Any search engine is interested in helping the user quickly find the information they need. Therefore, they strive to recognize quality resources that match the request and bring them to the top positions. To do this, the system evaluates pages according to a number of parameters - it analyzes text and images, checks for keywords.
eBay has its own internal search engine, Cassini, which helps customers find the most relevant items. It takes into account not only ad compliance with the request, but also the Seller Performance, return policy, and many other parameters.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO), — This describes actions aimed at improving a site or page in order to rank highly in the search results. Smart listings optimization can help you get more views from potential buyers.
Here are a few tips to promote your listing both on eBay and external search engines.
Use keywords correctly
Keywords, or semantic core, is one of the main SEO tools. These are words and phrases that the system uses to determine which search queries a page matches.
To understand how to build a semantic core, imagine yourself in the shoes of the buyer. Imagine what you would write in the search bar if you wanted to find your product. For example, if you sell vintage silver earrings on eBay, the keywords might be “buy vintage silver earrings online”.
Popular search engines usually have online tools that you can use to search for keywords for free. With their help, you can check how many times users have entered specific queries recently.
Use eBay's Terapeak analytics service for keyword research. You will need an SEO tool to see the most popular searches related to products similar to yours.
Both Cassini and external search engines check listings for keywords that are relevant to the user's search terms. In addition to indexing item names, the algorithms also parse all the text on the page. Therefore, add keywords to both the title and item descriptions.
Use only those keywords that are directly related to your item. If a search engine finds a violation, it can lower your listing's ranking.
Search engines are becoming more and more advanced. They take into account not only the presence of the necessary words and their combinations, but also the quality of the text. Write clearly: use meaningful, related sentences to make your listing easy to read.
Don't just list keywords separated by commas — integrate them naturally into your text. Don't add too many keywords — spamming can lead to filtering from search engines. To see how well your keywords fit into an item's description, try reading your text out loud. This will help you spot unnecessary repetitions.
Overspam is the overuse of keywords on a website or page too often and unnaturally.
Take high quality images
All search engines, including Cassini, value a good user experience (UX). Therefore, you need to use high quality images in your listings. Follow these tips for taking great photos for eBay.
User experience (UX) is the experience a user gets from interacting with a website or product.
Make your listings accessible
If you include additional buttons, images, or videos in your item description, add alternate tags to your HTML code. This is necessary so that special screen readers can tell visually impaired users what is in front of them. For better visibility, include keywords in the alt text.
Accessibility — This is an important component of SEO. This parameter determines how optimized your store is for customers who are visually impaired or otherwise struggle with reading text.
Use a reasonably sized font, short sentences and paragraphs, and easy-to-read colors (for example, black on white instead of yellow on white).
Specify the correct item category
When creating a listing, eBay will suggest a category for you automatically — for example, it might select “wristwatches” when you enter “watches” for your listing. But if you are selling a pocket watch, it will confuse buyers and the Cassini algorithm, so it's better to fix it.
You can add a second category if you think your item matches that too.
Fill in eBay’s unique identifiers
To help buyers quickly find the listing, eBay and external search engines use the brand, manufacturer part number (MPN) and global trade item numbers (GTIN), such as universal codes (UPC) and international standard book numbers (ISBN). Add unique item identifiers every time you publish listings.
Unique identifiers (GTIN, UPC, EAN) — are unique codes that are commonly found on labels or barcodes. They are used in retail to track and manage inventory.
Most manufacturers indicate identifiers directly on the packaging and often directly on the item itself. If your item is in the eBay catalog and you mark it when publishing, the identifier will appear in your listing automatically.
Take care of your Seller Performance
Seller Performance greatly affects the position of your listings in eBay search results. Provide a high level of customer service, respond promptly to messages, and encourage your customers to leave reviews.
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