We’ve all seen those Etsy shops that dominate the first page of Etsy search results, and we wonder, how can I ever get my products front and center in search?
As a newbie Etsy seller or an Etsy seller who is looking to transition to full-time business owner, this can be overwhelming to think about, but it is totally doable and here’s how.
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How do you get your products ranking at the top of Etsy search results?
Here are 11 ways to boost your products in the Etsy algorithm.
- Optimize your Etsy SEO with relevant keywords
- Increase conversion rates
- Have amazing product photography
- Add videos
- Drive your own traffic
- Make something unique
- Write great product descriptions
- Create products people want
- Win over buyers with great customer service
- Get good product reviews
- Fill out your shop policies information completely
Optimize your Etsy SEO with relevant keywords
Keywords, keywords, keywords. Tags, titles, attributes. Help, I don’t know what to do.
Let’s start by defining SEO.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Essentially, you are trying to figure out what keywords, keyword phrases, etc. a buyer will type into the search box in hopes of discovering the exact product they are looking for.
You would think this would be a fairly simple task, but it is actually one that many Etsy shop owners struggle with.
When looking for keywords to use in your tags, titles, attributes, categories and more, you have some idea what buyers will type in. This is a great jumping off point and also where understanding who your buyer is really comes into play.
Etsy allows you to add a title and tags to your product listings. This helps Etsy know what it is that you are selling and helps Etsy determine if this item is relevant to what the buyer is searching for.
There are loads of ways to come up with great keywords for your product listings. Here is my list of places to look when you are struggling to find the right keywords.
Increase conversion rates
Product conversion rate is one of the key factors in Etsy search placement. When a product is displayed in search results and does not make sales conversions, the Etsy algorithm stops showing that product for those keywords.
If your product then is shown in another buyer search for similar but different keywords, and again, the buyers do not click through to your product, Etsy starts to think that this product is just not what its buyers are looking for.
A low conversion rate will sink your products to the bottom of search over time. It is a hard mountain to climb to get ranked back up at the top from there.
We all want high converting products so we really need to optimize our products from the get go.
If you need help with figuring out your product conversion rate, look here for guidance, where I explain more in depth what conversion is and how to use it.
Also, here are my tips for how to increase your product conversion rate, and why your conversion rate matters on Etsy.
Have amazing product photography
This should be a no-brainer.
Product photography is your buyer’s window into what you are actually selling. It’s the first impression you can’t afford to waste or mess up. We make so many of our decisions in life just based on what we see.
Be honest with yourself. Would you even look at an item that isn’t photographed clearly? Maybe you’re having to squint to see. Maybe the photo is super dark or has a really distracting background.
Your product should stand out on the screen. Front and center, please.
Try to minimize busy backgrounds. Edit, brighten and color correct. And make it pop!!
You also need to consider alternative product photos for your listing, not just the search thumbnail.
When a buyer clicks on your item in search and is then taken to the product listing page, they can now see more about the item including additional photos.
You can use your additional slots to show different angles, closeups, the back, details, more color options, infographics and so much more. Use every available photo spot, if at all possible.
Add videos
Etsy now allows sellers to add videos to their product listings. Etsy has stated before that videos are considered in placement. It also gives buyers a better understanding of your products.
Videos can include 3D displays like looking at all angles of the product and rotating it, close up panovers, product variations, how to use the product in real life and more.
Smartphones like an iPhone can take amazing product videos, and they don’t have to be long ones. Etsy only allows you to add a 5-15 second video clip into the product listing page.
Etsy currently also has the Etsy Buyer app where buyers can use the Explore feature to see additional, longer product videos similar to social media posts. Take advantage of this by downloading the Etsy Seller app and start adding more videos to create more funnels to your products!
Want to know more about Etsy’s Explore video feature and how to use it in your business? Check out Etsy Explore Videos Explained.
Drive your own traffic
It’s becoming more necessary to drive our own traffic to our Etsy shops. The bonus to this method is that you have a warm audience already. They have found you and your products in the wild and are already wanting more information.
This also helps to increase your conversions. It’s a twofer!
Here’s some ways to drive traffic to your Etsy shop.
- Blogging
- Website – Using Etsy as your shopping cart.
- Social media
- Facebook groups
- X (formerly Twitter)
- YouTube
- Tiktok
- Friends and family
- Email list
- Craft show flyers
- Business cards
Check out this post for more info on driving traffic to your Etsy shop on social media.
All of these types of traffic drives can really make a difference in boosting you up to the top. The more funnels you have, the more places you can find your buyers where they are.
Make something unique
This one can be fun for some sellers and daunting for others. This one isn’t my forte.
How can you take a product and make it different to stand out from your competition?
You still need to have a viable, profitable product that buyers want, but one that you can also put your own spin on making it truly unique from others available in your market.
This could be adding different colors, different phrases, shapes and more.
Let’s take the example of a desk.
What makes this desk different? Materials used, wood, glass, metal. How functional is it? Lots of drawers, pull out tray for your keyboard, a hutch with storage cubbies. What style is it? Mid Century modern, contemporary, rustic. You get the idea.
Not all buyers are looking for cookie cutter products that they can get at Walmart.
I have actually found many great selling products that are in my Etsy shops today by just listening to my customers. When you get a message on Etsy from a potential customer, ask yourself, is this something other buyers are looking for and should I add this permanently as a listing in my store?
