🎧 Listen to this blog post as a Podcast instead 'How to get your products ranking in Etsy search results?'

Struggling to get your products noticed online? In this episode, we're diving into the nitty-gritty of getting your products to rank in search results. Join me as we explore actionable strategies that will breathe new life into your handmade business, reigniting sales and paving the way for a brighter future.

This blog is all about teaching you how to rank higher in Etsy's algorithm and search results. Be warned,  it’s not a system you can crack and have all the answers to but, you can certainly influence it and do the best you can.

There's so many different elements that contribute to ranking in Etsy and I’d really suggest reading my ‘A beginners guide to the Etsy algorithm (how you can rank higher and get more sales)’ blog post before going any further. 👉 Click here 

This blog helps you know what to do after learning how the Etsy algorithm works and how you can appear higher in your target markets search results.

Keep your listing relevant to what you’re selling and what your customer is looking for

If you are selling a gold heart locket necklace, list it as a gold heart locket necklace. Don’t be tempted to list it as a bracelet or a ring or a silver necklace on the off chance someone searching for a silver bracelet will like your necklace. 

This isn’t relevant to what your customer is searching for on Etsy and they’re going to click past your shop and move on to the next handmade gold heart locket necklace. 

We know Etsy looks at how people interact with listings, if you have keywords that don’t reflect what you are selling, or don’t match your first image people will keep scrolling and they’ll not interact with your listing because it doesn’t match what they’re searching for. This leads Etsy to think your listing isn’t relevant and it starts to get buried within the search results.

If you have different variations such as colour or size, list them as separate Etsy listings. Making it more relevant to what your customer is searching for later in their buying journey. This is the stage where they’ll be using long tail keywords in Etsy’s search bar, being more descriptive and wanting to be presented with what they’re looking for.

Avoid using words for items not in your first photo. For example if you're selling a gold necklace, a silver necklace and a black necklace all within one listing your first image might be a gold necklace, yet in your title you describe a black necklace all whilst your customer is looking for a silver necklace. Again, it doesn’t appear to be relevant to what your customer is searching for in Etsy.

This goes for your titles, tags and attributes in particular 🙂

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Know how your target marketed searches on Etsy

If you are using jargon and words your target market doesn’t use, it can cause a disconnect between you and your target market, whilst sending signals to Etsy that your products aren’t relevant to shoppers.

For example if you're a handmade seller making pottery, selling a beautiful vase with lots of dots on it. You might call it hammered or spotted clay but your target market might call it a dotty vase or a knobbly vase. 

This could be your target market's dream vase but if you’re not using the same style of language or the same search keywords they’d use you’re not going to appear in their search results. Etsy will think your listing is not relevant and it'll will get pushed further down in the Etsy algorithm.

So, use search terms and keywords your target market will appear in your target markets search results, you’ll be relevant to what they’re searching for, there’ll be more interaction, more sales, more reviews and you’ll appear higher in Etsy's algorithm.

Etsy want people to find items they want to purchase

At the end of the day, when you make money, Etsy makes money ... win, win

Etsy looks at listings to see how people interact with your handmade products and how your listing has performed in the past. This includes things such as clicks, views, visits, sales, favourites… this all contributes to your listing quality score.

But, it's not all about how your listing performs - it also includes geographical location. If you are more local to a buyer you can often appear higher in that customer's search results because Etsy presume it will arrive at their door quicker and therefore have a better customer experience.

Etsy also looks at what your customer has previously purchased and their shopping habits.

You can influence your listing quality score by making sure your items are relevant to what your target market is searching for, make your listing is clear and concise, make sure your listing is as good as you can make it (images, titles, tags, etc). You want to make a good first impression.

What about new listings?

When it comes to new listings, recency comes into play. 

Etsy knows your new listings don’t have any history or listing quality score. So, Etsy gives every new listing a little boost. Just to give it the same chance to be seen and interacted with. This gives Etsy the opportunity to determine what the listing quality score for your item will be.

If people like what you’re selling, they’re buying it, adding it to their basket you’ll see your handmade product creep up the search results.

This is why I always recommend drip feeding new listings every single week. This means you always have a steady stream of newness coming in.

Give your customers a good experience

Etsy wants your customers to have an amazing experience on their platform. So, it makes sense to them to only really push sellers who are providing that.

So, if you have a shop that has lots of negative reviews, cases from customers, late at dispatching orders… it makes no sense for Etsy to start plonking your listings at the top of search results.

You can’t see your score, only Etsy knows - there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes. But, be aware Etsy is always watching 👀

Great reviews, a completed about section and shop policies are all things Etsy have confirmed will help your customer & market experience score. One way you can influence this is requesting reviews from your customers, responding quickly to messages, accurately representing your items, dispatching items on time and exceeding your customers expectations.

Offer your customers free postage

Consider including postage costs into your product prices for items - this doesn’t mean you lose out on profit because you’ve already accounted for it in the product price. Many customers are attracted to free shipping, which can make your listings more appealing.

Etsy gives you a little boost in the algorithm and a nice little green badge in your listing too… because Etsy knows that postage costs are a stumbling block and objection for people buying.

Listings with free postage have higher conversion rates with more people buying which helps your listing quality score. 

Can you speak another language?

If you are talented enough to be able to speak multiple languages you can use this to your advantage in Etsy and get a little boost in return.

You have the option to translate your listings into another language, instead of relying on Etsys auto translate… which can be inaccurate.

What’s your buyers' shopping habits?

This is very much out of our control. Etsy uses a nifty piece of AI to look at the shopping history of customers, what they’ve liked and to make sure they present more of the same to the customer.

No doubt you’ve experienced it yourself. You’re looking for a bed on the internet and the next day everything you see is bed related. The technical term for this in Etsy is context specific ranking or CSR. 

My gem of advice

Don’t stress about the things you can’t control … do the best you can and influence what is in your control.

Don’t have your listings on auto renew in Etsy. Set them to manual so you can take the time to review your listing when it expires, dig deep into your stats to see what's working well and what needs to be changed.

If something is working well, don't change it. If you want to test some changes, make a copy and make the changes to the copy.

Ranking on Etsy or search engines such as Google are all built around algorithms. So, a lot of the above is also relevant for handmade businesses who have their own website. Google wants to know that you’re trustworthy, that you’re relevant to what the person is searching for, and provide good customer experience… It's an ongoing process throughout the lifetime of your business.

Improve your Etsy conversion rate

I really hope this blog has helped you understand how you can rank higher in the Etsy algorithm. One last tip is to put work into increasing your conversion rate. This is going to help your listing quality score and get you ranking higher in Etsy's search results.

If you're ready to increase your conversion rate on Etsy (NEWS FLASH! This is key to increasing your sales!), then check out my FREE 90 minute masterclass - The 3 Step System To Skyrocket Your Etsy Conversion Rate.

Love Steph xox

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