Help! Visibility after vacation?

[Former_Member]

I read something in the forums a few weeks back about some issues with visibility after switching out of vacation mode, so I made sure to deactivate and reactivate my listings on my return. But I am still having odd visibility issues.

Before I left, I had a few necklaces on the first page for the search term 'nursing necklace' and more dotted throughout the next few pages. Now my first necklace isn't returned until the bottom of page 5. *gulp* Surely this is too much of a coincidence to conclude that all at once a bunch of other sellers upped their seo game and pushed my listings down in the search results? I've also seen myself disappear from the results on some of my relevant but less popular search terms, when I'd worked hard to have at least one listing on the first page of each.

The strange thing is, I'm still getting decent results for some of my relevant keyword phrases. So I just don't know what to make of it. I've worked hard on seo to achieve really good visibility in search for a little shop, and I'm prepared to do some more hard work on this, but before I do, I'd like to understand what's going on. Have my listings been pushed down due to lack of availability of product or recent sales? Is this something that will gradually resolve itself as sales pick up again? Is it a site glitch that I need to report and have someone look at? Or am I just lagging behind in the seo game? Can anyone shed any light?

Thanks!

[Former_Member]

Anyone?

[paizleypolkadot]

I posted a link to one of your listings and a friend of mine bought one of your necklaces! Love your shop!

[Former_Member]

I don't know when you took your vacation or how long you were gone? Have you heard about the new title and tags relevancy? It changed everything for me. I had just started making sales and they changed things and everything has gone crazy for a lot of sellers on etsy. You have to be more specific with your titles, the first 3 words are very important. They need to say what your selling then talk about the color and other descriptions or characteristics. The tags should be what it is. I had a hard time with this because I sale decorative boxes. So I would put what was on it ie..silk flower, brooch, scrapbook paper... When people type in those words and a decorative box comes up it's irritating. If I'm looking for a flower necklace, I don't want to look at a box. So lots of work to get titles and tags to be accurate. There is an article in the etsy handbook on the new SEO's. I hope this helps and I wish you the best!

Belva

[Former_Member]

Hannah, thank you - I really appreciate that! :)

Belva, thank you. I was only away a couple of weeks so I'm on top of the titles and tags relevancy stuff, but it was really nice of you to take the time to give all that info.

[GreatHat]

When did this  new title and tags relevancy kick in?  My sales have been way down this spring. Though they usually drop this time of year they fell way below last years low. yes I went  on vacation for a week in April and again in June for surgery.