Tagging Items on Etsy.com – The Basics

A key to connecting potential buyers with your Etsy shop is to use “tags.”  Tags are simply keywords that allow buyers to find your items when they search.  For example, if John is looking for candy to get his girlfriend Jamie, he may search using a number of keywords including “chocolates”, “treats”, “candy”, etc.  He would not be searching for things like “truck”, “sheets”, or “book”.

Utilizing tags is something our HandmadeMarketing.org team thinks is essential to the success of Etsy shops.  Check out some tips to tagging below:

1. Focus on the item. What is your item? If the item a purse, “purse” would be an appropriate tag. If the item is a wallet, “purse” would be inappropriate, as the item is not a wallet. Sounds easy, right? What about a cute mini-calendar labeled as a “stocking stuffer”? Bad move, Etsy seller. Best to label your items with what they are, not potential use. However, feel free to get specific. If you are selling a purse and it is leather, use “leather” as a tag.
2. Dig a little deeper into the item. How did you make your item? What are some defining characteristics? Tags like “embroidered”, “pink”, “sterling silver”, “8×10″, “Victorian”, “Audrey Hepburn”, or “stained glass” are appropriate tags to use for items.
3. Focus on the potential buyer. Who is the item made for? Where would they use the item? If your sweater is for a woman, “women” would be appropriate. If the item is for the dining room, make sure to include a “dining room” tag.
4. Don’t mess up now. You’ve got your keywords… and they are great… but they are misspelled. Big problem. Another common problem is thinking too outside the box and missing the obvious. Don’t stop with “newborn” and “babe-in-arms” – make sure to also add “baby”! Check out a thesaurus before posting keywords because you may be missing a word that most people use. Some sellers get so bogged down in creative keywords that they forget to keep it simple as well.

Keep in mind the staff at Etsy.com has come up with their own rules for what can be tagged as “vintage”, when you must use the tag “mature”, and other site policies.  What you may call “body wash”, Etsy may call “soap.”  Always consult site rules before making an tags on your items.

Google has a great keywords tool which helps find some keywords you may have never considered.  For example, do you know if “jewelry” or “beads” gets searched more?  May be helpful if you are looking on how to tag your item.  This tool is especially helpful for catching keywords you never thought of – in the case, maybe “pendant” is something you would have missed.  We will discuss more about utilizing Google to help with keywords in a later post.