Why Keywords Matter

When you’re choosing keywords for your Etsy shop, it’s important to think about what terms potential customers might use when they’re searching for products like yours. If you sell handmade jewelry, for example, someone who’s looking for a gift might search for “handmade jewelry” or “unique jewelry.” But someone who’s looking for something specific, like a pair of earrings or a necklace, might search for those terms instead. It’s also important to think about how popular certain keywords are. If you choose a keyword that’s too popular—like “jewelry”—you’ll have a lot of competition, and it’ll be hard to get your shop to show up high in search results. On the other hand, if you choose a keyword that’s too specific—like “handmade wooden necklaces”—you might get fewer views, because not as many people are searching for that term. So how do you find the right balance?

How to Choose Keywords

There are a few different things you can do to research which keywords are the best for your shop. One thing you can do is look at the autocomplete suggestions that come up when you start typing in a search term on Etsy.
These suggestions are based on what other people have searched for, so they can give you some ideas about which terms are popular. Another thing you can do is look at the “related searches” section at the bottom of Etsy search results pages. These are also based on popular searches, and they can give you some good ideas about other keywords to use.

Another popular strategy used by top 1% Etsy Sellers is to use EverBee for SEO.

1. Find the best selling competitor listings
   
2. See the tags they’re using for their SEO
3. Use the same tags they’re using. (but make sure it makes sense for your listing)

Once you’ve come up with a list of potential keywords, there’s one more thing you need to do: check out how much competition there is for each keyword. To do this, just type each keyword into the Etsy search bar and take a look at how many shops come up in the results. If there aren’t very many (less than 500), then that keyword might be a good choice for your shop because it won’t be too hard to rank high in search results for that keyword.

Optimize Etsy Listing Titles

Listing titles are one of the first things both Etsy’s algorithm and potential buyers see. A well-optimized title can make a significant difference in search rankings. When showing items that buyers are likely to purchase, Etsy’s search algorithm considers how well individual items tend to do in search and they call it “listing quality.” Learn more about listing quality here. EverBee’s SEO tool helps you create titles that include the right keywords so your customers understand what the product is and helps with their user experience.

Product Descriptions

A well-written description will be optimized with the right keywords and engage buyers to make a purchase as well. For tips on how to write good product descriptions for your shop, here are Etsy’s recommendations.

Analyze Competitor Strategies

Understanding what works for your competitors can provide valuable insights for your own shop. EverBee’s tool allows you to analyze your competitors’ listings to help identify successful keywords, pricing, monthly sales, and more. By analyzing top-performing shops in your niche, you can learn what attracts buyers and implement similar strategies. 

Customer Engagement

SEO isn’t just about getting people to click on your listings⎯it’s also about keeping them engaged once they do. High-quality images, accurate product descriptions, and prompt customer service can enhance the shopping experience and encourage repeat business. Etsy SEO tools can offer insights into customer behavior, helping you optimize your strategy. For example, if data shows that customers often ask about specific product features, consider highlighting those in your descriptions. Engaged customers are more likely to leave positive reviews and recommend your shop to others which helps boost visibility.

Boosts Visibility

“When a customer enters a search query on Etsy, [they] look at the titles, tags, categories, and attributes you’ve added to find matching keywords.” If you have done keyword research and are using them correctly, Etsy is more likely to show your products in their search results, leading to increased visibility.

Analyze Sales Trends

Look at seasonal sales trends over the past years to see what are your top selling products during certain times of the year, most searched keywords, popular themes, and customer insights. These analytics can help you see if there are patterns and trends for deciding which products you want to sell again. Seeing what your sales patterns are can help you prepare inventory early.

SEO Tools Save Time & Effort

Trying to figure out on your own what keywords you should use and how to effectively track performance without an SEO tool would take a long time, and you wouldn’t have accurate data so you can see which keywords are best for your products. SEO tools for Etsy sellers help with keyword research, so you have more time to focus on other aspects of your business like product creation, content, and packaging.

Improve Conversion Rates

With improved product visibility in Etsy’s search results, this helps attract new customers because more people will be seeing your products. If you have strong SEO, your keywords and descriptions will match buyers’ search intent, therefore, making it more likely that they will click-through on your product.

In conclusion, SEO is important because it helps people find your shop in search results. By using the right keywords, you can make sure potential customers will see your listing when they’re searching for items like yours. And by checking out the competition for each keyword, you can make sure you’re using terms that will help you stand out from other shops selling similar products. So don’t forget about SEO when you’re setting up your Etsy shop—it could be just what you need to attract new customers and make more sales!