Cracking the Code: Dominate Etsy SEO and Drive Organic Traffic to Your Shop!

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Do you own a business on Etsy? How has your business been doing in terms of sales?

If you’re selling on Etsy, you know how important it is to get your products in front of the right audience.

One way to do that is by optimizing your shop’s search engine optimization (SEO) to improve your visibility in Etsy’s search results.

I’m part of quite a few Etsy communities and Facebook groups, and one thing that keeps coming up is how some sellers are struggling to get visitors to their Etsy store, even though they have plenty of active listings. It’s really disheartening for them because they’re putting in a lot of effort, but not seeing any results in terms of sales.

Unfortunately, some of these sellers end up giving up after just a few weeks, feeling like they’ve hit a dead end. They might even start blaming Etsy itself, saying that there’s too much competition or that the market is just oversaturated.

What they don’t understand is that, in the majority of the cases, the issue is caused by the fact that their SEO isn’t optimized, so their products are not visible to potential customers. There are ways to improve your visibility on Etsy and attract more customers – you just have to know what you’re doing!

So, if you’re in the same boat and feeling frustrated with the lack of traffic to your Etsy store, don’t give up just yet. There are plenty of tips and tricks you can use to crack the code and start making more sales. It might take some time and effort, but it’s definitely possible.

In this post, we’ll explore the best practices for optimizing your Etsy shop’s SEO and driving organic traffic to your products.

What is a Keyword?

Have you ever heard the term “keyword” being thrown around when people talk about search engines or websites? Essentially, a keyword is a word or phrase that describes the content on a webpage, and it helps search engines understand what the page is all about.

Let’s say you’re searching for a specific product on Google. You might type in a few keywords that describe what you’re looking for, like “blue running shoes for women” or “organic dog food”. The search engine will then crawl through its index of web pages and look for pages that match those keywords.

Now, on the other side of things, if you’re a website owner or content creator, you’ll want to make sure that your web pages include relevant keywords that people might be searching for. This helps your content show up in search results when people are looking for information related to your topic.

Of course, it’s not just about stuffing your pages full of as many keywords as possible – that can actually hurt your search engine ranking. It’s about finding a balance and using keywords strategically to help your content get found by the right audience.

If you don’t have keywords buyers are searching for, you won’t get eyes on your product page, therefore will have no sales, no matter how hard you try.

Long Tail Keywords

So, you know how we just talked about keywords – those words or phrases that describe the content on a webpage and help search engines understand what the page is about? Well, long tail keywords are a more specific type of keyword that can be really helpful for SEO.

Basically, a long tail keyword is a longer, more specific phrase that includes multiple keywords. For example, instead of just using the keyword “running shoes”, a long tail keyword might be something like “best running shoes for flat feet” or “affordable trail running shoes for women”. These phrases are usually more targeted and specific to a certain niche or audience.

A long tail keyword is a keyword phrase that’s hyper-specific for an individual listing.

So, why are long tail keywords important? Well, for one thing, they can help you attract more qualified traffic to your website.

Someone who is searching for a very specific phrase like “best running shoes for flat feet” is likely to be much closer to making a purchase than someone who just searched for “running shoes”.

By targeting these more specific long tail keywords, you can attract people who are more likely to be interested in your product or service.

A long tail keyword is a specific search phrase with lower search volume but a higher conversion rate.

The reason why sometimes Keyword Research Tools like Erank will tell you that a long tail keyword only has 2 words and then tell you that a 3-word phrase is not long tail, is because they look at the volume of search and the engagement for that phrase, NOT how many words that phrase has.

By the way, Erank is a great Keyword Research Tool that helps you identify the long tail keywords right off the bat using their FREE plan. To get started, click here to create an account.

What is Etsy SEO?

Etsy SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization on Etsy. It’s the practice of optimizing your Etsy shop and product listings to improve their visibility and ranking in Etsy’s search results.

When someone searches for a specific item on Etsy, the search engine uses complex algorithms to determine which listings to display and in what order. By optimizing your shop and listings for relevant keywords, you can increase your chances of appearing at the top of Etsy’s search results and attract more potential customers to your shop.

Some of the key factors that impact Etsy SEO include the use of relevant keywords in your product titles, descriptions, and tags, the number and quality of customer reviews, the overall engagement and activity level of your shop, and the relevance and accuracy of your product categorization.

