Perfecting your Etsy SEO in 2022 isn’t as complicated as you think. Sure, it takes time, testing, and a little trial and error. But once you have it dialed in, you’ll benefit from more traffic, more clicks, and more sales! If you want to get your Etsy SEO strategy on point this year, you’re in the right place!
The rise of Etsy shoppers
Every year, consumers do more of their shopping online. In fact, in 2021 there were 230.5 million digital shoppers in the United States alone. That’s 3 million more online shoppers than the year before!
But since you’re reading this article, you’re probably more concerned with online shoppers that use the Etsy platform. Well, recent worldwide numbers show us that there are 89.4 million active Etsy buyers as of September 30, 2021. And this number keeps growing every year.
More consumers using the Etsy platform every year is great! That means more shoppers browsing through Etsy products, and more chances to land a sale. And that’s certainly a good thing for an Etsy seller like you!
But with every new active buyer on the Etsy platform, an increase in active Etsy sellers is sure to follow. In fact, as of last year, Etsy has a total of 5.2 million active sellers. And while that pales in comparison to the number of active Etsy buyers, it’s a number you should keep in mind.
More Etsy sellers means more competition. It’s as simple as that.
You got that right. More Etsy sellers means more competition. With every new Etsy seller using the online marketplace to make a living (or earn some side money), you’re faced with more competition for your business. And while it’s not necessarily 1:1, more active Etsy sellers means more products listed in the Etsy marketplace. So although your business may not be facing too much competition right now, it may not stay that way forever.
Using Etsy SEO in 2022 to beat the competition
With more Etsy sellers using the platform, you’ll need to get a leg up on the competition. And a great way to beat the competition is by making sure your Etsy SEO in 2022 is the best it can be!
It’s not complicated. There’s a lot of sellers out there that cringe at the idea of their Etsy SEO. But after reading this article, you’ll have a good understanding of how to dial it in, and get your business on track to success.
How does Etsy SEO in 2022 help your shop?
Before we dive into some helpful tips for your Etsy SEO in 2022, let’s first discuss why it’s important to keep SEO near the top of your priority list.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Basically, this just means the practice of optimizing your Etsy listings in a way that tells the Etsy algorithm that you’re relevant for certain search terms.
Like all social media channels, Etsy has its own algorithm. In a nutshell, the Etsy algorithm pulls listings from its giant library and puts them in front of an Etsy shopper looking for something to buy.
But before the algorithm can put an Etsy listing in front of a shopper, it has to run a couple checks.
Basically, the algorithm scans, reads, computes, tabulates, and extracts certain things from your Etsy listing before it transmogrifies it to an interested shopper.
Sounds scary, doesn’t it?
Well, it doesn’t have to be.
In truth, you don’t need to understand the science of transmogrification in order to understand Etsy SEO. That’s because Etsy SEO isn’t magic. It’s not fairy dust. There are tangible ways to optimize your Etsy listings in a way that is appeasing to the Etsy algorithm, so your listing shows up when someone performs a keyword search.
And that’s what Etsy SEO is all about. Giving your listings the best possible chance to show up in front of interested buyers. No transmogrification necessary.
trans·mog·ri·fy
/tranzˈmäɡrəˌfī,tran(t)sˈmäɡrəˌfī/
verb | humorous | transform in a surprising or magical manner.
“the cucumbers were ultimately transmogrified into pickles”
Etsy SEO isn’t magic.
Do this to dial in your Etsy SEO in 2022
If you want to dial in your Etsy SEO in 2022, there are a few things you need to work on:
01. Do some fresh Etsy keyword research
Trends come and go. So do the top-performing keywords for your market.
Understanding exactly how to research new Etsy keywords is so important, we wrote an entirely separate article on it. It contains our step-by-step blueprint for success, and it’s available to you right now. Check it out to get your Etsy listing on point. Only then can you be certain that your listing is at its peak optimization for your target keywords.
Researching your Etsy keywords is an important step. Don’t sleep on this. Get your free blueprint.
02. Get rid of your lowest performing keywords to help your Etsy SEO in 2022
Life is too short to drink cheap wine. It’s also too short to be using lackluster Etsy keywords. Get rid of your lowest-performing keywords, and your Etsy SEO in 2022 will thank you.
How do you know which keywords aren’t performing?
Take a look inside your Etsy shop stats. It’s here that you’ll find everything you need to know about the current performance of your Etsy keywords.
Follow our lead:
1: Jump into your Etsy Shop Manager.
2: Then navigate to your Stats on the sidebar.
3: Scroll down and you’ll see a list of your Etsy listings. Choose whichever listing you intend to optimize.
4: Once you’re looking at the stats of a specific listing, you can scroll down to find Search terms.
These “Search Terms” will tell you exactly which keywords are performing well for that particular Etsy listing, and which keywords aren’t.
Read through this list carefully.
If your Etsy listing is optimized with certain keywords that aren’t even showing up in your search terms, you can probably move on without them.
How do you find good replacement keywords?
Inside your Etsy stats, you’re going to see search terms that buyers are already using to find your Etsy listing. To improve your Etsy SEO in 2022, all you need to do is brainstorm new keywords from your current top-performers. And the best way to do this is with Marmalead’s Storm tool.
Our storm tool was designed specifically to help Etsy sellers with their keyword brainstorming. All you need to do is take a handful of your top-performing keywords and put them into Storm to create a new list of keyword suggestions.
It may sound confusing at first, but it’s actually easier than you think. Our Storm tool is a powerful feature that comes up with new keywords that you never would’ve thought to include on your Etsy listing.
But don’t take our word for it. Try out Storm for yourself and see just how many new keywords you can use to improve your Etsy SEO.
