Shop-Specific Advice

[#1]

Hi! :-)

Now I have sorted out the links and logo, I thought it was time to start a thread for shop specific advice. I will no longer be offering personal advice over convo, as I have been recently.

That's because I'm typing out a lot of the same information, and if you HAVE to go for this blasted Team Forum thing, we need to try and make as much information available as possible.

This discussion is visable to all.

Simply post a link to the shop you would like looked at, and I or another SEO helper will gladly have a poke around and offer you some personal advice for your shop.

Keep us updated on how things go! And don't forget I have a 5 day SEO course for beginners which might help you get started :-)

http://twinklyspangle.blogspot.com/search/label/challenge

[CarolsJewelryOrchard]

Just checking in......to see if my shop has been addressed at all.
Thanks, in advance! I'd still like some SEO advice.

faithnhope10.....check your bounce rate on your google analytics account.

[Former_Member]

Hello everyone! I would love any advice you can give me on my shop. I am less than a week old and would like to get as much help and feedback. Thank you in advance for taking the time to help me.

[Former_Member]

Collarswithcolor:

Hi!

Okay, three step plan!

1. Shop title.

It is currently:

Hemp & organic cotton collars, martingales and leashes

I would switch martingales with leashes. Google isn't picking up leashines because it's too far along the sentance, and I'm not sure what a martingale is? I would imagine other people might be the same, and leashes is defintely a higher searched word than that anyway, Get it in there!

2. Shop sections

YOur sections look okay, I don't know much about your niche but I would imagine you have already researched the words you have used there, as well as the ones in your item titles. I would probably try adding a different, non-practical word in too, though. I was thinking maybe Fun? Like, Fun Small Dog Collars? Unique? I know I pimp these words a lot but they are highly searched and really add a whole extra dimension to your searchability.

Someone might argue that Etsy is a bit overrun with these words (whimsical, anyone?) but you have to remember that although we love Etsy sales, bringing new people to Etsy is what's going to boost your business like crazy!

3. Important place

I am seeing that you haven't utilized a vital SEO spot. The first line of your description. Use Craftopolis.com for their batch editing tool, add a single line of amazing keyword goodness to your descriptions, and put the rest of below that. This is what google will show people when they search and find your specific item. This is what is going to get people clicking on your collars direct from google.

Taking this:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/67887481/baseball-hemp-dog-collar?ref=v1_other_2

If I was to search google for Baseball Hemp Dog Collar, this is what I get for the first result:

Baseball, the national pastime! This environmentally friendly hand-made dog collar is the perfect accessory for your best friend. Standard.

I think you are missing a chance to grab people's interest. Why on something like 'Amazing Handmade Organic Dog Collars With Attitude - by CollarsWithColor'

Or something similar to make people click?

Just some suggestions. Overall I think your shop is fun and your items look beautifully made. Good luck!!

[Former_Member]

Thank you! I will be busy tomorrow!!

[CaityAshBadashery]

Hi Twinky,

I've been following all your tips and they are great! But I sure would appreciate a look-see at my shop if you would. Thanks.

[Former_Member]

Can someone explain this to me?

Here's my shop: www.etsy.com/shop/jfoxstudio

I have, long ago, added my shop backlink to all of my item listings (52). However, when I google "jfoxstudio etsy", the shop link doesn't show up, not by itself. I get links that point to my sold items, my circles, favorites, and then all my individual items. But none that just go to the shop! Therefore, I can't use the google toolbar tool to even find out when it's been crawled, because it seems like it hasn't been!

Also, going through the "5 day plan", when I tried to use word.le on my shop, I got a lot of large words that are only used in 1 or two listings, and some that are used in a *lot* of listings showed up not at all. Is it possible that this doesn't work for everyone? Can anyone suggest another tool?

Thanks so much!

[maddyandme]

Hi experts. I would love someone to take a look-see at my shop

http://www.etsy.com/shop/maddyandme

...let me have it, I can handle it :) I think.....

[Former_Member]

jfoxstudio says

Can someone explain this to me?
.... However, when I google "jfoxstudio etsy", the shop link doesn't show up, not by itself. I get links that point to my sold items, my circles, favorites, and then all my individual items. But none that just go to the shop!

-----

I just checked and I got the same results on mine. My facebook page comes up first, and I never can find the shop main page.
Unfortunately a lot of the links are to forum posts.

[Former_Member]

CarolsJewelryOrchard:

Hi! Sorry it's taken me so terribly long to get to you, I know you have been waiting a while. I've been browsing through your shop and come up with some suggestions for you.

1.

The first thing that stands out is the first line of your announcement. What you have to remember is, if someone DOES find your shop in google, that first line or two of your announcement (am I spelling that right?) is the text that will show up. It needs to encourage people to click, it just has to. Here's what your's is right now:

"Select Item Sale, 2/17/11- 3/17/11.
Each day I will select one handcrafted piece of jewelry to be offered at a greatly reduced price. This item will be "

That doesn't sale ANYTHING about your shop, and isn't even clear about what it is. It doesn't shout to me "THIS IS A SHOP WITH AWESOME STUFF YOU SHOULD TOTALLY CLICK HERE" which is what you need it to do for you!

