Are ads impacting search result to the point that they're useless?

[NashFineOldeBooks]

I just looked up an author name in the books category. What I got was 9 books and 67 other misc stuff. And the books weren't even by the searched name! What is the point? Buyers are just going to get disgusted and shop elsewhere.

[OneEyeCatStudio]

Yes. It has gotten almost impossible to shop here.

If you sort by price it cuts out a lot of the irrelevant fill, but I find it also cuts out some of the relevant listings.

It is rather astounding that you can go from 972 Search results when sorted by Most relevant,  to "we don't appear to have any of those" when sorted by Price: highest first.
So they are openly admitting to throwing 972 items at me that  ARE NOT WHAT I ASKED TO SEE. Thanks for wasting my time, Etsy.

[EtchedinTimeLLC]

I find that if I skip over the ad rows, it's a bit better.  Which is sad for those paying.  But why show me kid's birthday invitations when I'm searching for stained glass patterns?  It's just bizarre.

[BagmakerSupply]

@NashFineOldeBooks: A very simplistic answer is that a listing must first qualify to be shown for the query (what the algorithm considers to match the query is a different issue), then things like listing and shop quality scores and the listing's historical conversion are considered. For ad slots Etsy essentially holds an 'auction' selecting the listings that they think will generate the most revenue for them.

Due to "personalized searches" there are many many factors that affect listing placement and the relative weight of each factor probably changes constantly. Even exact word matches to your query no longer ensure that a listing will appear on page 1. Etsy is proud of the fact that they provide search results which they think you will actually purchase regardless of what you actually searched for.

If the majority of people who searched for blue widgets eventually purchased purple plush avocados instead, you can bet your search results for blue widgets will be skewed heavily toward the avocados.

[NashFineOldeBooks]

I'm totally disgusted. So a one-of a- kind, unique item would have no historical conversion rate and therefore would get buried?

[PlatypusDream]

@NashFineOldeBooks 

Your unfinished shop definitely impacts your items' placement in search results. 

https://www.etsy.com/legal/policy/search-advertisement-recommendation/899478564529

[bohemians]

Personally, I believe Etsy search is designed this way. Google gives better Etsy results, and Etsy ends up with a higher percentage of the sale.

So many times I've given up searching for specific things on Etsy, so I resort to Google for a wider search and the 'right' Etsy results are there every time.

[GroundZeroCreations]

I never start my search on Etsy as it is a waste of time! I hate, hate, hate it when I need a specific thing and even after going through pages of search results there are only a few of the thing I am actually searched for shown. I too start my search on Google most of the time. But I think Etsy designed it this way so they are pushing people to Google search. Remember, if a buyer comes from Google search, Etsy is going to make an additional 12-15% commission on offsite ads fees

[PlatypusDream]

I put "Simplicity 1234" into the search engine to see what came up.

685 results came up.

The first row is a "plant mama" t shirt (I have never searched for, or bought, or sold POD on here), an IP infringing Disney Elsa t shirt for kids (I don't have kids or ever shop for kids), and two Simplicity 1234 patterns.

The rest of the page is populated by sewing patterns, but not necessarily Simplicity patterns, and definitely not the exact number 1234 I was looking for.

When I sort for "lowest price" the number of results is 56 items.

One of them is Butterick 6047, another Simplicity 1262... lots of non-matches but no more t-shirts.

Etsy doesn't understand sewing patterns, that's for sure!

[SpottedOctopusShop]

I'm starting to think ads are counterproductive in that they increase views but not purchases, especially if the wrong thing is being shown in search, so the conversion rate goes down and lowers the advertised item in search.