Etsy search starts with a process called query matching in which it runs through listings and shows the ones that match the customer's search query. Specifically, the search looks at listing titles, tags, categories, and attributes for matches that are exactly what the customer is searching for.

After query matching, Etsy will bring up the first 1000 shops with the listing that match the query but it also takes into account the likelihood of the buyer purchasing it.

During this phase, Etsy uses a ranking system and they will take into consideration all of these factors:

Relevancy:

When tags, titles, categories, and descriptions match a customer's request. Those that match exactly will be shown higher in the searches.

Listing quality score:

This is what Etsy uses to filter out the listings a customer is less likely to click on and buy. How much interaction you’ve previously had on the items that match will determine whether or not Etsy will show your items higher in the searches. So if you haven’t had many ‘eyeballs’ and ‘clicks’ on that listing in the past then Etsy will score it as less likely a customer will buy.

Recency:

When a new listing is created, Etsy temporarily boosts it in the search results to help determine the listing's quality score. You will be scored on how many people click on it and buy it in those few hours. This will determine the placing of the item when a potential buyer is searching.

Customer and market experience score:

Each shop is given a score based on reviews, complete shop policies, and the about me section. CompletIng all sections in the Etsy store is paramount to how Etsy sees you. They value those etsy sellers who offer a full shop overview with nothing missing.

Shipping price:

Whether you charge or not for shipping you will still be treated the same by Etsy. In the past, it was suggested that by offering free delivery you would be ranked higher in searches. Etsy communitIes dispute this and after delving further into the Etsy algorithms we have seen that there is no promise you will rank higher in the searches for offering free shipping.

Shoppers' habits:

Search results are tailored for individual shoppers. What you see for a given search is not what another shopper would see. Etsy learns what buyers are interested in and shows the most relevant items they're most likely to purchase first.

Keywords, SEO & Tags

There are no perfect keywords to drive traffic. Use the Etsy search bar, Google analytics, or Pinterest to find those relevant to your item. The top searches that come up wIll be the perfect tags to use.

When finding keywords think like a buyer. What would you type into the search bar to find your item?

Remember that there are a lot of abbreviations and spellings for some words. As Etsy is a U.S. based company many people will search words like ‘personalised’ but the word ‘personalized’ is ranked higher in searches, so make sure you use both in your tags. The same goes for ‘stationery’ many people spell it ‘stationary’ so this is something to think about also.

There has been more indication recently that whatever you use in your description or title should be the same words broken up and put into your tags. You have thirteen to use so make sure you use all of them, plus you can be a little sneaky when it comes to material tags. This is another way of adding a few more.

Use your most important keywords first. The first sixty characters in your title are the most important, with the first forty shown on each listing as a shopper is browsing. If they're relevant and catch the attention of a potential buyer then you will receive a click.

Many people talk about long-tail keywords. A long-tail keyword is niching down on your item. So for example, if you were to sell a teddy bear you could just put ‘teddy bear’ in your title, but thousands of people will have the same words in their title. If you niche down and say ‘blue fluffy teddy bear for new baby’ this would be a long-tail keyword and Is better for the SEO.

Etsy Ads

There are two different types of Etsy ads, one that is budget-based (Etsy ads) and the other that is deducted upon sale (off-site ads). They are found in different areas of your shop manager.

For the Etsy ads, you give Etsy a budget to promote your products. You can choose specific listings for Etsy to advertise which is great for seasonal products like ‘Valentine’ or ‘Christmas’.

You can set a budget with this type of ad and turn it off whenever you want.

For the Etsy offsite ads, you will be automatically opted in. This is where Etsy will promote your listings on Google/Pinterest etc and charge you when you make a sale. This can be quite a chunk out of your profits so make sure you turn them off if they don’t work for you.

Top Tips

Don’t use Etsy ads for listings that don’t sell. It just doesn’t work. Etsy will look at your conversion rate and if you’re not performing well (get the 'eyeballs' with no sales) your scoring goes down.

Only advertise your best sellers!