SEO Writing Tips for PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS

[#1]

Need help with your Etsy listings? Don’t panic! I recently completed a screencast about Etsy listings, and below -- just for you -- is a summary of the top points, including several insider tips you won’t see elsewhere. (Video version: http://www.facebook.com/chaconsulting)

PHOTO
Your product image is a key factor in Etsy search, since buyers usually click on an item based on the picture. When customers come from outside Etsy, it’s the first thing they see when they arrive. Make sure your photos are excellent.

-----TIP: Use all five photo slots. It helps keep buyers active and interested. Also, time matters. When customers stay in your shop even for a few minutes, it’s great for your overall SEO!

TITLE
Make the most of your title for search engine optimization (SEO). Your title is a major factor for outside search engines like Google. Research carefully so that you’re using the exact phrases buyers have been typing into their search bars to find items like yours.

-----TIP: Put your top couple SEO keyword phrases at the beginning of your title.

-----TIP: Include punctuation between phrases so that the title is easy to read. Leave a space either after the punctuation, or both before and after. (Example: “vintage beaded purse, red vintage purse” or “vintage beaded purse - red vintage purse”)

TAGS
Both Etsy and outside search engines use your tags, so fill up all your tag space!

-----TIP: Make sure the phrases in your tags match the SEO phrases in your title. It will make your overall SEO stronger. If a long SEO phrase doesn’t fit into a single tag, you can break up the phrase into two separate pieces.

MATERIALS
Use this area for actual materials only. The search engines don’t use this information, so just provide the physical details that buyers look for.

DESCRIPTION - First paragraph
The first paragraph of your description is extremely important. It should engage buyers immediately and clearly communicate your top selling messages (benefits of your item, value for the buyer, why it’s special, how it compares to the competition, and so on). Don’t know what your top messages are? This is critical for each listing and also for your shop as a whole. Put some time into it, and consult with a business consultant if necessary.

-----TIP: Remember the top performing SEO phrases you put at the beginning of your title? Those should appear in your first paragraph, also. Etsy doesn’t care, but Google and other outside search engines do.

-----TIP: Avoid the temptation to cut-and-paste your title into the first line of your description. This can lower your SEO value, and cause you to lose opportunities in searches. Instead, weave those phrases into natural sounding sentences.

DESCRIPTION - Middle paragraphs
Continue sprinkling your other SEO phrases throughout your description. You’ve already delivered your top selling points; now you can talk about other benefits. This is also the place for physical details like color, size, materials, process (if relevant), customization options, and so on.

-----TIP: Use attractive bullet points if you have a long list of details to present.

DESCRIPTION - End
Finish up with links to other places in your shop, such as similar listings or your About page.

-----TIP: Use the full URL, including the “ http://” to make sure the link goes “live.” You can also include pointers to pages outside Etsy, but those links won’t be clickable.

BONUS - DID YOU KNOW?
Grammar, spelling and punctuation count with outside search engines like Google! If your descriptions aren’t written clearly and accurately, you could start slipping in search results. Consider a grammar check. Also, look for efficient ways to improve the writing quality in your descriptions and other text pages in your shop.

If you have questions about product listings, or about your own shop, feel free to comment below. For SEO guidance, see all the information and resources available elsewhere in this team.

Note: If you’re on Facebook, you can find free help for your writing at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/copywritingcoach.

[vintagejane]

Hello...excellent post! One major question: What are the main ways that SEO search from Google, differs from ETSY's search?? Do you have a list of tips to improve our shops for the Etsy search??? Thanks in advance!

[BCCopywriting]

Stacey: Thanks for your question. I'll leave the SEO advice up to the SEO professionals here. But briefly, one of the major differences between Etsy search and Google search is that Google looks at most of the text all over your shop, while Etsy only uses the words in your titles and tags. On the other hand, Etsy uses a lot of additional measurements in figuring your ranking, including prior sales, which Google doesn't. Check out all the SEO threads that have been posted over the past couple months. Lots of excellent guidance there! Best of luck!

