Complete Guide to Etsy SEO in 2024 using eRank 🎯

Summary

In this informative video script, Starla Moore, founder of Handmade Alpha Academy and manager at eRank.com, offers a step-by-step guide to optimizing Etsy listings for better search visibility in 2024. She emphasizes the importance of keyword research using eRank's data-driven tools and creating a balance between 'low-hanging fruit' and 'high-hanging fruit' keywords. The transcript details the process of crafting titles and tags that appeal to both exact and broad matching aspects of Etsy's algorithm. Starla also discusses the significance of allowing listings a 60 to 90-day maturation period for quality score assessment and the necessity of monitoring keyword trends for adapting to market shifts. She concludes by highlighting that while SEO is crucial, it's just one part of the ranking puzzle and encourages sellers to explore other ranking factors for comprehensive success on Etsy.

Takeaways

• 🧐 **Importance of Visibility**: Even the best products need to be discoverable for customers to purchase them on Etsy.
• 🔍 **Keyword Research**: Utilize tools like eRank to find data-driven keywords that shoppers are actually searching for in your product listings.
• 🚀 **SEO as an Experiment**: Treat Etsy SEO as a continuous process of testing, monitoring, and tweaking your strategy rather than a one-time setup.
• 💡 **Self-Education**: It's more cost-effective to learn SEO yourself than to continually pay for services, given the rapidly changing trends.
• 📈 **Start Broad, Go Specific**: Begin your keyword search with broad terms to get more specific suggestions and to manage your free plan quota effectively.
• 📋 **Keyword List Creation**: Create a keyword list to keep track of potential keywords for your tags and titles.
• 🍎 **Low-Hanging Fruits**: Include less competitive keywords that may not have high search volumes but can rank faster due to lower competition.
• 📝 **Title Crafting**: Titles should appeal to both exact and broad matching aspects of Etsy's algorithm, highlighting 'superstar keywords'.
• 🛍️ **Tags Utilization**: Use tags for both exact and broad matching, and avoid overstuffing them with keywords that don't make sense contextually.
• 🎁 **Targeted Keywords**: Incorporate keywords that target potential customers, styles, occasions, or gift recipients to attract the right audience.
• 📉 **Patience with Algorithm**: Allow 60 to 90 days for Etsy's algorithm to build a quality score for your listing without frequent edits during this period.
• 🔄 **Ongoing Monitoring**: Regularly check keyword trends and search volumes to adapt to changing trends and maintain your competitive edge.
• 📚 **Comprehensive SEO**: While keywords are crucial, be aware that they are just one part of Etsy's search algorithm; success also depends on other ranking factors.
• 🛠️ **Free Toolbox**: Utilize resources like the free Etsy SEO’oodles toolbox to understand and influence all seven ranking factors on Etsy.

Q & A

What is the importance of keyword research for Etsy sellers?

Keyword research is crucial for Etsy sellers because it helps them understand what shoppers are searching for, enabling them to optimize their listings for better visibility and sales.

Who is Starla Moore and what is her role in the context of the transcript?

Starla Moore is the founder of the Handmade Alpha Academy for Etsy sellers and the manager at eRank.com, Etsy's most popular SEO tool. She provides guidance on how to optimize listings for Etsy search.

What does SEO stand for and why is it important for Etsy sellers?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It's important for Etsy sellers because it helps improve the visibility of their listings in Etsy's search results, potentially leading to increased sales.

Why does Starla Moore recommend against using SEO services and consultants?

Starla Moore recommends against using SEO services and consultants because trends change every month, and relying on them would require continuous payments for updates. It's more cost-effective and empowering for sellers to learn SEO strategies themselves.

What is the first step recommended by Starla Moore for keyword research on Etsy?

The first step recommended by Starla Moore is to head over to eRank.com to begin doing keyword research, as it provides data-driven insights into what shoppers are searching for.

What is the significance of 'low-hanging fruits' in keyword research?

'Low-hanging fruits' refer to keywords that may not be searched as much and may not have the best click rates, but they have lower competition. This means sellers can potentially rank for these terms faster, making them a good starting point for optimization.

