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You've poured time, money, and effort into making and selling exceptional handmade goods or vintage treasures on Etsy—and yet, you still feel invisible in the marketplace. That's not an uncommon feeling. Etsy has over 9 million active sellers, and visibility is a hot commodity. One key to unlocking visibility on Etsy is through keyword optimization. Like many other marketplaces, Etsy sellers can benefit greatly from using the right keywords.
Etsy shoppers use keywords or key phrases when they search for a product on the platform. On the other hand, Etsy sellers use keywords or key phrases to describe their listing and optimize for search.
As an Etsy seller, you can use Etsy keyword search to find the high-performing and most relevant keywords to optimize your product listings for better visibility. The search uncovers specific terms and phrases that potential buyers will likely search for products similar to yours on the platform. By strategically adding relevant keywords in your listing, you boost the likelihood of your brand and products appearing in relevant searches.
Leverage keyword search to determine the keywords and word combinations to incorporate in your title, description, categories, tags, and attributes. When the keywords are optimized, you improve your product rankings on the platform and external search engines.
When the keywords in your listings match a customer's search, Etsy's algorithm will gather the lists and sort them to determine the search rankings. If your products are highly relevant based on the keyword search, they'll be evident in the search results.
Relevancy is the most critical factor for the algorithm in determining the search ranking. The more closely the keywords in your listing match the search query, the higher your product will rank in the search result. It's imperative to incorporate keywords that clearly pertain to your product and not just use top-performing ones to boost your results.
For example, if you're selling homemade book stickers, make sure that the keywords you use are all about that—such as "book stickers," "bookish gifts," and "fantasy book stickers"—and not say "wall art" just because it's a top searched Etsy keyword. There shouldn't be a disconnect between your keywords and product to avoid negative results and mistrust from potential buyers.
To maximize your Etsy SEO efforts, your keywords align with your target audience's search intent behavior. To execute this, you need a powerful Etsy keyword research tool.
Following the same example above, there are tons of keywords and word combinations that you can use for your homemade book stickers. You can incorporate bookworm stickers, custom book quote stickers, handmade book stickers, vintage book stickers, reading book stickers, and so on. The challenge is not the scarcity of keywords but figuring out which ones to use to optimize your Etsy and Google SEO. This is where a keyword research tool becomes valuable.
A keyword research tool helps you search, analyze, and assess keywords to determine the following:
With the tool, you can use the most effective keywords to attract potential customers and optimize your Etsy and Google SEO. For example, both "waterproof book stickers" and "vintage book stickers" are top-performing keywords related to homemade book stickers. But suppose you're aiming to highlight a practical benefit. In that case, the "waterproof book stickers" keyword is more related to user search intent than the "vintage book stickers" keyword, highlighting a popular design trend. A keyword research tool can help you evaluate such factors to eliminate guesswork.
This tool uses real-time search trends and competitor analysis to determine search volume rates. It helps you find keyword opportunities with high demand and low competition. A robust keyword research tool can also review your Etsy listings to assess which areas need improvement.
Boosting visibility for your Etsy shop is arguably the advantage of using a keyword research tool. Furthermore, it can:
An effective keyword research tool goes beyond providing the top-performing keywords in your niche. Instead, it's like a treasure map for your Etsy shop. The keyword generator can uncover long-tail keywords that are more specific to your brand and products. Long-tail keywords are best for Etsy because they are generally less competitive, so fewer sellers target them. Still, they have higher buyer intent, so more store visitors are ready to buy.
For instance, instead of just using "book stickers," a keyword research tool can generate more descriptive phrases, like "fantasy book tracker stickers," to target your target customers better. This descriptive phrase enables you to reach a niche audience of readers who enjoy fantasy and actively use reading trackers. The long-tail keyword increases your chances of attracting highly relevant Etsy customers looking for your exact product. Using a keyword research tool, you can identify this hidden gem that can tap into a dedicated market that may not be readily apparent with basic keyword brainstorming.
Without a keyword research tool, you're trying to find a light switch in a dark room. You may eventually find it, but it's mostly out of luck. If you rely on your Etsy shop for revenue, this guesswork will kill your business.
Utilizing a keyword research tool ensures you have a data-driven keyword strategy in place. The tool provides vital information in SEO, which is search volume estimates. This information tells you the number of people actively searching for specific keywords on the platform. With this insight, you can use keywords with a decent search volume so many potential customers can see your listings.
Another insight that a keyword research tool can provide is keyword competition levels. You can avoid using overly competitive words or phrases from hundreds of Etsy sellers. Instead, you can focus on keywords with a better chance of ranking well.
Manually looking for top-performing keywords related to your products is a time-consuming process. It also involves plenty of guesswork. You can easily waste time brainstorming words and—only to end up with a list that isn’t optimized for Etsy search.
