Master Etsy SEO 2023 – Dominate Etsy Ranking, Sell More Crafts & Boost Sales in 2023

Are you an Etsy seller who’s worried about low or no sales?

Have you applied the new Etsy SEO 2023 best practices to your product listings? Maybe that’s the reason you’re not getting any buyers since your product listings are not optimized for Etsy’s SERPs.

If you’re not sure about Etsy ranking, how to optimize the listings, and thinking to give up on selling your craft online then this blog is definitely YOU. Yes, you can sell more on Etsy and make as much $$$ as you want and all by creating beautiful craft or selling vintage articles you love.

Come, let me tell you how to rank Etsy products and rule the SERPs within this platform specifically built for craftsmen.

Understanding Etsy SEO & Listing Ranking Algorithms

Before I disclose the Etsy SEO 2023 best practices, it is important that we understand how Etsy ranking algorithm work.

Yes, Etsy has its own search engine that ranks the product listings!

So, let me tell you about how Etsy ranks your product listings so you never feel clueless about some (or all) the points we’ll be discussing in the following sections.

Let’s start with the most important Etsy ranking factor – the matching query!

Matching Queries

Whenever a potential buyer searches a product in Etsy’s search bar, the search bots will match the query with the most relevant product listing. Here is the matching query checklist that an Etsy search bot will likely follow:

• Listing’s Title
• Listing’sTags
• Listing’sCategories
• Listing’sAttributes
• Listing’sDescription

Suppose, you’re the buyer who types ‘leather bags for men’ or say ‘crystal ring’ in the search bar. The search bot will come into action and look for product listing having these specific words into the title, tags, product category, attributes and product listing’s description text. Following this method, Etsy shows you (the buyer) the most relevant product listings.

Etsy Ranking Algorithm

Query matching is one part of how Etsy ranking works, the second part consists of several factors such as:

• Relevancy
• Product Description
• Listing Quality Score
• Listing Language & Translations
• Publishing Date
• Overall Etsy Shop Score
• Free Shipping
• Visitor’s Buying Habits
• Shop’s Location

Let me explain each of these Etsy ranking factors in detail for full understanding of the SEO algos we’ll be discussing in the following sections.

Relevancy

Etsy’s search bots will consider the title, tags, attributes, and selected category of your listings to evaluate how relevant they’re against searcher’s query.

Product Description

Then, the bot will examine your listing’s product description to see if your product matches the search query. Ideally, you need to explain about your product in first 2 lines and then go into details in following paragraphs.

Listing Quality Score

The quality score is another important factor to determine the relevancy of your product listing. Etsy ranking algorithm takes into account the total visits, users pressing favorite your product, and buying frequency. Etsy ranking algorithmcalculates all these factors to determine if your product should be given high weightage against other listings in the same category or not.

Listing Language & Translations

Etsy’s prime goal is to provide craftsmen and buyers a platform to connect and grow so Etsy’s ranking algorithm also considers your listing’s language and translations facility. If you’ve chosen English as your prime language then every listing will automatically have the same language. Yes, you may turn on the listing description’s translation option to help buyers residing outside of US, Canada or Australia.

Publishing Date

The publishing date is one important factor how Etsy ranking works!

So, when you add a new product or update an old listing, they’ll get a boost from Etsy whenever a searcher types queries these listings have in their title, tags, or description text etc.

Overall Etsy Shop Score

The overall Etsy shop score is evaluated by previous buyer reviews, completed shop policy, completed about section, and zero pending claims against your shop. So, it is important that you work on these aspects to earn a higher shop score and get higher Etsy ranking in SERPs.

Free Shipping

Etsy’s SEO algorithm considers shops offering free shipping for products above $35 (to US only)!

But that is a very minor factor and you might not want to consider applying it if you’re a non-US Etsy seller.

Visitor’s Buying Habits

The Etsy ranking factor also considers buyer’s shopping pattern and this is a good opportunity for you (the sellers) to boost your product’s visibility.

How?

Your product listing should have:

• HD product photos
• Persuasive title & description text
• Completed “About” & “Return Policy” pages
• Positive customer reviews

Because the potential buyers would be checking all these aspects of your shop/product listing and Etsy ranking algorithmwill record their navigational patterns and stay time while scoring your product listing.

Shop’s Location

If you’re an Etsy seller from EU, Australia, or Canada, you’ll have weightage of other sellers. That’s because Etsy ranking algorithm also considers your shop’s location while matching the listing with searcher’s query.

How to Rank Higher on Etsy Searches?

So far we’ve learnt about how Etsy ranks its product listing but how would you benefit from these Etsy ranking algorithms is still an unsolved riddle. Come, let us break down the Etsy SEO 2023 trends for you and see how you can rank Etsy product listing higher in the SERPs.

Keyword Research

Since Etsy uses a search algorithm to rank its product listings, we’ll begin with the keyword research!

Keyword research is very important to rank Etsy product listings as they lay the foundation of your whole SEO plan. Your buyers will get to your listings using the right keywords only if you’ve cracked how to select and use them in your product listing.

Suppose, you’re a bracelet seller on Etsy who wants to list them using the right keywords. Here’s how you can come up with different keywords relating to your product.

• The word “bracelet” is the base of your keyword research
• Next, you need to add bracelet attributes e.g. material, color, style or size etc.
• Then, consider who is the end consumer of this product
  (e.g. bracelet for boys, friendship bracelets etc.)
• Think of the occasions when people would like to buy bracelets
  (birthdays, wedding anniversaries, friendship day etc.)

Keyword Example:Red Friendship Bracelets for Her

If you’ve come up with a keyword like the one I’ve mentioned above, you’ve successfully defined your potential buyers that Etsyranking algorithm would be considering whenever someone types “bracelets” or “friendship bracelets”.

