If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from my time selling on Etsy, it’s that having my items being shown to people in search results is incredibly important. You can have the most beautiful products in your shop, but if they aren’t being seen it doesn’t even matter. The steps that I’ve outlined in this post are the techniques that I use to show up in Etsy search. It’s the key to having a successful shop and making money on Etsy!

How to show up in Etsy search

One of the main factors for being shown in Etsy search results is the keywords for your items and where you place them.

I’ve been selling on Etsy for close to 10 years now and I’ve managed to remain visible in Etsy search results for the entire time, mostly because of the simple set of rules that I follow when listing my items. It takes time and work but can be worth it.

Keyword Selection

Selecting the best keywords for your Etsy listings is one of the most important things that you can do and a primary way for how to show up in Etsy search. Just in case you’re brand new to this, and unfamiliar with what a keyword even is–it’s a word or set of words that your potential buyers would use to search for your items.

You should try to choose one broad keyword, and one more detailed, long-tail keyword phrase for each item that you sell. And you’ll use both of them throughout the listing.

The broad keyword should be easy. Choose the 1 or 2 words that best describe your item.

Once you have that keyword, you just need the more detailed keyword. It will be a longer set of words, probably more like 3 or 4 words that describe your item.

Keep in mind that one or both of these keywords/keyword phrases may change for every single item that you list. Depending on what you sell, you may end up using your broad keyword for many of your items. It’s your long-tail keyword phrase that is most likely to change quite often.

Also, be sure that the words make sense when read together. DO NOT just pick a few words that describe your item and string them together. You want it to sound like proper language and something that you might actually say out loud.

So how do you find the ones that will get you found?

Etsy search box

One of the easiest ways to get keyword ideas for your listing is to go to the Etsy search box and begin typing your main, broad keyword for the item.

As you’re typing, a list will drop down of recent and commonly searched terms. If you choose something from this list as your longer, more detailed keyword, there’s a good chance that you’ll have success with it.

Etsy Stats Page

Your Etsy stats page is a great place to get information on how your shop is being found, and how you can expand upon that. This technique is obviously only useful if you have an existing shop that has been around long enough to give you some good stats, but if you’re just starting out remember this one!

Go to your “stats” page and scroll down to “Top Keywords.” Those are the terms that people are finding your shop and items with now.

I begin by focusing on the top of that list, with the words that are used to find my things most often. Then, I go further down the list to see if there are any good ones that would be worth working into for my listings, as keywords.

Most likely, some of those words will be broad keywords, and some will be longer, more detailed keywords. Make use of both types.

You’ll find some gems in that list, for sure!

Google Keyword Planner

To use the Google Keyword Planner you’ll need a Google Adwords account. It’s free to sign up and there’s no obligation to run any ads. I do think that it’s an incredibly useful tool and something worth making an account for.

Once you do that, go into Adwords, go to the top menu, and click tools>Keyword Planner.

There are different ways that you can search for keywords from there, but I like to use the “search for new keywords using a phrase, website, or category.”

I don’t use the website or category way. I focus on the phrase only.

Type in your main keyword phrase (the broad keyword phrase) and search.

The Keyword Planner will return a list of results to choose from–probably a very long list! This would be a good place to choose a longer, detailed keyword phrase from. While you’re looking through this list, take a minute to write a few others down for future listings too.

Title & tags

Now that you have your keywords, it’s time to add them to your title and tags. Titles and tags for your products play a key role in how to show up in Etsy search.

Place your main keyword/keyword phrase near the front of the title.

Next, add your longer, more detailed keyword phrase to the title. Remember to make that phrase sound natural.

I always suggest adding some sort of punctuation or visible divider in between the keyword phrases in your title. I prefer a basic dash, but some people like to use commas, pipes, or colons. Whichever you choose will not change how your item shows up in search results–it just makes it easier for shoppers to read.

Use all available characters of your title, filling them with other keywords and keyword phrases that you think people might type into the search box.

Use these same keywords in your tags. If your longer keywords are too long for one tag, divide them into two tags but right next to each other. Try to duplicate your title within your allowed tags.

If you have any available tag spots leftover, fill them with other relevant words for your items.

Description

The description isn’t just a place to simply describe your item. Here, again, you want to use those same keywords that you’ve been focusing on.

Place both, the broad keyword and the longer, more detailed keyword phrase near the top of the description. Again–make it sound natural.

Fill the remainder of your description with any other details about your item, such as shipping info, policy info, and any other important things that you can think of. The more your potential buyer can learn from your description, the better chance you have of making a sale.

Categories, etc.

The categories section is another place that you’ll be fitting in some keywords, although they won’t necessarily be the ones that you chose.

I always suggest getting as detailed as possible when choosing your categories and sub-categories. Begin with the top 2 or 3 that Etsy presents to you, and then continue to choose from their selections until they don’t offer any more.

I’ve tried this both ways–by not choosing any other sub-categories after the first couple, so that my listing is in a broader range of search, and by choosing sub-categories all the way until there aren’t anymore. The latter is what has worked best for me, by far.

Be sure to fill out the rest of your Etsy shop elements

There are several other elements to your Etsy shop that you may not give a lot of thought to. But, they are important and Etsy likes a shop that is complete.

Probably the most important aspect is your About page. Etsy loves when this is filled out to the max, and I suspect that they reward those sellers by placing them in search results.

You don’t have to make it perfect right away. Just go in, and fill it with information about yourself, your shop, and anything else you think your potential customers may want to know. There is something to be said about being able to make a connection with the person you’re buying something from, so this will only help!

The other things that you want to pay attention to are your Shop Announcement, Shop Title, and  Shop Policies.

The Shop Announcement page is where you can tell your customers about specials, sales, new items, and any other fun information. Plus, it’s also a great place to add your keywords!

Your Shop Title is also a fantastic place to add your keywords, so be sure that is filled out.

Your Shop Policies will help your customers get any information about buying from your shop and will eliminate the need for sending a Convo or message. Some people just don’t feel like doing that, so it’s at that point that you lose a customer. If you tell them what they need to know, they’re much more likely to make a purchase.

Go do it!

I know that this may all seem like a lot of work, just to get your items shown to people. And it is. But, if you want your shop to be a success, and you want to actually make money with it, then it’s necessary to know how to show up in Etsy search.

For more tips about selling on Etsy, check out my other posts.

Best,
Tammy