SEO Writing Tips for PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS

[BCCopywriting]

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.

[KatrinaLoganJewelry]

Excellent points, I have a lot of homework to do. Thank you!

[Former_Member]

I'm glad you mentioned spelling and grammar.

In general, few things bother me about listings. I don't care about alternate spellings (theater, theater; color, colour; etc.). I can almost forgive poor grammar. I overlook run-on sentences; I don't approve of them, but can ignore that structure. But, misspellings irritate me. More so now that word processors have spellcheckers that reach into emails and across most linked devices.

Thank you for the mention.

[BCCopywriting]

DKendra: You bring up a good point about spelling - so easy to check! But what's really been interesting to me is finding out that accurate language makes for better SEO! Google and other search engines have become highly intelligent, and are always on the lookout for low-quality content. No one knows exactly how they do it, but we're always better off with clear, accurate writing that follows the rules. Not only is it easier and more comfortable for buyers to read and understand, but we can be confident that we're doing our best to rate high with outside search engines. Thanks for your comment!

[BCCopywriting]

Katrina: Glad it was helpful! We're here if you have questions while updating.

[Former_Member]

Barbara, you're welcome. I've always noticed English missteps. I might not be aware what it is that's niggling, but I know it's there. It used to bother my classmates, until they realized that I aced spelling and grammar in tests. Then, they started asking me for help!

Maybe I should have been an English tutor instead of a crafter and burgeoning copywriter.

I don't always notice auto-correct, however. My Kindle decided, after I hit send (of course!), that "theatre" wasn't acceptable. My spellchecker doesn't like it much (squiggly red line), but it isn't automatically changing it, either. Sometimes, auto-correct is such a PiTA!

[BCCopywriting]

:) I can relate. I've got that thing where my eye is drawn immediately to a typo and sometimes other types of errors. I see them everywhere! I tell people it's like a musician with perfect pitch going into a room where all the musicians are playing instruments that aren't tuned properly. The musicians might be excellent themselves - superb players, well trained, lots of spirit and vision - but if the instrument isn't tuned, then what comes out is less than appealing. So it's just a question of tuning. We can all do that with a little guidance.

[IndianCollective]

New to digital marketing, I'm still trying to get the hang of SEO. Should I hire help? I feel my shop goes unnoticed and very little traffic. Barbara, what should I do?

[BCCopywriting]

TIW company: Sorry to hear you've having a slow start with you shop. I just took a quick look, and the shop looks beautiful! At first glance, the writing looks good, too. It's late here. Let me take a closer look tomorrow (Thurs) and I'll see if I have some suggestions for you.

[Former_Member]

Hi Barbara, I've been following your previous advice (to the best of my rather limited ability!) and changed my product description as you suggested. Could you have another quick look and see if it's improved enough? I haven't had time to update the pictures or hooks, but I have re-written all the information about the knobs. I appreciate you are a very busy lady, but also a very talented one - hence the cry for help! Thank you in advance.

[BCCopywriting]

Cormeen Home Decor: Wow! You did a fabulous job! I'm so excited! Your openers on the knobs are really fun and definitely hit the high points! Great job!

One suggestion from the SEO standpoint. For "Set of 6 Light Blue Daisy Ceramic Knobs, Kitchen Cabinet Pulls, Kitchen Drawer Knobs, Kitchen Hardware, Kitchen Cupboard Knobs, Blue Flower." The title says "kitchen hardware," but in the first paragraph uses "cabinet hardware." Which of these phrases is the most searched phrase? Use that phrase in both the title and the description. You need to have an exact match to maximize the value of your SEO. If they're close, and you don't know which to choose, pick one for the title and then use both in the description. I haven't looked closely at the other listings, but go through and check. (If you aren't sure about the SEO aspect, and need advice, you can ask Mary or check some of the other threads for tips and resources.) Keep going - it all looks great!

[ElizabethanRuby]

Thank you, another great post from this team.
I've started changing mine after the Etsy Myths thread. It takes ages but I think it's paying off as March has been good so far for me.
I can now understand the storyline/description need to have the same keywords, do they have to be in the same order though?
It's quite an art to try and get them to read naturally!

[BCCopywriting]

tiw Company: I took a closer look at your lovely shop today. Overall, I think your photos and descriptions are very good. However, I did have a few suggestions. At quick glance, the SEO phrases also look good, but maybe get an SEO shop critique from Mary. Or sign up for one professionally to get a complete one-on-one critique.

1) Make sure to fill out all your sections, including your personal bio (which is what appears when someone clicks on your name under your photo). That can be found under "You" and "Account Settings." Etsy search favors shops with all their sections filled out.

2) I'm wondering if you might be having issues with shipping costs and time. You have a lot of competition, and your items aren't that expensive, so the shipping costs look high by comparison. Not sure how to approach that. Possibly raise your prices (your items do look high quality) and then lower your shipping costs. Same income to you, but it might come across as more appealing to buyers.