Optimizing your Etsy SEO requires ongoing effort and attention to detail, but it can be a powerful tool for driving organic traffic to your shop and increasing your sales.

By using the right keywords, crafting compelling product descriptions, and providing top-notch customer service, you can improve your shop’s visibility and attract more customers to your unique handmade or vintage items.

How does Etsy Search Algorithm Work?

Etsy’s search algorithm is a complex system that uses a variety of factors to determine which listings to display in response to a given search query. While the exact details of the algorithm are not publicly disclosed by Etsy, here are some of the key factors that are believed to influence the search results:

1. Relevance: The algorithm looks for listings that are most relevant to the user’s search query. This includes factors like the keywords used in the listing titles, tags, and descriptions, as well as the overall relevance of the product category.
2. Quality: The algorithm takes into account the quality of the listing, such as the quality of the photos, product descriptions, and customer reviews.
3. Engagement: The algorithm considers how active and engaged the shop is, such as how often the shop is updated, how many sales it has made, and how many positive reviews it has received.
4. Personalization: The algorithm also factors in the user’s search history, past purchases, and other personal data to personalize the search results and show them listings that are most relevant to their interests.

It’s worth noting that Etsy’s search algorithm is constantly evolving and changing, as the company experiments with new features and updates. Therefore, it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest best practices for optimizing your listings and shop for search, such as using relevant keywords and providing high-quality product images and descriptions.

If you’re selling on Etsy, you probably already know how important it is to optimize your shop and product listings for search engine visibility. But did you know that Etsy’s search function operates in two steps: query matching and ranking?

Although these are complex matters, understanding them can help you identify how they can be modified to increase the amount of traffic to your business.

Query Matching

Query matching is the first step in Etsy’s search function. When a user enters a search query, Etsy’s search engine tries to match the query to relevant keywords in shop and product listings. This means that having accurate and detailed product titles, descriptions, and tags that include relevant keywords is crucial for your listings to show up in search results.

So, how does query matching work in practice?

Let’s say a user searches for “handmade jewelry”. Etsy’s search engine will crawl through all the shop and product listings on the site, looking for keywords that match the query.

Listings that include the keyword phrase “handmade jewelry” in the product title, description, or tags are more likely to show up in search results.

It’s worth noting that Etsy’s search engine doesn’t just look for exact keyword matches – it also takes into account synonyms and related keywords. For example, if a user searches for “handmade necklace”, a listing with the keyword “handcrafted necklace” might still show up in the search results.

To optimize your shop and product listings for query matching, it’s important to use relevant keywords in your titles, descriptions, and tags.

Do some research on the most popular keywords in your niche, and make sure to include them in your listings where appropriate.

Be sure to also use natural language and write detailed, accurate product descriptions that give potential customers a clear idea of what your product is all about.

Etsy has also revealed in the Seller Handbook that categories and attributes also count as keywords! So, make sure you fill those out in your listings.

Ranking

Etsy ranking is the second step in the site’s search function, following query matching. Once the search engine has matched the user’s query to relevant keywords in shop and product listings, it ranks the listings based on a variety of factors.

Here is a look at some of the components taken into account when it comes to Etsy search ranking:

Relevancy – When tags, titles, categories, and characteristics match a user’s search query, listings may show in search results. Exact match keywords display higher in the search results because it’s seen as more relevant.

Listing a quality score – This generally refers to how effective a listing is in converting visitors. Etsy uses clues to determine how attractive a listing is; thus, the more people who see and buy an item, the higher its quality score and placement in search results will be.

When you add your Etsy shop link to groups on Facebook to ask for people’s opinion on your listings, or as an attempt to attract more traffic to your listings, there’s a high change that this is only HURTING your shop. When people visit your shop out of curiosity and leave without buying anything, Etsy interprets this as if your listings aren’t of good quality, because you have a high amount of traffic, but the visitors aren’t converting into sales. Therefore, they might start placing you lower in the search results for the next potential REAL customers.

Recency – When a seller adds a new listing, it will obtain an initial, although short-lived, boost in search results so that Etsy search can gain insight into how customers interact with it and calculate the item’s quality score. When a listing is renewed, it will get a smaller boost. But don’t go renewing them daily, Etsy already made it clear that this alone isn’t an effective search optimization strategy.

