Tags are crucial components of your Etsy listings that help potential customers find your products. By accurately tagging your items, you can significantly improve their visibility in Etsy search results. This guide provides tips and instructions to effectively use tags for better search performance on Etsy.

The Importance of Tags in Search Optimization

A tag is a descriptive keyword or phrase that relates to your product. It’s through these tags that Etsy aligns your items with shoppers’ searches, providing them with relevant results.

Etsy tags hold significant importance as they function as additional keywords that help Etsy understand your product better. They not only allow sellers to add more descriptive keywords that may not fit in the title but also indicate to Etsy which keywords are of utmost relevance in specific situations.

To enhance the visibility of your products on Etsy:

• Utilize up to 13 tags for each item listing. Each tag can be a concise descriptive phrase, such as “handmade leather purse.”
• Ensure all the tags used are accurate and directly related to the listed item.

Remember to adhere strictly to Etsy’s Seller Policy and Terms of Use when tagging your items.

Selecting Tags That Drive Sales

When choosing tags for your Etsy listings, it’s recommended to match one of your tags with the best keyword used in your title, then fill the rest with other terms and phrases that accurately describe your listing. By using accurate and relevant terms, you provide critical information about what the product is and its unique qualities. This allows it to show up in fitting searches. Tags should encompass various aspects of the item such as its qualities, materials used, target demographic, appropriate events or occasions, style, sizes, gift suitability, etc. Any detail that provides additional insight about the listing will be helpful for Etsy to identify and understand it better.

If you’re unsure about what tags to use initially, applying basic “who, what when where why” questions can generate basic terms. From there on, strive for more specificity by going a layer deeper - for instance, if one of your tags is “gift for teen”, consider making it “gift for bookworm teen”. This not only adds specificity but also ensures inclusion in broader searches like “gifts for teens” since Etsy doesn’t require an exact word-order match.

This technique enables inclusion in long-tail keyword searches which often leads to sales due to their targeted nature. Detailing the exact specifics of a listing via tags helps appear in lower-competition yet well-targeted searches rather than competing head-on with highly generic ones such as “gifts for her”. Remember - specificity is key!

How To Add or Update Tags

Follow these steps to modify or add new tags to an existing listing:

1. Navigate to Shop Manager > Listings and locate the item(s) you wish to update.
2. Click on the gear icon next to the item and select Edit from the dropdown menu.
3. Scroll down the listing page until you reach Tags under the Listing details section.
4. Start adding relevant tags that best describe your product!

Characters Limitations and Guidelines

When creating tags:

• They should not exceed 20 characters.
• Punctuation marks and symbols are typically not permitted in English tags, except for ™©.
• French and German tags can include special characters such as: À Á Â Ã Ä Å Æ Ç È É Ê Ë Ì Í Î Ï Ñ Ò Ó Ô Õ Ö Ø Œ Ù Ú Û Ü Ý Þ ß à á â ã ä å æ ç è é ê ë ì í î ï ñ ò ó ô õ ö ø œ ù ú û ü ý þ ÿ ’ -

For a comprehensive understanding of how Etsy’s search function works, read this Help article.

Should My Etsy Tags Match My Titles?

While tags serve a different purpose than titles, they should ideally complement each other. Your tags should include relevant keywords accurately describing your product aligning with information provided in your title.

When writing a title on Etsy, think about the main keywords that best describe your product and include them in both titles and tags. Use additional keywords or synonyms potential customers might use for searching for products within tags. Remember to utilize all 13 available tags, prioritizing important keywords at the beginning of tag lists. This increases visibility and discoverability by potential customers using those search terms.

Effective Practices for Tagging

Here are some effective tagging strategies:

1. Utilize all 13 tags: Each additional tag is another opportunity to match with a shopper’s search.
2. Use multi-word phrases: Instead of individual words, use phrases up to 20 characters long. A phrase like “handmade wooden clock” is more effective than separate tags “handmade,” “wooden,” and “clock.”
3. Check your Shop Stats: If some listings aren’t getting enough traffic, refresh their tags or diversify the terms used.
4. Consider synonyms and regional phrases: Some shoppers might use different terminology based on their region.
5. Target long-tail keywords: Prioritize specific phrases that describe what’s special about your products instead of competing for generic searches.

Common Pitfalls in Tagging

1. Avoid repeating tags: Ensure each of your 13 tags is as distinct as possible.
2. Don’t repeat categories and attributes: The categories and attributes you add act like additional tags. If a phrase appears in your categories, you don’t need to replicate it as a tag.
3. Don’t include misspellings or multiple languages: Etsy search will automatically correct common mistakes so no need for intentional misspellings. Also, stick to the language chosen when setting up your shop - Etsy will translate accordingly.
4. Don’t worry about plurals: Etsy matches root words from the shoppers’ query with those in your listing’s keywords.

Brainstorming Ideas for Tags

When brainstorming ideas for tags, consider what makes your products unique and how potential customers might search for these items. Here are some categories to spark your creativity:

• Descriptive tags: Describe your product in your own words, using multi-word phrases.
• Materials and techniques: Highlight how your product is made or what’s unique about it.
• Target audience: Use tags that describe who a product might be perfect for.
• Shopping occasions: Use tags to reach shoppers looking for items relevant to specific occasions or milestones.
• Solution-oriented: If your products solve a problem or meet a need, use tags that reflect this.
• Style: Use tags that describe the unique style of your products so shoppers who know what they’re looking for can find them.
• Size: For some products, scale can be key. Try adding tags that describe the size and shape of your products to reach shoppers looking for the right fit.

Remember: The goal is to use all 13 available tags and add variety - avoid repeating phrases.

Wrapping Up:

When it comes to Etsy, mastering the art of tagging isn’t just a best practice—it’s an essential strategy for boosting your visibility and enhancing your overall success. By carefully selecting tags that accurately describe your products, and considering regional terms, synonyms, and long-tail keywords, you can significantly broaden the reach of each listing. But remember—tagging is not a set-and-forget process. Regularly reviewing and refreshing your tags based on Shop Stats can help keep your listings in line with changing customer trends and demands.

Don’t forget to adhere to Etsy’s Seller Policy and Terms of Use when tagging your items. This ensures both compliance with platform rules as well as alignment with best practices for selling.

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