Etsy SEO: Top 10 Tips By AdNabu

How do Etsy vendors attract customers on Etsy? The solution is Etsy SEO. Without assistance, the world of Etsy SEO may be difficult to navigate. Here are some of the finest methods to optimize your Etsy store for search engines!

What is Etsy SEO?

The goal of Etsy SEO is to improve the visibility of your shop and items in search engines like Google, as well as within Etsy’s own search feature.

Small and medium-sized businesses may find SEO difficult to grasp, particularly because search engines are always developing their techniques. It’s essential that Etsy merchants have a basic understanding of SEO best practices so they can optimize their stores for search and get their items in front of potentially more buyers.

Are you unfamiliar with how to improve your Etsy store for SEO? Read on to discover how Etsy search works and the ten easy methods any Etsy seller can assist consumers in finding their listings.

Why Etsy SEO is important for your business?

Online customers rely on search to discover the products they’re searching for. Making sure your distinctive identity and the items you offer are discoverable through search can aid potential consumers in discovering your brand and returning again to make a repeat purchase.

People are unlikely to go through numerous search results pages to discover what they’re searching for, so your focus should be on the first page of searches for terms that are important to your business.

Your search ranking is the position where you rank in search results. For example, if you’re searching for engagement rings made to order, you’ll want to appear on the top page of the results. Rankings vary from time to time; Google adjusts how it determines a page’s rank regularly.

Using keywords and Etsy SEO best practices to improve your Etsy store or website’s visibility on Google could help you appear on the first page of results. By optimizing your website or blog to include terms that are relevant to the items you offer, you may attract new consumers. This plays a crucial role when competing with others.

For example, suppose you specialize in animal jewelry and sell pendants and rings that resemble animals. In that case, you’d want your business to appear at the top of search results for terms like “animal jewelry” so that customers looking for those goods can locate you.

Shopping sites that are optimized for search engines are also appealing to consumers. Search engines want to know whether customers can locate the information or product they are looking for.

Search engines see your site as a success when it fulfills what a user is searching for. You acquire a new consumer this way.

How does Etsy search work?

When a user searches for something on Etsy, the site’s search algorithm seeks to offer the most relevant results. The specifics of this algorithm are altered frequently to assist customers in locating what they’re searching for.

The most critical aspects of Etsy Search optimization are under the control of sellers.

Learn more about the different stages of Etsy Search and the elements that influence search rankings.

The Etsy search engine is a helpful tool for customers to locate items that meet their requirements. It’s simple for them to purchase things on Etsy using the search engine.

There are two different phases of search: query matching and ranking. Each will be fully investigated below, but here’s a brief summary:

Query matching: When a buyer performs an inquiry, we examine the inventory of listings that match that inquiry.

Ranking: Behind the scenes, we analyze the matching listings based on a number of criteria, which we’ll discuss in further detail below.

Our Context-Specific Ranking (CSR) algorithm is also utilized to rank listings. CSR helps us show customers items we think they’re more likely to buy based on our learnings from users’ browsing patterns on Etsy.

We’ll start with a brief explanation: Subscribing to Etsy Plus or Etsy Premium has no impact on the visibility of your listings in Etsy Search.

Ensure you make utmost use of your Etsy dashboard.

Query matching

When a consumer submits a search query on Etsy, we examine the titles, tags, categories, and attributes you’ve assigned to find matching keywords.

Adding all 13 tags, using different tags, including all relevant attribute selections, and categorizing your belongings as accurately as possible can all aid in improving the likelihood that your listings will match with a query.

Diversifying your inventory and using a variety of tags on your listings allows you to compete in more searches.

Ranking

We use the data we have about each listing and shop to rank them so that buyers browsing Etsy see the goods they are most likely to buy first in the results.

Here are some of the factors that go into Etsy Search ranking:

#1: Relevance

When your Etsy tags, titles, categories, and attributes match a shopper’s search query, your listings have the potential to appear in their search results. If the keywords match the query, your listing may rank higher in results since it is seen as more relevant.

#2: Listing quality score

When a buyer performs an internet search on Etsy, our goal is to assist them in finding the things they want. To accomplish this, Etsy Search examines clues from customers to see whether a product is appealing and fulfills their expectations after they click.