Search As Your Customers Search on Etsy

If you’re not sure how to find the keywords that can help you rank Etsy listings higher in SERPs, the search bar is a good way to look at.

The Etsy’s search bar can offer you insights into what your potential buyers are searching for.

Take “bracelet” as an example and type it into the search bar just I did in the image below:

Once you type the word “bracelet” in the search bar, you’ll see several keyword suggestions that are mostly used by the Etsy users for this particular product.

Or, alternatively, you can use a free keyword research tool – keyword.io – that offers you more insights for the search term you’d enter into its search bar.

Learn from Your Competitors

If you’re finding the keyword research a bit difficult then you may take a look at your competitors!

You need to find Etsy sellers who are offering exact (or almost similar) products as you intent to sell here on Etsy. Then, look at the kind of keywords they’ve used to rank Etsy listings and replicate their pattern (not the exact phrase) for creating title, tags, and description text etc.

In our case, this competitor are using “gold friends bracelets for her and him” in the picture below:

And here’s another example where this seller has used the phrase “surfer bracelet for men and women”.

You can make the list of most relevant keywords that your close competitors have used in their product listings. This way you’d not just prepare yourself to benefit from higher Etsy ranking but also do competitor analysis for each product you’d be selling on Etsy.

Selecting the Best Keywords for Etsy Ranking Algorithm

You’ve learnt about 3 different ways to conduct your keyword research but how’d you select the most relevant keyword phrases to rank Etsy products in SERPs?

Here’s how you can do it!

Etsy’s search bar is the prime source to understand which keyword is performing well and which keyword needs to be removed from the list.

When you type a query in search bar, a list appears that signifies each product listing’s rank in Etsy’s search algorithm.

For example, when I type “bracelet”, it will show me each listing in ranking order but when I type “bracelet for women” and narrow down the search criteria, the listing will change.

Ideally, you shouldn’t rely on one word keywords such as “bracelet” because they already have a high competition. Always go for long-tail keywords such as “bracelet for women” as they narrow down the search criteria and specify your buyer’s group increasing your chances of getting a new sale.

For creating long-tail keywords for your Etsy listings, you can try different words such as “red bracelet for her” or say “blue friendship bracelet”. Doing this will automatically reduce your competition increasing your chances to rank Etsy product in the SERPs.

And if you’re not sure how to come up with long-tail keywords, Alura is a good option to consider for your Etsy ranking needs.

How to Optimize Etsy Product Listings?

We know how Etsy ranking algorithm works, we know how to conduct the keyword research for Etsy products but how’d you optimize your listings?

Here’s you’d do it and rank Etsy products higher in the SERPs!

Make Descriptive, Keyword-Rich Listing Titles

The listing title is your opportunity to explain a potential buyer how your product is the one he’s searching for.

So, when you write listing titles you need to keep it as descriptive and keyword-rich as possible. Keeping the listing title descriptive and keyword-rich will benefit you in two ways:

• The keywords will help you rank Etsy product listing against the typed search query.
• The buyer would know what kind of material, color, or style this product is made of.

And this will increase your chances of getting a visitor that could be a potential buyer, too, of your product.

Example Listing Title: Personalized Gold Bracelet for Women with Customizable Initial for Special Occasions like Wedding Anniversary

Consider this listing title that is under 140 characters (the title limit Etsy has set) and describe different aspects of this product such as the material, ideal user, and customization option etc. You need to make listing titles in similar way to rank Etsy product listings higher in SERPs.

Keep Same Keywords in Title & Tags

While you’re optimizing the Etsy listing, you need to keep title and tags consistent!

What I mean by keeping title and tags consistent is to use the same keywords in both places as this will help Etsy’s search bots to identify the relevancy of your listing.

Say you’re offering gold bracelet for women, you need to create the tags using same keyword phrases like “gold bracelet for women” to increase your chances of getting higher Etsy ranking.

Utilize All 13 Tags in Every Listing

And while you’re creating tags for your Etsy listing, don’t rely on 1 or 2 tags and utilize all 13 of them!

You may try different variations of your prime keyword in the tags to increase the relevancy of your listing.

For example:

• Gold bracelet for women
• Personalized bracelet for her
• Golden bracelet for wife

And using this method, you can come up with more tags having the primary keyword.

Other (But Important) Etsy SEO Tips

The above tips are for on-page Etsy listing optimization but they’re not final!

Here are some more Etsy SEO 2023 trends that you need to follow in order to rank your products higher in the SERPs:

• Etsy doesn’t count product listings without “About” or “Policy” pages and this is the first thing you need to do while optimizing your Etsy shop. Fill out your about and policy pages in order to increase your chances of getting picked by Etsy ranking algorithms.
• Using relevant keywords is important to rank Etsy listing but you also need to explain your product smartly using words. You can incorporate storytelling into the listing description area and narrate a beautiful story promising what the end consumer would feel after using your product so the buyer can image how valuable this product can be for them.

In order to increase your listing’s click-through rate, you must use HD photos in your product listing. HD photos not only improve your click-through rate but also help you in getting noticed by Etsy ranking algorithm.

• Along with optimizing your Etsy product listing, you need to promote your products on social media. Social media traffic is an important Etsy ranking factor that can boost your sales since you’ll be getting more visitors on your Etsy shop.
• And lastly, you must encourage your buyers to leave positive reviews whenever they make a purchase from your Etsy shop. It’s because Etsy ranking algorithm also counts customer reviews (mostly positive ones) for showing the same listing whenever another searcher types the same query.

And with this, I’d conclude this post here with a hope that I’ll meet you again (in the comments section) once you apply these Etsy SEO 2023 best practice tips and get the positive results.

Good luck with your shop’s optimization and may you crack Etsy ranking algorithm and make more money selling beautiful craft.

Sayonara!