Don’t forget to join my FREE Etsy Seller Success Facebook Group!
If you have one person asking you, there may be many more that simply don’t want to ask and bother the seller. These customers are gold mines. They are telling you exactly what they and others want to buy.
Write great product descriptions
If you’ve been on Etsy for some time, you know that product descriptions can be kind of hard to find on Etsy these days. They’re kind of hidden in Etsy’s quest to streamline things, but that doesn’t make them any less important.
I’m the type buyer that actually looks through the description and sometimes it’s really necessary to have that product information.
I’m a buyer, and say, I was looking for a graphic to use for a birthday party theme. I want to make invitations, a banner, cupcake toppers, blah, blah, blah, all with this graphic. I really need to know what type of graphic this is and if it will work for my project.
Those in the graphic design world know the importance of this. If the seller is only selling the graphic in a JPG format at a small size, I’m not going to be able to blow this up and use it as a party backdrop because the image resolution wouldn’t be great at large scale. It would be all pixelated and unappealing so knowing the size and format really does matter.
A buyer has specific needs from each product and should be able to find this information in the listing description.
Other more common things like sizing, care instructions, how to use and more are also things that should be included.
Your description should also draw your buyer in! Make them feel like they cannot live without this item right now. Make it solve their problem, be that a gift for your mom’s birthday who really loves sunflowers or a gorgeous wedding seating chart sign that helps your wedding guests figure out where they need to sit at your reception.
Make sure all necessary details are displayed in the description and are easy to find. Don’t bury them in a long, single paragraph. Use bullet points and other markings to help guide your reader to the information they’re looking for. This also makes it easy to skim.
Create products people want
People come to Etsy because they are looking to make purchases. Make it easy for them. Right product to the right customer at the right time. Win – Win.
Like I just mentioned, listen to your buyers. In messages, reviews, etc. They’re telling you what they want, what they liked and what they didn’t like. Use this information to guide your product development and product lines.
Find products that buyers are actively seeking out. Again, what solves their problems is always a winner.
Some Etsy businesses get tripped up here though. Some Etsy sellers start out just making what they want to make. That’s great if it’s a super in-demand product. But as time goes by and trends change, what you love making may not fit the market anymore.
I’ve seen this myself in my own Etsy shops. Styles change, trends change and sometimes we need to change our products too if we want to sell anything.
Give buyers what products they want and need, and you are on your way to ranking at the top of search results.
Win over buyers with great customer service
When a potential customer sends you a message on Etsy, Etsy has requested that sellers reply as quickly as possible. Studies have shown that quick replies result in higher sales.
I have gotten messages and replied within minutes and heard the cha-ching immediately after. I’m not kidding. The item had to have already been sitting in their cart, and they just needed a quick clarification, and I simply gave them the answer that pushed them to purchase right then and there.
Buyers want quick answers to their burning questions. A quick reply can mean a sale for you. If you take a day or so to reply, many buyers will just move on to some other shop that is more attentive to their requests.
Other buyers will copy-and-paste-style messages to several shops at once, and the first shop to reply wins the sale. You snooze and you lose.
Etsy has now implemented the Star Seller program as well. This program considers your customer service, as in messages responded to within 24 hours, as part of the criteria for being a Star Seller.
Etsy sellers that meet the qualifications now get a pretty little “sticker” or “badge” added to their shop and product pages.
This badge is a nudge to buyers that is meant to build trust for your shop. Customers then know that if they message you, you will respond in a timely manner to their inquiries and questions.
Etsy has said that Star Sellers get more orders.
In the day and age of NOW, this is a huge motivator to purchase for buyers.
And remember, don’t cut off the hand that feeds you. Bad customer service is NOT ok. Even when they have it coming, be the better person. The last thing you want is a customer splashing your inappropriate or hateful messages all over the internet about you and your business.
Holy smokes, I’ve seen some doozies here. Just don’t do it. It’s really not worth it and won’t make you feel better later.
Get killer product reviews
Getting amazing reviews is a total trust builder for your business. If a customer is browsing your listings and sees stellar reviews about your products, this eliminates one more obstacle in the buying process.
Even better is when customers add photos to their reviews of the actual item they received!
If you are looking to boost the number of reviews in your shop, simply add a small flyer to your packaging asking buyers to submit a review on Etsy, tag you on social media, etc.
Many buyers are willing to do this these days and many buyers who already purchased from you looked through your reviews before they made their purchases.
Just like customer service, Etsy now includes reviews into its Star Seller program so bolstering this can also help rocket you up in search.
Okay, last one for today.
Are you thinking about starting your own Etsy shop?? Use this link to get 40 FREE listing credits!!
Fill out your shop policies information COMPLETELY
Many Etsy sellers don’t realize that by not filling out all of their shop’s information completely, they are leaving money on the sales table.
Etsy takes into consideration if your shop information is filled in. This includes things like your shop policies, your about sections, your profile info for shop members, etc.
If you have left these sections blank, Etsy thinks you aren’t a real seller and will penalize you for it.
It’s also good to have this filled out as it helps make your shop look more complete and trustworthy to your buyers.
These sections really only take about 15 minutes to fill out completely so go take care of that today.
The road to top ranking products is a long one and a strategic one. You’ve got to figure out what you need to do to get your products seen in results, eliminate all buyer purchase obstacles and convert lookers to sales dollars to keep your shop top of mind for buyers and the Etsy search algorithm.
