In 2018, matchy-matchy is out for Etsy search

The algorithm

Etsy's search algorithm is transitioning into a completely new animal. The days of meticulously matching up phrases in your tags and titles for guaranteed Etsy relevancy will soon be past.

Etsy is in the process making search more human... The old way of search was not natural, the necessity to laboriously match titles and tags.

Etsy's algorithm is in flux

Compliments of Etsy seller Deborah McGregor:

"SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. 

It does not mean “Match Words Up" 

In a nutshell, Etsy has leveled the playing field for sellers.

The algorithm just does not like me...

An algorithm does not "do" anything of its own initiative. It is only a middleman. Its job is to find common factors between a search query and the information on your listing page. It serves up results (called Search Engine Results Pages, or SERPs) based on common denominators... The more commonalities, the higher the item places. The algorithm does its job according to what its code tells it to do. No emotions are involved.

The order of search results is what has changed. In fact, the order changes from search to search on Etsy now.

How do I get better placement in search results?

There is only one way for any product to place well in a search query. Create your listing so it has as many common factors with search queries as possible. In order to do it well, you must know your target market of customers. What search queries will they use to find your items? If you do not know who is searching the internet for products like you sell, how can you use the same words as they do?

How do I even know where I place in search results?

Etsy seller CindyLou says that it is now impossible to even do test searches because of contextualization and personalization: every searcher will see something different.

You can ask someone else to search, but there is no guarantee that what they see is what someone else will see, either. Remember that in 2018, search is changing all the time, so search placement can vary by a lot even repeating the same search.

The best way to "see" how you are doing is to use your shop stats.

Where is Etsy's search heading?

Machine learning takes time

Google's driverless cars and Etsy's search have something in common. They are both being driven by machine learning, or so-called artificial intelligence. Both are going somewhere.

But of course the technology is new. There are some unknowns, some unintended consequences.

I believe that things will get better. But the process of machine learning will take time (some say as long as two years). In the mean time, mistakes may be made. Mistakes that could discourage sellers if they fail to see these changes in the long run, as "training" the new algorithm.

Etsy sellers have been accustomed to doing a lot of tweaking. Sellers routinely made changes to listings to make sure of word-matching, which is how Etsy's search worked in the past.

The goal of the new search algorithm is to show the best, most relevant listings to buyers. It is designed to do that without the need to constantly adjust listings. Won't that be a relief?
As mentioned, the days of matchy-matchy titles and tags are fading. This is because the new algorithm is smarter than that. Or it will be, eventually.

Following Etsy's "Best Practices" for listings remains important. Do you know what keyword-stuffing is? Have you un-stuffed your titles?  Here is another discussion of title stuffing.

In reality, nothing has changed. But on another hand it has...

Vintage selling

Vintage sellers continue to complain about being the proverbial red-headed child. I try not to have any big expectations that things will change for vintage on Etsy. It is what it is and has been since the beginning... Vintage seems to be tolerated, but Etsy is primarily a handmade "creative" site.

I can deal with that. If it is working, fine. If I am not selling, then I try to figure out why and deal with the issue.

Please note

I make a number of observations here. If your shop is selling just fine, there is no need to change anything. 

Make any changes slowly. Check for effectiveness in your case.

Conclusion

Etsy is in flux. Search is rife with change. 2018 may be the year to "wait and see."


How do you feel? Is Etsy moving your shop to the next level?

Etsy Search: Titles - Sending the Right Signals

Can you reach every buyer with one title?

Best practices for writing item titles

The new "machine learning" algorithms simulate how people look for things in real life. Think about it: they search for the few items that are tailored to a particular need.  

Buyers seek a specific item (not something that fits the needs of the entire vintage-buying population on earth...) 

Use your title to speak to the perfect buyer for that item. No need to worry about everyone else, as they are not buyers.

Speak to your target market

This goes back to basic marketing: who is your target market? You cannot reach everyone with one title. Narrow your target audience.

If you try to market your items  to everyone, you will hold back your shop. Besides, no one can afford to market to everyone. Not even huge companies.

Think about the commercials you see on sports events,  versus those you see on Saturday morning cartoons... Yes, different markets.

The importance of natural wording

Search engines prefer natural wording. But that is not the only reason to use it.

Consider the increasing importance of voice search. Many people now own and use Alexa or Google Voice.