Later on in the announcement, it says:

"Specializing in an eclectic mix of handcrafted beaded and wire wrapped jewelry"

Now, I haven't put these terms into the keyword tool (search the threads for the guide to using it for selecting amazing key words) but I would imagine even that sentance with no keyword work at all would give google searchers more of an idea of what your shop is about. I would, as usual, try and slip 'original' and 'handmade' in there aswell. I know they are overused on Etsy, but in terms of Google searchers looking for your type of product, it's the words that they are going to be searching for that you need to include.

2. I've noticed your item titles seem to be keyword heavy. I know it's a lot of work, but you should seriously consider setting aside a few hours to put all those words and their synonyms into the keyword tool to check that they are working as hard as possible for you. Even changing one word that has more monthly searches might make a big difference. It's a pain, and it will tax your brain when you are trying to think of words, but then you will be able to rest in the knowledge (for a while at least) that your shop is working hard for you when you are not even at the computer.

3. Shop sections.

Imagine google asked you to tell it what your shop was all about. That's hat metatags are. Etsy has it set up so that your shop sections are metatags. That means, Google thinks your shop is about Viking Goddesses. And tastes...and other things that it is not.

Using what you have taken from the keyword tool in the previous task, come up with 9 (always good to leave one free - as shop sections are good to link from places so I don't recommend changing them after you have done the initial work as this will make the link invalid) shop sections in the following style:

Descriptive word / Seemingly Overused word / Descriptive word / Practical word /

So maybe:

Beautiful Original Beaded Bookmarks
Dainty Handmade Charming Earrings
Wire Wrapped Unique Viking Jewelry

These are just examples!

I hope some of this helps, let us know how you get on!!

[CarolsJewelryOrchard]

Thanks so much! I feel like I have done alright on etsy, considering it is a glutted category but also know that if more people found me, I'd do even better. Thanks for the suggestions.

I am in the middle of tweeking my tags, so I'll get to your suggestions ASAP.

Just a note on my shop announcement, it was previously very different that the sale notice, telling customers what I sell and what it is made of. I'll got back to that!

Have a very busy day ahead with an involved volunteer project at school. I do appreciate all the time you took to look and analyze my shop!
A million thanks!

[Former_Member]

Hi Twinkly

We are new to Etsy and are trying to follow lots of tips but would appreciate a look at our shop for extra ones. Not 100% sure on facebook yet and keywords, are currently changing some.

Thank you.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/smileyemile?ref=si_shop

[Former_Member]

CarolsJewelryOrchard ~ Oh thank you, I will go do that now.

[Former_Member]

maddyandme I'm no expert but I love your shop. Your pictures are nice and bright and you have a great banner!

[cortayloo]

Hello! Thank you so much for taking a look.
www.cortayloo.etsy.com

[Former_Member]

@forestacademy alpacas: thanks for verifying this phenomenon! However, here's what I still don't get: if this method doesn't work for everyone, with no explanation as to why this happens, how is the 5 step SEO, which is the core of this team, supposed to work for shops like us?

[Former_Member]

Hi!
I'm new here!handmadebyaylin.etsy.com.
I haven't sell anything. What can I do? Any tips!
Take a look my shop please!

[Former_Member]

Welcome handmadebyAylin!

[Former_Member]

I'm completely bamboozled. I've tried using the google keywords tool but I don't think its found me at all! It says there are no keywords with my shop - its possible I don't know how to use it of course. I've never felt more invisible :-(

I've just changed my shop title to something better, I hope, based on the advice given throughout this thread but if you could have a look at my shop I'd be grateful as I've tried to get my head around this but frankly I'm completely lost

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MrsFiddlesticks


(And I know the cards need better photos - lack of natural light here recently. On the To Do list when we get some sunshine and its not -2c out there)

[Former_Member]

Mrs.s Fiddlesticks,

It takes google about two weeks to crawl through the web, so give it some time. Good luck! I like your name : )

[maddyandme]

thanks faithnhope for the shop and photo love :)

[SerantoniDesigns]

... Always open to new knowledge.
Thanks for sharing.

Stay Inspired,
Mary Serantoni
SERANTONI Designs

[Former_Member]

I'm new to this Etsy seller thing. I'm impressed at how many people you've helped. I'm trying to learn as much as I can but there seems to be quite a lot and I sometimes get a little perplexed as to where to start. I know you've mentioned your 5 day course and I plan on getting around to reading that. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Much Thanks,
K

[Former_Member]

I've followed all the steps to your blog (I hope) and tweaked some things. I'd just like some feed back on what still needs to be done or what looks okay. Thank you!

[Former_Member]

zolandesigns Hi, you have such beautiful jewelry! I happened to notice, under your gold dove necklace, "got" instead or "go" right before your link. I read and re read my listings to find my silly little errors :) They are easy to miss. Also, the first line of your description is going to show up in google under your title. Twinkly had me add keywords in the first few lines. When you are editing your listing, you can scroll down, just a bit, and see how your listing will look in a google search. She might also have you add the words Handmade, One of a kind. Under your shop name, Home page above your picture, you have your shop name again. Twinkly, had me add keywords there too, instead of my shop name again. I don't want to pretend I know what's going on...lol... but these are suggestions I had been given. And I know Twinkly is very busy working on each shop so I wanted to share what little bit I know..,this way you can start some changes before she comes into your shop.

[Former_Member]

Thanks for any advise you can offer me.

http://www.carolonedge.etsy.com