Top eBay SEO tips- Easy steps to increase your eBay rankings
Why do you need eBay SEO?
eBay is one of the largest platforms where you can start selling products online, whether you’re a seasoned veteran or new to selling online, you must know that with almost 170 million visitors/month, eBay has the power to put your products in front of a large number of potential buyers.
With all that said, eBay’s size can also work against you, as eBay is becoming more and more popular– it’s easy to get lost in the sea of listings. Selling on eBay is becoming more and more competitive as days go by. To make sure that your listings show up on relevant search results, you will have to apply some eBay SEO practices.
You will have to figure out ways to outsmart your competitors, so your listings show up in front of theirs. To get you started, we’ve put together a small guide that will dive in the ins and outs of eBay search engine optimization and will cover the following key aspects:
- Search engine optimization basics
- eBay’s search engine, Cassini
- How do you find the best keywords to use
- How to optimize your listings to increase eBay traffic
- What to avoid when applying your eBay SEO
What is SEO?
Search engine optimization or SEO refers to the process of getting your website to rank on a high enough spot on search engines such as Google, Bing, etc. Search engine optimization involves different tasks such as keyword research, creating content, link building, website optimization. The purpose of all this is to increase the ranking of the website, so it ranks above your direct competitors.
Search engines worked based on their algorithms – in eBay’s case, the algorithm is called Cassini.
The Cassini search engine
eBay hasn’t made clear how it’s search engine ranks listings, but here is what we know so far:
- The Cassini algorithm factors in your keywords – its sole purpose is to serve up a search result that is relevant to the searched query. It determines the relevance of your listings by the keywords used in the title and description.
- It factors in the behavior of the buyers – the Cassini algorithm uses buyer’s behavior to determine the ranking of a listing. If many customers click on the listing and end up buying the product, it could signal eBay’s search engine to rank the product. On the other hand, if users access your listing and end up not buying the product, it could signal Cassini to lower the ranking of your listing.
- It takes into consideration your track record – the Cassini algorithm factors in your account-wide performance, such as successful sales, ratings, customer service, etc.
- It factors in the product data present in your listings- the more details, the better – this is why you have to add as many item specifics as possible and be sure to have at least 2-6 product images.
How do you find the best keywords to use in your listings?
There is no clear formula for this, you will have to put yourself in the shoes of your customer and think about what words or phrases would they use to search for your product.
eBay search suggestions help as well, these will give you a better idea of what terms include your listing. For example when you type in “men’s watches” and the search will suggest more specific phrases like “men’s watches chronograph” or “men’s watches automatic” etc.
If you are still in the phase where you don’t know what items to sell on eBay, then you can use the cues from the top eBay searches – this will let you know what’s trending on the site, so you can figure out what items you can start selling.
The Cassini algorithm factors in a lot of details, so it’s important to boost your seller profile to provide the best buying experience possible.
Here are a few tips and tricks that will help you optimize your eBay listings:
The Seller Name – it’s important to choose a seller name that tells people what you’re selling, what your store is all about. Choosing the right name builds trust and sends the message that you are an expert in that product category.
Incorporate a few keywords in your profile description – Your bio should be easy to read and short, no wonder eBay sets a 250 character limit on it. Within that 250 character limit, you will have to tell what sets you apart from the rest of your competitors and why should someone do business with you.
Customize your shopfront – eBay has officially stated that it will remove custom shop designs, but you will still be able to add a profile photo and a banner to the new shop – be sure that the profile photo represents your brand – this will ensure that customers will recognize your products easier in the future and that they will return for future purchases.
Build a strong seller reputation – Cassini looks for seller performance and takes into consideration ratings, reviews, customer disputes, and responsiveness. This is why customer satisfaction is so important, sell your items at the right price and be sure to describe your products as accurately as possible – so that customers know what they’re getting.
Add the right keywords to the right places – you can start by putting the most important keywords in the title. Including too many keywords in the titles can make them too long and difficult to read. You need to remember that you can always add the other keywords in the listing Description. Talking about your description – having your main keyword in the description is great, but you need to avoid overusing it -try adding some synonyms instead. Also, please remember that the recommended keyword density is 5% – 7%, so if you are describing your product in 200 words, you should use your keywords and synonyms 10 to 14 times.
Make sure to have unique product identifiers in your listings – these identifiers help Cassini to direct buyers to the right items, ensuring that shoppers find what they are looking for. Examples of unique identifiers: European Article Numbers (EANs), Manufacturer Part Number (MPN).
Use clear and high-resolution images of your products – be sure to upload high-resolution images of your products and make sure to showcase your items from multiple angles. Product photos should show off the various features your items have, so shoppers know exactly what they’re buying.
Adding custom designs on to your eBay listings – Adding a unique visual touch to your listings not only helps with increasing the legitimacy of your brand, but it also helps to increase buyer confidence. There are listing tools available ( such as Ad-Lister) to help you customize your listings and apply eye-catching designs to your listings.
Things to avoid when applying eBay SEO to your products:
- Overusing the keywords – stuffing your titles and descriptions with keywords
In any SEO strategy overusing keywords is a big no-no! It creates a poor user experience, making the text difficult to read and raises red flags in search engines – which usually lead to poor ranking, eBay SEO is no different – so be sure not to overuse your keywords!
- Clickbait titles
Again, this is a big no-no! Using terms as “Incredible” or “wow” won’t help with ranking your products because buyers don’t search for these terms.
- Using hidden text
This is a direct violation of the eBay search engine guidelines – which can lead to poorly ranking listings or even worse, your account can get penalized by eBay.
Ad-Lister is an advanced listing tool that can help you list all of your products on eBay with ease! It helps you create products that are fully eBay compliant and it allows you to add wonderful listing template designs on to your listings.