(Indeed Artificial Intelligence is already in use, helping people to find what they are looking for online.)

Users of this technology speak their search terms. If necessary, they refine their search query. They tell the device what they want, using natural spoken English language. The words used are called "LSI keywords" in SEO-speak. (There will be more about LSI keywords in an upcoming post.)

Search engines look for topic and context rather than exact words. Real people do too. So write titles for real people. 

How do I reduce my bounce rate?

Make your listings appeal to the people your title is set up to attract. Use keywords and buyer phrases that are relevant to your target customers. 

Make shoppers comfortable. Convince them that you are knowledgeable and trustworthy. This is easier if you specialize in what you sell.

Here are more ideas for keeping buyers in your shop.

Why is it bad to use the same word combinations over and over in titles?

Some sellers get into the habit of using similar word combinations over and over again in their item titles. When you do that, you miss out on marketing to buyers who use different terms to search for your items.

Mix it up. I know it sounds crazy, but varying the wording of your titles could make a big difference in getting found. Change up your word combinations. What kinds of terms does your target audience use? Use a purchase phrase list.

One word that it is OK to have in every item title is the word "vintage." Do avoid placing the word "vintage" in the valuable real estate right at the beginning. Put it after the first five or so words.

What about "word salad" titles?

Avoid stuffing your titles with keywords. Although this may have been encouraged in the past, Etsy is switching over to artificial intelligence, or AI. "Stuffed" titles will no longer be rewarded in search.

AI is dealing with one searcher at a time. There is no benefit to stuff your titles with terms that make it unclear exactly what your product is. (An example is naming every possible holiday gift your item could be. Instead, aim for niche, long-tail searches.) 

Etsy's AI scours the site looking to match up searchers and the items they search for. When your title is unclear, AI will find lots of clear titles that do match what it is looking for. Those items get moved up in search. The “muddier” titles get pushed down in ranking.

Etsy admin answers questions about titles

Now let us look at some information from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Etsy has been moving toward AI for a couple of years now. 

In October of 2016 Etsy Administrators fielded many questions from sellers about getting items found in searches. Here are a few questions answered about titles:

Q: Is it acceptable to repeat a word in the title?

Admin: We don’t recommend repeating a word [the same word over and over] in the title.

Q: Must word phrases [keywords] within Titles and Tags match exactly?

Admin: Word phrases within titles and tags don’t need to match exactly. However, tagging your product for “red boots” and having “red boots” in your title will give you a better chance of ranking for “red boots”.

Q: If using commas within a title, is it recommended to put one space after the comma?

Admin: In general, we recommend making your titles as readable as possible while still being descriptive. This would usually involve putting a space after commas when appropriate. Google definitely rewards well crafted, easy to read titles.

Q: I would like to ask why is it SOOO important to use the same keywords and combinations in your title, in the description and again in the tags. .... We are constantly working to improve our internal search practices though and eventually we hope to not rely as much on the quantity of times you use a certain phrase when listing your product.

Interesting video about search says that Etsy is no longer weighting the beginning of the title more than the end. (Google still does, and the beginning is what buyers see, so do not discount the beginning of your titles altogether.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb-oZNJD-QI

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What signals are you sending with your titles? Are you reaching your target market? 

More on item descriptions next...

December 2017 Updates from Etsy's CEO

Etsy's CEO Josh Silverman

On December 13, Etsy CEO Josh Silverman updated Etsy sellers.  He also shared information in a video on December 5, 2017.

Here are some highlights about search improvements.

First, from his earlier video chat:

In September, we introduced a major improvement called Context Specific Ranking, or CSR. Through CSR, we’re personalizing the search experience by using information about the shopper, time of day, and other context-specific factors to rank results in real time… The more personalized approach means that you’ll no longer see the same results every time you type in a search term. And the good news is that we’re already seeing CSR drive more sales.

 We’re also working hard to get better at understanding what your item actually is, based on all of the information in your listings, with less focus on your titles. Eventually, as search continues to improve, our goal is to enable you to include all the relevant data about your products as you list them, reducing the need to continuously refine your SEO terms.

Let us break this down a bit.

 "...you’ll no longer see the same results every time you type in a search term."

That means that doing test searches to determine ranking of our items is no longer possible. Every time someone searches, they will see something different.