How does the Etsy algorithm handle exact matching and broad matching?

Exact matching in Etsy's algorithm means that the keywords appear exactly as the shopper types them in, resulting in stronger keyword matching. Broad matching, on the other hand, involves Etsy combining words from your tags and titles in various ways to match search queries, regardless of the word order.

Why is it recommended to avoid keyword-stuffed titles on Etsy?

Keyword-stuffed titles can be off-putting to shoppers and make listings look spammy. Etsy advises sellers to write short, clear, and descriptive titles that are easy for shoppers to understand, which also helps set listings apart from less curated ones.

How does the length of a title impact the visibility of a listing on Etsy?

While it might seem that adding more keywords to a title would increase the chances of it being discovered, Etsy's advice is to focus on concise and descriptive titles. There is no algorithmic benefit to exactly 140 characters; instead, sellers should test different lengths and styles to see what works best for their target customers.

What is the role of tags in Etsy's SEO?

Tags are important in Etsy's SEO as they allow for both exact and broad matching. They provide additional opportunities for listings to appear in search results, but should be used judiciously to maintain clarity and relevance.

Why is it important to monitor keyword trends and search volumes over time?

Monitoring keyword trends and search volumes is important because search trends change over time. Keeping an eye on these metrics allows sellers to adjust their listings accordingly to maintain or improve their visibility and sales.

What is the 'Etsy SEO’oodles toolbox' and how can it help Etsy sellers?

The 'Etsy SEO’oodles toolbox' is a free resource provided by Starla Moore that covers the mechanics of Etsy’s algorithm and the seven factors contributing to a listing's overall rank or visibility on Etsy. It helps sellers understand and influence these factors to improve their success on the platform.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Demystifying Etsy SEO: A Step-by-Step Guide

Starla Moore, founder of Handmade Alpha Academy and manager at eRank.com, introduces the importance of SEO for Etsy sellers. She explains that while SEO may seem complex, it's an ongoing process of testing, monitoring, and adjusting. Starla emphasizes the value of understanding SEO to stay adaptable to market trends rather than relying on consultants. She guides viewers to use eRank for keyword research, starting with broad terms to identify specific search trends and suggests creating a keyword list for future reference. The summary also touches on balancing 'low-hanging fruit' keywords with high-competition ones to optimize listings for search.

05:02

🎨 Crafting SEO-Friendly Titles and Tags for Etsy

The paragraph delves into the specifics of creating an SEO-friendly title for an Etsy listing. It explains the concept of exact and broad matching within Etsy's algorithm and how to apply them effectively. The title should be concise, descriptive, and avoid keyword stuffing. Starla illustrates how to incorporate 'superstar keywords' and additional relevant terms while keeping the title appealing to potential customers. She also discusses the use of tags, suggesting strategies for breaking down longer keywords and experimenting with different keyword combinations. The summary underscores the importance of allowing time for Etsy's algorithm to evaluate the listing and the need for ongoing keyword trend monitoring.

10:05

📈 Optimizing Tags and Adapting to Etsy's Algorithm

This section focuses on the optimization of tags for an Etsy listing, building on the keywords derived from the title. It advises on selecting keywords that fit within a single tag for an exact match and using the remaining space to experiment with other keywords. Starla recommends adding terms that may not be directly related to the product but appeal to potential customers or occasions. She also addresses the common misconception about fully utilizing the 140-character title limit and stresses the importance of clear, concise titles. The summary highlights the need for patience as Etsy's algorithm builds a quality score for new listings and the significance of regularly checking keyword trends to adapt to market changes.

Keywords

💡Etsy SEO

Etsy SEO refers to the process of optimizing a seller's listings on the Etsy platform to improve their visibility in search results. In the video, Starla Moore explains that Etsy SEO is akin to a continuous science experiment, requiring testing, monitoring, and tweaking strategies. It is crucial for driving more sales on Etsy.