3) This isn't affecting anything, but commas should be used as shown in this sentence. The comma follows the last word in the phrase immediately, then there's a space.

4) As Mary is always pointing out, sales history is a big part of Etsy search, so all new shops are faced with the annoying challenge of having to make sales to get sales. The only consolation is that you're not alone. Every newcomer has to face this hurdle.

So try researching your SEO again to make sure your optimizing for both Etsy and outside search engines to get more traffic. Also, you might need to work harder on outside marketing such as social media in order to start stimulating sales in other ways. Best of luck to you!

[BCCopywriting]

Tina: Glad this information has been helpful! In answer to your question: No, your SEO phrases in the description don't need to be in the same order as they appear in your title. However, the words within the phrases themselves do. (For example, "red beaded purse" should appear as "red beaded purse" in both places. Not "beaded red purse.") The only exception is that your top one or two best SEO phrases should appear at the beginning of your title and also in the first paragraph of your description. The rest of the SEO phrases can go into your description anywhere.

[ElizabethanRuby]

Thank you Barbara.

[Former_Member]

Thank you for taking time to give me feedback ... I will check my titles and descriptions match. This SEO side of things is the most difficult part for me.

[Former_Member]

TIW,

Your Etsy shop is very new with few sales. It takes time for a new shop to be found and seen on Etsy,

The keywords in the listings should be researched to find the keywords that shoppers are using when they search for items like yours. SEO is a long slow process for new shops but the process does have to start with keywords that are popular with shoppers.

[MicheleBeyerQuilting]

Hi Barbara, Thank you for so much great information. During spring break next week (without my sewing machine) I will be putting all this info to work. Here is my question:

If a shopper searches for "handmade baby quilt". Should this full phrase be a tag or does it pick up on the separate words? Is it redundant to use the tags:
handmade
baby
quilt
baby quilt
handmade quilt
handmade baby quilt

Thanks for your help
Michele

[BCCopywriting]

Michele: Glad the information has been useful! Regarding tags, etc.: You don't need to repeat single words that have already been used in a larger phrase. So "handmade baby quilt" covers "handmade," "baby," and "quilt." It also covers "handmade baby," (that's obviously not important) and "baby quilt." But note that it does NOT cover "handmade quilt." Only shorter phrases that mirror the exact order of the original.

[BuffaloGalVintage]

Thank Ya Kindly,
Time to get a move on it! Come along Lil Tagies!

[AhUmDesign]

I'm also struggling to understand whether to use phrases or single words. I keep reading that phrases are better so that's mostly what I have in my keywords but they don't match exactly with my titles because I didn't have enough room - though they are very similar.

I also repeat the word "art" (I sell printable wall art) in several keyword phrases. Is that not good? I'm feeling pretty lost with the SEO and I'm getting virtually no views at all :(

[ThePassionatePearl]

Thank you so much Barbara for the very thorough list. My question: when you have a phrase in your title that doesn't fit in the tags, do you have to put the words side by side or it doesn't matter in your tags. I.e. "Freshwater pearl earrings" you would have to use one tag "freshwater pearl" and then another one "Pearl earrings". Do they have to be written one after the other in the list of tags. I always wonder about that. Without this team and your help Mary, I would not be selling much on Etsy. I will always be grateful. Thank you 🌟

[BCCopywriting]

Jeanne: Happy to hear that you've been able to use this information! As far as the tags go: Yes, you do need to keep the same order of words for best results. Exactly as you've suggested above with "freshwater pearl earrings."

[BCCopywriting]

AhUmDesign: Single words reach a much larger audience since they're so general. Like "earrings," or "art." Literally millions of people search on those terms daily so how many of those people are going to come to your particular shop? And how many will even see your shop in the results? If you add a word, say "wall art," you've narrowed the audience down a lot, PLUS the people who see you are already interested in wall art, PLUS you've got a better chance of being seen in search results for "wall art." Add another term, say "romantic wall art," and now you're filtering for exactly the sorts of people who are already looking to purchase that specific type of item. And you have an even better chance of being seen by people who are searching for "romantic wall art."

So with longer phrases, you'll be "speaking to" fewer people, but all of those people will already be 90% on their way to a purchase.

The trick, of course, is to find out which of those longer phrases buyers are actually using in their search bars to find items like yours. That's where the SEO tools come in.

Note: Repeating a particular word in multiple phrases is perfectly OK.

Hope this helps!

[AhUmDesign]

Thanks so much Barbara! Yes, the struggle is trying to figure out the right words... I've only gotten views twice from searches and they both had colors in them so I know that is good to have but unfortunately it only works for my items that are a single color.

Lots of trial and error I guess.

Thanks again for all your time!