This is where Josh introduced the term "CSR" or "Context Specific Ranking."

Through CSR, we’re personalizing the search experience by using information about the shopper, time of day, and other context-specific factors to rank results in real time.

He let sellers know that any need to stuff item titles full of keyword phrases is fading:

We’re also working hard to get better at understanding what your item actually is, based on all of the information in your listings, with less focus on your titles.  

He finishes this section with this statement:

Eventually, as search continues to improve, our goal is to enable you to include all the relevant data about your products as you list them, reducing the need to continuously refine your SEO terms.

This is good news if you dislike tweaking listings. It means more time to pick great vintage to sell, right?

Adjustments to search and discovery

 Now let us consider some excerpts about search from today's question-and-answer session from Josh:

Regarding improvements to search and discovery, this continues to be a major focus for us. As I mentioned in my video, in addition to rolling out context-specific ranking, or CSR, we’re working hard to get better at understanding what your item actually is, based on all of the information in your listings, including image recognition, with less focus on your titles. Eventually, our goal is to have you design your title and item description in a way that most appeals to customers. We’ll keep you posted on our progress.

 We boost new shops and new listings in relevant search for a very brief time to give them a chance to be seen. After this quick boost the new items will appear as they normally would in search results. This practice, which is common in ecommerce and retail in general, has been in place on Etsy for the past few years.

 I’d like to address search “clumping,” which has been a hot topic lately. Our system limits the number of listings per seller that can return within the first few pages of results for any given query. This allows us to help buyers experience the breadth of items available on Etsy, which, as we’ve learned through data and testing, increases the likelihood they’ll make a purchase. We’ll continue to analyze the data to make sure we’re helping buyers find what they’re looking for within our diverse collection of listings. We need to do a better job at delivering Breadth, and not just Depth. I agree this is an area where we need to improve, and we are making significant investments to do so.

…the search algorithm, the way we match search terms to listings hasn’t changed and our guidance remains the same, including recommendations for keywords, titles, and categories. What has changed is how we rank search results. Through context-specific ranking, we’re personalizing search rankings in real-time using information about the shopper, time of day, and other context-specific factors. This new approach is leading to an increase in sales in the marketplace. 

Now we will break it down a bit.

Etsy recently added five photo fields

...In addition to rolling out context-specific ranking, or CSR, we’re working hard to get better at understanding what your item actually is, based on all of the information in your listings, including image recognition, with less focus on your titles.

Fill out all of your attribute fields (things like color, size, capacity, style, occasion). Include lots of pictures, as image recognition is on the horizon. Think about it, the more photos you have the more chances to be matched up with a buyer's search!

We boost new shops and new listings in relevant search for a very brief time to give them a chance to be seen. After this quick boost the new items will appear as they normally would in search results.

So listing new items gives them a "quick boost." Is that better than renewing? Maybe.

Our system limits the number of listings per seller that can return within the first few pages of results for any given query. This allows us to help buyers experience the breadth of items available on Etsy, which, as we’ve learned through data and testing, increases the likelihood they’ll make a purchase.

Clumping is the new normal. You can be sure that Etsy would not be doing it unless it resulted in increased sales over all.

Best practices are the same

What are sellers to do? Has anything changed? Josh addresses that:

…the search algorithm, the way we match search terms to listings hasn’t changed and our guidance remains the same, including recommendations for keywords, titles, and categories. 

Etsy's "best practices" have not changed. (As always, use a variety of long-tail keywords. Use concise titles and accurate tags. Those are the best ways right now to capture different queries that buyers might make.) Try this prototype team for an improved way to find Etsy's categories.

What has changed is how we rank search results. Through context-specific ranking, we’re personalizing search rankings in real-time using information about the shopper, time of day, and other context-specific factors. This new approach is leading to an increase in sales in the marketplace. 

But how search results are served up has changed. There is that term "CSR" again. How items are placed in search are personalized (using information about the shopper, the time of day and other factors to be sure).

Josh Silverman is saying that he has the shareholders' backs. And sellers, as there would be no marketplace without them.

Happy selling!

Who is in the driver's seat?

What is up with Etsy's search?

Hold on tight!

Reports vary... some shops are doing all right and some are not: theories abound.

Things have changed with Etsy's search. That is a fact. As one seller put it,"relevancy is no longer relevant on Etsy."

