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How to Improve Etsy SEO: 10 Tips to Grow Your Shop’s Organic Traffic

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Growing your Etsy store organically can only get you so far. To take your shop to the next level, you'll have to use online marketing strategies like search engine optimization (SEO).

Etsy search engine optimization is important because it levels out the playing field. It gives you and other Etsy sellers a chance to compete with the more established shops on the platform.

More importantly, it helps you rank for relevant search terms to potential customers.

In this post, you'll learn how to optimize your Etsy listings to drive more traffic to your store and increase your sales. These Etsy SEO tips should give you the information you need to succeed.

Conduct an Etsy Shop SEO Audit

Before anything else, you'll want to conduct an Etsy SEO audit. You do this to establish a baseline. This will not only help you identify areas that need improvement but also monitor your progress.

There are Etsy SEO tools that can help you carry out this task. But if you plan on auditing your SEO manually, there are two things you must know.

First, you have to record your current progress. Take note of how many clicks you usually get. Find out which Etsy search terms lead to increased traffic. If you have historical data, check your performance year-over-year. Know your conversion rate. 

Second, you'll want to check how optimized your Etsy shop is at the moment. Do you use keywords in your product titles and descriptions? Is your Etsy shop name descriptive and memorable enough? Are you making the most of Etsy tags?

An SEO audit includes checking the images you use. Are they consistent? Do they showcase the right product features? Do they look professional?

While you're at it, you should also take a look at your competitors. What keywords are they prioritizing? What do their titles and descriptions look like? How much information can customers find in their Etsy shops?

These are some of the factors that you should look out for.

How do you conduct an Etsy SEO audit?

While it can be challenging, it is possible to audit your site by yourself. All you need is a spreadsheet and some time to focus on what you need to do.

If you have the budget for it, you can find freelance marketers who could perform the audit for you. Some have years of experience to work with. They know what it takes to rank Etsy listings higher on search results.

Do exercise caution though when looking for a freelance marketer.

Choose a Name that Best Describes Your Store

Your Etsy shop name affects how well you perform in Etsy's search engine. So you should take the time to think of a name that best describes your store.

Your store's name should make it clear what kind of products you're selling.

If you're selling pickled products, you could insert the word "pickled" in your store name. You could spend some time thinking of a clever way to get the same point across if you don't want to be that direct.

You want to be specific too if you can. Sometimes, Etsy results will include listings for other types of products. Entering "pickles" in the Etsy search bar will also return listings for shirts, sweatshirts, and earrings.

The point is that potential buyers should know right away what you have to offer.

It could also help you appear for relevant Etsy search queries. If you don't have the product type in the shop name, Etsy might not realize that your store has what people want.

Remember:

Your Etsy store name will be the first thing buyers will see. You need to make a good first impression.

You don't want to overdo it though. It still needs to be memorable so having a long store name might not do you any favors. Besides, there is a character limit. So you can't make your name go on forever.

You should know that users have the option to search for stores that contain a specific keyword.

It's such a powerful feature that Etsy customers use to narrow down their search. It's yet another reason for Etsy sellers to have the name of their product in their shop names.

Research for the Right Keywords

Keyword research is one of the best Etsy SEO strategies you could implement to get more sales.

The idea is to find words or phrases that people tend to use when searching for a product. If Etsy finds these in your product name, tags, or descriptions, there's a good chance that it will show your product listings in search results.

Finding the right keywords for your products isn't that hard either. Sure, you could use third-party apps like Semrush or Ahrefs to discover new terms you could use for your Etsy listings. But Etsy already provides keyword suggestions. You see them every time you type in the search box.

Every suggestion that pops up is a keyword you could use in your listings. Add them to your titles, descriptions, and tags.

The key to finding the right keywords for your pages is knowing which should be your head keywords and which ones are long-tail keywords.

Head keywords are terms that have a high search volume. They're search terms that people use a lot. They're usually one or two words in length. A term like "leather pouch" can be considered a head keyword because of how competitive it is.

Long-tail keywords are at least 3 words in length and are often more specific. Using the same example, a long-tail version of that would be a "custom leather pouch for pencils".

You want to improve your Etsy listings by populating them with head and long-tail keywords. Use the head terms in your titles and the long-tail ones in your description.

When Etsy sees you using a combination of the two, it'll have an easier time connecting your listings to relevant search queries.

Optimize Product Descriptions

What can you do to optimize your product descriptions aside from inserting relevant keywords?