We assess how effectively a listing converts: how many people look at it and make a purchase – to determine whether purchasers are interested in it, which raises the quality score and position in search results.

You may occasionally need to take an unscheduled break, but when you get back from vacation mode, you may not find that search traffic to your business has remained the same. That’s because we’re collecting data on how consumers engage with other postings while your listing quality scores remain the same.

We’ll gather up-to-date information on how customers engage with your listings as soon as you get out of vacation mode and your postings reappear in search results.

#3: Recency

When a new listing is created, it receives a minor, temporary boost in search rankings so that Etsy search may understand how customers use it to assess the listing’s quality score. Renewed listings also receive a similar, though smaller, boost.

Depending on how often individuals are looking for a certain product, this short-term boost might last anything from a few hours to a few days. Making minor changes to your inventory or creating fresh listings just to obtain this little boost isn’t a good Etsy SEO strategy.

Instead, we recommend devoting your time and energy to enhancing your tags or working to increase your conversion rate.

#4: Customer and market experience score

We strive to make buying on Etsy a positive experience for both buyers and sellers. We take into account each shop’s customer and market experience rating when determining search placement.

Positive feedback, a comprehensive Terms and Conditions document, and an About section can all help your search rank. Recently opened cases against your business and intellectual property infringement concerns may harm it.

Factors to consider while Doing Etsy SEO

The following factors work together to determine which items appear and in what order (or position) those items are displayed. These variables are not weighted equally when determining the results rankings, so keep that in mind.

#1: Tag and title relevancy

The search term or phrase must be identical in order for items to appear in Etsy’s search results. Items that don’t match a customer’s search query will not be shown.

The search “banana backpack” will only return items that match both “banana” and “backpack” in the listing tags or titles, for example.

We utilize keywords to arrange the results of a search in order after we’ve found all of the things that match the query.

• Exact phrase matches are more powerful than word matches. For example, a query for “banana backpack” would return all products with the terms “banana” and “backpack” in the tags or title, but items with “banana backpack” in the title would be considered a better match.
• If a buyer’s search contains the term or phrase “in both the title and tags of a property,” the algorithm considers it more relevant than one with just that term or phrase in the tags or title.
• Words at the start of titles are given more significance than those at the end.

#2: Item attribute relevancy

Etsy’s search algorithm considers the most significant information provided in item attributes, much like keywords in item tags and titles.

Select as many accurate characteristics as each item has available when utilizing tags. This will increase the visibility of your item in search results.

#3: Listing Quality

Etsy’s search engine also considers how well individual items perform in search when determining whether or not to display products that buyers are likely to buy. This is referred to as “listing quality.”

After a prospect sees an item in search results, clicks on it, or purchases it, that activity contributes to the listing’s quality score.

Note: New listings and businesses have a neutral quality score that has no influence on placement.

#4: Customer & market experience

We want purchasers to have a positive shopping experience when they buy from a seller on Etsy. As a result, we look at a store’s track record of customer service as well as whether it is in good standing according to Etsy’s standards.

The more comments there are for your profile, the higher it will rank in search results. Positive reviews, a completed About section, and completed shop rules might all assist you in gaining visibility. Using the shop regulations template may enhance your ranking (FAQs and seller information aren’t considered).

However, recent incidents and prior intellectual property violations might have a detrimental influence. New outlets earn no points and have no impact on the positioning.

#5: Recency

The Etsy search algorithm considers when an item was previously or recently listed to keep search results interesting for frequent buyers.

#6: Shop location

Buyers from the European Union, Australia, and Canada have informed us that they prefer buying from sellers based in their own or neighboring countries.

To make local items appear a little more prominent in search results in these specific countries, we consider the shop’s and the shopper’s locations. In other countries, searches do not take shop locations into account.

10 Etsy SEO Tips to Help Your Customers Find You

The actions you take while listing your items and running your business are the most essential aspects of getting them discovered via a search on Etsy.

Now that you know how Etsy determines which search results to show and how to rank them keep reading to learn 10 Etsy SEO tips for improving your Etsy store’s SEO.

