Even if you work from home, optimizing your eBay listings can be a task so daunting and demanding that it bring those in-house work feels right at your home desk. And that’s because, just like the office, it involves dealing with multiple tasks at once.
You’ll be handling content precision as well as relevance and accuracy. But with the six easy optimization tips mentioned below, you will be able to get the task done with ease and efficiency. Let’s begin with the dissection of the term algorithm.
Understanding eBay’s Best Match Algorithm
In the literal term, an algorithm refers to the set of rules, followed in calculations or problem-solving. While algorithm usually gets incorporated in computers to resolve issues, there is the massive use of algorithms in the e-commerce world too.
E-commerce platforms use algorithms to analyze user behavior, collect on-site data, better understand the target customer, and predict their preferences. As an e-commerce platform, eBay also uses algorithms. For Best Match listings, eBay has a dedicated algorithm that helps them rank products and sellers.
By understanding these algorithms, you can comprehend the status of your eBay listing and improve it. Typically, eBay ranks listings on these algorithms:
- Proximity between listing and customer’s search terms
- Item’s popularity (increased impressions and sales)
- Pricing competitiveness
- Listing description quality
- Quantity of images and quality
- Completion rate of the listing
- Seller’s terms of service
- Customer service level
- Seller’s feedback score & eBay feedback score
- Time left to bid (for auction-style listings)
- Select a Relevant Category
When listing your product, determine which category does it best fit. And then, make sure you categorize it rightfully. Listing your retail items in the relevant department helps the buyers locate your products conveniently.
And it makes it easy for eBay’s Best Match algorithm to feature your product when potential buyers search for specific relevant terms. Say, you offer a collapsible table for home-office setup. Now, instead of listing this in the basic furniture category, do a bit of research. Search up the category where other products related to telecommute or work from home have been listed and opt for that one.
- Use High-Resolution & Original Images
As mentioned above, the quantity and quality of images are one of eBay’s algorithm to rank the listing. Hence, you need to dedicate some time to get the highest quality images possible.
Initially, on the free version, eBay allows its sellers to post up to 12-images. You can get more picture slots in the paid version. Although the choice of selecting the paid version is yours, sellers have succeeded in improving their listings even with the free version. Hence, the most influential factor is quality.
To optimize, take shots of your product from every different angle. Place the product in a plain background, adjust lighting, and capture the pictures using a tripod for stability. The captured images must have a high resolution, which displays the product clearly.
While eBay does offer stock images, it is recommendable to upload your pictures. Selecting stock or free images may reduce the uniqueness of the listing.
- Be Clear & Concise
Complicated and incomprehensive product descriptions and selling terms often lead potential buyers to other brands. Even if you’re offering the best of the best, customers won’t say because your virtual promises, explanations, and details do not talk to them. As a result, you would rank lower on eBay’s Best Match algorithm too.
To avoid this, make sure you use simple daily-life terms to explain the details of your product. Use compelling marketing slogans and easy sales(y) language. Also, mention your postage and shipping terms, inclusive of delivery method, time, payment modes, refund, and return policy with clarity and precision.
- Make Use of eBay’s Mobile-Friendly Test
According to research, approximately 53% of web traffic comes from mobiles. Day by day, these numbers are increasing even more. Hence, depicting how important the presence of mobile-friendly sites has become in this ultra-modish era.
Unfortunately, only specialists and experts in this field are aware of the ways to make the data on the website mobile-friendly. In some cases, the methods are confidential to boost the ranking of a specific website on the net.
As a reputable e-commerce platform, eBay prefers listings that boost the website’s mobile-friendliness. They evaluate the description and content of the listing. However, a majority of sellers are unaware of these algorithms.
To make things easy, eBay has also introduced a mobile-friendly test. It allows vendors to upload their listing content and test their mobile-friendliness. Therefore, to optimize your listing, we recommend benefiting from the eBay mobile-friendly test.
- Add Viewport Meta Tag
Another way of making your eBay page mobile-friendly is to add a viewport Meta tag. This HTML value fundamentally determines the area of the webpage that will be visible to the user. So, you need to set it such that it displays the complete page appropriately on all devices. For this, avoid setting a fixed width.
- Avoid Keyword Spamming, Irrelevant Links, and Duplication
Ever since the term keyword started associating primarily with optimization, entrepreneurs seem to be using these excessively. What you need to under here is the fact that keyword density matters but not the same as it does on Google. Stuffing your titles and descriptions will only decrease the readability and reduce the chances of customers paying attention. Thus, reducing sales. Hence, try to incorporate it reasonably.
The same applies to irrelevant links. Directing your audience to irrelevant pages, such as the blog section of your website, will drive the reader away. Such links give birth to feelings of frustration and annoyance, which reduces the customer’s trust in your brand.
Lastly, avoid duplicating data! It comes in direct conflict with eBay’s listing rules. Thus, lowering rankings.
Arslan Hassan is an electrical engineer with a passion for writing, designing and anything tech-related. His educational background in the technical field has given him the edge to write on many topics.
He occasionally writes blog articles for Dynamologic Solutions, A software house in Pakistan. Another post he published: Best Items to sell on eBay During the Corona Virus Outbreak
