I am directing people right left and centre to this keyword tool with no real guide on how to use it!!
Sorry about that!!
Here is a guide :-)
Right, so the first thing you need is a list of words about your shop. Do it on a large piece of paper with lots of space for making notes. Three ways to do this:
* Make a list from your brain or a thesaurus. (Does anyone else think a Thesaurus should be a type of dinosaur?) I like to make lists in a sort of spider diagram, but a list format will probably be best for sensible people.
* Put your Etsy address into this website:
http://www.wordle.net. It will generate a big cloud of words you have used in your descriptions. This might help you make your list of words. Of you might see that you only use very specific words and not many descriptive ones. Either way, it's helpful!
* Think up ten words that describe your shop. So, for me, I might say:
cute
sweet
jewellery
colourful
rainbow
girly
fun
original
personalised
kawaii
gorgeous
That wasn't too hard. Everyone should be able to think up ten words right? Now take that list and sit in front of someone you live with/someone you just met in the street/your dad, and play the Word Association Game. You shout out a word from your list, and they shout out the first word that comes into their head.
It's a fun way to gather words!
Right, so you have a huge list now of words, at least 20, yes?
Okay, go here:
http://www.google.co.uk/sktool/#
Read what it says on the screen, because it should be offering you an updated version of the tool. For some reason, the updated link doesn't fit well with Etsy forums and I can't post it here. But it's the updated version you want.
Now, into the box, put all your words on separate lines.
Then click 'Search'
Now, scroll down a little, and you will see a list of words with their date displayed on the same line. Ignore everything but:
COMPETITION
MONTHLY SEARCHES
For this first set of words, we want competition to have around a half filled bar or LOWER.
We want monthly searches to be at least 800-1000.
Circle or highlight all the words on your list that meet this criteria.
Now, go back and try and pair up words together to make phrases. Try and pair up words that you have circled.
So, I might try Sweet Jewellery, Kawaii Cute, Gorgeous Handmade.
Keep trying all the circled words in combination with each other and 'standard' words that probably apply to most peoples shops like Gift, Handmade, Etsy, Homemade, Unique, Original.
Try and get a good selection of two and three word phrases with LOW competition (below half) and HIGH monthly searches. (This will be relative, but I would aim for around 1,000 for highly saturated markets such as jewellery/cards/supplies/knits and around 400 for niche items)
These are the words and phrases you are going to put in your shop.
Why?
Well, individually they are strong words, we know that because you circled them.
Together, they are strong phrases. We know that because you put them together.
In your titles, they give lots of scope for searches to find you.
I hope that makes it a little clearer!
