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.

[IndianCollective]

Thanks Barbara and Mary for your advice and help, really appreciated

[IndianCollective]

Hi Barbara. Please take a look at my shop and give me advice on SEO. am I going on the right track. Thanks

[BCCopywriting]

tiw company: Just took a quick look at your shop. You carry some extremely interesting items, very beautiful, and a lot of the photos are great. To be seen by potential buyers in searches, however, you'll need to work on your SEO to discover which phrases buyers out there are typing into their search bars to find items like yours. Unless your titles and the language throughout your shop match up with those phrases, you'll never show up in results, and therefore will never be seen by shoppers. If you want to connect with buyers who would be interested in your lovely items, then you'll need to find those SEO phrases. Use the information provided in this team, or even consider hiring some expert SEO help.

The other area where improvements would be beneficial is in the overall focus of your sales writing (the copy) in your shop. These days, talking about ourselves isn't really going to make sales. What we need to do is really understand our buyers and tell them what THEY want to hear. What are they interested in? What sorts of information are they looking for? What are they going to do with these items? What value are these items going to provide for them? Unless buyers feel that their own interests are being addressed, they won't feel comfortable spending money.

Obviously, time and space are short here, but I hope these few comments help. Both Mary and I offer professional services, and also have Facebook groups that help with SEO, marketing, and copywriting. The links are on the main page of this team, in the left hand column.

Best of luck to you!

[IndianCollective]

Hi Barbara,
Thank you so much for your advice, I really need to get to work on SEO then. Would have to get help from you.

[PetPortraitDrawing]

Hi Barbara. Please take a look at my shop^_^

[BCCopywriting]

Tania: Sorry, this is an old thread. The most recent post was just to catch up on an old request. Unfortunately, my schedule doesn't permit shop critiques at this time. However, you might consider joining The Copywriting Coach on Facebook. It's a free group, lots of ongoing help. Today is Wednesday Critiques - lottery style submissions with several short critiques later today. http://www.facebook.com/groups/copywritingcoach

If I don't see you there - best of luck to you!

[Former_Member]

Awesome!!
Thank you! Thank you!
I will apply these tips immediately!
Time to get to work!

[Former_Member]

Excellent tips.
I have learned just by reading, and now must continue to implement!
I have also joined your Facebook group and need to make the time to go there and learn also......

[CuriousCatVintage]

Hi Barbara. The link to the copywriting FB group doesn't seem to work.

[BCCopywriting]

June: Hmmm. It seems to be working now. Were you on mobile? Possibly there was some sort of FB glitch at the exact moment you clicked before? In any case, here's the full link again. See if this works better for you: http://www.facebook.com/groups/copywritingcoach - Thanks for mentioning it!

[CuriousCatVintage]

I was on the desktop, but now I can get in.
Thanks!!

[SheridanArt1]

This is all absolutely fantastic and interesting. Like the comment from Katrina I also have a lot of homework to do, but Thank you for all the information

[Former_Member]

Hi Barbara, I opened my Etsy shop since Dec 2015 and were 15 items. Now I have 40 items. More items will upload soon. I got 18 sales and low traffic. I have been trying to promote my esty shop and listing on social media like facebook, twitter and pinterest in order to more views and sales. But nothing much so far. I have joined some other facebook groups for Etsy promotion so that I can post or share my items. After that I have received mostly favorited my items. I don't care but I want to get more sales.

And then I changed the product title, a bit improved product description and good images as you suggested. Please take a look at my shop. Is there something wrong or give me advice for SEO?

I have also joined your facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/copywritingcoach) and waiting for your approval. :)

[BCCopywriting]

Hi, Farhana! I see you've joined the group. That's great! There will be tons of information and help available there. We do critiques on Wednesdays, by lottery usually (everyone signs up and one shop is chosen at random). We also have ongoing discussions, some peer review help, social media interaction, and more. Plus, you can always look into professional that's available through my shop.

