If you are trying to do SEO (search engine optimization) for your Etsy store, it seems like there is a lot of information out there about making sure it is done right with the tags and titles and all, but what about if you are just getting started?
What if you have a Etsy new store or a new product on Etsy you are launching and you are starting from a dead stop? How would it work then?
Here is a way to brainstorm a ton of different keywords you could use and then how to narrow them down to your final choices for Tags and Titles.
Finding Keywords For Etsy For A New Product or Store
Let's start with the easiest way ever to check this out…. Google. So say you made a shawl (that is a kind of scarf thing that fits around just your shoulders). I picked that because I like them and almost nothing about how to market them!
Now we have these keywords:
- shawl
- shawl collar cardigan
Next, do the search and at the bottom of the search page you will see a list of what Google thinks are related terms.
I think we can add these keywords to our list:
- shawl murah (we would look this up to see what it means, oh it means cheap…NOT good)
- evening shawl
Buying Keywords
Let's stop for just a minute and talk about the difference between buying keywords and informational keywords. The most blatant buying keyword would be “shawls for sale”. This means that the searcher is looking to buy.
A non buying keyword would be “how to wear a shawl”. We don't know anything about this searcher, but they could already have a shawl and want to know how to wear it or they could be super early in the shawl buying cycle, in which case they are not going to buy our shawl right now.
Note: I would still note that phrase and would write a blog post on my website addressing that very topic!
Negative Keywords
Oh. we found our first negative keyword! Shawl crochet pattern is not what we make, but for sure we want to note down “pattern” as a negative keyword.
For our Etsy shop that doesn't matter much except to make sure that word is no where in our listing title or tags.
Note: if you are doing paid marketing knowing your negative keywords is a great way to avoid spending money on bad searches.
Refining The Search
Let's go back and start typing in “shawl collar” and see what happens.
Okay, now we have:
- shawl collar cardigan
- shawl collar sweater
- shawl collar tuxedo
- evening shawl
Those seem like words we should note down!
Continue doing this until you have a list of words that seem to describe your specific kind of shawl!
Etsy
Now let's head over to Etsy and do our “shawl” search.
Oh, we found another negative keyword, vintage! That would not be appropriate because our shawl is handmade. Also we we would not want “shawl pin”.
Synonym Keywords
Okay, now we are getting down to brass tacks. There are some synonym keywords here that could be the same as “shawl”.
- wraps
- pashmina
These are going to be awesome to use to catch people may not use your exact keyword.
Funny story from my life about this… I call the titles of emails “email headlines” but right before publishing the most popular post on my website, I checked Google Adwords to see the search results and found that “email subject lines” is 10 times more popular. My idea of what to call something was totally wrong and would have meant thousands less hits to my website over the years if I hadn't checked!
Just because you call something a “shawl” doesn't mean that you shouldn't figure out what other people might call it too!
Related post: SEO For Etsy Sellers | Ultimate Etsy SEO Guide
Descriptive Keywords
Now we are getting to some descriptive keywords. These are the one that are factually correct about what the item is made from. These include:
- knit shawl
- crochet shawl
- lace shawl
Now, some shops just use descriptive keywords which is okay, but they may be missing some good Etsy search traffic.
Use Keywords
There were also a few keywords there that would describe the use of the item.
- wedding shawl
- bridal shawl
- piano shawl
These can be super cool for targeting someone who might need a shawl for a special occasion like a wedding.
Drill Down
Now that you have all the different words brainstormed, you can start to really drill down into the ones that are most like your Etsy item.
I tend to do a little sifting while I am checking things out just to eliminate ones that are totally not like mine, but I try not to be too rigid. Remember, everyone does not use the words that you use to describe something and you want to appeal to the broadest range of buyers possible.
I took this last screenshot to show you what I mean.
Just in the first six results I see a ton of synonyms (shrug, stole, bolero, scarf), some use words (wedding, bridal) and some descriptive words (bohemian, faux fur, celtic, cabled, full sized).
Etsy Seller Planner
I am a current Etsy seller with two successful stores (one vintage and one digital) so many of these forms are ones that I developed to make my life easier! I also worked on this planner with the help of current Etsy sellers who let me know the things that they struggle with time-wise!
Using this planner will help streamline your systems and (as one gal put it) make sure that important things don’t get lost in your “bermuda desk”!
>> Get The Etsy Seller Planner Now!