This may sound radical, but it is time to reassess everything that what we think we know about how search works. Everything. The entire ball game has changed.

Why are sellers holding their breath?

Artificial Intelligence is now in the driver's seat of Etsy search. 

Etsy feels a bit like driverless car... No one, not even the programmers, know exactly where the search "vehicle" is headed with the new "recommendation technology." Sellers will have to be patient. "Machine learning" has to do its thing. It will be seeking connections between searches and purchases. Its goal is to figure out what searchers want to see, what motivates them to buy.

Analyzing data takes time

It takes time to examine millions of pieces of data. The algorithm will be looking for connections, called "context-specific results." This new technology will be seeking common factors between millions of buyer search queries and actual sales. It will be connecting the dots.

Add to that personalization of results. Everyone will see something different.

Etsy's search has become more complicated than any human can understand... "machine learning." That is why no one can even begin to predict search results at this point.

The thought is that search will change all the time for a year or two. Search results may at times be bad due to the learning curve. Of course, sales can suffer in the short term.

This "deep learning" technology is calculated to "deliver even more relevant search results and a shopping experience that can be even more tailored to individual buyers." Ultimately, things should improve.

Google's driverless car goes places... It is basically doing what it has been "trained" to do. Eventually Etsy's search will get there.

Can Etsy's machine learning figure out vintage?

Vintage is vulnerable at Etsy. It seems like the proverbial red-headed step-child. Etsy is stressing its "made by someone" mystique, which is not vintage.

Etsy is stressing handmade in this sale banner from late 2017

Being in on the ground floor of a revolutionary new search experience has its pros and cons. Etsy sellers are about to find out the good, the bad and the ugly.

What can be done now?

Until more information is provided, making major changes would just be a shot in the dark. Let common sense prevail.

For now, the rules appear to be the same as always... When listing, accurately describe your item. Use understandable and descriptive language. Carefully word your titles and tags. Fill out any slots for attributes. (Those are material, size and other search factors that are different for each type of item). Use great photos.

Etsy's instructions have not changed. Yet at least. (Please let me know if you see that they have.)

Hang on tight, though. It could be a rough ride when machine learning is driving search.

Want to know more? Here is some more in-depth information about recent changes in Etsy search.

On machine learning and other Etsy search changes...

Hold on tight... Etsy is a sea of changes

Sometimes it feels like there is a sea of change at Etsy. I know that I felt that way earlier this year. Since then, there have been further transformations afoot.

For one thing, Etsy stated that they are doing even more testing than in the past. They use the term "experiment velocity."

Etsy has not announced these changes per se. But they are happening.

Etsy has added many new search features:

• Item attributes can now be searched in some cases. (Make sure yours are all filled out.)

• New filters are available (items on sale, free shipping, some attributes on the left side).

• Badges may appear for things like "best seller" and what they call a "scarcity".

• Guided search, which are orange-toned buttons that appear at the top of some broad searches.

Some changes to Etsy search

• Shop feedback (star ratings) now display in search results.

• Similar items buttons are under search results (only show up if your cursor is over that item).

Artificial intelligence & search

Etsy has begun to use machine learning technology ("artificial intelligence"). That is why Etsy purchased the company Blackbird Technologies last year.

What is Etsy's algorithm?

The goal is to determine the intent of a buyer when making a search. (Here is more about the related "Context Specific Search Ranking.")

In the past, search results were returned to shoppers that best matched their exact phrases in tags and titles. And the best "quality scores." 

Items used to be shown one per page per shop as per the "fairness" part of the old algorithm.... but that has changed...

Some things have been removed

Gone is the "shop diversity" element. There is no longer a limit of one item per shop per page of search results. "Clumping" is now the norm. This is a big change for some shops.

Also gone is the opportunity to test search to see how your items place. Why? As mentioned above, your search results are becoming contextualized and personalized. Results are different for each buyer. 

As artificial intelligence is self-learning, the personalization is still developing. It is learning to make connections between the terms that searchers use and what their real intent is. (For example, when someone types in a word, what is it that they eventually buy?) Etsy stated that factors include search history, user data and "as a first step" sales data. It is far from perfect, but you can expect it to get better with time.

Any improvement in Etsy search is good news, right?

What is next at Etsy?

