Today's Amazon SEO Wisdom pill

Photo source: https://www.seozonprime.com/blog/9-seo-tips-to-step-up-your-amazon-sales 

Etsy search algorithm - how does it work?

I've already written about Top 5 differences between Amazon SEO and Google SEO, but this time, for all you Etsy founders out there,  let's see:

• what's behind every Etsy search?
• which factors weigh more heavily than others for Etsy SEO - Title, Tags, Attributes? 
• how can you be sure your Etsy shop pages are fully optimized?

1. The power behind Title and Tags: match & relevance

"Items in Etsy's search results must match the buyer’s search word or phrase." (source: Esty Help)

If someone searches for "tea pot", Etsy search will only return listings that include this exact phrase in either the title or the tags. In determining the order of appearance, identical keyphrase matches will be considered more relevant, therefore shall be displayed on the first pages, while listings that have the words separated will not be completely disqualified, but they'll be left at the end of the search results list. 

Therefore, if you sell tea pots, a mix and match strategy where instead of using "tea pot" in your title you get more creative and say "fantastic tea only can happen in stellar pots across the universe" will only get you on page 999, so you might as well drop the SEO for good at this point and start knitting instead. 

EXPERT tip #1: Target different keywords and beware of "declumping". In other words, Etsy never shows more than 2 products per seller/search, so don't use the same primary keyword for all your listings because it's just like shooting yourself in the foot and competing against your own items. 

2. Attributes rank #2 in importance on Etsy

If you really want clients to find you, list under "attributes" a mix of:

1. relevant product features (primary color, extra color, size, also: occasion, celebration, etc)

2. listing tags (the keywords used for SEO purposes). 

3. Etsy shop title 

Here are 55 characters that you can wisely use to get your brand out there. The Etsy shop title comes right under the store's name and will also be the "page title" for your online Etsy storefront page. It's the short description of your shop that's featured on search engines. 

EXPERT tip #2: Keep it original, creative, SHORT and include a few discreet, high-volume keywords you want to rank for. You can go wild with a catchy tagline, why not? After all, creative juices keep Etsy buyers plugged, right?

4. Etsy shop sections

A powerful SEO booster could also be shop sections. Why? Because search engines see each section as individual landing pages, with unique title and descriptions. Before polishing this part in Shop Manager -> Listing - > Sections (left toolbar)- > Manage. 

EXPERT tip #3: search engines like google only show the first ~66 characters of a Page Title and Etsy only allows maximum 24 characters for section names. You can create the sections based on style category. 

EXPERT tip #4: Remember the keywords! Sneak them here and there. Don't hesitate to use keyword research tools such as Sonar (it's Amazon-targeted, but hey, why not leave your Etsy comfort zone? Plus, you can start selling on Amazon as well), KWfinder or Keywords Everywhere which is a free Chrome or Firefox add-on for that shows estimated search volume on Etsy, Amazon, Google, etc. Just try it and you'll see! 

5. Overall listing quality

If a listing attracts many visitors who click, "add to favorites" or (MOST IMPORTANTLY) purchase the items they found after a simple search, this is considered a successful action, therefore is awarded by Etsy with a higher listing quality score since it's more likely to convert better than a poor listing (same goes for Amazon).

However, new shops or new product listings are not disadvantaged by this rule because Etsy grants them a "neutral quality score" which doesn't impact the placement in search results.

6. A smooth shopping experience

Etsy's target is to deliver an amazing buying experience so every good history of quality customer service, compliant with Etsy's rules will have a display priority.

So dear Etsy sellers, please check if your online shop provides enough information in the following sections: a complete About section, amazing customer reviews, clear and up-to-date shop policies (use the Shop policies provided by them).

EXPERT tip #5 - Very important for SEO - FAQ and Seller details are not taken into consideration. Again, new shops' search placement is not affected by this rule and they're in the "neutral score" zone for this one.

7. Listing newness

For frequent shoppers, Etsy has an "always fresh" approach, seeking to provide new, exciting items and constantly reviewing how recent you listed or updated your merchandise.

8. Shop Location

Since we're dealing with handmade products, most buyers prefer to buy from the nearest location, preferably in their own country or in the neighboring regions.

9. Product categories

The more and relevant product categories you add to your product listing, the better because it'll be easier for your future clients to find your products.

EXPERT tip #6: Product categories act like tags, so you don’t need to repeat keywords from your categories in the Attributes section or vice-versa.

That's all for now, but stay tuned. We'll be back with more updates.
For questions, don't hesitate to comment or write to hello@seozonprime.com

Psst, check out our exquisite Amazon SEO optimization service here.