You can start by making your descriptions more compelling. It's not enough that you describe your product. You have to make people want to buy it.

There are several ways you can do this. You need to show everyone what makes your product great. Highlight its key features. Let people know how your product can benefit them.

Arrange your copy in a way that makes it easier for readers to digest all the information you're throwing at them. Using bullet points can help with that. Also, remember to keep your paragraphs short.

Keep in mind that most people browse using their phones now. Long blocks of text don't look good on mobile devices. So go straight to the point.

Are there testimonials from satisfied customers that you can use? Then add them to your product descriptions. Customer ratings and review snippets could also work.

Take this Etsy listing for example.

The description here is one long block of text. There's no structure at all. There's no chance that anyone would have read through the whole thing in one sitting.

But look at the example below.

This is the product description from a direct competitor. Not only is it cleaner, but it's also easier to digest. You can easily tell what the Etsy shop is all about.

And because the seller listed all the available variants, there's a good chance that this page appears in many Etsy search results.

There are other helpful sections you can add to your product descriptions. If there are other ways for customers to get in touch with you, leave your contact information there.

You can also leave care instructions if that applies to your product.

Insert the Keyword in Prominent Places

Once you figure out which keywords you want to prioritize for your Etsy SEO strategy, you'll need to spread them throughout your store and listings.

But where can you possibly add them?

As mentioned earlier, you'll want to add them to your listing titles and description. But you need to be careful. You don't want your listings to look spammy. That will affect your credibility and your placement on search engine results.

Try spacing out your keywords. And only use the ones that have the most value.

When adding keywords in the description, you want to place the most important keywords in the first paragraph. Spread long-tail keywords throughout the rest of the section.

Your Etsy store page has a section where you can place announcements. It is possible to add keywords there as well. While you should make your announcements long, adding a couple of keywords there shouldn't be an issue.

See the example below for reference.

There's also an About section where sellers can talk about their online business including how it started and what Etsy users can expect from the brand. You can use that space to insert your leftover keywords. Just make sure it sounds organic.

If you need another place to insert those keywords, you can use the Shop Policies and Shipping sections. However, you'll have to work harder to make those keywords fit in this section. It can be a challenge.

Because of how Etsy's search algorithm works, there is a need for sellers to add relevant keywords to their listings. This isn't something everyone does though.

Just imagine if you're in a product category that's not saturated with competitors. You can gain a significant advantage over them by having the right keywords in your listings.

Using Tags Effectively

Etsy tags give an Etsy seller a chance to describe a product in 13 phrases. The platform will then try to use these tags to match your product with user queries. With the right tags, you can reach the top of Etsy's search results.

Here are a couple of ways you could improve your tags to get the best results.

One of the most important things to remember is to maximize your tag allotment. You're allowed to add up to 13 tags. That means you can enter 13 phrases that best describe your listing. Use all of them.

Etsy encourages sellers to use multi-worded tags. It wants you to be as specific as possible. For example, the phrase "embroidered sweatshirt" is better than splitting it into tags — "embroidered" and "shirt".

You can also go over your Etsy shop stats to see what tags drive traffic to your store.

Be mindful of regional variants. If your listing uses a tag like "colour", Etsy is smart enough to include it in search results that include the word "color". Regional spellings won't matter as much.

But if you're using the tag "sneakers", it won't come up for search queries that include the word "trainers" — which is what people in the UK call sneakers. People in Ireland call them "runners". Other countries call them by other names too.

If you're targeting customers in other countries, you'll have to take into account product name variations and create specific tags for them.

An Etsy listing should use long-tail keywords in its tags. You should use your tags to describe what makes your products special. You won't get very far if all your tags are just generic terms no matter how popular they are.

Use High-Quality Product Photos for Your Listings

All your product images need to be high quality. There's no question about it. They're one of the first things your visitors will look at. And they're something people will take into account when deciding whether to buy your product or not.

Take these yoga hoodie product images as examples.

You want your product photos to look as professional as possible. That means uploading high-resolution pictures that are clear and sharp. Use proper lighting to show off your products in the best way possible.

Give shoppers multiple angles of the product. This helps with showcasing all of its features as well as its overall appearance.

If you can, include props in the background so buyers can get a scale of how big or small the product is. Have models wear items like jewelry and clothing so people could get an idea of how it would look if they wore them.

Don't forget to take close-ups as well. Potential customers would like to see the finer details of a product before making a purchase. It's also a way for you to emphasize the quality of your goods.