We do not know. And there is no recommendation to make any major changes to titles or tags. As always, use a variety of long-tail keywords. Use accurate titles and tags. Those are the best ways to capture different queries that buyers might make. And ultimately sell your items.

(And, of course, offer cool stuff.)

Etsy is working on more interesting ("revolutionary") discovery tools... So plan on more changes!

Etsy search: clumping is the new normal?

Shop diversity is no longer a part of Etsy search

For a long time, when buyers searched for items on Etsy, they saw a predictable mix. One item from a variety of shops on page 1, 2 and so on...

As usual, changes are afoot.

The “shop diversity” part of Etsy's search algorithm is no longer in place. We know that because the wording about it has been removed from Etsy’s seller help manual.

Etsy has been testing this for the past two months or so. Complaints of “clumping” have been made.

What is clumping?

Clumping is when you see a page of search results with the same shop repeated over and over. Certain shops seem to dominate search results for some searches.

What is clumping, anyway?

Why is Etsy allowing it?

Ultimately it comes down to making money. If items are not selling, then Etsy is not making money. Etsy's search results will favor what makes the most money for Etsy. End of story.

As mentioned, sellers had become accustomed to “fairness” or “diversity” in search results. That was when you saw one item displayed from each seller, especially on the first few pages.

Some sellers got used to having their items consistently on page one of search results. It is easy to feel that if your item placed highly for a year or two, then you are set for life. That is not the case. Etsy's search changes constantly. This might be a case for the expression: “adapt or die.”

How can I be the shop that shows multiple results?

There are many steps you can take.

Fill out all of your attributes. These are the new fields where you tell buyers the color, size and perhaps style of an item (as well as other attributes depending on the category). Search results are now being weighted with this information. Don’t get left behind.

Make sure your item categories are drilled down as far as possible.

Use all of your tags. Fill as many of the 20 characters in each tag as you can. For vintage items, be sure to use the word “vintage” in one of your tags. Try to use a variety of natural search phrases for “broader search presence.”

Do not obsess about getting found on a one- or two-word general search. Focus on niche searches (AKA “long-tail searches”). By focusing on improving your items' rank in these specific multiple-word searches, your items gain ground in the more generic searches.

Put the most searchable words at the beginning of your titles. The first few words (Etsy Admin keeps saying three) have the most weight. If you have more than one similar item, change up your wording (of both titles and tags). That way, your items may get found with a variety of search terms. 

Have the highest possible conversion rate.

A higher conversion rate is better.

Raise your listing quality. Have 10 great photos. 

Ship quickly. Provide excellent customer service. Have minimal cases.

Offering free shipping could place your shop front and center

Renew items often. List a new item or two every day.

Offer more items. Larger shops seem to do better in searches these days. It also increases the odds that you will have something that someone wants to buy.

Give the market what it wants. Figure out what is selling. If what you are offering does not move well, try something else.

Try different price points. If it seems that cheaper is selling better, then offer lower priced items.

Try a sale or free shipping. Your shop can be front and center if a buyer clicks a check box and applies the filter.

The algorithm

There are a number of factors that determine where our items land in search. (One informed seller says dozens of factors.) No one (outside Etsy programmers) knows what those factors are. Or how each is weighted. 

They change all the time. The above factors ("steps you can take") are some educated guesses.

How are sales in your shop? Is clumping good or bad?

More to come on this subject... stay tuned.

July 2017 Admin Update for Sellers

On July 20 an update was held for a few Etsy sellers in positions of team leadership. Admin answered some questions. This is a condensed version.
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Etsy remains committed to Etsy teams. More team captains and leaders will be invited to join the Fellowship program [which is located on Facebook] this year.

Q. What effect do hearting games have on Etsy's search algorithms?
A. (The information provided by admin duplicates what was said during the public Q&A post on Etsy.) If a buyer clicks, favorites, or purchases an item found in search results, that has a positive effect on that items search ranking.

• If a product is clicked on or favorited outside of search results (for example, from social media), that has no impact on search ranking - neither a negative or positive effect.
• If an item receives a favorite, regardless of there it came from, that product will show up in the Recommended Items area on the front page - so there is a benefit there. But no benefit on the search algorithm.
• Better tags and titles can improve search ranking.
• Driving traffic to your shop via social media is still the best way to get exposure.

