eBay Tips 2008: Review Your Titles

The first theme I want to explore in ‘eBay Tips 2008’ is getting the fundamentals right by going ‘Back to Basics’.

The most important part of your eBay listing is the title. Why? It’s how buyers find you. To succeed you need to ensure that your titles are 55 characters of sexed up keyword bliss. Of course, other factors do influence your eBay findability, but if someone is searching eBay for something to buy (and remember that the vast majority of buyers do search rather than browse) they probably won’t find your item unless your title includes the search keywords they enter in to eBay’s search engine.

There is always room for improvement when it comes to your titles and your first step is to understand what’s working. To find out the keywords driving traffic to your items, use the Keywords Information in your eBay Traffic Report. It it’s working, make sure you keep doing it.

Stating the Obvious
You’re close to what you’re selling and probably well-versed in the specialist terms related to your wares but your buyers may not be and by omitting the obvious you might be losing viewers. A divan is still a bed. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band by the Beatles is still a CD. For inspiration check out eBay Pulse is a good tool to make sure that you’re playing to the gallery.

Use Every Space
If you aren’t using every space available in your Item Title, you aren’t trying hard enough. Don’t for get that words like ‘new’ are valid terms and if you have space do include alternatives. Doctor and Dr. TV and Television. Plurals are worth considering too.

Needless to say, if you haven’t filled every space, splashing out on a Subtitle is a waste of money. In any case, remember that Subtitles aren’t searched by default by the eBay search engine.

Not Nice.
Nice. Beautiful. Charming. Lovely. Pretty. Attractive. Good words but bad for Titles. Your Title is less about describing the item you’re selling and more about dragging in the eyeballs: you have the Item Description to wax lyrical. Your Title needs to be crammed full of what people are searching for. Go for brands, types and specs. Retro is better than old. Art Deco (where it’s relevant) better than ‘thirties’.

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Tomorrow: What’s in a Username?

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