1. Choose a shop title that describes your products.

The shop title, or name, is a little phrase that describes your store and aids customers in determining what you offer. It’s one thing you can do to improve Etsy SEO.

The page title for your shop page will be The Ultimate Guide to Making Money Online in 2022 (and Beyond). When a search engine links to your storefront, it is the first text a user sees, so make the most of the chance to name it appropriately.

Consider the name of your website as a metaphor for the services you offer. Consider examples like Etsy store SoapMakingTools, which sells soap-making equipment.

If you know that customers are most likely to locate your products by looking for your real name, include it in the shop title so you can be found quickly.

The shop name is the name that appears in Google search results when a user searches for your brand.

It may be up to 55 characters long, and you’ll be able to preview how it will look in Google search results when you create or modify a new shop title or change an existing one.

2. Determine your keywords.

Keywords are an important aspect of Etsy SEO, and they’re the same on Etsy, but how do you figure out which keywords are appropriate for your store?

How keywords work in Etsy search

The first thing you should understand about how Etsy ranks listings in search results is that they must match a user’s query. Items that are an exact match will appear at the top of search results on Etsy.

For example, if a customer searches for “cat shirt,” the search engine will find all matching products based on both “cat” and “shirt.” In turn, keywords will be used to arrange those objects in the most relevant order.

Here’s what Etsy considers when ranking search results:

• A phrase match is more significant than matching the search terms separately. For example, a match for “cat” or “shirt” will be ranked higher than a match for “cat shirt.”
• Etsy ranks a listing as more relevant if it includes the search term in both the title and tags, even if there are other words or phrases in the title that isn’t in the tags or headline.
• The first few words of a title are more significant than the final ones. For example, a cat shirt blue size large would rank higher than a blue size large cat shirt.

Finding keywords for your Etsy listings

Consider how a shopper would search for your products in search when choosing which keywords to include in your ads. What phrases would you type into a search engine if you were looking to buy something specific, such as a product or service?

To test them, but some of your products into Etsy’s search engine to see what comes up.

You should also consider keywords with a long tail. These keywords have three or more words and are closely related to purchases since there is less competition, and customers looking for exactly what they want are more likely to buy.

For example, if you include the term “gold personalized name necklace” in your keywords list, customers who search for that phrase will undoubtedly see your ad, and potential consumers looking for a gold personalized name necklace are more likely to buy one.

It’s easy to rely on physical item descriptions, such as the size or color of an item, for example, when considering potential keywords.

However, don’t overlook other ways to get in touch with customers who are looking for things for specific events or that appeal to certain aesthetics, such as personalized items.

Consider other search phrases a buyer may use, such as the following, when describing your product:

• Occasions: Etsy users may search for phrases like “bachelorette party,” “stocking stuffer,” “first anniversary,” or “tacky sweater party.”
• Style: Consider how your product’s aesthetics affect how it is discovered when you’re designing your ad. Are your goods “rustic,” ” minimalist,” “forest-inspired,” art deco, and so on?
• Solutions: Is your product able to help a buyer solve an issue? Consider how a user may look for a problem solver such as “drawer organizer” or “microchip pet tag.”

Finally, use Etsy SEO tools to determine which keywords are most popular. You can utilize a well-known tool like Google Keyword Planner, but there are specific Etsy search tools, such as Marmalead, that aid Etsy retailers in finding and analyzing keywords geared specifically for their businesses.

3. Avoid using the same keyword too often.

When a buyer searches for something on Etsy, the search engine won’t show more than one or two items from that buyer, regardless of how well the listings match the user’s criteria.

This is referred to as de-clumping, and it’s done on Etsy to guarantee that a variety of businesses appear in search results.

A search for “blue vintage dress” on Etsy, for example, yields multiple vendors. The image below shows several examples of search results for this phrase on Etsy.

Even though a search for “blue vintage dress” in the shop itself produces pages of results that fulfill the condition, only two of them are displayed in the above results, even though a search for “blue vintage dress” within the store displays numerous listings that meet that criteria.

Because of this de-clumping in Etsy search results, you should not use the same primary keyword for more than a few of your items; otherwise, you will be competing against yourself in search.

For example, if you offer a range of antique dresses in your store, using the keyword “vintage dress” is not advantageous for every item on sale.

