All the marketplaces use some kind of algorithm to help search for and look for products. Similarly, Steps to Do Etsy SEO is also a key factor in success on this platform. If you’re somebody who wants a recurring passive income from Etsy, you’ll need to read this article till the end. And you don’t want to skip any part, because in SEO, every little step matters.
Before I tell you about how to optimize your Etsy store well, let’s understand how search engines work. Don’t have an Etsy account yet? Click here to learn how you can start selling your products on Etsy and make money.
Let’s imagine a scenario. You want to buy a black shirt for yourself. You go to Amazon and type “black shirt” in the search bar. Many black shirts will pop up. And while you’ll see a lot of those on top, some of those shirts will be buried deep under other listings. Why? Because they’re not well-optimized for Amazon’s search engine.
When I say SEO optimization, it means changing or altering your store’s details in such a way that it brings your products on the top of the screen. And when more people see your products, the chances of sales will increase too. So, let’s understand how you can optimize your Etsy Store to reach maximum customers and have maximum sales.
11 Best Practices To Do Etsy SEO
Etsy SEO, like any other SEO, has a lot of elements. But don’t be overwhelmed, because if understood correctly, you can practice all these steps without thinking and almost automatically.
Let’s look at the first step now.
1. Put Yourself In Your Customer’s Shoes
The very first thing you need to do is understand your customers. Ask yourself questions that your buyers could ask. Who would be interested in your product? Why would they be interested? What’s something unique about your products? Are your products any different than other sellers’ or are you trying to sell a concept that’s been well used and abused over the past?
Asking these questions of yourself will give you a sense of clarity, and you’ll be able to get all the information you need to get started.
2. Create Clear Titles
When you list a product, create a clear title for it. And by clear, I don’t mean very long and chunky titles where you stuff keywords… but a title that’s of the right length. When a customer searches for a product, it’s the titles that the search engine scans first. And it’s none other than your title that marks the first impression on the customer. Hence, a good title can make or break your sale.
Here are some Dos and Don’ts of Product Titles
3. Avoid Keyword Cannibalization
Suppose you’re a seller on Etsy who sells T-shirts. Your unique selling proposition (USP) is that you provide cool tees for entrepreneurs with business-related taglines pasted over them. Now, you’ve begun your keyword research using some tools like Semrush or Ahrefs.
Once you find the keyword, you put it in all your product listings, thinking it will boost your visibility. Newsflash? It won’t. Even if you sell various products in a similar category, it’s not right to use the same keywords over and over. This phenomenon is called keyword cannibalization. And believe me, even the so-called SEO experts make this unforgivable mistake of using the same words exhaustively, hoping to rank all their products miraculously. Etsy’s search engine would only show one or two listings with identical keywords, and after that, it’ll consider you a spammer.
You have to use slightly different keywords for the different shirts you list. Because every product is unique, you need to hit the target audience with that distinctive idea and use it to drive engagement and sales.
4. Write Your Description For Humans
Most of the sellers on Etsy write their product descriptions with no clear intention of selling. They use complex words and a good deal of jargon, which scares the customer away. You don’t have to do that. Write your description in a way that your customer feels, “Oh, this is exactly what I wanted.”
A way to write a compelling description is by putting the benefits first and hitting on the pain points of your customer. Most people would ask you to list down the features, but that is the wrong approach. I’ll tell you why in just a minute.
Imagine you’re the customer and you need to buy a t-shirt. These are the two descriptions you see.
Description 1: Our shirt is made of 100% organic material, which is soft and durable.
Description 2: Do you want to wear something as soft as a flower petal that also makes you stand out in the room?
Check out our newly launched T-shirts that are made of 100% organic material, so that you’re always relaxed.
See the difference? The first description only talks about the features of the shirt. On the other hand, the second description lists a benefit and connects the reader with one of his core desires. You need to understand that people don’t buy for the features; they buy for the benefits. Nobody wants your T-shirt, but what they do want is to stand out, to be looked at admiringly, and to have the comfort one gets by wearing nice stuff.
