9You can help build your customer base and attract more visitors to your ebay

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1 TOP SEO STRATEGIES 9You can help build your customer base and attract more visitors to your ebay shop by employing search engine optimisation (SEO) tactics. Here are a few tried and tested SEO strategies that may help you increase the visibility of, and traffic to, your products and shop on ebay.co.uk

2 1 2 LIST WITH THE EBAY CATALOGUE RESEARCH RELEVANT KEYWORDS The ebay Catalogue is an online library packed full of product information and images for you to use when listing on ebay. Listing with the ebay Catalogue, and adding unique identifiers to your item, will help ensure that your item is submitted to Google s Product Search experience. Research the product to find unique identifying codes such as UPC, ISBN, brand and manufacturer part numbers (MPN). When not using the Catalogue add unique identifiers to the item specifics section to help increase exposure on and off ebay. Identify descriptive words about the product: the brand name, model number, colour, size, and features. Use them in title and descriptions. Review carefully. Make sure the product you select is exactly the item you plan on selling. The purpose of keyword research is to identify phrases and words that users commonly search. Look for keywords that help uniquely identify the importance of your product. Identify common keywords typically used with the product you are selling, check out other sellers listings for inspiration. These may include the product name, product synonyms, and primary product features. Use keyword research tools, such as Google Keyword Tool and BayEstimate, to identify high-trafficked keywords about the product. Select keywords that help sell your product better. Use words like refurbished and original, for example. Use popular keywords in the product title and description of the item you are selling.

3 3 4 DESCRIPTIONS IMPROVE LISTING TITLES IMPROVE ITEM The title of your listing is a key factor in how people find your listing in both Google and ebay. Include the core product name. Avoid using ebay-centric terms like NWT. Item descriptions help buyers connect with your product. When reviewing your product listing, be sure to include keywords that buyers may have used to find your product. Review keywords that are in your title description. Identify 1-2 keywords about the product that will make the title more unique, but do not add too many keywords into the titles. Include keywords such as brand name, model, shop name, and websites. Make sure your description is at least 200 words long. Avoid excessive use of keywords. Consider using keywords that are ebaycentric: new with tags, for example. Use formatting like bold and italics in the item description.

4 5 6 USE LINKS PROVIDE QUALITY IMAGES Links factor heavily in Google search ranking. Links help sellers signal to Google which keywords are important to a particular item page. Identify pages or listings to which you will link, such as the shop pages, shop categories or specific items on ebay. Top Tip Link to your ebay best sellers or products recently reduced in price. Images improve the user s experience when reviewing the listing. The quality and accuracy of the images increase time spent on the listing and ultimately can improve bids on (and sale of) items. Make sure product photos are clear and appropriately lit. Use plain white background if possible Select keywords that buyers might use in order to find your products. Use these as your link anchor text e.g. don t use click here use specific keywords like sport shoes that bring them to those products in your ebay shop. Use images that highlight product features. Don t forget to make sure you have permission from the rights owner to use any of the images you intend to use.

5 7 EBAY SUBSCRIBE TO SHOPS Opening an ebay shop can be a powerful promotional tool. It can help attract shoppers on ebay and shoppers looking for your products and brands elsewhere. Shops offer tools that will allow you to include navigational, topical, and promotional pages. Create useful elements within your shop name. Your shop name should reflect what product you sell. Be sure to balance your shop brand with 2-4 important keywords that reflect the category of products you sell. Make use of your shop description. Use meta descriptions to summarise the range of products you sell. Keep this within 140 characters. Use the main keywords for your products at least once. Don t leave the On Page Descriptions blank. Write a sentence or two that describes the range of products you sell. Identify what separates you from competitors: your return policy or years in business, for example. Define shop categories and custom pages. Use descriptive keywords to identify categories and custom pages. You might use categories such as Luxury Shoes and Sport Shoes, for instance. Make category names relevant to keywords buyers use as search terms. Be sure your various shop categories always have products available. Custom pages should always include unique content. Link to your shop. Link between shop categories and shop pages. Include a link to your shop and category page in item listings. Ensure a healthy network of links between pages and listings.

6 8 9 ENGAGE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA DEVELOP PRODUCT GUIDES Social media is a key tool that influences search engines results. The behaviours and ways which ebay users share your products and shop pages will ultimately impact traffic to your listings. Find a social platform that you feel can create engagement with your product: Google+, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc. Create interest by sharing products that contain the best content. You don t have to share every product listed. Build and engage your audience. Use social media to answer questions about your product or to moderate topics that are relevant to your products. Writing a useful guide to a product can help attract external hits from the major search engines. Write useful articles and guides with expert information about relevant products you sell on ebay. Focus on creating content that is descriptive and educational. Be sure to include links to other relevant pages and products on ebay. Consider links as a helpful tool for readers and users of the guide. Post your guide (with links) on blogs and other external websites.