When it comes to selling on Etsy, there’s one piece of advice that everyone talks about time and time again. To be a successful Etsy seller, you need to find your niche. But how in the world are you supposed to do Etsy niche research if you have no idea where to start?
Well, let’s walk you through it.
Marmalead for Etsy niche research
Today, we’ll show you how to use Marmalead for Etsy niche research. Marmalead is a great Etsy SEO tool to help you find new product ideas with little to no competition. Because less competition means fewer Etsy sellers creating and selling the same product as you, allowing you to dominate the market before anyone else.
And that’s really the basic principle behind finding your niche on Etsy.
Selling a product that nobody else is selling (or at least, fewer people are selling).
But the trick is that you still want to find product ideas that shoppers would actually be willing to purchase. You can’t just come up with a random idea for something with zero consumer demand.
Well, sometimes you can if your marketing is on point.
Selling niche products on Etsy with inspiration from the Pet Rock
Just look at the guy who sold the Pet Rock back in the 70s. Within a year, this dude sold over 1 million Pet Rocks at $4 each… And the reason they were so successful was because of his marketing. With every purchase of a Pet Rock, the buyer received a 32-page training manual all about The Care and Training of Your Pet Rock.
It was a short-lived fad for sure, but during the holiday of ’75, this guy made bank.
Niche Etsy products with seemingly no demand
Another example of great marketing for a product with seemingly no demand is an Etsy seller that sells canned air from all over the world.
Their product is nothing more than literal air in a can.
But their marketing is witty and funny. Their designs are aesthetically pleasing – you’d enjoy displaying this gag gift on your shelf or somewhere in your house.
It’s a super specific niche, just like the Pet Rock.
But ultimately, these examples are lighting in a bottle.
Finding Untouched niches on Etsy
What we’re gonna show you today is how to find your own untouched niche on Etsy, but with examples that are more realistic.
Not to say you can’t be a seller that’s going to make the next Pet Rock, but the likelihood of capturing lightning in a bottle like that is slim to none.
So, let’s take a look at some product ideas that are a little more grounded.
Researching Etsy niches in popular categories
If you’ve been selling on Etsy for any length of time, then you know what the popular markets look like.
Popular Etsy markets include wedding decor, handmade jewelry, soaps, candles, t-shirts, etc. Take a look through any of these product categories, and you’ll find hundreds of thousands of products that more or less are all very similar.
The Etsy products that stand out the most are the popular products that have built up their authority within the Etsy algorithm. They have lots of sales and great reviews, and they’re competitively priced.
And it may seem like staking your own claim in any of these product categories is nearly impossible. But not if you find a smaller niche within these existing product categories.
So let’s do just that within Marmalead.
Related: We recently published a list that includes some of the most popular keywords on Etsy from last year.
Using Marmalead’s keywords analytics for Etsy niche Research
Marmalead is an Etsy SEO tool designed to improve your organic traffic, increase conversions, and take your handmade business to the next level.
Through data-packed insight into Etsy search and shopper behavior, Marmalead takes the guesswork out of getting your products found on Etsy.
But it’s also a great tool for researching Etsy product ideas.
The way it works is by offering keyword analytics for Etsy searches related to any keyword you choose to plug into Marmalead.
While Marmalead is great for showing you data for any keyword you plug into the search function, it’s also great at sharing keywords you wouldn’t think to include on your listings.
And that is where a fantastic source for Etsy niche research lies.
Here’s what you need to do:
Step-1: Use Marmalead to search for a popular product
For our example, we’re looking at ‘anxiety rings.’
These are dual-purpose rings that come in gold, silver, or any variation of colors, really. They’re popular rings that offer a tactile experience to help reduce anxiety by keeping the wearer’s hands and mind busy.
It’s one of the most popular jewelry keywords on Etsy right now. And it’s also a great product with room to niche down even further.
Anytime you search for a keyword in Marmalead, our Etsy SEO tool will provide you with a page full of useful data and analytics.
