When it comes to Etsy, buyers and sellers can both be confused how Etsy search works. From the point of view of sellers, they want to make sure that buyers can find their products through the search function. On the other hand, the buyers want to be able to find products that actually meet their needs by using the search.
The search bar on Etsy is a self contained search engine, meaning the search function is limited to searching through listings on the platform. All platforms have their own search engine, whether it's Amazon, Google, Faire or Ankorstore - and all of the search engines have their own set of rules on how it works (the algorithm).
How Etsy search works, is that when a buyer types in what they want - for example, say they're using Etsy to buy a colourful notebook - they will probably open Etsy and type into the search bar something like "colourful notebook" or "pink notebook" or "funky notebook" - you get the idea.
Those words they write in are known as keywords. How Etsy search works, is that the algorithm takes that keyword and looks for it in the content of product listings to try to find an exact match, if possible, or if not, then a close partial match. So, if you're selling a colourful notebook, and your product listing uses the keyword 'colourful notebook', your product is likely to be shown to someone typing in the words 'colourful notebook'.
One of the hardest things about optimising product listings for Etsy is figuring out which keywords to use. By using tools like eRank, we can see what keywords people are using.
If you found this explanation of how the Etsy search works and want to go even deeper into how to make sure your products are visible on the Etsy platform, you can check out The Ultimate Guide to Etsy SEO. It's packed full of helpful and clear explanations about how etsy search works, as well as how to figure out your keywords, and where to put them. It's a must-have for all brands wanting to make mad bank on Etsy!
The guide has been developed using my expert knowledge in SEO for small creative businesses, which has helped dozens of my clients to achieve financial success on platforms like Etsy, Ankorstore, Faire, and through their own websites.
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