Q. Do conversion rates affect search ranking?

Lower conversion rates are better

A. Yes, conversion rates do affect search ranking.

Q. Is a fee increase in the works for sellers?
A. No.

Q. Regarding the 10 photos per listing, if not all 10 photos are used, will this reduce search ranking?
A. No. The number of photos used has no impact on search placement.

Q. Why have sales have plummeted for sellers this year?
A. Etsy admin understand that fluctuations in sales are scary. Unfortunately, there are many causes. There is no general trend; it is SHOP specific.

Concerned shops that have decreasing sales may contact Etsy. A team of Etsy admin can do a 15 minute shop critique to increase sales. The link is in the Help pages. Shop owners should click on the contact button in that Help section to request a critique.

Q: (Re-questioned): you are saying that there is no Etsy trend that is affecting sales… It goes back to the individual shops? That the experimenting that seems to be affecting sales, is not having an effect on sales?
A: As part of the recent realignment, Etsy now has a dedicated group of admin (called Voice of the Consumer) who are listening to all channels to hear from sellers…

Q: Some feel that morale among sellers on Etsy is at an all-time low. Shop owners could use more timely information from Etsy.

A: We are currently working on better communication plans. We will communicate better with our sellers. This week there are lots of meetings going on at Etsy about being more transparent to sellers. We are working to be better at letting sellers know testing and experiments, ones that are working and not working.

😎 Thanks to long-time Etsy vintage sellers Gail and JD for the above information!

Etsy Search: The algorithm in 2016

We hear many opinions about "the algorithm." It is how Etsy bumps our listings up and down within search results. Many things affect our ranking. 

Known Algorithm Factors

Some factors have been spelled out by Etsy. Here is what admin has said:

🠝Recently listed or relisted. This is a 20-cents way to boost a listing for the short term.
🠝Better listing quality with better shopper engagement . This is related to the item itself, photo quality and price. It goes up when:

1. Buyer searches for an item and chooses to view (="click") your item over other images they are presented with.
2. "...A buyer clicks, favorites, or purchases an item after they’ve seen it in search results."

🠝 Lower conversion rate (our views-to-sales ratio). Try to get it as low as possible, below approximately 50 views per sale [just a guess], although this can be tough.

Customer experience
     🠝 Complete your About section
     🠝 Fill out your shop policies. Use Etsy’s policy template (additional “slight bump” more)
     🠝 Ship on time
     🠋 Recent case
     🠋 Negative feedback
     
🠋 Intellectual property infringement

Debated Algorithm Factors

Some factors are secret. And you can be sure that this list changes all of the time, as does how much each aspect is weighted. The length of time that these factors bump us up or down is basically unknown as well. Here are some thoughts:

🠝 A particular search resulted in a sale. Your results will go up for those search terms. Recent example: I sold a green enamel ladle. Right away I sell a green enamel teapot to a different buyer.
🠋 Items that have been for sale for a long time, a year perhaps, fall to the bottom of search (I call this the “stale item effect”). Renewing will bump them up for a bit, but they again fall to the  bottom of search.
🠋 Sold items not marked shipped (I'm less sure about this in the short term, but if your sold items are not marked as shipped in a timely manner it) can negatively affect your shop's placement in search results.

There are also rampant rumors, many with sound reasoning. Here are a few thought-provoking ones:

🠝 Sale from town/state. It keeps happening to me and others. Recent sales hot spots for me have been State College, PA and Winchester, NH. It could be chance, of course.
🠋 Recent Sale. Rumor has it that your items go to the back of the pack after a sale. This is the direct opposite of our similar items being better positioned after a sale.
🠝 Shop updates. My items that have been featured have a higher sales rate. I tested this recently and failed to prove my theory. My item's low position in Etsy search was unchanged the next day after a shop update feature.

What does it all mean?

Etsy has pioneered a unique discovery process. Shoppers love to browse an interesting, well-curated venue. Items that are on-trend and well-photographed fare the best.

How likely are shoppers to happen upon our great item, fall in love, and buy it? My opinion is that we have a lot less random shoppers browsing our vintage Etsy shops than we once did. That is, unless we are paying for ads. Etsy has changed its business model to include paid ads rather than self-promotion. And that's their prerogative.

My job is to use the venue to sell my items. So far it is working well. Of course, things change all the time and we must keep up with it.

