How to Improve Etsy SEO: Step-by-Step Guide to Improving SEO on Etsy

Etsy is a platform bursting with opportunities for sellers, allowing you to connect with customers looking for your exact products. It’s easy to get setup and then the sales start rolling in – or so you’d hoped.

But as you’ll soon discover, there’s a bit more that goes into creating your storefront and listings in a manner that actually brings the right type of traffic to your offerings. So many sellers end up spinning their tires and never gaining any traction.

Sure, you can set up and manage an Etsy ads campaign if you’d like – in fact, we encourage you to do it! However, SEO is not something you can ignore if you want to be successful on Etsy. It’s how you generate higher profits and dominate your niche.

It doesn’t have to be stressful or overwhelming, either. We’ll walk you through how to improve Etsy SEO below, from choosing the top keywords to strategically placing them throughout your listing. With our free Etsy keyword tool, it’s easier than ever. Learn more below!

What is Etsy SEO?

Let’s start with the basics – what is SEO on Etsy in the first place? It stands for search engine optimization and refers to techniques that position your listings higher in the SERPs – or search engine results pages – so that your ideal customer can easily find your offerings.

SEO has existed on Google for decades, and the same principles apply to other search algorithms like that of Etsy, Amazon, Pinterest, you name it.

The process itself involves using relevant keywords, optimizing product titles and descriptions, building backlinks, and improving other factors that influence search rankings.

The Etsy algorithm specifically, though, more heavily weights keyword relevance, listing quality, customer reviews, and even shipping times. We’ll share tips on how to improve SEO on Etsy in just a moment – but is it even worth the effort?

Is Etsy SEO Worth it?

Yes, you should take the time to learn how to improve Etsy SEO. The benefits of selling on this platform are no longer a secret, which means the competition is stiffer than ever before. If you want to stand out, you need to go above and beyond.

Effective SEO on Etsy prevents you from getting buried beneath a sea of similar listings. Instead, you can be among the first results customers see when they’re looking for something related to what you sell.

You don’t just have to take our word for it, either. There is a clear ROI attached to improving SEO on Etsy. Think about it like this: the work you put in now will set the foundation for more organic sales (in other words, more profitable sales) down the road.

The competition on Etsy means that even advertising can be expensive, so it’s worth taking any steps possible to reduce your reliance on said ads.

Plus, fine-tuning your SEO on Etsy may even lead to more sales straight from Google as you can rank your listing on the world’s most highly trafficked search engine!

If you don’t want more traffic, more sales, and higher profits, then SEO may not be worth the work. But chances are that’s not the case, and you’re eager to do whatever you can to maximize the results you get on Etsy. So, let’s get into how to improve SEO on Etsy below!

How to Improve Etsy SEO: 11 Tips to Rank Your Listings Higher for More Profitable Sales Today!

It’s time to set yourself up for success selling on Etsy and avoid getting lost amidst the endless list of other sellers. We’ll share tips on how to improve Etsy SEO below while also maintaining best practices for actually converting visitors into buyers.

First, you need to find the best free SEO tools to streamline the process of planning and executing your strategy. Let’s start there.

Start With an Etsy-Specific Keyword Research Tool

Keywords are the search terms your ideal customers use when they’re trying to find your product. For example, if you sell cribbage boards, that would be your primary keyword, sometimes referred to as a seed keyword.

That being said, there are a seemingly countless number of variations your customers might use to find your product as well. For example, what is a long tail keyword Etsy sellers might want to include for a cribbage storefront?

Travel cribbage board
Custom cribbage board
Vintage cribbage board
Cribbage wars board
Personalized cribbage board
Antique cribbage board
Fancy cribbage board

The list goes on and on, and together, these keywords have thousands of monthly searches. So, you need a tool that helps you effortlessly uncover the right keywords for your Etsy store.

More specifically, we suggest using a tool that pulls its insights directly from the Etsy algorithm, which is unique from that of Google, Amazon, Pinterest, etc. Look no further than Keysearch!