→ Not familiar with Storm? Follow this guide to improve your Etsy SEO in 2022
03. Use more long tail keywords to dial in your Etsy SEO in 2022
We never miss an opportunity to discuss the importance of long tail keywords for your Etsy SEO. And although we discuss this time and time again, there are many Etsy sellers that aren’t using as many long tail keywords as they probably should.
We love long tail keywords. They’re a great way to dial in your Etsy SEO to a specific keyword phrase that’s very relevant to your product. And any buyer that finds your listing with a long tail keyword is an intentional buyer that’s ready to make a purchase.
How can that be?
Long tail keywords aren’t as generic as the run-of-the-mill keywords that most Etsy sellers use for their listings. On top of that, the generic keywords come with a TON of competition.
Try running a keyword check inside Marmalead and you’ll see what we mean. For every keyword search you do, we’ll show you up to 100 long tail alternatives.
The sweet spot with long tail keywords is finding some that have a healthy amount of search and engagement, with little competition. These are your golden geese that can be tough to find, but they’re worth it for your Etsy SEO in 2022.
Not sure if the Etsy keyword you’re planning to use is long tail? Play this game to learn how to spot the difference.
04. Use all 13 of your Etsy tags
This is a no-brainer. Etsy gives you the opportunity to upload 13 tags for each of your listings. So do not publish your Etsy listing without using all 13 tags!
You might think that there aren’t any more tags to add to your Etsy listings, but there’s totally more! We hate to say it, but you have to try just a little harder.
If you’re looking for more ways to brainstorm new Etsy tags, scroll back up to step-2 and read more about our Storm tool.
If don’t think you need all 13 tags, try this experiment
Every time you look up a keyword in Marmalead, we’re going to show you tons of useful data about that keyword. We’ll show you real search data, engagement data, how competitive that keyword is, and a lot more useful data that’s sure to help with your Etsy SEO in 2022.
But we’ll also show you something else that not every Marmalead user knows about.
With each Etsy keyword search you perform inside Marmalead, we’ll show you up to 100 sample listings. These are real listings that are published on Etsy, at that moment.
So for this little experiment, take a look at these sample listings during your next keyword brainstorm session. Scroll through the listings and hover your mouse over the column labeled “Tags.” This will pull up a window that shows you the exact tags your competitors are using for their listings.
How many Etsy tags are your competitors using? All 13? If their listings are optimized, then they probably are.
If you find any sample listings that don’t have all 13 Etsy tags, click on their listing and it will take you directly to their Etsy shop.
What does their shop look like? Is everything else optimized well? Are they selling any products? How about their reviews?
More often than not, we’re betting that you’ll find that the best-performing Etsy listings use all 13 of their Etsy tags. And you should too.
05. Use focus keywords to improve your Etsy SEO in 2022
Focus keywords are Etsy keywords that are used in both your title and tags.
The most relevant keywords for your Etsy listings should show up in both your titles and your tags. This is a sign to the algorithm that your listing is extremely relevant for that keyword.
So when the Etsy algorithm is scanning your listing and running its check, you want it to pay special attention to this keyword. Your focus keyword.
Ideally, your focus keyword is one that has the best opportunity to perform extremely well, while remaining hyper-relevant to your product. You shouldn’t waste your focus keyword on one that is irrelevant or lacks promising stats.
But for that matter, you shouldn’t waste any of your tags on keywords that are irrelevant or lacking in promising stats. Remember, life’s too short for that. Just like cheap wine.
Don’t get this confused with keyword stuffing
Keyword stuffing isn’t good.
Not all of your Etsy tags will appear in your title, and they shouldn’t. Etsy wants you to avoid keyword stuffing in your titles, cause it’s not very helpful for the shopper experience.
You’ve seen this before. A listing title that is nothing but a stream of keywords stuffed together in a seemingly random order. Any shopper that looks at this is going to be put off, and if your listing photo doesn’t completely “wow” them, they’ll keep on scrolling.
Your titles should be clear and concise to make it easier for buyers to understand what it is they’re browsing. If a buyer has to think about what you’re selling, you’ve already lost them.
Missed opportunities with Etsy categories
Another thing to keep in mind is that along with your titles and tags, the Etsy algorithm takes into account your categories and attributes.
In other words, the algorithm knows what you’re selecting as your category when you create your Etsy listing. So if your tags duplicate the phrasing of your category or attributes, well you’re just wasting a tag slot.
The algorithm is already going to include your listing in search results with these phrases, so doubling up on these keywords is a missed opportunity for a better-performing keyword that you could’ve found in Marmalead.
06. Update all portions of your Etsy shop
Etsy wants to know that you’re a serious seller. And part of being a serious seller is treating your Etsy shop like a legitimate business.
To be legitimate, you need to make sure that you keep all your Etsy information up to date.
This includes updating all the necessary information available in your Shop Manager.
Here’s what you need to do:
1: Jump into your Etsy Shop Manager.
2: Then navigate to your Settings on the sidebar.
3. You’ll see two important menu options, Info & Appearance and About Your Shop.
4. Jump into both of these menus and make sure that all of these fields are up to date.
And most importantly, make sure that your About section is completely filled out. Shopping online can be a little impersonal. But when you update your portrait, bio, and story, you’re adding in the human element to running an online business.
Etsy likes this, and they’ll reward you for it. In fact, if you want to increase your chances of being featured in Etsy’s marketing promotions, you’ll need to make sure this information is filled out.
Get creative, show your process, and just have fun with it.
Over to you
Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to improving your Etsy SEO in 2022. When it comes to running a successful Etsy business, every step in the right direction is a cause for celebration.
And for veteran Etsy sellers and newbies alike, it can be easy to get complacent and just start coasting. But truth be told, a better SEO strategy could be exactly what you need to unlock your full potential this year.
Got any burning questions about your Etsy SEO? Let us know in the comments below!