Instead, vary your keywords by using vintage dress just a few times and making up similar terms such as “vintage gown” or “antique sundress.”

4. Use all 13 tags in each listing.

When you’re creating a product listing, you’ll need to provide certain information, including the title, category, and description.

The end date of the listing is one of these fields, and Etsy uses all of this information when generating search results.

However, there is no need to submit the tags section. It’s essential to include a wide range of tags in order to optimize your listings for search. You may utilize up to 13 tags at a time, but it’s better to use them all.

Consider synonyms for your product that people may use to find it, such as “cap” and “hat.” Also, consider how variations in consumers’ areas might influence their search for a product.

For example, if you sell flip-flops, you may wish to target consumers in other countries with the term “thong sandals.” You can also include longtail keywords in your tags.

Here are a few don’ts to keep in mind when it comes to tags:

• Dont repeat tags. For example, if you’re selling headbands for babies, you don’t want to use both “baby headband” and “infant headband.” Instead, vary tags to get your products in front of more vendors by using a range of tags such as “baby headband” and “infant headpiece.”
• Dont use a tag that’s already included in attributes. For example, if you filled out your item’s attributes – the additional information you can provide about your listings after selecting a category – and said you were selling a red-and-gold scarf, there’s no need to add a tag for “red and gold scarf.”

• Dont include plurals or misspellings in your tags. Etsy considers the root words of a user’s query and also redirects users who make typical spelling mistakes.
• Dont add tags in multiple languages. Only the language you selected when setting up your shop should be used. Etsy will translate products for you.

5. Front-load listings with keywords.

When creating a new listing, but the key details about your store or product in other words, the keywords you want to rank for are at the beginning of each field. This not only draws a customer’s attention but also aids Etsy in determining which items match a user’s search query.

Consider how you may quickly summarize the most essential features of your product in the first few sentences of the following sections when placing items for sale on the individual item page:

• Item title: Create a list of relevant keywords for your product, which you can include at the start of the product title.

• Item description: The meta description for your listing page, which appears beneath your page title in search engine results, is based on the first 160 characters of your product description. While your product’s important keywords should be included within the first 40 characters of your description, it’s crucial to do so.

• Shop sections: You can build your business around WordPress, and it’s not unusual to have thousands of pages. Using this method, you may set up 20 custom sections with their own dedicated landing page. The name of each landing page will be based on the section’s name.

These page titles are what a user will see if they search for your business using Google. They may be up to 24 characters long.

6. Renew your listings regularly.

When a new listing is created, Etsy’s search algorithm gives it a tiny, brief boost in search results so that the algorithm may learn more about how purchasers react to it to establish the listing’s quality score.

Renewed listings receive a stronger boost, which can range from a few hours to a few days, depending on how often consumers search for specific items.

Although Etsy advises that periodically renewing or re-listing your items isn’t an excellent long-term Etsy SEO strategy, it may be useful to do so occasionally.

For example, suppose the keyword your item is optimized for is very competitive. In that case, it may be worthwhile to boost it, especially during seasons when more people are browsing Etsy and making purchases, such as around the holidays.

If you must renew a listing yourself, do so during high-traffic hours on Etsy since users are online and buying. For example, if you renew a listing at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday, you’re unlikely to notice much of an improvement because it isn’t a peak traffic hour.

7. Promote your shop to get inbound links.

The goal of search engine algorithms and Etsy SEO algorithms are for their results to be both intriguing and relevant. One way they accomplish this is by displaying pages or listings frequently linked to other sources on search engine results pages (SERPs).

It’s important to explore different linking possibilities while you can link your Etsy shop to your personal website or blog. Here are a few ways to do that:

• On social media sites where they can be quickly re-shared, such as Pinterest, post items from your store.
• Reach out to other websites and bloggers to have them feature your products.
• In exchange for a free product, you may offer influencers the opportunity to review your products.
• Use the discussion board to connect with other Etsy shops and talk about how you may cross-promote your items.
• Create a referral program or affiliate program for your business.

8. Provide a great customer experience.

Etsy is committed to offering its customers the best shopping experience possible, therefore the marketplace examines whether a shop is in good standing with Etsy policies and has a positive customer service history.

