Can someone please explain these few things to me.

[Former_Member]

I read this from the Etsy SEO guide and I dont understand it.

"One of the most important on-page SEO factors is keyword usage and targeting. In order to successfully optimize your shop for search engines, keyword research (see the section below for in-depth information) must be used and a keyword or keywords set as the target for each page. These keywords should not be duplicated across multiple pages on the website, but instead exist primarily on the targeted page."

So what are they saying, " Should not be duplicated across multiple pages on the website, but instead exist primarily on the targeted page"????


Also I went to another Etsy sellers page that is doing rather well. I notice that in their tags the words in the title was repeated in part,(example: say candle was in the title they would put scented candle instead of just candle in the tag and also candle was not repeated again in the tags) teams was also listed in their tags and their shop name was listed in the title. Got me? Is this the right direction of titles and tags?

I am sorry for all the questions but I feel like this game of tags and titles is a game that everyone eles knows the rules for and I don't. Its getting frustrating! :-(

[heartsabustin]

To answer what I think you're asking - yes, repeat words from your titles in your tags. These should be the most important words you would use to find an item like yours.

The team tags probably have to do with treasury teams. I tag with my shop because of the way the search bar is set up now, but I don't put it in my title. The first sentence of your description should also be keyword-heavy. Google picks up the first 160 characters of your description.

And finally, mix your words up a bit. If you use purple a lot, go to www.Thesaurus.com and get synonyms for purple - I get a lot of hits that way.

[Former_Member]

I think what the article is saying is that you should have one set of targeted key words per item, and don't try to add the same key words to every item you have, b/c that will water down your results, so to speak.

So, if you sell small plaid hair bows, and large red hair bows, you shouldn't try to keyword both listings with hair accessories, b/c that's much less specific. Instead, you could target the small plaid hair bows with "small plaid bows" or "small hair bows" ... and the larger ones as "large red hair bows" or "large hair bows" or "red hair bows".

I think the basic idea is to be really specific, b/c the more you generalize, the less usefull your keywords become. If you target for "hair accessories" , someone might find you like that, but they might not be looking for bows. They might be looking for hair ties, or tiaras, or fascinators. In other words, your SEO efforts are wasted. But, if someone searches for "small plaid bow" and they find your listing, it's exactly what they were looking for, and they're much more likely to actually buy your product.

By using different sets of key words on different listings, you have an opportunity to get more views to your shop, from buyers who are looking for exactly what you offer.

Does that make sense? I hope it does, it made sense in my mind! Hope it helps!!

[Former_Member]

Thankyou both...I am going to read this again but I think I get what you are saying.

I am so determined to get this, not only for the success of my shop but hopefully one day I can help someone eles who may be confused too. ty again

[AnneLondezGlass]

That's interesting Kat. I just wonder how I can use different keywords for each product when all I'm selling is handmade glass beads.

[hydeandstitched]

I wonder if this is a non-etsy SEO technique or something specifically penned for Etsy. I know with google, if you say "cheese" fifty times in a row on a website you are dropped in ranking if you only say "cheese" ten times throughout the page.

Speaking from experience, I have no issue with repetition. If you search "leather sketchbook" I dominate a large portion of the first few pages, and I repeat the same title and tags for almost all of my items.

[Former_Member]

I think it's OK to repeat keywords across listings, I think the idea is to make your main target different for every listing (if your listings are really different... if they're really the same, using the same key words should be fine).

For example, using "Small Plaid Bow for Little Girls" as the title, then using "Small plaid bows look so cute on little girls..." as your first sentance in the discription, then using "small plaid bows" as one tag would mean that "small plaid bows" is the most important key word phrase for that particular listing.

You can still use secondary keywords that are less specific. Those would come later in the title, later in the description, and as the rest of your 14 tags. But remember, these are secondary. You're really optimizing the listing for the phrase "small plaid bows".

Using one keyword in the first three words of the title, and a different key word in the description waters down the 'relevency' of those key words. Likewise, only using general keywords, without optimizing the listing for one specific/targeted key word phrase waters down your results as well.

*You Should repeat key words on the same page*. That's how Google and Etsy know what the page is really about. But if you're using the same general keywords across several listings, without a specific target phrase, you probably won't get the best results possible.

[hydeandstitched]

Well said. I do a mix of both, all of my listings have similar titles and tags with room for a variation for color or style keywords. "Black Sketchbook" or "Rustic Journal" but always "leather journal" and "leather sketchbook"

[Former_Member]

Thanks for the info. I would love a look into my shop to help me optimize. The stats are for my shop that every one person out of 39 actually ends up buying from me. Poor stats!

[Former_Member]

Kat, Thank You very much for your detailed answers. I feel like a light bulb just went off and I now understand the link between titles, tags and key words. Thank you again!