Customer and market experience score – Each shop gets a score that impacts its ranking based on customer evaluations. Receiving positive reviews, having shop policies in place, and including a section about yourself in your shop can have a positive effect on your search ranking while illegal use of intellectual property infringement issues can have a detrimental consequence on your search ranking.

Shipping Price – Because shipping costs are an important factor in a customer’s choice to buy, Etsy prioritizes shops that offer Free Shipping to customers in the United States. Digital Downloads also are placed higher in the search because they don’t have any shipping costs.

Language and translations – All store information, including titles and tags for individual items, must be in the language you choose to set up your Etsy account.

Shoppers’ habits – Etsy customizes search results based on the shopper’s habits. Searching for your own listings and comparing the results over time isn’t an effective way to determine where your listings are appearing in the search.

So, how can you improve your Etsy ranking and increase your shop’s search engine visibility? Here are some tips:

1. Use relevant keywords in your product titles, descriptions, and tags.
2. Write detailed, accurate product descriptions that use natural language and include relevant keywords.
3. Use high-quality photos that accurately represent your products.
4. Encourage customer reviews by providing excellent customer service and following up with buyers after each purchase.
5. Stay active and engaged on Etsy by updating your listings regularly and responding promptly to customer inquiries.

By focusing on these factors and optimizing your shop and listings for search engine visibility, you can improve your Etsy ranking and attract more potential customers to your business. Remember, Etsy ranking is an ongoing process, so be sure to continually refine your strategy and stay up-to-date with the latest best practices for Etsy SEO.

Etsy SEO Keyword Strategy

There are a lot of misguided information out there regarding Etsy SEO, and people teaching you how to “trick” the algorithm (there’s no such a thing by the way), so I will try and sum up the do’s and don’ts, extracted directly from Etsy’s Seller Handbook.

Etsy Tagging DO’s

• Do use ALL 13 Tags. Each tag is an added chance to be matched with a shopper’s search.
• Do use long tail keywords. Don’t try to compete with the broad, popular and generic keywords, for example: ‘ring’. Instead, try narrowing down by using less popular phrases that will describe what’s really special about your product, for example: ‘Minimalist Gold Ring’
• Do use multi-word phrases. Your tags can be up to 20 characters long. Use up all that space. For example, instead of using up the space for 3 tags by separating the words ‘minimalist’, ‘gold’ and ‘ring’, use only 1 tag space by entering ‘Minimalist gold ring’
• Do consider synonyms and regional phrases. The best way to add more variety into your keywords is by searching synonyms. I use wordhippo or thesaurus when I am drawing a blank. Also, Etsy accounts for misspellings and plurals so you don’t have to add an extra tag for those, but they do not account for regional phrases and product names. So use that in your favor as well.

Etsy SEO Mistakes to Avoid

Etsy Tagging DON’Ts

• Don’t repeat tags. The 13 tags should be as UNIQUE as possible to increase your chances to rank higher for more search terms.
• Don’t repeat all tags in your title. You should match only the most relevant keywords or phrase in your title and tags. Use them in the beginning of the title, where the keywords have more weight. If you repeat all your tags in your title, you’re going to miss the opportunity to save space for a broader variety of keywords and phrases. Don’t ‘keyword stuff’ your title. Remember that you are writing the title for the shopper (the human being) to quickly find the items that you’re selling when they’re scanning the search results. Don’t try to add all random and / or keywords on there just to try and trick the algorithm. Use descriptive phrases targeting the most relevant keywords.
• Don’t repeat keywords to form a different phrase. There is no need to enter a keyword ‘ Minimalist Gold Ring’, and another that says, ‘Gold Ring’. You will still show up in the search for ‘Gold Ring’ using the keyword ‘Minimalist Gold Ring’ because the words are there.
• Don’t repeat categories and attributes. They act like tags, so if an exact phrase appears in your categories, you don’t need to add it as a tag.
• Don’t include misspellings or plurals. Etsy uses Artificial Intelligence to pick up on misspelled words and plurals. Do not waste tag space trying to account for those.
• Don’t add tags in multiple languages. Again, Etsy will use AI to translate the tags. The titles and tags should be in the language that you choose when setting up your shop.

Need help brainstorming keywords for your Etsy listing? Check out this blog post on How to Find Trending Keywords For your Etsy Listings

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