💡eRank.com

eRank.com is identified as Etsy's most popular SEO tool in the script. It is a data-driven keyword research tool that helps sellers understand what shoppers are searching for, which is vital for optimizing listing titles and tags to increase sales.

💡Keyword Research

Keyword research is the initial step in SEO where sellers identify the words and phrases that potential customers use to search for products like theirs on Etsy. It's important for understanding customer intent and optimizing listings to rank higher in search results.

💡Exact Matching

Exact matching is a strategy in SEO where sellers use keywords exactly as customers type them in their search queries. This approach is favored by the Etsy algorithm and can result in stronger keyword matching. For instance, if a customer searches for 'chunky knit blanket,' having this exact phrase in the listing can improve its search ranking.

💡Broad Matching

Broad matching is another aspect of the Etsy algorithm where the platform combines words from a seller's tags and titles in various ways to match search queries, even if those words are not adjacent in the listing. This allows for a wider range of search terms to potentially lead customers to a listing.

💡Superstar Keywords

Starla Moore introduces the term 'superstar keywords' to describe the most important keywords that sellers want to be known for. These are typically exact matches that are highly relevant to the product and can significantly improve a listing's search visibility.

💡Low-Hanging Fruits

In the context of the video, 'low-hanging fruits' refer to keywords that may not be highly searched but have lower competition, making it easier for sellers to rank for them. Examples given in the script include 'grandma blanket' and 'wool blanket chunky.'

💡Title Optimization

Title optimization involves crafting a listing's title to include relevant keywords that appeal to both exact and broad matching algorithms on Etsy. The goal is to make the title descriptive, concise, and appealing to potential buyers without overstuffing it with keywords.

💡Tags

Tags are a crucial component of an Etsy listing that allows for additional keyword insertion. They are used by the Etsy algorithm for both exact and broad matching. Effective use of tags can enhance a listing's visibility in search results.

💡Quality Score

The quality score is a metric that the Etsy algorithm uses to determine the placement of a listing in search results. It is built over an average of 60 to 90 days based on how shoppers interact with the listing. The script emphasizes the importance of allowing a listing to mature without frequent edits during this period.

💡Trends and Seasonality

The video discusses the importance of considering trends and seasonality when selecting keywords. For example, 'Mother’s Day' and 'grandma blanket' are highlighted as seasonal keywords that can boost a listing's visibility during specific times of the year.

💡Keyword Lists

Keyword lists are a feature within the eRank tool that allows sellers to save and organize keywords for future reference. This feature is useful for tracking keyword performance over time and making informed decisions about listing optimization.

Highlights

The importance of keyword research and optimization for Etsy listings to increase visibility and sales.

Introduction to Starla Moore, founder of Handmade Alpha Academy and manager at eRank.com, Etsy's most popular SEO tool.

The misconception that SEO is a one-time task; it's an ongoing process of testing, monitoring, and tweaking.

Recommendation against outsourcing SEO to services or consultants due to the dynamic nature of trends.

Use of eRank.com for data-driven keyword research to understand shopper search behavior.

Different membership plans available on eRank, including a free plan with daily search limits.

Starting keyword research broad and then narrowing down for more specific and less competitive keywords.

Utilizing the Related Searches feature on eRank to find potential keywords for tags and titles.

Creating a keyword list on eRank for easy tracking and future reference.

Balancing the use of 'low-hanging fruits' and 'high-hanging fruits' keywords to optimize listings.

The concept of 'superstar keywords' for exact matching in titles and tags.

Understanding Etsy's broad matching algorithm and how it affects keyword placement in titles.

Crafting titles that appeal to both exact and broad matching without overstuffing keywords.

Incorporating closing keywords related to target customers, styles, occasions, or gift recipients.

Using seasonal trends and events, such as Mother’s Day, to time keyword optimization.

Dispelling the myth of filling all 140 characters of a title for SEO benefits.

The significance of tags in Etsy's search algorithm and strategies for effective tag utilization.

Advice on allowing sufficient time for Etsy's algorithm to build a quality score for new listings.