[vintagejane]

Thank you so much for your reply and guidance!! :)

[GabriellasTreasures]

Thanks Barbara - it finally makes sense!!!

[FrenchVintagePrints]

Gret info. One question concerning the first paragraph. I recently started to separate the sentences in my first paragraph by a blank line because I thought it made for easier reading. Does that mean that my first paragraph relevancy is not limited to the first sentence ? If so, I'll go get rid of those blank lines right away.

[BCCopywriting]

Anne: Thanks for your question. Your idea about making things easy to read is a good one. But as you say, you don't want to overdo it. A blank space is an invitation to stop reading, so it's best not to introduce a blank space right at the beginning of a description. Not sure if you were wondering, but the spacing itself has nothing to do with SEO. All the text will be read, regardless of how spaced out it is. Does that answer your question? If not, please feel free to ask again.

[FrenchVintagePrints]

Yes it does, thank you !

[FrenchVintagePrints]

Me again... I went straight to my shop and started to work on it and a new question arose. Is it ok with SEO to use partial sentences ? I mean can I say : "Bird poster ideal as a gift for a bird lover or a Falconry decor." instead of "This bird poster is ideal as a gift for a bird lover or a Falconry decor." ? My idea is to get rid of unecessary words to make the description again easier to read but I wonder if it will be considered badly by Google.

[Former_Member]

Forgive my ignorance , but how do you utilize all five slots when selling a photograph. I am new at this. There is only one view of the picture
Thanks

[BCCopywriting]

Sam: Thanks for your question. This is where you can get creative! Show the photograph in an actual location where it might be used. Over a couch, in an office setting, in an entryway above a table, and so on. You can also use one of your slots to show a pleasantly arranged assortment of other, similar photos that you might have for sale - or possibly one that either could make a nice dual display or is related in some way. You could even have an image of you taking photographs. It isn't always necessary to use all your slots, but if you can, it might help to engage the customer. Who are your customers? If they're decorators, for example, you could show the same photo in different types of frames and settings, to show that they can go modern, traditional, rustic, or romantic. Etc. Give some thought to these ideas and see what you come up with!

[YPSA]

Hi Barbara,

I have enjoyed your on line Ebay class although being busy with academics keeps me from doing all. When and if you have time could you take a look at my shop and give me any feedback you can. Would appreciate it.

Thank you in advance!

[BCCopywriting]

Anne: Thanks for your follow-up question. Generally speaking, if you're good at writing, you can get away with incomplete sentences as a kind of "sales speak," if they're properly punctuated and otherwise use proper grammar. For example: "Bird poster ideal as a gift for a bird lover or a Falconry decor." This should read: "Bird poster, ideal as a gift for a bird lover or for falconry decor." However, check your SEO. Is "falconry decor" something that people search on? If so, no problem. Possibly you might be able to do better than "bird poster." Just make sure that you're using phrases your customers actually type into their search bars to find items like yours. If you use incomplete sentences without properly punctuating them or getting the grammar right, you do run the risk of being penalized in Google searches.

[BCCopywriting]

Sherri: Thanks for your question. One thing I would do immediately is change your shop title to state what it is you sell. You might consider changing your shop name, also. It doesn't have anything to do with what you actually sell, and is part of how shoppers find you on Etsy and through outside search engines. So it's causing you search problems at the moment. You don't have a shop about section. That will hurt you in Etsy searches. Make sure to fill out all your sections. Also, your announcement and personal bio have the same info. That info belongs very nicely in the personal bio, and I think suits it. But it's not appropriate for the announcement. The announcement should be short and sweet, focused on your top selling points, very tight, engaging, convincing. Also a big issue - avoid that very long string of keywords. That could easily get Google to identify it as spam, which will get your shop removed or strongly downgraded in searches. Finally, your descriptions are fun and very suitable for vintage buyers, but they seem completely lacking in SEO value. To get found in searches, you'll need to research SEO, and figure out what words people are typing into their search bars to find items like yours. Then use those phrases in your titles, tags, and naturally woven into your descriptions.