If a business is, search engine results will likely show their listings to be ranked higher.

Fill out each area on your store, including About, Shipping, Payment Options, Returns & Exchanges, and Privacy, to ensure that it is in compliance with Etsy’s rules.

This is a list of important questions to ask when starting a new small business. This may come as a surprise, but taking an extra step before putting up your store could make all the difference in terms of sales and rankings in search results.

Customer service, on the other hand, may either help or harm your shop’s SEO. Responding to consumer queries promptly, handling returns and exchanges, and addressing negative feedback can result in positive ratings and improve search positioning.

However, buyer disputes or IP infringement concerns might have a detrimental influence on search rankings.

#9: Have a great product.

The first step in attracting customers is to provide something different, fascinating, and attractive.

Take a look at the items in your store and think about what makes your product or business unique from everyone else’s before determining whether or not to optimize your searches for Etsy SEO.

#10: Your shop sections

The name of your shop sections can also assist improve your Etsy store SEO. Each area has its own landing page with a page title based on the section name.

You can change the layout of your shop sections by going to Shop Manager > Listings and selecting SECTIONS. To modify them, go to the right toolbar, click MANAGE, then EDIT.

The section names you chose for your shop’s landing pages are used to generate the page titles for each of your sections’ landing pages on Etsy. The page title is the text that appears in a search engine result that directs visitors to your store.

The page name is usually at most 66 characters long, according to search engines, and Etsy restricts section names to 24 characters. The page title will include your business name automatically.

Describe the types of goods in each particular area. Using “category style” names for your sections that include your keywords not only aids customers in navigating throughout your store but can also help them discover you in search engines.

The Art of Etsy SEO

Optimize your websites with this inside knowledge on how search engines work, as well as methods you can take to assist visitors to locate you.

Etsy SEO, sometimes known as Etsy search engine optimization, enhances your site for search engines.

What exactly is a search engine, and how does it work? A search engine searches the internet through a collection of all those websites known as an index.

There are over 130 trillion individual web pages, and new ones are added every second. Search engines scan all of these pages and use hints such as the contents of a page and the text and links on it to determine what a given page is about.

Indexed websites are websites that enable you to search and view indexed pages. Most people are familiar with Google, Yahoo!, and Bing as the top three search engines.

Search engines assist users in finding what they’re looking for on the internet by scanning web pages for keywords that match the terms a user has searched for.

Then, they match people with websites that appear to be useful. Every second, hundreds of thousands of queries are conducted across the internet.

Etsy SEO Glossary

There are a few terms you should be familiar with to better comprehend Etsy SEO.

• Relevance: What is the searcher likely to get out of your page? Search engines assess relevance by assessing the content and links on your website to determine how relevant they are to a user’s search query.
• Ranking: The position of your page in search results. The most relevant pages are shown first in search engine results.
• Search query: The text a user inputs into a search engine. Also known as search keywords.
• Keywords: The phrases search engines use to link your site with a user’s query are called keywords.

How does the Etsy search engine find relevant product pages

When a search is conducted on the internet, the search engine examines all of the indexed pages for terms that match the user’s query.

Adding lots of keywords to all parts of your site, including your About page, category and product pages, and blog, tells search engines what you’re about so they may show your page to people who search for similar terms.

If a user searches for “summer wedding ideas,” for example, a search engine may link them with your blog post, which is about trendy weddings and has many keywords including the term “2022 Summer Wedding Ideas and Trends.”

Using keywords that accurately represent your site’s content and what visitors will find there is critical.

Stuffing, which is the practice of adding many irrelevant keywords to your site in the hopes of appearing in more searches, might impede your quest to improve your search position.

Keep in mind that when writing your description, you should try to provide relevant content to search engines. Use all of the possibilities available to explain your site, but make sure the terms are appropriate for each specific page on it.

#1: Parts of a page

When search engines scan your website, they look for context clues to determine what each page is about. They read the text and links on your site for keywords. To figure out what a webpage is about, search engines examine a few key parts of it.

#2: Page title

The title tag often referred to as the title tag, is the page’s primary header. It’s the title that visitors can click in search results and that search engines focus on early.