Our free Etsy SEO tool empowers you to map out your SEO strategy with the most lucrative keywords possible. You can follow our keyword research checklist to make sure you’re prioritizing your efforts based on the optimal balance of search volume and difficulty.

You’ll want to target a mix of long-tail and short-tail keywords for your offerings, as this will help you cast a broad net while still capturing more specific searches. We have a more detailed guide on how to do Etsy keyword research if you’d like the full scoop.

That being said, using Keysearch is fairly straightforward. Enter your seed keyword and play around with the filters to find the most relevant opportunities for your specific situation. It’s 100% free to start.

The best part is you can start dominating other platforms simultaneously, expanding your reach and growing your business beyond your wildest dreams. We have similar tools for other sites:

That being said, you can also conduct keyword research another way: by seeing what keywords your competitors are targeting and incorporating them in your own storefront!

Spy on Competitors and Steal Their SEO Strategy

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Chances are there is a competitor in your niche that has already done the hard part of conducting intensive keyword research. Why do it again when you can plug in their URL and see what they’re ranking for? This saves a ton of time and guesswork.

Even if you don’t have a tool like Keysearch that supports competitor analysis, you can simply look at their product titles, descriptions, tags, and even their photos. What keywords are they using? How are they structuring their product titles? How are they writing their descriptions?

This process of reverse engineering keyword research works exceptionally well for more established niches. But, don’t simply copy and paste what others are doing. This will just lead to your storefront or listing blending in.

Instead, put a unique spin on it and see what you can do to improve it. Always use a free duplicate content checker to make sure you’re not plagiarising any of your competitors.

Map Out Your Keywords to Specific Products

One of the biggest mistakes we see users making on Etsy is using the same keywords to try and rank multiple SKUs. This is where our free keyword grouping tool comes in handy.

This prevents keyword cannibalization – where your own listings compete against each other for the same search terms. It improves the chances of each listing ranking for different keywords.

Optimize Your Product Titles for Humans and Bots

As far as what to do after keyword research, optimizing your product titles is one of the biggest levers you can pull. It’s the first thing real users will see and Etsy’s algorithm weighs the title fairly heavily as well.

More specifically, the algorithm favors titles that feature relevant keywords, while customers are drawn toward titles that pop. This is to say you need to strike a balance between appeasing search engines and humans alike!

We believe the most important keyword should always be front and center – or, in this case, the first words in the title. You can incorporate additional keywords naturally, or use the extra space to define features/benefits that customers should be aware of.

For example, instead of “Handmade Ceramic Mug, Ceramic Coffee Mug, Pottery Mug, Clay Mug,” something like “Handmade Ceramic Coffee Mug for Morning Brews & Gifts” might be more compelling while still satisfying the algorithm.

Craft Compelling Product Descriptions While Incorporating Keywords

The product description may not hold the same ranking weight as the title but it should still incorporate your target keywords naturally. This is also where you have the best chance to convert a visitor into a buyer.

The key is to include your keywords naturally throughout the description while keeping the focus on communicating benefits and features to the potential customer.

Start with a strong opening sentence that includes your main keyword while making the reader feel something. Your product solves a problem, and that should be made clear straight away.

Then, you can sprinkle in other relevant keywords as you elaborate on the more specific features, benefits, and uses of the product.

Make the Most of Etsy Tags

Etsy gives you 13 tags you can use for each product listing – these are a great opportunity to boost your SEO efforts even further. Placing your keywords here will help you show up in more search results.

It’s important to use a combination of primary keywords, long-tail keywords, and even synonyms in your tags to round out your listing. For example, here are just a few potential tags for someone who sells jewelry:

Gold necklace
Dainty necklace
Handmade jewelry
Minimalist necklace
Custom necklace
Everyday necklace
Necklace gift
Etc.

Don’t forget the value of region-specific tags if your product appeals to a certain location in particular – like “handmade in the USA” or “UK-based jewelry.”

Start Building Backlinks to Etsy Listings

So much emphasis is placed on the on-page SEO – and for good reason. This is where you can optimize your listing and easily make changes as your strategy evolves. But part of learning how to improve Etsy SEO requires an understanding of backlinks.

