Etsy just announced an algorithm change that will take place on October 1st of this year. Learn more about the announcement and how to prepare your shop.
What's changing in the Etsy algorithm?
Despite what you might hear in Etsy communities, the Etsy algorithm doesn't make major updates all that often. When they do, Etsy makes a big announcement and clues us in on exactly what is changing and why. So here is exactly what we know about the algorithm change.
Etsy's data shows that shipping costs are a big barrier to sales conversions. Specifically, Etsy has seen that when shipping is priced at over $6, buyers are less likely to complete their purchase.
So this algorithm update will prioritize listings with shipping prices of less than $6 in the search algorithm.
Click here to read the entire update from Etsy.
When is the change happening?
The algorithm change will take place on October 1st, 2024.
Don't expect a huge, sudden change, however. Big marketplaces that rely on buyers searches never want to make changes that jeopardize the buyer experience. So search results will change slowly as the algorithm starts to change priorities.
Are there any exemptions to these changes?
There are exemptions to this update, yes. Digital listings and listings that use calculated shipping are the most notable.
You can see additional exemptions here in this screenshot from Etsy's announcement.
What should I do for my Etsy shop right now?
We live in a world where people don't want to pay for shipping. If you own a product-based business, unfortunately, you're not going to be able to change that whether you like it or not.
If you are going to prioritize Etsy, you need to get found in search results and that means you need to make some changes in your shop if your listings currently will be affected.
Make a plan to decrease shipping costs or to shift some of the shipping price into your product pricing to get prioritized in the Etsy algorithm.
What else can I do to rank in Etsy searches?
There is more to the Etsy search algorithm than your shipping prices. Tags, titles, descriptions, shop reviews, and more are all factors you need to be aware of. Click here to read more about how the Etsy search algorithm works.
Conclusion
The Etsy algorithm change to include shipping costs is driven by data from real buyers on the platform. Prepare your shop by decreasing shipping costs or incorporating some of the cost into your product price.