Some sellers forget to adjust the color in their photos to accurately represent their products. Don't make products more colorful than they are in real life. Customers will feel like you deceived them.

If you're selling multiple products, make sure that all your product images look consistent. They will all appear side by side in your Etsy store. So you want everything to look cohesive.

Finally, make sure that all your product images would look good as thumbnails. In the search results, there's a good chance that users will only see your listing as a thumbnail. Make sure that the photos you upload look great regardless of their size. 

Update Your Listings Regularly

Freshness affects your Etsy listing quality score. That means a listing page that gets updated more frequently will have a higher chance of ranking higher in search results.

So even if nothing significant changes in your products, you'll want to make changes to the titles and descriptions. When Etsy sees that your listing gets updated regularly, it'll indicate that you have an active store.

Updating your listings is also good for your customers. They won't hesitate to buy from you because they'll see that the shop is active. It'll also send the feeling that there's always something new on the horizon.

What are some updates you could make to an existing Etsy listing?

You can add features that you may have missed the first time you made changes to your description. If there are new variations to the product, make sure you include that in your update.

Did you change the materials you use to something better? That's definitely worth mentioning. That goes for any enhancement you've made to the product.

You can look at your competitor's listings to see what details they included in their own Etsy shop. This can help you generate ideas for your own listing. Successful Etsy shops know what details their customers need to see. You can take your cue from them.

Updating your listings based on upcoming holidays is also a good idea. Some products sell better around the holidays. You should change your product titles and descriptions based on that.

You can even update some of your images to reflect recent trends.

Just make sure that any update you make won't lead to any confusion.

Encourage Customers Reviews

Social proof like product reviews gives potential buyers the confidence they need to go through with their purchase. Reviews reassure people that a seller is legitimate and that the product is good.

They give you credibility — which is important for new sellers on the platform.

Positive customer reviews also affect Etsy's search engine. Highly reviewed product listings get pushed to the top of Etsy search results.

Just take a look at this modern nightstand listing.

As of this writing, it's the top search result for bedroom furniture. It has 776 reviews and most of them are positive. The product has an average rating of 4.5 stars.

And even if there are negative reviews, the seller does a great job of responding. She listens to the feedback and tries her best to clarify what happened. This is how all Etsy sellers should handle bad reviews.

There are other reasons why you'd want to encourage user reviews. It's important to get feedback about your product and the shipping process. That's how you learn what improvements you need to make.

Reviews are also a great way to interact with customers. It opens the lines of communication. When you establish a relationship with customers, they'll become loyal fans of your shop. This can lead to more sales and better Etsy rankings.

If you're not getting enough reviews, there's nothing wrong with asking for one. You can leave a sentence in the description telling customers to leave a review if they'd like. It's also possible to nudge people toward leaving a review in your thank you email.

Promote Your Shop

Do yourself a favor. Use all the resources available to you to promote your store. This will do wonders for your Etsy SEO. Here are a couple of things that you could try.

Link Building

You can try link building. This is an SEO strategy where you get links to your listings from highly reputable third-party sites. This is the same strategy used by online marketers to rank on search engines like Google.

The more sites link back to you, the more search engines see your Etsy store's value. That can lead to higher rankings not just on Etsy but on Google as well.

Some popular link-building strategies include guest posting and broken link building.

Social Media Promotions

If you have a social media presence, you should use it to promote your online store. You should ask your Etsy customers to follow you on your social channels to get the latest updates and promotions.

Use your social media to post content that won't work on your Etsy store page. You can do Q&As, for example. There you can talk about your product in-depth.

Etsy Ads

Those that have the resources for it should try Etsy Ads. It's a program that allows sellers to advertise their products in Etsy search results.

You set a daily budget with $1 being the minimum. The whole point of Etsy Ads is for you to stand out in the search, category, and market pages on both Etsy.com and the Etsy app.

If you're struggling to get attention, this could be the way to go.

Conclusion

It's very important for Etsy sellers to optimize Etsy listings. It's the only way they'll be able to rank for the most relevant search queries. It makes it easier for potential customers to find their products.

If you still haven't, take some time to go over your Etsy store listings and see what changes you need to make based on this list of Etsy SEO tips.

About the Author

christopherjanb

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I provide COMPREHENSIVE CONTENT EXPERIENCES designed to improve my clients' online visibility by observing the best on-page SEO practices and engaging their audience with well-written and informative content.

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