Standing out on Etsy, a platform filled with millions of sellers, can be challenging. Whether you’re selling handmade crafts, vintage finds, or unique supplies, getting noticed requires more than just attractive products. To thrive, you need effective search engine optimization (SEO), and one of the most powerful strategies for boosting your SEO is keyword diversification and using broadly relevant keywords in your listing's title and tags.
Why keywords diversification matters on Etsy
Etsy’s search algorithm relies heavily on keywords to match buyers with relevant products. By using the right keywords, you increase the chances of your listings appearing in search results, which leads to more visibility and sales. However, many sellers make the mistake of sticking to a narrow set of keywords, limiting their reach. When you diversify your keywords, you expand your potential audience, reduce competition, and increase your chances of getting discovered by more buyers.
Strategies to diversify keywords on Etsy
Let’s explore actionable strategies you can use to implement this in your Etsy shop.
1) Combine broadly relevant and specific keywords
Mixing broadly relevant and specific keywords helps you reach a wider audience while also targeting niche markets. For example, if you sell dresses, you can use a broadly keyword like “women dress” along with specific ones like “white cotton dress” or “ maxi evening dress with buttons.”
Start by brainstorming all possible terms that describe your product. Then, use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Etsy’s search bar suggestions, and keyword research tools like eRank to identify popular keywords in your niche.
2) Try to include synonyms and related keywords
Different buyers may use different terms to describe the same product. For example, one person might search for “baby blanket,” while another might use “infant blanket.” By incorporating synonyms and related terms, you can reach a broader audience.
Think about all the different ways people might describe your product. If you sell handmade pottery, consider keywords like “ceramic,” “clay,” or “stoneware.”
3) Use seasonal and trend-based keywords
Adding seasonal and trend-based keywords can give your shop a significant boost, especially during peak shopping seasons. For example, during the winter holiday season, keywords like “Christmas gifts,” “holiday decor,” or “stocking stuffers” can help your listings rank higher in search results.
Stay updated with trends by monitoring social media, Etsy’s trending searches, and Etsy blogs. Regularly update your listings with seasonal and trend-based keywords to attract more buyers searching for specific items at certain times of the year. Use this strategy at least month and half before the peak season searchers and add the trend based keywords as soon as possible so the algorithm can index the new changes a lot quicker.
How to do it?
If you already put your basic keywords into place, now its time to add a few relevant seasonal, trend-based or broadly relevant keywords into your listings and try to rank your items on different searches, especially if the peak season for your shop is coming up. If you add 3 new phrases in 100 listings, you will have 300 more unique phrases in your store, which is the goal.
Lets assume that your top/mid performing listings recently are seeing a drop both in traffic and orders - check the search terms for this listing and you can keep the search terms that are bringing traffic and replace the others that do not.
Have a quick check into listing search terms - that's what you want to look at.
At this point it's very difficult to figure out which words are highly searched - Etsy doesn't share this information with anyone and the information eRank provides for this can be highly misleading - you can find attached a screenshot from their website about this.
What we recommend is to include as many broadly relevant phrases as possible.
When you scroll down of your listings you will find tabs for related searches to your item. If you like those under your listings, you can use them in your tags / titles - but don't worry that your SEO efforts will "change" them, these are simply buttons that customers can click if they don't like your product so they can go back to the search results
This is a good example that people don't necessarily "type in" their search terms - they just often click on links on Etsy and land on search results. Мaybe they don't even know what "Keelan Scott Furniture" is and they will just click out of curiosity - that's why it's beneficial to include broadly relevant keywords.
Most visitors don't care about absolutely precise keywords, e.g. it's very rare that someone can get "confused" by SEO - they look at your pictures, prices, etc. to decide if they want to buy.
Still, if you a key phrase looks broadly relevant, but you think it may be confusing in some way, you can add it only to the tags - so there is no confusion in the title;
One of the general philosophies is "don't discriminate keywords", try to show up in as many relevant searches as possible. If you want to target audiences that look for coffee tables, all phrases in this semantic group are good to have. if you want to target audiences that look for floor lamps, all phrases in this semantic group are good to have.
Of course, you can try with very short titles for some of your listings and then see how it works for you. The big mantra of Etsy SEO is try, try, try and experiment.
To wrap it up
To stand out on Etsy and boost your shop’s visibility, diversifying your keywords is essential. Instead of relying on a narrow set of keywords, expand your reach by combining broadly relevant and specific keywords, incorporating synonyms, and adding seasonal or trend-based phrases. By doing so, you can attract a wider audience, reduce competition, and increase your chances of being discovered by potential buyers. Regularly update your listings with these diversified keywords, experiment with different strategies, and continuously refine your approach. Success on Etsy comes from adapting to trends, optimizing your SEO, and consistently trying new tactics to maximize your shop’s potential.
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