Etsy allows business owners of all sizes and types to build their storefronts by selling and marketing their products online. But like all commercial endeavors, it’s essential to remember competitors are likely interested in bolstering their brand over yours. So how do you capture the most significant part of your market and not get swallowed up by the competition? It all starts with using good Etsy keywords.
Increase your organic traffic with good Etsy keywords.
Search and discovery lead the way in attracting organic traffic to your Etsy shop. And with search results accounting for over 75% of traffic to Etsy listings, a good SEO strategy is critical.
An Etsy shop that isn’t optimized to use relevant and popular keywords is missing out on a considerable portion of organic shoppers through Etsy search, and that’s not the Etsy shop you want to be.
If your keywords are missing the mark, your Etsy shop probably relies on the other 25% of direct traffic, social traffic, and email marketing. And while these are good traffic sources to incorporate into your overall marketing strategy, relying only on them is not sustainable.
What is sustainable? Good keywords.
Keywords will always be the primary source for getting your products found in Etsy search, even with Etsy’s more personalized experience through search and discovery. Simply put, keywords tell Etsy what your product is so Etsy can show your product to interested buyers.
Look at it this way: Picking the right Etsy category puts your listing in a bucket, and using the right keywords makes sure your listing gets scooped into the net of search results.
How do you find good keywords, and what do you do after you’ve found them?
When did you last analyze your Etsy keywords inside your shop stats?
If it’s been a while since you’ve looked at your Etsy shop stats, you must make this a routine habit as soon as possible! That’s because it’s the only way to know if your current keywords perform well for your listings.
You can see the keywords shoppers use to find your listings in your Etsy shop stats. If the keywords you use for your listings work, they’ll pop up here in your shop stats.
On the other hand, if you’re using a handful of keywords that aren’t showing up in your stats, then it’s probably time you look into finding better keywords. And that’s where Marmalead comes in.
→ Find good Etsy keywords with this easy-to-follow blueprint for success. Get your free copy and follow our step-by-step process.
Do your research to find good Etsy keywords.
Hopefully, before starting any online venture, you’ve researched to confirm an actual demand for the items you are selling.
If there is low Etsy search and engagement volume for the terms you’re creating, don’t be surprised if you see lackluster results. Being the first to launch an entirely new category where none existed can be an expensive and time-consuming proposition.
The road to success can be long and bumpy without proof of performance. All you need to do is watch an episode of Shark Tank to see the obstacles entrepreneurs will likely face.
If you lack a strong background in creating Etsy listings or optimizing your Etsy shop, here are some tips and best practices from Etsy.
If you need help understanding which keywords are the best to target, we’ve got you covered.
Once you’ve found good Etsy keywords, do this.
Once you know which Etsy keywords to use for your listings, you must know how to use them. And the two most significant factors you can control are keyword phrases in your tags and title.
For best results, matching the keyword phrases in your tags and titles is essential. This is what’s known as using focus keywords. By using focus keywords on your Etsy listings, you’re telling Etsy that those keywords are the ones that best describe your listing. And in return, Etsy will give your listing an edge over others in search results for that phrase.
With focus keywords and a solid conversion rate, you’ll increase your authority for that specific Etsy keywords and improve the performance of your listing.
It’s important to remember that you probably won’t be able to match all of your keywords in your title and tags. So make sure to choose the most relevant and best-performing Etsy keywords that you can find.
Utilize long tail keywords in titles.
Shorter keywords generate more searches and sometimes more traffic. Even though this sounds like a good thing, it doesn’t necessarily translate to sales. Long tail keywords (more descriptive ones) are more likely to bring deals than shorter ones.
This is because people searching short and generic keywords aren’t sure what they want. So they begin their quest for the perfect gift with generic terms. Then, as they start to uncover precisely what they’re looking for, their searches get more and more specific.
This means that their searches are the most specific when they are closest to making a purchase. Of course, by then, they’ve probably moved on from your listing 3 or 4 searches ago.
Don’t get too creative with titles.
When creating content on Etsy, avoid being overly creative in your titles. Although you may be tempted to display your mental prowess by extending product names, don’t. You should avoid this pitfall as it is one of the common mistakes that most sellers make.
Visitors looking for products online won’t search for unique or special names. For instance, if you sell paintings, using words such as “acrylic canvas” in titles would make more sense instead of using the name of your art.
Optimizing image names is not necessary.
Adding relevant titles and tags is crucial when optimizing the content on various websites and platforms. However, on Etsy, images are randomly accorded letters and numbers when uploaded. Therefore, adding titles and tags to photos will not help your position in search results.
Wrapping up
You can offer an excellent product, competitive pricing, and use the sharpest listing photos… but if you’re not using good Etsy keywords, all your work is for naught.
Everything starts with selecting the keywords you choose. At the end of the day, you want to be sure your keywords do two things. First, increase the visibility of your Etsy listings and bring you more sales!