These are external links from a different website that direct users to your listing. They can significantly raise the authority of your storefront even though Etsy doesn’t place nearly as much weight on backlinks as Google does.

There are many ways you can get started with Etsy link building – hire a service to handle it on your behalf, collaborate with influencers, write guest blog posts, or pay other websites for it.

It’s important to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to backlinking. Links from low-quality sources can actually have the opposite intended effect and get your listings penalized.

The Role of Price in Etsy SEO

Most people don’t think about price when it comes to improving SEO on Etsy, but it actually plays a bigger role than you might think.

It makes sense when you think about it, too – Etsy is trying to provide the best user experience, and placing products that offer the best value front and center will certainly do that!

That doesn’t mean you should price your products as low as possible. You still need to make a profit after all. But, you should play around with different prices and see what drives the best balance of sales and profitability.

Keep in mind that free shipping can improve your ranking as well. You can price your products with this in mind to buffer the extra cost while still attracting more customers and making the same amount of profit per sale.

Don’t Overlook the Importance of Photos!

While photos aren’t directly tied to SEO in the way keywords are, they play a crucial role in converting clicks into sales – and this DOES play a role in Etsy SEO. Etsy’s algorithm takes click-through rate (CTR) and other engagement metrics into account.

High-quality, clear images help your listing stand out from the rest and will boost CTR. It’s worth paying a professional photographer to capture the details of your products. You can even incorporate text into your images to highlight unique selling points (USPs).

Work Towards Generating a Positive Reputation as an Etsy Seller

Etsy’s algorithm favors sellers with excellent customer service, positive reviews, and a consistent history of shipping on time. It should go without saying that doing right by your customers will go a long way in helping you enjoy long-term success on the platform.

This means you should make it easy for customers (or even potential customers) to contact you when they need help. Resolve issues quickly and encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews. This won’t just help you generate a positive reputation but could lead to repeat business!

Sometimes You Need to Pay to Play

We know you came here to learn how to improve Etsy SEO, and hopefully, the tips we’ve shared thus far have left you with a clear understanding of your next steps. At the end of the day, though, you do need to pay to play on Etsy – at least at first.

Etsy ads may not be cheap but they do help you get your products at the top of the search results. This can be powerful for new shop owners trying to generate traction early on.

Use Etsy Ads strategically by setting a budget and tracking which products perform best. You’ll gain invaluable data on which keywords are driving the most traffic and sales to your site so you can fine-tune your strategy accordingly.

Final Thoughts on How to Improve SEO on Etsy

That concludes our in-depth guide on how to improve Etsy SEO. The tactics we’ve laid out today can make a dramatic difference in growing your shop, increasing visibility, and driving more profitable sales.

From conducting thorough keyword research to optimizing your product titles, descriptions, and tags, we’ve covered everything you need to know to feel confident in how to improve SEO on Etsy. Don’t forget the importance of pricing, quality photos, and building a positive reputation.

You can learn more about how to use keywords on Etsy and how to automate keyword research in general in our blog. We have resources like what is a good keyword difficulty, benefits of long tail keywords, how to find keyword density, how to find a profitable niche, does keyword density still matter, LSI vs long tail keywords, and more. Or, see how we stack up to the competition:

From our niche finder tool to our free keyword density tool, keyword difficulty tool free, LSI tools, robots.txt generator free, long tail keyword generator, SERP simulator, and more, we present all the solutions you need to jumpstart your Etsy SEO strategy.

So, what are you waiting for? Take the first step towards maximizing your Etsy sales with our SEO toolkit today. It’s free to start and you’ll begin generating more sales in no time!

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Dan

Keysearch CEO at Keysearch

I'm the creator and CEO of Keysearch. I've been working in SEO & internet marketing for over a decade now. In that time I've created many tools aimed at helping people and businesses make the most of their internet presence. Our goal at Keysearch is to make a top of the line suite of SEO tools at an affordable price for everyone!