Do your Etsy descriptions truly sell your products? A well-written description doesn’t just inform—it convinces buyers to make a purchase. In eRank’s 2024 Etsy Buyer Survey, nearly 70% of shoppers said descriptions were “very important” when deciding what to buy. That means if your listings aren’t optimized, you could be losing potential customers.
Etsy’s search algorithm also considers descriptions when ranking products, making them even more crucial for visibility. Let’s break down how Etsy uses descriptions, how eRank’s tools can help, and how you can write descriptions that not only attract clicks but also convert them into sales.
How Etsy Uses Listing Descriptions
When shoppers enter a keyword into the Etsy search bar, Etsy’s algorithm scans millions of listings during their query matching phase. This first phase uses the “titles, tags, categories, and attributes you’ve added to find matching keywords” per How Etsy Search Works.
After finding listings that are relevant based upon keywords, Etsy uses listing descriptions for the ranking phase of buyer searches. Their “Context Specific Ranking technology” learns what individual buyers are interested in and shows them items that they are likely to purchase. Etsy recommends using accurate descriptors to help aid this process. Consider including details to which this item may apply such as aesthetics, workmanship, themes, and lifestyles.
eRank’s Listing Audit Tool to Find Opportunities
Now that you understand how Etsy uses listing descriptions in search, check how well your own listings are following Etsy’s Best Practices. Use eRank’s Listing Audit tool—accessible via the Listing Audits page—to identify potential issues for individual listings. This tool evaluates nearly every aspect of a listing and offers suggestions on how you can tweak and improve it for better search visibility. If your Superstar Keyword for the listing is added, this tool also shows where you use those terms within your listing, including the description.
TIP: Not sure what Superstar Keywords are and why they are vital for maximizing visibility of your listings? Read the eRank blog article The Importance of Superstar Keywords.
AI Listing Helper for Crafting Descriptions
If you ever find yourself stuck while writing descriptions, let eRank’s Listing Helper come to the rescue. This powerful AI tool generates title, tag, and description ideas based upon your entering a brief explanation of the item. Sometimes, these suggestions are all you need in order to get your mind into gear. The description ideas that the Listing Helper provides serve as jumping points for your creative juices to start flowing again.
Double check all details within the suggested description before publishing your listing. OpenAI is not an SEO expert, so apply common sense when utilizing its suggestions. Edit the style so that it reflects your brand’s voice and be sure to add other important information such as shipping details or return policies that the AI may not include. This tool can be a big time saver when listing products on Etsy.
TIP: This tool is also available for the eRank Browser Extension while using Etsy’s Listing Builder.
Take Your Etsy Listings to the Next Level
Descriptions are just one piece of the puzzle when crafting Etsy listings for success. Read Etsy’s Creating Listings That Convert and How Etsy Search Works articles to learn more about creating great listings and planning your own SEO strategy. For more in-depth articles about how to use eRank to improve your listings, browse the dozens of articles available on the eRank Blog.
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