It sounds like a lot of work, but just go one step at a time, and you'll get there. Below are a couple links to free Facebook groups that can help. For information on Etsy descriptions, check out the video (link in the original post in this thread).

The Copywriting Coach: http://www.facebook.com/groups.copywritingcoach
The SEO Salon: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1686821111533696

Hope these few comments and resources help!

[FrenchVintagePrints]

Thank you Barbara. I know that "bird poster" is a rather vague hit but if I look at my all times stats, the top keyword that resulted in hits to my shop is the word "poster" so I am trying to use it as much as I can.

[BCCopywriting]

Anne: I see what you mean about following what your stats show you. But keep researching the SEO to see what other terms might get you even better traffic than what you're using currently. Only the testing tools can give you ideas beyond what you've done so far. Plus, there are always opportunities for narrower search terms - such as "hand painted bird poster" (not a suggestion, just giving you an idea). A more specific term like this gets you fewer visitors, but each of those visitors is 10 times closer to purchasing the exact sort of thing you're selling. Something to think about. In the meantime, best of luck with everything!

[Former_Member]

Thank you so much for your articles! They've been an immense help!

I still have a question though. Does Google read shortened links (such as this one: http://etsy.me/1P2J41D) as backlinks to my shop? It's just if I don't shorten the link to a section, it looks really long and seems to clutter the description. But is there any use for SEO to put shortened links in the description, or will Google just ignore them?

[BCCopywriting]

Dinara: Thanks for your question. This is a technical SEO question that Mary will be able to answer for you. You can start a thread of your own here in the team, if you like. If you're asking about links that you put in your own Etsy shop descriptions, those don't help much with SEO anyway. But if you're talking about links somewhere else on the Internet linking back to your Etsy shop, then - again - best to get Mary's advice. Best of luck!

[KeepsakesStudio]

Love this thread! I've already made some minor changes! Thanks so much!

As my google search results have gone downhill since the Etsy "shop makeovers", I am about to embark on revising my listing descriptions. I know they are too long...after the product description I include some basic policy stuff. I do that because buyers don't seem to read the shipping/policy tab, but I think I am shooting myself in the foot on this one. They are probably not going to read that part of the listing anyway, so why bother.

Am I correct in assuming this? Should I just say something like "Visit the all-important Shipping and Policies tab for more information", and let it go at that? I am keeping my own policies. So that may have impacted the searches, but I think more than that, the listings are just too MUCH!

What's your take?

[BCCopywriting]

I agree. I don't think buyers read down that far. And if they do, they probably stop when they see "Policies." Probably a tactful and friendly pointer to the policies tab would be a good idea. Is there one particular part of the policies that everyone seems to miss? If that's the case, you might want to rewrite that section. Or possibly rewrite the whole section. OR, if there's one section that's causing trouble, just summarize it in the description. "No refunds if damaged - see details in the Policies tab."

Best of luck! And if you're on Facebook, come join us in The Copywriting Coach. It's very friendly and there's lots of information available: http://www.facebook.com/groups/copywritingcoach

[Former_Member]

Thank you so much for your answer, Barbara!
Yes, I meant links in my item description. Okay, I will stop stressing about them if they don't help much with the SEO anyway.
Thanks again!

[AnExtraBlessing]

Excellent advice! This was really helpful and I've made a note of everything so I can start going through and rewriting all my descriptions (ugh!). Love that you broke down the listing into all its parts and gave a great description.

[BCCopywriting]

Sheila: Glad it was helpful! Keep us posted on your progress!

[IndianCollective]

Great tips Barbara, waiting for your advice

Thank you

[IndianCollective]

Hi Barbara, hope you had time to take a look at my shop, appreciate your advice , anything I should be doing differently?

Thanks a ton

[BCCopywriting]

TIWcompany: I seem to have missed you the first time around, and I haven't been offering critiques here for a while. I'm swamped today, but I promise to give your shop a quick look sometime soon. In the meantime, if you're on FB and would like to join the FB group, you might get a lot of useful information there: http://www.facebook.com/groups/copywritingcoach

Sorry that I missed you earlier!