What will 2017 bring? 😯 Stay tuned!

Etsy Search: getting found in late 2016

Our tags and titles are the best way to get found on Etsy. A buyer enters search terms. We will be seen in search results only if we have put all of the words the buyer uses in our titles and/or our tags.

Where will our item be within the search results? On the front page? Or buried way at the end? What determines that? How do we improve our placement within search results?

First, be sure to place your items into the proper category. That's a shortcut to getting found because buyers so drill down when searching. I know that I do.

In the results of a big search, we will have a maximum of one item on the first page. That is, until every shop has had their chance to shine. That's how Etsy de-clumps results and provides a measure of fairness to all shops. 

The better our title and tags match up with the buyer's search terms, the higher within the results we will be. Also helpful is if the item has a higher degree of buyer engagement. Shoppers click on it and buy it at a higher rate than other items they are presented with.

The only way to guarantee high results is to pay for Etsy ads. Our featured items have automatic placement toward the beginning. (Ads show up differently on PC's vs. mobile devices. And of course, there are caveats. That's a subject for another day.)

But you're determined not to do that. 

What else can be done besides paying ad fees for preferred placement on Etsy?

My sad license plate is near the end of search.

If a search has one page of results and we are 1/3 down, our buyer only has to scan 1/3 page before finding us. What if the search returns 100 pages of results and we are 1/3 down, at page 33? Not much hope of being found. What do we do?

When a buyer enters only a few search terms, say, one or two words, getting found can be difficult. We shouldn't assume that it is impossible to be found that way, but harder.

If our buyer enters 3-5 keywords, that is better. A group of that many words is called a "long-tail" keyword. Be sure to consider what longer keyword combinations potential buyers may use. It is not a bad thing to include both types of keyword types, both the shorter and longer.

All right, enough for today. My next post will be about the basics of test searching. After that... (drum roll, please) The Algorithm.

Etsy search, the fairness algorithm

Of course, sellers want to get found when buyers search on Etsy. Here is Etsy's basic information.  (Effective November 1, 2017, please note that Etsy's help page no longer states that a diversity of shops will be shown. What is known as “clumping” is now the norm.)

In the past, Etsy wanted to give each seller a chance, to be fair. That meant that search results were spread among many shops.

Algorithms

Etsy has algorithms, or special programs that adjust search results. All big websites use them. (On eBay, it is called "best match.") 

Theories abound as to exactly how Etsy's search algorithm is working. It changes all the time.

One issue of late has been that many sellers report that their sales fluctuate. High, then low, then back up again. This is an example of this phenomenon from my shop:

Here is a blogger who tackles the subject.  She has interesting theories. Here is a second post on the subject.Three points made in the above-referenced blogs:

1. Fairness algorithm. Once you make a sale (at least some of) your listings go to the bottom of search. This allows other shops' items to shine. Until their item sells.

2. "Lights out" or "carousel" theory. Whole groups of shops are rotated lower, then higher in search. It explains why many shops see "nothing for days then ding ding! 4 sales in one evening. Then dead again."

3. The "bucket" theory is based on some admin comments, as well as questions Etsy asks when you start a shop. Etsy puts us into a bucket depending on if we are a new seller, hobby interest, part-time seller or full-time seller. The full-time seller gets a bonus.

This is a new article on the cycles that our items' rankings go through that provides an interesting scenario.

Fairness Algorithm / Rotation

Here's the answer given during Etsy's recent question-and-answer session:

Q: Do you implement a Cap System where listings are hidden/penalized in search when they sell (X number of times) or generate (X amount of revenue), and replaced with listings for (X amount of time) that are less relevant? Are shops given Quotas for Orders/Revenue they are allowed to make per month?

Admin: Hi Athena, we don’t set quotas on shops for the number of orders they are allowed to fulfill a month but we will routinely experiment with different search ordering which might happen to give less popular listings a more prominent position.…..

Admin: Hi everyone, I'm sorry if my initial response wasn't clear. We don't actively rotate successful sellers out of searches. We have been running experiments for as long as Etsy has been around to ensure the mix of results we show users is relevant. This is not a new change we have implemented.

So, the admin comments state that they have been routinely experimenting with "different search ordering" "for as long as Etsy has been around."

Do you see patterns in your shop?