For SEO help, I highly recommend Mary's group, if you haven't already joined: http://www.facebook.com/groups/seosalongroup

For promotion, if you haven't already joined, we have a growing group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/etsyplusbazaar

Hope to see you there. Best of luck with your shop!

[Former_Member]

Incredibly happy that I ran across the link for this team in forums! Will definitely be joining the Facebook groups as well. I think I'm generally going in the right direction with my shop, but it would be great to get some feedback and know for sure. I already know my photos need work, I'm trying to do the best I can with my tablet until I can borrow a decent camera. Unfortunately some of the items I only have a picture I took before they were gifted or that the recipient took at some point after to work with. Thank you for all the time and energy you've put into your advice.

[Former_Member]

thanks

[PlantTreesUS]

🎄 Thank you 🎄

[KeepsakesStudio]

This is a "once=and-for-all" kind of question re: punctuation.

This morning I noticed that someone had searched in my children's patterns for girls "size 10-12". Curious about that I did a quick search myself and found there were actually far more patterns that fit that criteria than what showed on my search. So I tried to match the title, tags, and descriptions up and did another search. Unfortunately, I am even more confused.

Was it the way the search itself was written "10-12", or because I put commas between sizes, or because some of the patterns are listed for example, "8 - 10 - 12" or "8, 10, 12" or "8 10 12"? I went through most of the vintage patterns and changed the tags, titles, and descriptions to match up, without any punctuation. But will that help me when someone searches for a range of sizes using punctuation that does not conform to what we have been told to use?

Hope this is not confusing. But this is vital for those of us selling items with sizes listed, either as sm med lrg, etc. or numerically.

Thank you!

[BCCopywriting]

Hi, MaryAnne! This is definitely a question for the SEO experts. These technical details are outside my area of expertise. Feel free to "create a thread" and ask there. I'm sure someone can help you. Best of luck with your question and your shop!

[KeepsakesStudio]

Thanks Barb! I will go ahead and do that on this team. I'll just cut and paste.

[Former_Member]

Thank you for the advices. I treat to follow those kind of tips but i have few views per day and only 2 sales in about a month... can somebody check some of my items to see what im doing wrong? Thanks!

[GizmoandHooHa]

In your top points you say to list only the actual materials in the Materials section, because search engines ignore this information. Does it hurt to include other information?
I have gone back and forth with including the phrase "Mobile Shoppers Please See Item Details", because Materials are readily visible on a mobile device. A customer has to know to click on the "Item Details" to see the complete description. I often get convos asking for basic information that is included in the description when people are shopping on their phones.

[Former_Member]

Martha,

You can put other information in the Materials section if you like. Doing this is not ideal but it would serve a good purpose.

My SEO Team is not very active. I am inviting you to join my very active, very helpful FREE SEO Salon Group on Facebook where you can get a lot of help and advice quickly: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SEOSalonGroup/

[Former_Member]

Hey there, i need some help and i hope it is the right place to ask-

i have an item description about panties that i am selling, and it i s already long... i dont want to make it longer but i have more information that i want to give about "how to choose the right size".
i wrote it in a separate file, and i wonder how - tecnicly - it is possible to join it to the description, like a link ?
will it be the best way?
and then, how should i write it, and where?
thanks for advices!!
have a great day :)

[Former_Member]

Hi, I want to ask some questions about DESCRIPTION.

Description writing - how to avoid GOOGLE PANDA :) and new ETSY SEO
I want to ask about such like these items (my other shop link - just example):
https://www.etsy.com/listing/493683825
https://www.etsy.com/listing/493682411

for every item I have one listing. Now I have 7 listings, but I could have omg - 20 or more. And when I listed these items - I just copy and changed just photos.

My question is:
how much these item must be individual be to avoid new Etsy SEO or Google SEO (avoid GOOGLE low quality pages status). Is it enough to change about 150 symbols? If I will delete some sentences from description - does it will make different?

Also I'm using the same end of my listing - it takes about half 2/3 of description content - does it a good practice?


Ramune