How to Master Etsy SEO
Etsy has become a vibrant marketplace for unique, handmade, and vintage items. With millions of sellers, standing out on Etsy requires more than just high-quality products; it requires mastering Etsy SEO (Search Engine Optimization). In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the intricacies of Etsy SEO and provide actionable strategies to help you enhance your shop’s visibility and attract more customers.
THE BASICS TO ETSY SEO!
When | first started my Etsy shop | did what | think 96% of all other new Etsy sellers do when it comes to
SEO…
1) Hope that it isn’t really a big deal and that if my art pintable’s are good enough they will just sell on their own.
2) Steal my competitions keywords by looking at what words they used to promote their products and whack them on my listings randomly.
3) GUESS what keywords ‘I’ would type into Etsy to find my art prints and use those to fill in my tags and titles.
Well I’m going to be honest with you right here. I tried all of these methods for 6 whole months and | made a grand total of $55 for all my hard work! Safe to say, none of those strategies are a recipe for SEO success!
Once I realized how ineffective my attempts at SEO really were, I set about finding a step-by-step method for sourcing keywords that really work. And just 60 days later my Etsy income sky-rocketed to $300 in ONE month! Now 18 months down the line, Etsy Search is still my biggest traffic driver to my Etsy shop. Bringing in over 13,933 visitors to my Etsy shop in the last 12 months!
So What Do You Need To Do To Get The Best From Etsy SEO?
When a customer visits Etsy and types in a search query, Etsy takes into account several elements in order to decide whether to show your listing to that potential customer or not.
1) How New Is Your Listing?
2) How ‘Relevant’ Is Your Listing?
3) Is Your Listing High Quality?
4) Do Your Customers Have A Great Customer Experience?
5) What Do You Charge For Shipping?
So in order to put ourselves in the best possible position to get ranked on Etsy search and make consistent sales, we need to know exactly how to tackle each one of these key elements!
1) How New Is Your Listing?
Etsy LOOVES including ‘new’ products to its complex web of listings!
To help them discover exactly how their Etsy customers will react to these products, they give each NEW listing a small temporary boost in search so they can learn more about how buyers will respond to it and where they should rank it permanently’ in their search results. Renewed listings also get a similar temporary boost on Etsy when a product is sold and refreshed, however Etsy has stated that it doesn’t have as big effect as listing a brand new product would.
How To Boost Your SEO:
In order to make the most of these small temporary boosts it can be a great idea to add ‘new’ listings to your inventory on a regular basis, regardless of whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been on Etsy for sometime. Regardless of those small temporary boosts…
I always recommend releasing new content each month to keep your shop ‘relevant’ and ‘active” on the Etsy platform both to your new and existing customers but also to Etsy itself. As I mentioned above, Etsy loves NEW products!
Ensuring that you regularly have something new and high quality to add to Etsy’s search engine and you’re producing awesome ‘customer focused! art printables that Etsy can promote, is one of the best ways to stop your shop from going stale and being forgotten by the ever adapting Etsy algorithm. Focus on consistently releasing at least 1-2 new art printables a week once you’ve built up a strong and full initial inventory in your Etsy shop!
2) How Relevant Is Your Listing?
Etsy always tries to ensure that the products they’re showing their potential buyers are EXACTLY what they’re looking for in Etsy search! In order to match a customer with a product, Etsy looks in several key places in your listing to find ‘keywords’ that match up precisely to their buyers search term. When keywords in your titles, tags, categories and attributes match up to the shoppers search results, then Etsy will rank you higher in the displayed listings because your listing is seen as ‘relevant’ to the shoppers requirements.
How To Boost Your SEO:
Ensuring that you include super relevant keywords to each of your art printable listings is ESSENTIAL in helping Etsy match your art printables with your perfect customer. We’re going to be dedicating a whole lesson on how to discover the best niche keywords and terms and where you should include them in your listing, in a future video.
3) Is Your Listing High Quality?
In order to separate the wheat from the chaff within it’s MILLIONS of products, Etsy uses a number of specific cues to bring forward only the best high quality products for each of it’s shoppers. These cues include:
- How many times the listing has been clicked on when shown in similar search results in the past.
- The quality and look of the listing.
- How well the product meets the expectations of the shopper once they click.
- How often a click converts into a sale!
How To Boost Your SEO:
In order to ensure that your listing makes the grade, it’s essential that you focus on not only the look of the listing (¢.g. your listing photos) but also
that your product description gives enough detail to help your customer understand exactly what they’re purchasing and feel confident enough to follow through with the sale.
The visitor who clicks your listing, should be left with zero reasons not to convert into a paying customer. They should have all the information they need, love the look of the art printable and feel confident in purchasing the product because the description is clear, concise and easy to understand.
4) Do Your Customers Leave Your Shop Happy?
Customer satisfaction is a huge plus when it comes to search placement, and Etsy has clearly stated that they use customer experience scores to ensure that they only send their visitors to shops that they’ll have a great time in!
How To Boost Your SEO:
In order to tick this off your list, you need to ensure that you’re shop and your customer service is top quality. Make sure to tailor your Etsy shop to your target customer… Brand your store font, listings and marketing material to attract your ideal audience, complete your shop policies, fill out your About Section and generally make sure that every element of your business looks attractive and inviting to your customers. Make sure you reply to queries quickly, go that extra mile to help your customers if they need guidance and | even love to message each person who leaves me a positive review and personal thankyou them for taking the time to do it. It’s a great way to build repeat customers which just confirms to Etsy that you know how to treat your customers well. It’s essential to stay as far away as possible from intellectual property infringements, customer disputes and having a messy unappealing shop. And that’s why in this course we go into such depth around each one of these elements to ensure your organic traffic won’t suffer in the long run.
5) What Do You Charge For Shipping?
This is a fairly new addition to the Etsy search criteria. Etsy confirmed that they now factor the ‘shipping price’ into their listing factors after they discovered that 50% of shoppers were less likely to buy a product if the price of the shipping EXCEEDED what they were used to paying!
How To Boost Your SEO:
Now as we’re dealing with digital download art prints this doesn’t have a huge effect in your ability to rank on Etsy search, however if you’re
thinking about creating physical versions of your art prints or moving over to drop-ship products in the future, then this could be a crucial factor you will need to consider.
If you eventually do decide to create physical products through a drop-shipping company (as / do now) then it’s super important to choose one that has a quick fulfillment and turn around time. I personally love Printful for this reason and I will be talking more about them in a later video, but I just wanted to mention how important this element is in the Etsy algorithm so you’re aware of it if you do decide to create physical products.
Encouraging Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are a powerful factor in Etsy’s search algorithm. Positive reviews can boost your rankings and build trust with potential buyers. Here’s how to encourage reviews:
- Follow Up: Send a polite follow-up message after a purchase, thanking the customer and gently reminding them to leave a review.
- Provide Excellent Customer Service: Exceptional service leads to satisfied customers and positive reviews. Be responsive, courteous, and helpful.
- Include a Note: Include a thank-you note with your orders, encouraging customers to leave a review if they are happy with their purchase.
Mastering Etsy SEO is a crucial step in building a successful shop on the platform. By conducting thorough keyword research, crafting compelling titles and descriptions, optimizing tags, and continually analyzing your strategy, you can improve your shop’s visibility and attract more customers. Remember, Etsy SEO is an ongoing process that requires dedication and adaptation. With these strategies, you can set your shop on the path to success and stand out in the crowded marketplace.