There are three letters that can feel like one big mystery when when it comes to all things online: S-E-O. And when you've got a lot of competition on a marketplace like Etsy, SEO matters a ton because it's how you get found.
So we're thrilled to have #ahasmember Danielle of The Merriweather Council share her vast Etsy and SEO knowledge with you today. She's also got a new book that's out and an "old" one that talks SEO if you need to know more! Basically, she's an Etsy genius.
Do find SEO helpful for your shop? What have you found that works?
Lots of people will tell you that you can’t have a successful shop on Etsy without promoting it a lot. That’s partially true, but you can have a wildly successful shop on Etsy without having to promote all the freaking time to the point of annoyance if you have proper SEO in place.
Here’s how Etsy works for the average, first time or even fifth time buyer:
Land on Etsy.com, enter search term, browse search results up to page 10-12, make decision to buy or not buy, make purchase, or run new search, repeat.
OR Any of the above, combined with checking out the browse pages, blog features, or their home page feed.
So, it’s obvious that the search results are being shown based on relevancy and likeness of the items to the searched term. But the browse pages are also being generated using key words as well. And people -- be they buyers or sellers -- will find and favorite items through search as well, so SEO has a hand in getting you seen in the homepage feeds by people you haven’t directly reached yet.
And guess how Etsy finds things to feature on their blog? Yup, through searches and homepage feeds.
Everything starts with search -- and being relevant is the KEY to being found in search.
Etsy gets a ton of traffic -- more traffic than you’ll ever manage to get in your standalone shop, and you can funnel some of that through to your shop by properly optimizing your listings with SEO specifically SEO that is aligned with Etsy’s unique search system.
Listings really only GAIN in relevancy -- once a listing gets found in search, and is clicked or liked, it gains in relevancy. The more often a listing is found, clicked, favorited or purchased, the better!
Getting found in search means you’re reaching people who are looking for what you are selling, specifically, which is far better than reaching two thousand Instagram followers of which only 5 are interested in that product.
It’s important to remember that people go to Etsy to shop and the people you reach through Etsy search will most likely be a new audience for you (people who do not already know or follow your work.) Getting found where and when people are looking to buy is essential, and getting found in Etsy search will inevitably lead to more sales!
So how do you make your listings relevant and optimized for Etsy search? I give you a full explanation and tutorial in my Etsy Training Course so you can learn to optimize your shop the right way and build listings bring in more relevant traffic to your shop!
(p.s. If you are an Academy member, check the resources page for a sweet deal on this course.)
If you are looking for a primer on the basics of Etsy SEO, swing by my blog for some tips and tricks.
Remember, a successful Etsy shop reaches new people who are ready to shop, every day and you can start reaching those people right now.