So make sure to write your Etsy product description in a way that appeals to the unconscious of your customers. You can add a keyword or two in this section, but making it human enough would do the trick.
5. Use Tags To Target Different People
You can use tags to do what I stopped you from doing in the title section. You can use all your keywords and relevant words by putting them in the tags section. And although using tags isn’t mandatory on Etsy, you can use them to boost your Etsy SEO.
Another way you can use tags is by targeting synonyms. For example, if you’re selling T-shirts for women, you can use the word “tops” or “tees” to attract customers who would use unconventional keywords to search marketplaces.
6. Get Those Backlinks
Similar to Google SEO, Etsy SEO also values backlinks a lot. And when I say a lot, I do mean it. Backlinks are the links created when your product is shared somewhere else. For example, if you share your product link on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it means you have 2 backlinks. They boost your visibility and also add credibility to your store and product.
Now, some backlinks are stronger than others. For example, if you get a backlink that’s from CNN, of course, it would add more credibility to your product. Nonetheless, backlinks work, and you have to share your product a lot.
7. Improve Your Positioning
Almost anybody can sell by using shady tactics or fear-inducing words. But if you want to help people by selling your products, master the art of positioning. In simple words, position yourself as somebody who can help them and who is credible. The best thing? To sell like crazy, you don’t have to be the best one out there. All you need to do is analyze your competitors.
Yes, I know this is a cliché, and you’ve probably heard it a lot of times, but trust me, if you’re better in one step than your competitors, you’ll beat them. Search for the top-rated sellers on Etsy and look for their best sellers. Check their description, title, images, and all other sales strategies. And just make a better one to get ahead of them.
8. Adjust Your Price Accordingly
If you’re unsure of what price you should allot to your products… It’s best to check what your competition is doing. You see, the Etsy search engine only favors low to mid prices, and if your product is priced at a high price, you might not be able to come to the first page.
Here are a few steps to make sure you’re neither underpricing nor overpricing your product:
- Consider all the costs, including listing fees, and calculate a final sum.
- See how much you want to reward yourself for your effort; this will be the profit.
- Check the prices of your direct competition and create a competitive price for your listing.
9. Hypnotize With The Images
Your customers are going to judge your book by its cover, so if you don’t have good-quality visuals, it’ll be hard to convince them to buy. Click photos of your items in good lighting, and if the items are digital, use tools like Adobe Photoshop or Canva to create high-quality visuals.
You also use AI tools to change the background and add an appropriate background to your images. For example, click the photo of a scenery that you’re going to sell. Even if you don’t have a pretty wall to hang it on, change the background using AI.
Make sure you’ve mentioned all the necessary demographics in the photos as well as in the description. Click and upload Images while keeping the customer’s ease in mind.
10. Satisfy Your Customers
If you’re somebody who values their customers and has loyal people who always buy from you, you’re winning at this game. When you open your Etsy store, there should be 3 goals in your mind.
- Attract new buyers
- Make people buy your stuff
- Retain your customers and convert them into loyal fans
And while it may not look important, the way you treat your customer plays a great role in Etsy SEO. You need to satisfy all your customers’ needs. If they have any queries, reply to them quickly. If you have promised to deliver the product on a certain date, don’t be late. Also, put all the necessary info in the description and your listing photos.
Once a customer buys from you, encourage them for feedback and pay attention to the suggestions they give. Always strive to improve the customer care services. Because if you become the go-to for people, Etsy will automatically boost your visibility.
11. Run Ads
This is something you might not be very comfortable with, but if you think Ads could help you, go for it. On Etsy, you can run ads on your products. However, the reach of ads will depend on how much money you’re ready to spend on them. Since Etsy runs ads in an auction style, the traction you get will depend on how much you’re ready to bid on it.
It’s good to run ads on your bestsellers to attract potential buyers, but you shouldn’t waste money on ads for no reason. Work very strategically with the ad copy, images, and the amount you’re spending on them.
And that’s all you need to know about Etsy SEO. Master these steps, and you’ll soon be selling daily. With the right strategies up your sleeve, Etsy SEO will be a piece of cake.
