Your listing quality score on Etsy is an important part of your shop's overall success. So what is it and how can you improve yours? Let's talk about it!
What is your Etsy Listing Quality Score?
Your listing quality score on Etsy is a proprietary algorithm from Etsy that includes multiple factors such as your listing clicks, views, favorites, sales, and review history.
Etsy doesn't release information on each shop's or listing's actual score, so the specifics of the formula are unknown.
New shops have a neutral score and are not penalized for not having any sales or feedback.
What is your listing quality score used for?
Your listing quality score is important if you want to get organic traffic and show up in Etsy search. While there are a lot of factors in Etsy's search algorithm, your listing quality score is one of those factors.
A higher listing quality score can help you beat other sellers in the search ranking. So how do you improve your score?
What else is included in the Etsy Search algorithm?
There are many ranking criteria that factor into your individual listing rankings including:
Relevancy or how relevant your keywords are to the keywords the buyer used
Recency or how new the listing is
Shipping Price
Context-specific ranking (this takes buyers' previous behavior into account)
Click here to read more about what's included in the search algorithm.
5 ways to improve your Listing Quality Score
Want to improve your listing quality score? There are plenty of ways to do it! Here are the top things you can do to improve your score and your search ranking to make more sales.
Increase your Click Through Rate
One of the key factors in improving your Etsy listing quality score is increasing your click-through rate (CTR). This means that more people are clicking on your listing when they see it in search results on Etsy. You can increase your click-through rate by perfecting your listing photos and ensuring the keyword phrases you're targeting are appropriate for your listing.
One thing to avoid is fake traffic and favorites. Playing “games” in Etsy Facebook groups or forums does not increase your Listing Quality Score because the Etsy algorithm knows the difference between real buyer behavior and spam. So avoid wasting your time with fake traffic and favorites.
Improve your conversion rate
Another important factor in boosting your Etsy listing quality score is improving your conversion rate. Etsy wants to show listings to buyers that they are likely to purchase. That means listings with a higher conversion rate.
To improve your listing conversion rate, make sure your product descriptions are clear and easy to read quickly, your shipping prices aren't higher than needed, and your processing times aren't higher than they need to be.
You can also offer free shipping or use Etsy's free shipping guarantee to improve your conversion rate. Potential buyers hate surprise shipping costs so factoring this into your listing price can help greatly.
If you're getting a lot of messages from potential customers before purchasing, consider how you can make your listings easier to read. Your conversion rate will improve if buyers don't need to contact you before purchasing. Think about how you can make their purchase decision easier!
Provide good customer service
Amazing customer service is going to get you even more amazing reviews. And having positive reviews on Etsy help improve your quality score. Answer messages quickly, go above and beyond for your customers when you're able to, and consider a packaging insert that answers common questions to help increase your good reviews.
Ship orders on time
Late shipments not only hurt you in Etsy search, but can also lead to negative reviews and lower customer satisfaction, which can ultimately hurt your Listing Quality Score even more. Make sure to set realistic processing times for your products and communicate any delays with your customers as soon as possible.
Fill out your About section and shop policies
You get a boost in your Listing Quality Score on Etsy by finishing your shop policies and about section. This also helps to increase the know, like, and trust factor for your customers which can increase your conversion rate. Additionally, make sure to clearly outline your policies, including shipping, returns, and exchanges. This can help prevent customer misunderstandings and disputes, which can ultimately lead to negative reviews and lower sales.
What to avoid with your Etsy Listing Quality Score
Relying on keyword research tools
Remember when thinking about your listing quality score that this is a propriety number that only Etsy knows. Third-party keyword research tools can give you listing grades but do not mistake these for your listing's quality score from Etsy.
False engagement
While favorites are included your quality score, Etsy can tell the difference between real favorites from potential buyers and fake engagement from favorite games that some Etsy sellers play in seller Facebook groups.
Focus on getting real traffic to your Etsy listings through your listing tags, listing title, description, and your own marketing efforts.
Conclusion
Your Etsy listing quality score is an important factor in your search ranking on the platform. To scale your traffic through Etsy search and make more sales, focus on providing a good experience to your potential buyers. This will help improve your quality score.
Want to learn more about getting found in Etsy search. Click here to watch my free masterclass!