Step-2: Take a look at Similar Shopper Searches
Our Etsy keyword analytics provide sellers with the tools to:
Brainstorm: Our powerful brainstorming tools help you find the keywords real shoppers are using to find listings like yours.
Analyze: Discover the details behind keywords to learn real search volume, real keyword engagement, days to ship, market-based pricing, and much more.
Apply: Once you have winning keywords, it’s time to apply them to your listings. Letter grades, SEO, and Sales Factors ensure your listings are built for success.
On top of that, Marmalead provides a list of similar shopper searches within each Etsy keyword lookup. It’s this list that will help you narrow down Etsy product niches worth looking into.
The key is to find keywords with high searches, high engagement, and low competition. These keywords enable you to brainstorm innovative Etsy product ideas that actually have a demand from interested shoppers.
From here, you can combine product ideas to create ‘anxiety rings,’ inlaid with ‘blue zircon’ and ‘moldavite’ stones.
This is an example of using an existing product to create a niche category that has the potential to resonate with a wider variety of interested shoppers.
Step-3: Repeat this step with keyword suggestions from similar shopper searches
To take a closer look at any of the keywords listed within “similar shopper searches,” simply click on them.
From there, you’ll be taken to a dedicated page with more keyword analytics for this specific product, including more shopper searches.
Repeat the process from step two to find more product ideas that align with your original product search.
And remember, the point of Etsy niche research is to find the best product ideas with a greater potential for success on the Etsy marketplace. And a great place to start is by combining popular keyword suggestions with popular product categories.
How many Etsy shops are selling ‘anxiety frog rings?’
Step-4: Keep track of Etsy niche research with keyword lists in Marmalead
With each keyword search you perform in Marmalead, you can create various keyword lists.
These lists are automatically up to date with the latest keyword data, so you can always keep track of their expected performance.
Perform steps one through three frequently to keep track of new product ideas that rise in popularity with Etsy shoppers. If a new market pokes its head from within Marmalead’s keyword analytics, keep track of it within your lists.
Step-5: Apply Etsy niche research to your products
Once you have a list of Etsy product ideas that offer a chance at finding success within a particular niche, it’s time to start creating new listings.
- Use your new keywords appropriately throughout your listings.
- Create a new marketing campaign and write compelling sales copy.
- Take the perfect Etsy listing photo.
- Spread the word.
To learn more about Etsy niche research with Marmalead, make sure you check out our video tutorial at the top of this post.
Over to you
When it comes to selling niche products on Etsy, you want to think like the entrepreneurs who started selling pet rocks or canned air.
Follow the steps listed above to identify a demand for specific product niches on Etsy, then align your business goals to reach those customers.
And remember, no matter the product you decide to sell on Etsy, marketing is your best friend.
2 replies on “Etsy Niche Research: Using Marmalead to Find Niches on Etsy”
This is great info but you say: “The key is to find keywords with high searches, high engagement, and low competition.”. But what are “high” numbers? Is 300 in searches low? Or do we assess based on colour? So if it’s dark green across the board is that a good niche? I’d like to have an idea of what good niche numbers looks like. Is there a different article that goes into more detail about what numbers indicate a good opportunity?
Hey Tina! You’re spot on – if the MarmaMeters are green all across the board, then you’ve potentially found a product niche that is ripe for the taking. This means that there are shopper’s searching for these products, clicking through listings with these keywords, but there’s not too many other Etsy shops selling the same thing. And that’s really the sweet spot where you want to be. Keep an eye on the meters and the associated colors. Yellow meters are just ok. Orange and red not so much. Here’s another article where we get into the research aspect of finding good keywords: https://blog.marmalead.com/how-to-do-etsy-market-research-for-your-products/
And here’s another one where we help you use Storm to find keyword ideas you wouldn’t have thought to search: https://blog.marmalead.com/how-to-use-marmaleads-storm-tool-keyword-research-for-etsy/
We hope this helps. Good luck!