What are Tags?
Tagging on Etsy and many websites is a way to attach keywords to your listing. The tags are mainly used for the internal search engine of each site. Meaning your tags are for people using Etsy's search engine, not Google or other search engines. Although it is said the top few tags can pop up on external search engines such as Google. TAGS are important in your listings but also in your treasuries.
Determining the Tags to Use
The key to making your tags work for your shop are you have to know what customers are looking for. What will a target customer type into a search to find your item?
This is very challenging to figure out. But here is a HUGE trick:
Go to the Etsy homepage and use their search bar. Start typing in a word for one of your products. If you sell pearl jewelry you may want to just start typing pearl, as you type a few letters you will notice Etsy starts to finish the word and add words for you. These fill in words are based upon the most recent searches performed on Etsy. If recently people were searching rose pearl jewelry, as you type in pearl you will see rose pearl jewelry pop up. This tells you what people are searching for, and if you can apply those words to your listing you should!
Making the Most of Your Tags
1. Use ALL 13 slots for your tags. 13 tags gives each listing 13 ways to be found, plus your keywords in your title help too! So every keyword is precious!
2. Use your shop name for a few tags throughout your shop. This way if someone is searching for your shop they will find you.
3. New Etsy Relevancy searches means you want to reinforce your keywords from your title. So the 1st few words of your title should be the MOST important keywords. Those keywords SHOULD be repeated in the 1st few tags of your listing.
4. Vary your tags from listing to listing for maximum exposure. Even if you have 20 cards in your shop, try to vary the tags in each listing. This way you can cover 100's of possible searches.
5. Make sure you use colors for your tags. Color searches are very popular for several reasons. One is customers are looking for trends, especially for special occasions. But another reason is to help with treasury exposure. Here are some great resources to help you come up with shades of each color:
Pantone sets many trends for colors:
6. Lastly check out this blog on Etsy for wonderful ideas on what to use for your tags. We all have trouble figuring out 13 words to fill all the spots. So this will help when you are stuck.
You have to be visible and help your customers find your product. This can be time consuming to do but worth the effort.
I hate changes. I feel like I learn one thing and then they change. I would think etsy wants me to not succeed. I make money = they make money.
ReplyDeleteNO one likes change! Especially when the changes aren't easy. It is very time consuming to change tags on Etsy. But as Etsy grows we will have too. *SIGH*
DeleteWONDERFUL advice, these tagging techniques really do work. I've tried them and have had much success! What a terrific, informative post! Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteWork in progress for me....Someday a light will just go off and voila...I've got it! Yeah, right! LoL!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the information!
ReplyDeleteWonderful hints and tips! Now I need to go find out what Pantone is, and also, does anyone know if all tags are created equal? Meaning, if my first tag is "cat pyjamas" and my 14th tag is "hand knit", will my hand knit cat pyajamas not be as visible on search (i.e. further away from page 1) if someone types in "hand knit", as opposed to "cat pyjamas"? I ask this because it seems like Artfire and some other sites do place more importance on earlier tags rather than later ones. Just wondering how the etsy one works.
ReplyDeleteIt is my understanding that the top 3 tags are most important. Those tags should match the keywords in your title to give it the most effectiveness. There have been rumors that the top 3 tags eve help with google search engines but this part I am not 100% about it.
DeleteGreat info, Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGrand Vintage Finery
etsy.com/shop/GrandVintageFinery
Great tips. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteVery helpful information!
ReplyDeleteSome wonderful tips and information on how to make tags work to our advantage... Thank you
ReplyDeleteAs I've been renewing items/copying for new items, I'm amazed at some of the poor choices in tags I used at first. "Fragrance" "scent." No one searches by those!!!!! But I'm amazed at how many people search "purple candle". My views are certainly going up as I pay closer attention to my tag content.
ReplyDeleteThis is most helpful. Thanks outlining it so beautifully.
ReplyDeleteawesome advice!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteVery Informative, appreciate posting this.. I know tagging with colors have helped my store.. Especially for bridal orders...
