Etsy Search Still Broken?

[AlexiBlackwellBridal]

I just did a search for Vintage Austria Earrings Green, and you know what I got? Bowls and vases in blue and red, clothes dress and blouses in white, glass trays and a few vintage brooches.... then a pair of green earrings showed up amongst other items and colors. Very few Vintage Austria Earrings in Green (fyi these are not rare).

SEARCH DOESN'T WORK!

[NancyQstudio]

I agree that Etsy search is a problem.  I was thrilled to find a seller here in the forums who sells exactly what I've been looking for.  Her work never showed up for me in Etsy searches which is disappointing and odd.  But, Etsy may be working on this.  Some sellers have been reporting lower views and visits but higher profits.  This may indicate Etsy is attempting to narrow a targeted shopper down.  Hopefully it improves.  

[NobleEstates]

They only way I can ever get search to return items that are remotely in the right category of what I'm looking for is to sort by price.  Then -- SOMETIMES -- a bit of the nonsensical results get weeded out.  BUT, if there is a result that appears in the first general search that looks to be the right thing it is often GONE when I do the sorting.  A frustrating process to be sure!

[CuriosityCabinet]

I agree. I always sort by price and it helps. But we shouldn't have to do that! Search here sucks.

[PoochandTabby]

I copied and pasted that search term and I got ...earrings and earring and necklace or earrings and brooch sets.

Majority vintage in the title. I also got a few Austrian earrings that weren't green and I got Austrian green gem findings.

Nothing but jewelry for the first 4 pages I looked at. It also gave me another search phrase to click on, which I did, for a different set of options, again nothing but earrings and sets: Showing Austria Earrings Green in vintage. Search instead for Vintage Austria Earrings Green in all items. 

It gave me all the listings with terrible photos as well, not just the properly photographed items. It worked for me. 

[TandemElementsShop]

after you get your search results, try sorting the results by something. i like to sort by "newest". after you sort, the results are usually a better match to what you were looking for.

[AlexiBlackwellBridal]

Thanks for the info, but why do we need to go through all that to search for products on the Etsy platform?  Do you think our customers know this? Do you think a customer would take the time to do all that, if they even knew how to do it? NO! If search was working as, it should, we wouldn't need to go jumping through hoops! 

[NanaLetha]

@AlexiBlackwellBridal  I get better search results by using Google and adding the word Etsy.

[AlexiBlackwellBridal]

In other words, you get better search results for Etsy products by searching other platforms OFF of Etsy? Bad ... really bad. Search on Etsy is broken

[LaRenaissanceGirl]

I wonder if that workaround is how a lot of people are getting hit with offsite ad fees...

In which case, it might be deliberate on Etsy’s part

[NancyQstudio]

@LaRenaissanceGirl I doubt it.  Etsy'd make more from gaining sales directly through their site search system.   It's likely due to poor programing.  But, Etsy seems to be very proud of their programming which means it works for their needs.  So that's just my personal opinion of it.  

[NanaLetha]

@AlexiBlackwellBridal  Yes, that's exactly what I mean. I think Etsy search works exactly as the coders intend it to work. They think a potential buyer searching for blue earrings, will be swayed into buying a brown scarf instead!

[AlexiBlackwellBridal]

LOL! Yes, that is Etsy thinking. If I search for Blue Earrings, I get Brown scarves from Etsy search. It is truly laughable, when you aren't feeling frustrated. LOL! Good one

[ArtDollsbyJD]

Butting in here but I have never had a search that resulted in such disperate results except in instances upon investigation show that the seller is using terms not related to their item.

Cannot forget there are sellers that try to game the system and use tags not related to their item. 

Also sellers have a tendency to create another problem by editing a listing for an entirely new item instead of using copy.  Sometimes the system does not catch that the listing is changed and shows the previous edits.  It's a known glitch which is hard to solve because it doesn't happen often enough. 

[TandemElementsShop]

you didn't ask for an editorial or i might have included all of these side points clearly it's not ideal, i was just trying to help you find what you were looking for

Thanks for the info, but why do we need to go through all that to search for products on the Etsy platform?  Do you think our customers know this? Do you think a customer would take the time to do all that, if they even knew how to do it? NO! If search was working as, it should, we wouldn't need to go jumping through hoops! 

[AlexiBlackwellBridal]

Thank you for your input. Buyers are not going to spend all day trying to figure out the Etsy algorithm and all its craziness. We are frustrated as sellers, can you imagine how frustrated buyers are

[BeaconwoodDettman]

@AlexiBlackwellBridal Question: If you search for "Vintage Saltines Tin", what do you see?

I just tried it and while there are some weird things mixed in (a handkerchief, a bean pot, a piece of quartz), the majority of what I see on the first page are vintage saltines tins. I also tried on my phone and while the results are different, I still see vintage saltines tins.

[ArtDollsbyJD]

I tried the search for the tin  and the results were about 80% tins with a few other things related thrown in.

I use a browser and kindle predominately.  

[AlexiBlackwellBridal]

I got Saltine Tins in my search. That is such a unique niche maybe that is why. But search did work for your tins!

[ArtDollsbyJD]

I just did your search and the first page that was returned to me are all earring with a couple that have a necklace or brooch.

Not getting anything else.

Search isn't the best but it is a lot better than many sites out there.  Works for me. 

[BagmakerSupply]

@AlexiBlackwellBridal: "Etsy Search Still Broken?" The answer depends on who you ask. According to Etsy, it is working the way they want it to.

You need to give up on the concept of Etsy search providing the results that you expect. 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 title no longer ensure that you 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.

[AlexiBlackwellBridal]

If this is true no wonder Etsy is in trouble, their stock is in the toilet and sellers are leaving the platform. I need to give up on the concept of Etsy search providing the results that I as a buyer expect? If this is true, Etsy thinking, they are assuming they are superior, know what is best and buyers should become psychic ESP operators as that is the only way they can know how to shop on the Etsy platform. Laughable and so arrogant if that is what Etsy thinks buyers want.

[FallenAngelBrass]

I entered "vintage Austrian green earrings" and got a page full of vintage looking earrings, all with green in them.  There's one green necklace toward the bottom.  I dunno how Etsy can give such vastly different search results, but mine were exactly what I typed into the search bar. 

[MouseGarden]

I dislike the way Etsy will put into my search all sorts of things I previously looked at instead of what I am currently looking for.

They don't see it as broken, which is the problem.  They need to let people use the boolean search where you can use plus or minus to refine search.  Possibly people are getting good results or bad results because Etsy is testing on accounts, and because the more niche items are rare with few or no results so Etsy stuffs irrelevant items into search to pad it out.

The advertised stuff is often the most irrelevant.

[AlexiBlackwellBridal]

Well said and this is the most likely situation. Thank you for your insight!