers search for items on Etsy, the search algorithm will only display one or two shop listings from a particular vendor. It all depends on how closely the listings match the user's search. Employing a process called de-clumping, Etsy ensures that the search results show a wide variety of shops.
For example, if you search for "conceptual office art" on Etsy, you'll see a wide variety of distinct store pages. Because of Etsy's de-clumping, you should not utilize the same primary keyword for more than a few of your goods. Otherwise, you'll find yourself in a search battle with yourself.
The phrase "swimwear," for example, should not be used to describe every item you sell in your shop that is in the category of swimming gear. Instead, use a variety of similar terms like "one-piece swimsuit" or "trendy beachwear" to spice up your search strategy.
A tag is a descriptive term or phrase that identifies your product. Etsy finds relevant results by matching tags with what shoppers are looking for. If you want your items to show up in the right places on Etsy, make sure to use your tags when you list them. Each item listing can have up to 13 tags.
It helps to consider other words people might use to find your product, like "hat," "beanie," and "ball cap," for example.
Also, give some thought to how a shopper's location might affect how they look for something. If you sell sandals, you might want to call them "flip-flops" to attract people from certain areas. Likewise, you can also use long-tail keywords in your tags.
Here are just a few more facts to keep in mind about tagging:
Keep in mind that providing a wide range of tags is essential when it comes to optimizing your listings for search engines. Even though this field is optional, it's best to incorporate all 13 tags in your Etsy listings for SEO purposes.
Begin each new listing with the most essential features regarding your item (the keywords you wish to rank for) within the first few words. This helps Etsy determine which goods are relevant to a user's search query while simultaneously catching their attention as potential customers.
Item Title: The title of your item should begin with a concise description of your product and any relevant keywords that a potential buyer would use in their search.
Item Description: Your description's first 160 characters will be used to generate the meta description for your listing page. This is the text that shows up in search engine results under the title of your page. Even if your description is longer than 160 characters, the most meaningful words for your product should be in the first 40 characters.
Shop Sections: Up to 20 custom sections can be made in your shop, each with its own landing page and web address. The section's name, which can have up to 24 characters, will be used as the title for each landing page.
Etsy's search algorithm takes how recent a listing is into account. This means that when you create a new listing, it gets a temporary boost. Consequently, Etsy is able to learn more about its consumers' behavior on the site and use this information to evaluate a listing's quality.
Renewed listings also get a bump in exposure, ranging from several hours to a few days. That's because the frequency with which customers search for specific things on Etsy determines how long your listings will remain active.
It's not a good long-term Etsy SEO strategy to frequently renew or relist your items. Updates to listings, though, can be worthwhile occasionally. During the holidays, for instance, when the site is most active and more individuals are looking to buy.
Both the Etsy SEO algorithm and search engines try to give users relevant and useful results. They do this in multiple ways, such as by indexing shops or items often linked to by other sources.
There are various methods to improve Etsy SEO outside of simply linking your store to your own website or blog. Here are some recommendations:
Etsy is all about giving customers the best possible shopping experience. As a result, they analyze if a seller has a strong track record of providing excellent customer care. If the seller does, there is a greater chance that their listings will show up higher in search results.
The best way to preserve a positive reputation is by ensuring that your customers are satisfied with their purchases and overall experience with your store. This means shipping orders quickly, responding to messages in a timely manner, and providing good communication throughout.
Another way you can improve your customer service is by keeping an eye on reviews after each sale. If there are any negative ones, respond promptly and try to resolve the issue as soon as possible. If someone's item arrives damaged or defective, be sure to offer a full refund or exchange while also offering a shipping label so they can return the item at no cost to themselves.
The road to reaching your goals is paved with small changes. The key is to approach your SEO checklist strategically and remain focused on results. Ultimately, it's the tiny tweaks here and there in how you structure your shop that will have a meaningful impact on the revenue you generate from organic searches via SEO.
We hope these Etsy SEO 2022 tips and tricks will form a good foundation for your shop and get you on the path to success—building the business you've always dreamed of!