Monitoring keyword trends and search volumes over time to adapt to changing market trends.

The importance of considering other ranking factors in addition to keywords for overall success on Etsy.

Transcripts

Even with the best products in the world,  

if customers can't find you  - they can't buy from you. 

So today, I'm demystifying the process of  researching keywords and optimizing your  

listings for Etsy search step by step so that you  can start generating more sales on Etsy in 2024.

For those who are new here, my name is  Starla Moore - founder of the Handmade  

Alpha Academy for Etsy sellers and manager  at eRank.com, Etsy's most popular SEO tool.

And if SEO, or search engine optimization, feels  like a complete mystery to you, you're not alone.

In fact, one of the most common comments I  see on my channel comes from sellers who say,  

"Okay, I did my SEO correctly,  but I'm still not seeing sales". 

Even as a manager at the world's  most popular SEO company, not even  

I know if I've done my SEO correctly,  because that's just not how SEO works.

Instead, think of Etsy SEO as an ongoing  science experiment. In order to know if  

you've well optimized your listings for search,  

you have to test and experiment, monitor  your results, and tweak your strategy.

Which is exactly why I don’t recommend SEO  services and consultants who offer to do  

this work for you. Trends chance every  single month so unless you want to pay  

this guy a pretty penny every single  time you need to make changes - it’s  

better to just learn this stuff on your  own. And I promise, it’s not that hard.

Your first step is to head over to eRank.com  to begin doing keyword research. This is an  

important step because, without a data-driven  keyword tool, you won't know if shoppers are  

actually searching for the words that you're  placing in your listing titles and tags.

If you don't already have an eRank membership,  you have a few different plans to choose from.  

Just be aware that if you choose the  free plan, you'll only be able to do  

so much research each day before you hit  your quota, so use your searches wisely.

But to help you guys out, I’ll also add a 30  day free trial link down below along with the  

specific instructions to follow to set it up,  that way you can try out one of our paid plans.

After you've logged in and  connected your Etsy shop,  

click on the Tools tab and  select the Keyword tool.

When doing our keyword research, we want to start  broad and narrow our way down. If you're selling  

this beige wool chunky knit blanket, it's  better to start our search with "blanket",  

because eRank will be able to suggest more  specific ideas based on this search. It'll  

also help you to not use up your quota  as quickly if you're using the free plan.

Once you've typed in your broad single-word  keyword, we want to spend some time on this page.

eRank will display several  important pieces of information,  

including the average monthly searches,  average clicks, click-through rates,  

and competition for this term. And most likely,  all of these things will be really high since  

we've typed in a broad phrase. So don't  worry so much about these numbers right away.

Take a quick glance around the page, then scroll  down to the Related Searches boxes below. From  

this list, we want to begin looking for possible  keywords to experiment within our tags and titles.

I highly recommend clicking this button  down here and creating a keyword list  

to save these words in, so it's easier to keep  track of them. To save a keyword to your list,  

create or select a list from this box, then  begin clicking the stars next to keywords  

you'd like to add to that list. This  will allow you to go back to them later.

While looking for keywords to add to  your listings, I recommend working with a  

combination of low-hanging fruits and one or two  high-hanging fruits. The low-hanging fruits are  

keywords that may not be searched as much and  may not have the best clicks and click-through  

rates... but the competition is lower, which  means we can hopefully rank for these faster.

A few terms I might consider  low-hanging fruits are... 

grandma blanket 

wool blanket chunky blanket

So though blanket on it's own is going  to be a little too hard to rank for,  

we may be able to rank for some of these terms.

Now, before we move on to find more keywords,  

lets work with what we have  and start crafting our title.

When it comes to Etsy SEO, there are two sides  of the algorithm we want to appeal to. One side  

likes to see our keywords exactly as the shopper  types them in. This is called exact matching,  

and it will result in stronger keyword matching.  For example, if someone searches for chunky knit  

blanket, we would want to have the phrase  "chunky knit blanket" completely intact in  

our tags and title to make an exact match. I like  to call these keywords our "superstar keywords"  

because they are the VIPs of our listings.  We want to make sure our superstar keywords  

really shine because your superstar keyword  is ultimately what you want to be known for.