A page title is the most essential aspect that search engines consider when assessing what people will find there, therefore give pages descriptive names that include relevant keywords to ensure they appear in searches for your brand.

When someone searches for your Etsy shop, the page title that appears in search results is your shop name, so make use of those 55 characters to include keywords that would lead people to your store or items.

#3: Meta description

The meta description is the text that appears below your page title in search results. Use the meta description to provide additional information about the page’s subject.

The meta description is only used to help search engines determine where a page should rank. It’s best to get right to the point and entice users to click by using keywords in your meta description.

Search engines will interpret the text field as your meta description changes when you create a page on your website or blog. For example, in your blog, the meta description may be where you would include the blog post’s subheadline.

The meta description for links to individual listings in your store from search results is the first 160 characters of your item description.

#4: Page headings

The headings on your website can be used to more accurately describe the content on the page. The page header informs search engines and visitors what the page is about if the page title refers to the entire document’s material or subject area.

The title and headers are shown above each portion of the page, while the tab name is what visitors see in their browser’s window.

Google prefers “human-readable” titles and page headers, headings that sound like a real person might describe the product.

Keep page headings short and readable, and use descriptive keywords in your product’s title, such as size, color, material, or form, while keeping your title and headings simple.

You should only have one H1 header on a page, the top-level heading that describes the overall topic of your content. Each additional section on your site should use an H2, H3, and so on header tag. As priority decreases, the numbers increase: Your H3 would be a sub-heading of your H2.

#5: Page content

Aside from the headings and abstracts on your page, include a few paragraphs of text on your site to give search engines further insight into what it contains. However, don’t try to write for a computer. Writing that is both readable and useful to consumers while also including relevant keywords will assist your site the most.

#6: Sitemaps

An XML sitemap tells search engines what information they need to find on your website. Consider it a table of contents for search engines. Most website creation programs, including Pattern, automatically generate an XML sitemap for you.

Bad Practices to avoid while doing Etsy SEO

It’s important to note that Google and other search engines aren’t always completely open about everything they’re considering and what influence it has on your search ranking, but there are a few things known to hurt Etsy SEO.

Google penalizes websites for attempting to game the system, so producing useful information in natural language is the greatest method to stay out of trouble.

If Google detects you employing tactics to “trick” their bots, it will penalize your site’s position on search results pages.

Focus on developing an easy-to-use website with useful information and avoiding the following avoidable mistakes.

1. Don’t fill your page with huge blocks of text full of less-important phrases. Create content that your customers will want to read and find helpful. When search engines see your site’s content, they want it to be relevant and helpful to the user.
2. Use original, unique material. Don’t use filler content. Create completely new material that is entirely yours and your company’s own.
3. You should never buy links. Some less-than-reputable sites allow you to purchase links to your site in the hopes of improving your site’s ranking, but Google is aware of this practice. You could be penalized for attempting to artificially improve your ranking artificially.
4. Don’t offer search engines a particular version of your site and visitors a different one. Hiding links or pages on your website that you don’t want search engines to find is known as “cloaking.”
5. Don’t just concentrate on the search engines. Consider how your brand will be discovered on sites like YouTube, Facebook, and so on. When possible, use the same username across platforms to assist clients looking for your company find you on social media. Include a link to your shop or website on your profile so that consumers who discover you through social media may purchase your items.
6. Don’t lead customers astray. Search engines want to assist consumers in finding what they’re searching for. If you have broken links or pages on your site that take visitors to a 404 (the error) page, this can harm your search ranking. Repair any links on your site that have been destroyed, and redirect any removed pages to new, relevant ones as soon as possible.

Final Thoughts about Etsy SEO

You’ll notice that as you gain experience on Etsy, there are many more ways to improve your Etsy SEO abilities and assist clients to locate your items. Whether you’re trying new keywords or enhancing your customer service procedure, you can always do things to increase your store’s visibility.

Even if you have a one-of-a-kind, high-quality item, a beautiful and inviting store, accurate product pictures, and quick delivery, you won’t make any sales if no one sees your listings. Check out these Dos and Don’ts of Listing Items on Etsy to optimize your listings even more.

Have you tried any other Etsy SEO techniques that have worked for you in the past? Let us know in the comments section if you have any more ideas.