When you use a keyword research tool, you have a readily available program that can automate the keyword suggestion process. You can filter out the keywords by search volume, competition level, density, relevance, and more. Some robust keyword research tools can also create variations based on your seed keyword, immensely saving you time and effort.
A keyword research tool serves as your virtual assistant for keyword research. Many tools are available—some are free, freemium, and paid—with varying features. But in general, a keyword research tool operates as follows:
Optimizing your Etsy listings starts with a seed keyword. It can be as broad or as specific as you like. However, the first requirement is that it be relevant to your product. For instance, if you create and sell whimsical stickers for children's books, you can use a broad seed keyword like "children's book stickers."
If you want to be more specific, your seed keyword can be "fairy book stickers," targeting a particular niche within the children's book genre. The keyword research tool uses your seed keyword as a base to find related keywords that can boost your listings' visibility.
If you manually brainstorm keywords, it'll be hard to tap into a vast ocean of search queries.
An Etsy keyword research tool is designed to dive deep into this ocean. After providing your seed keyword, the tool will look into search queries and analyze past user searches. The tool will meticulously sift through the data and search for related searches, synonyms, and trending topics to identify relevant keywords.
From the tool's exploration of search queries, it will generate substantial keyword suggestions. These are not random assortments of words, but a carefully curated list based on analysis.
When you look at these suggestions, you'll see they are variations of your seed keyword, such as "cute children's book stickers" or "colorful fairy book stickers." The tool can also suggest related terms, such as "fairy activity books" or "aesthetic children stickers," expanding your reach to a broader audience with similar interests. Another thing you'll notice is that these keywords are often long-tailed to help you target a specific niche.
Alongside the keyword suggestions, the tool will provide estimated search volume data. This information tells you the average time a specific keyword is searched on Etsy monthly. This is crucial as it can help you prioritize keywords with a sufficient flow of potential buyers.
It's vital to understand the competition level of the suggested keywords to help you choose the keywords for your product. A keyword research tool is your sonar that scans that platform to identify how many other sellers use the same keywords. This way, you'll know which keywords you can tweak to be competitive enough to rank better and attract more customers.
The Etsy search bar can help you with basic keyword searches. However, if you're looking for a tool that can provide valuable solutions and a variety of features, explore the following:
While not a specific keyword research tool, ExportYourStore works well for your Etsy SEO. It creates consistent listings across different platforms, saving you time and resources if you're an Amazon, Etsy, or Walmart seller.
A cohesive listing across platforms is beneficial since top search engines prefer it, and ExportYourStore can help by importing your existing keywords when you transfer product data. Focusing on product details like size and material can also trigger long-tail keyword matches on Etsy.
Not all keyword tools are created in the same way. Here are vital features to consider:
Once your Etsy keyword research tool has churned out the best keywords for your product, here's where you can strategically incorporate them for an optimized SEO.
Besides these big three, you can naturally incorporate your keywords into the product categories and attributes.
There are other ways to identify and use relevant keywords for your Etsy listings other than using a keyword tool. Etsy also provides a Sellers Handbook to help optimize your shop and listings for Etsy search. Here are some more tips focusing on keyword selection:
Seed keywords are the foundation of your keyword search, so take the time to look into potential seeds.
Start by listing down words that accurately describe your product. They can be as basic as color, measurement, or material. Add style, functionalities, and benefits. For your homemade book stickers, your core keywords may include "book stickers," "homemade," "matte-finish," and "colored stickers."
When brainstorming keywords, prioritize the human factor over the machine. Your tool may suggest a long-tailed keyword with a decent search volume, but you can put it in the backseat if it doesn't sound or feel organic.
Consider the language and terminology your target audience generally uses. For instance, a Millennial will likely search "bookworm gifts" on Etsy, while a Gen Z will likely input "BookTok stickers." When you understand your audience and prioritize them over technical details, you can quickly determine the right words and phrases for your listings.
Use Etsy's search bar to check long-tailed keywords related to your products for free.
The best thing about it is that it has an auto-complete feature that suggests long search terms. These are the keywords that actual customers have used on the platform. Thus, these long-tailed keywords likely have a decent level of demand. Here's an example:
Go to your shop dashboard and look into Stats. Then, go to Search Items to see the keywords driving traffic to your product. By analyzing this insight, you can identify opportunities to add relevant keywords that aren't directly targeting but are getting clicks.
Experiment with them. You can remove them from the product descriptions and add them to the title and tags, or vice versa. You already have the basics; don't hesitate to run with them.
Threecolts is a top eCommerce management platform that helps sellers on Etsy, Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and other big marketplaces grow their businesses. It offers a range of tools and solutions for online selling, like Hemi for inventory management, ChannelReply for customer service, and Onsite Support for detailed analytics.
Threecolts is great for scaling your Etsy shop because it simplifies listing and managing products on multiple platforms, helping you reach more customers and boost sales. It also automates tasks, giving you more time for product development and marketing.
For a complete list of Threecolts products and solutions, contact us now.
