I received a few requests to share thoughts and methods on introducing and improving SEO within Etsy shops. Since Etsy is my go-to place for all things special/unique/fun and the community is just so amazing, how could I say no? These stores, often times operating right out of the home, provide opportunities for us, the consumer, to not only support our creative counterparts but to also find some really awesome stuff. No joke. I could get sucked into that site for hours. Just a warning. But enough about that – let’s get SEO’ing, folks.
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is exactly what is says – further development of existing or new content to achieve traffic/conversions/awareness via search engines. In other words, SEO methods give your audiences a better chance of locating you in Google, Bing, Yahoo!, etc.
The very first thing to know about SEO is that it takes time. Results may not be immediate as it takes time for the search engines to crawl and index all content. No worries – with dedication, regular updates, and monitoring, you’ll notice an improvement. You’re reading this post – you’re already ahead of the game!
Here we go – let’s get into the nitty-gritty:
Initial Shop Optimization
In addition to creating your shop name, do not neglect the shop announcement/description. This might sound basic, but these two elements will be included in search results. If a potential customer is using a search engine instead of Etsy’s search, your shop name and shop description will populate in results. What do you want to appear? What is going to grab their attention? What will make them say, “YES! This is exactly what I want – I’m clicking here.”
Helpful Hint: Keep that announcement to 160 characters so it’s not truncated by search engines.
Product Listing Optimization
When adding a new product to your store, there are two key areas to pay attention to: product title and description.
In the title, be unique and be brief. Think of how your potential customers will search Etsy for your product. They are searching for your Vintage Wedding Invite inspiration or Geometric Handmade Jewelry so include those keywords/phrases in your title.
Need some help? Use Etsy’s search to see what is coming in Etsy’s auto-complete function. It is helping customers complete a search – how can you use that to your advantage?
For example, start searching Jewelry. What appears for you? The search is guiding the customer with popular searches. Start typing your product offerings and see what suggestions pop up.
Important to note – Each product needs to have a unique title. Don’t share across products.
The description needs to be a complete definition of what you are selling. This is where you can give more detail. The title only says so much – and you don’t want your title to be a paragraph. That’s the short-n-sweet. Now, you can give the long-n-lovely. But do not stuff your description with a bunch of nonsense keywords; write for your lovely customers. They will appreciate that much more!
Helpful Hint: Existing Etsy categories will help boost your efforts. Why reinvent the wheel when a head-start already exists?
Social Media Sharing
Do you have a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page for your shop? If not, why not? Social media helps support SEO by encouraging user engagement and the sharing of relevant content, not to mention it helps improve your site’s overall awareness. Check out how one shop, Little Hip Squeaks, uses social media to promote their shop.
Have you considered an SEO strategy for your Etsy shop? Make sure your visitors can find you. I bet your product rocks – they should know it does too!
What methods have you used in your SEO Etsy efforts? I’d love to hear!
