How to research Etsy keywords

Step by step

1. 1Write down what the item is, what it is made of, the style, the occasion and who would buy it.
2. 2Turn those notes into phrases a buyer would type, such as personalized coffee mug.
3. 3Open Stats in Shop Manager and look at the search terms that already bring people to your listings.
4. 4Check your phrases for demand and for the number of competing listings.
5. 5Look at the top listings for each phrase. Are they selling the same kind of item as you, at a similar price?
6. 6Keep the phrases that describe your item exactly and that you can realistically compete on.
7. 7Use the strongest ones in your title and tags, then watch your Stats and adjust.

Where can you see real Etsy search data?

Etsy has its own tool for this. In Shop Manager, open Stats and then Marketplace Insights. For a keyword you enter, it shows the number of searches and listings from the last 30 days. It also shows top searches in your categories, related terms and trending searches.

Sellers get up to 15 free keyword searches a week there, and Etsy Plus subscribers get unlimited searches. Spend those on the phrases you have already shortlisted.

What makes a keyword worth using?

• It describes your item exactly. A busy phrase that does not fit brings the wrong buyers.
• People look for it. Compare demand between phrases, and check whether it comes and goes with the season.
• The competition is one you can face. A specific phrase usually has fewer competing listings than a broad one.
• The top listings look like yours, so buyers searching it want what you sell.

What mistakes should you avoid?

• Choosing words because they are popular, not because they fit the item.
• Judging a keyword by searching your own listing. Etsy says results are unique to each shopper.
• Using 13 versions of one idea. Etsy recommends a diverse set of tags.
• Researching once and never again. Check your Stats and update what is not working.