The other side of the algorithm is a little  less powerful, but still important for  

ranking. It's called broad matching.  During the process of broad matching,  

Etsy plays a fun little game of mix and  match, where they put words from your tags  

and titles together, regardless of whether  or not those words are next to each other.

For example, in the keyword phrase  "beige wool chunky knit blanket",  

we would exact match for "chunky knit  blanket", but we would broad match for: 

wool blanket beige blanket 

beige knit blanket wool knit blanket 

chunky blanket beige chunky blanket and so on.

Keeping Etsy's broad matching capabilities in  mind, it's unnecessary to craft our title in a way  

that repeats the same words over and over again. For example, rather than saying:

"Beige Knit Blanket, Chunky  Knit blanket, wool blanket" 

we could instead say: "Beige Wool Chunky Knit Blanket",  

because we will exact match for our superstar  keyword - Chunky knit blanket - and we'll broad  

match for the terms, "wool blanket, beige  blanket, beige knit blanket" and so on.

Now that we've started our title with the  most important aspects of our product,  

we still have plenty of room to add additional  keywords if you choose to. Ideally, you'll want  

to find more terms closely related to your  products that you could broad match for.

But, after a while, you may find yourself  struggling to find terms related to your item.  

This is where I recommend tossing in a closing  keyword related to a potential target customer,  

style, occasion, or gift recipient.  These keywords typically won't bring  

in a lot of traffic, but they are  good to experiment with after you've  

already catered your title to the item  itself. We still have plenty of space,  

so let's finish off the title with a potential  recipient for shoppers looking for gifts.

I like to start by searching the phrase "gifts  for" in the keyword tool because if you remember,  

eRank will recommend a list of suggestions for us.

From this list, we're going to scroll  down - and begin noting some of these  

keywords from the suggestions. It looks like "gifts for grandma"  

has high search volumes that carry through  until Mother’s Day. I also noticed when  

searching for “blanket” related keywords that  “grandma blanket” was a low hanging fruit. And,  

if we do a quick search for Mother’s Day,  the trend graph shows us that searches for  

Mother’s Day gifts typically begin in February.  Since it’s currently January, we can actually  

kill three birds with one stone by using  keywords related to grandma and mother’s day.

Adding this term into my title, it now reads: 

"Beige Wool Chunky Knit Blanket  Cozy Mother’s Day Gift for Grandma"

So we’ll be exact matching for terms such as

chunky knit blanket knit blanket 

mother’s day gift gift for grandma 

and so on and we’ll  

broad match for beige blanket 

grandma blanket grandma gift 

wool blanket and so on.

And, just a quick disclaimer.  The idea that you should fill  

out all 140 characters of your title is a myth.

Remember how I said that Etsy can  mix and match all of your words  

through broad matching? Every time  you add a new keyword to your title,  

you basically increase the number of  combinations that you could be matching for,  

both exact matches and broad matches. So, in theory, more keywords in your title  

would equal more opportunities  to be discovered in search.

But. Big giant but. Etsy specifically tells  

us in their Ultimate Guide to search that  sellers should focus on writing short, clear,  

and descriptive titles because titles like  these make it easier for shoppers to figure  

out what you're selling. It also helps to  set your listings apart from those ugly  

keyword-stuffed titles that we are used  to seeing on sites like Amazon and eBay.

So, which are better? I always recommend testing  

both. Both work. Both can help you to get found  in search. But everyone's unique target customers  

will respond differently to your listings. Some  may not care about the long titles. Some may  

assume they look scammy and spammy. So test both. But keep in mind that there's no magical  

algorithmic benefit to using  exactly 140 characters.

Now that we've created our title, we next want  to head down to our tags section and begin  

filling these out. Tags are an area that Etsy  will also exact match, as well as broad match,  

so we'll do our best to keep some of our keywords  together when possible. Our superstar keyword,  

"chunky knit blanket" is a little too  long to have in a tag on it's own,  

so we'll need to break it up a bit  in a way that makes the most sense.