ReplyDeleteGreat start to the blog..looking forward to many more of such helpful posts :)
www.peelirohini.etsy.com
I see I have some work ahead of me to make some changes to my tagging! This is a great post! Looking forward to more great info.
ReplyDeleteA very helpful post - I learned a few tagging tips that I did not know!
ReplyDeleteAmy
Tags! (and titles) Ahhhh, how I love Etsy's Relevancy search ... when it works ;D
ReplyDeleteWOW! I never thought of using Etsy's search to do a "search" for my own tags. What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a golden nugget of information, because if you are trying to get customers from Etsy then what Etsy's customers are searching for are most important. It really helps you figure out new tags you wouldn't have thought of otherwise.
DeleteTags - the bane of many a shop's existence - you made it look easy, THANK YOU!!!!
ReplyDeleteFunctional Information. I intend to get busy and make long overdue changes. I also like reading the comments. Food for thought in some of those as well. Great Post. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Been doing this with my shop and it really brings more views!
ReplyDeleteVery helpful sharing with my twitter followers
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips! I never thought of using my shop name in tags. I always struggle to get 14.
ReplyDeleteUnique Cozy Treasures - Thanks for the info. It really does make a difference using the correct tags. And,sometimes they need to be updated according to the season or holiday.
ReplyDeleteVery good point! Even when we tweak our tags, they will need the tweaking over and over again. Targeting specific events and holidays, keeping up with the latest trends!
DeleteTrying to tag items with what Etsy has featured in their Merchandising Articles etc.
It requires attention on a weekly basis.
What a great article! I've found that it really does make a difference in how I set up my titles and tags and am constantly tweaking mine to make sure they're relevant to current trends, colors, etc. *Ü*
ReplyDeleteGreat information! This article really drives home the need for choosing appropriate tags and using all 14 boxes....Thanks!
ReplyDeleteVery informative. I did not know to "audition" tags on the etsy home page. What a great trick! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI learned tons from this post. Thanks!!
ReplyDeletegreat list in that last article! I think I need a bookmark;)
ReplyDeletegreat info!!
ReplyDeleteGreat info! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis is great...Thanks so much for sharing..I'm trying to learn something new every day...You have helped me..Janetp
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing this value information!! and the pantone colors link!! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat information. I will be bookmarking and referring to this often!
ReplyDeleteI've been chatting on Twitter with another person about how important tags are.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. I have a new project to do.
Great info on tagging and necessary for beginners like myself!will help me fix up my shop :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
This is very helpful information! Everyone can benefit from this.
ReplyDeleteIf there is one thing Etsy really needs to address, it is having a "delete all" tag option. It is very time consuming!
Very helpful information.I have utilized some of these ideas and plan on incorprating more of them. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSuch great info! I love having it all in one place. Also, since I have been using etsy's search bar to help me find tags, I have noticed a great increase in views and hearts of those items. So it DOES work!!! Now to go through all the other listings!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tagging tips, I need to vary my tags more between listings! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great info! It looks like I need to go back and "re-tag."
ReplyDeleteGR8 info! For anyone who is hesitating to edit their tags manually (very time consuming), check out the Beta Release & Free Trial of BETSIE, the Etsy Editor that enables bulk editing of tags (and other properties): http://www.etsy.com/apps/262788684/betsi-bulk-editing-tool
ReplyDeleteI've installed it, and it's pretty cool.
One question: I have used so many tags to include all of the teams I am on I don't have enough left to be found by searching customers. Can those team tags go somewhere else so I can still be found & included in Treasuries? Or do they have to be official Tags? Thanx!
THANKS Marlo for the information! I was just reading up about BETSIE! This will be wonderful!
DeleteFor team tags: As far as I know there is no where else to put those and many teams require these tags to be used. But what I recommend and Etsy has recommended this too... is that you just sprinkle those team tags throughout your shop. Not every listing has to have EVERY team tag in them. Have the team tags spread out evenly so that you can get the most exposure out of your tags as possible.
Hope that helps :)
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ReplyDeleteEntry two for floral print
ReplyDeletehttp://www.etsy.com/listing/96187360/floral-picture-soft-mute-tan-4x4-print