Have you ever wondered what Etsy has to say about choosing the right Etsy categories for your listings? Well, if you have, that’s exactly what we’re discussing today, along with sharing a fun little drink recipe that Jade has been enjoying over the last couple of weeks. So stick around, sit back and enjoy this episode of With a Twist!
Back at it!
Welcome to another episode of With a Twist. This is the show where we kick back, relax, grab a drink, and answer your questions about eCommerce, Marmalead, Etsy, and everything else in between!
On this episode, kick back your feet and enjoy a glass of Jade’s “Fall in a Glass!” Watch along in the video above.
Answering your questions about Etsy categories
Today’s episode is a question that was submitted by one of our readers:
“I’d like to know what are the best categories for my products and understand how to identify the right ones.”
How to choose your Etsy categories
That’s a great question! When you go to create a listing, you’re going to choose what category it falls under. Buyers can actually sort by these categories when they search for an item on Etsy. And Etsy even says that the categories you select act similar to your tags. So your category selection is just as important as choosing the most effective 13 tags for your Etsy listing.
So the question again is, “How do you end up choosing your categories?” What Etsy says is that you want to describe your item as accurately as possible. We know this is something that we say a lot! But what they’re getting at here is that you want to be straightforward and base your category on what the item actually is. Not on things like, what it’s used for or when it might be given, that sort of thing.
Focus on the category that best fits your Etsy listing
When you add or edit a listing and type in what the item is, Etsy is actually going to show you lists of categories to choose from, and you’ll choose the one that best describes what your item is. So again, focus on the “what it is.”
Do NOT focus on what it’s for, what it’s made of, or who it’s for.
So if it’s mittens, jewelry, decor, clothing, that sort of thing, those are also the categories you’d be choosing for each. Focus on what it is (mittens is mittens, jewelry is jewelry, etc).
The 5 Ws and focusing entirely on the “what”
I know when we talk about tags in the training video, we talk about how you can use the Five W’s to help you come up with other tag ideas (these are who, what, when, why, where). But when it comes to categories, Etsy is saying to focus entirely on the “What”.
Your Etsy categories are part of your Etsy SEO
To come full circle on the original question, the best categories for your products are the ones that best describe what your product actually is.
And just as a quick closer to this (we know this has been quick), you want to keep in mind the category you choose for your item is part of how buyers might see your listings when they’re searching Etsy. So always, always remember, your title and tags are also very important and you want to use all of them. All 13 tags are an opportunity for you to get in front of a different active interested audience.
And don’t forget, Etsy specifically states that your listing category basically acts as an additional tag (same goes for subcategories). So make sure you choose a category that accurately describes your listing. By doing this your listing has a better opportunity to be found in search when shoppers are looking for items within that category and/or subcategory.
Final thoughts
We know we so often have said that if you need to jump outside of the box in terms of thinking about tags or keywords and different ways to attract buyers, then use those Five Ws, the who it might be good for when it might be good to give, that sort of thing.
But when it comes to categories, Etsy says, this is just when you stick to the “What”
So, it is what it is!
And your categories are all about “What it is.” So hopefully this answered your question about categories. Be sure to send your questions in because they might just end up on one of our episodes of With a Twist!
Cheers, guys!
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