We could either break it into "chunky knit"  or "knit blanket". Since I doubt anyone is  

searching "chunky knit" on its own, our best  bet will be to enter it as "knit blanket".

Next, we could add "chunky wool",  "gift for grandma", and "mother’s day".

And, just for the sake of getting an  exact match, I’m also going to add the  

term “grandma blanket”. Technically you don’t  need to repeat keywords over and over again,  

because we’ll still broad match for “grandma  blanket” here and here. But when it comes  

to really good low hanging fruit terms  with high searches and low competition  

that also fit within a single tag… sometimes  it’s worth it to try for an exact match too.

Now that we've used all the words from our title,  

we still have some room to experiment with.  This is a great opportunity to use some of  

the keywords from our initial search that  didn't make the cut for our title. These  

terms may have been too competitive or too  broad for your title, but they'll be great for  

our tags. So let's go back to our original  search for "blanket" in the keyword tool.

Ok, so I saved daughter blanket 

mom blanket crochet blanket 

aesthetic blanket woven throw blanket 

handmade bedding neutral home decor 

granny gift engagement gift 

and I’m also going to add the term  cottagecore decor because I think  

this could fit into the overall cottagecore style.

Let's add some of these into our tags.

Now, you may be saying, "Starla, you just  said that we don't need to repeat the word  

gift because Etsy will broad match it?"  - And yes, this is true. But oftentimes,  

you'll end up out of ideas before you hit  your 13 tags, and it's better to repeat a  

word and try to aim for an exact match for some  terms like "granny gift" or “engagement gift”,  

rather than adding a one-word tag,  like "granny" or “engagement”.

This is all about testing and experimenting.

Once you've published your listing it's important  to remember that Etsy's algorithm can take an  

average of 60 to 90 days to build a quality  score for your listing. Every time you add a  

new listing, Etsy begins collecting data based  on how shoppers interact with it. And after a  

period of 60 to 90 days, Etsy is able to decide  where in search that listing should be placed.

With this in mind, it's important to not  continuously edit this listing again during  

that 60 to 90-day window. We want to make  sure that we aren't interrupting Etsy as  

they assess your listing quality, so be sure  to give your listing plenty of time to grow.

The last thing I want to show you is how to  keep an eye on your keywords so that you'll  

know if search trends change later on. As  I'm sure you know already, something that  

was popular this year may not be popular  next year, so it's important to keep a  

close eye on the search status of the  keywords you've used in your listings.

If you’re using the keyword lists  feature we talked about earlier,  

this process will be a lot faster. But if not,  you can manually type in the keywords from your  

listings to check their status. Since I'm an eRank expert user,  

I'm going to click here on the "Tools"  tab, and open my "Keyword lists".

From here, I can select the list I want to  look at. I'll click on my "blanket" list. 

And from here, I can check back each month to view  the search volumes for my keywords. If I notice  

that one of my listings has suddenly stopped  selling, my first stop is always my keyword list,  

that way I can check to see if the search  volumes for my best keywords have changed.

One of my favorite things about eRank is that  we update this data every single month, so when  

trends change, you'll be the first to know and the  first to act, ideally before your competitors do.

In this video, we discussed search  engine optimization through keywords,  

which is a very powerful and necessary  part of ranking on Etsy. But keywords are  

just one part of Etsy's search algorithm,  and if you want to be successful on Etsy,  

it's important to appeal to the  other ranking factors as well.

In my free Etsy SEO’oodles toolbox, I  cover the mechanics of Etsy’s algorithm,  

as well as the seven factors that contribute  to your overall rank, or visibility,  

on Etsy. To grab that free toolbox so you can  start influencing all seven ranking factors,  

be sure to click the link up here, and down below.

Overall, SEO is the map that leads customers  to your listings. And with a little science,  

a lot of data, and help from a trusted expert  - you'll be well on your way to Etsy success.

Que the funky lo-fi beat...