Best description of how Cassini search algorithim works that I have ever heard..

[sparx_63]

Greets all

Came across this EBAY seller on youtube today who has gained some very interesting insights on how the EBAY search algorithim works, I thought it might be worth sharing (first 10 mins of video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3VnNb-Rf6I

Enjoy 🙂

[intimewithmusic]

   This conversation (search result) has been ongoing for about 2 years.  Most of the time only one issue like sell similar, promoted listing or listing quality is discussed. Josh's explanation looks at it from an inside perspective and sews these pieces together.

  If his interpretation is accurate it explains a lot of my sales results over the past couple of months. 

Thanks for directing me to this!

ITWM

[byto253]

Very interesting video.  No huge surpises but does reinforce notions we have.  Interesting that relist and sell similar are treated the same as the old and moldy listing they replaced if everything is the same.  When using sell similar I will try mixing up the wording a bit and add some specifics even if they don't really add much. 

It is interesting that both "free shipping" and "price vs. category average" impact the algorithm rating.  They are in conflict as charging shipping separately allows a lower price than offering "free shipping".   I have had items stagnate when listed with free shipping, but then will end the listing, and use "sell similar" with a lower price and charging for shipping and they have sold pretty quickly - for those cases you can argue that the algorithm wieghted the lower price higher than free shipping.  

[ricarmic]

It does explain why several items listed at the same time do not get equal views.

I have noticed for my auctions which I often watch views for, and often run various "sizes" of lots at the same time, that one gets many more views than the others, but not necessarily the "first" one listed. The explanation of how Cassini treats "similar" lots listed at the "same" time sort of provided an explanation for that observation (but not why it isn't the first one that is favoured). I haven't stopped doing it, usually I list them together because regular buyers like to buy one or more of the sizes at the same time.....

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@byto253 wrote:

Very interesting video.  No huge surpises but does reinforce notions we have.  Interesting that relist and sell similar are treated the same as the old and moldy listing they replaced if everything is the same.  When using sell similar I will try mixing up the wording a bit and add some specifics even if they don't really add much. 

It is interesting that both "free shipping" and "price vs. category average" impact the algorithm rating.  They are in conflict as charging shipping separately allows a lower price than offering "free shipping".   I have had items stagnate when listed with free shipping, but then will end the listing, and use "sell similar" with a lower price and charging for shipping and they have sold pretty quickly - for those cases you can argue that the algorithm wieghted the lower price higher than free shipping.  

---

@byto253 

A majority of the search results have been in conflict for several years. Just got really bad when eBay started their major overhaul of item specifics and n/a suggestions. From my personal never ending testing  of Price with shipping Lowest First and Closest they routinely bring up a hodge podge of results. Almost never in actual descenting order. Closest will return results from China especially if you factor in everything they promote. (Because they can.)I've found items (searching from Calgary) that were located in Sask/BC farther down the list prior to the stuff in China. One possible solution would be the option  to sort by shipping service (for Canadians) both buying and selling on ca and com. Filter out EIS would be a heaven sent miracle.

In the USA they have the option to choose number of days. In their case they have access to 1,2,3, 4 days for shipping. The only bonus available option is Free Intl Shipping. Not likely to happen from a US seller selling anywhere internationally including Canada. Needle in a haystack results. Possibly from a seller in Chinese due to their rules and regulations. From US sellers we can choose USA only, N. America and Worldwide. How bout a consideration to add Canada/Mexico on the US site and USA on the Canadian site?  That would definitely be an improvement using search. We are neighbours afterall. Strangely clicking on the dreaded default option brings up US items for Canadian shoppers shopping on ca. Canadian items come up after. 

-Lotz

Disclaimer 1. Reason for majority of these dreamworld suggestions is eBay's obsession with search by filter vs search by keywords in title. Your personal preferences may vary.  My personal preference is to ship using keywords within eBay vs a google search for something i am trying to find on eBay. I know...Entirely madhatter huh!!!

Disclaimer 2. How often will free international shipping actually be free once whatever processing and taxes are applied and how it relates for shipments coming to Canada. Would be a non starter for anything under 800.oo Canada to USA. 

[byto253]

I have also started usinjg  "search term" to force search to narrow down the results to more narrow ones.   

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@byto253 wrote:

I have also started usinjg  "search term" to force search to narrow down the results to more narrow ones.   

---

@byto253 

My new system for searching on ebay when I am looking for an exact match to something I am researching as follows:

1. Search with Google. Find a close match to what you are looking for. Either by description or images.
2. When/if you are able to locate a match on eBay use those keywords from that listing and search in eBay
3. That will give you the best likelyhood of finding precisely what you are looking for with the most best results.
4. Searching with the keywords you think will work...Iffy at best.
5. When/if this doesn't work, go slam fingers in a car door. 
6. Come back to screen and start over from step 1.

-Lotz

[byto253]

LOL.  I would insert in step 4 to put your keyword in quotations - " ", then the search must include that term.

Which is dang ironic as the search was changed a few years ago to remove things like wildcards - putting an asterik * for a letter.   But we are back to crafting searches with quotations and brackets to force better search results.  

[byto253]

An algorithm question I have is how it handles price reductions.  When I reduce I usually make it pretty substantial vs. small increments.  But I wonder if I am better off ending the listing, and doing a sell similar with some changes to the specifics, wording, etc. at the lower price.   

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@byto253 wrote:

An algorithm question I have is how it handles price reductions.  When I reduce I usually make it pretty substantial vs. small increments.  But I wonder if I am better off ending the listing, and doing a sell similar with some changes to the specifics, wording, etc. at the lower price.   

---

@byto253 

Every time I find or try something that is supposed to work to increase traffic it might work briefly then it will suddenly stop. Since I shut my store down middle last month (4 days) I have been in my worst sales slump in several years. And yes I have compared month to month. Traffic/views (eBay/External) are 50/50. Grand total of 3 sales this month(25 sales last Sept) with the most listings I have ever had. To my mind there has been way too much tinkering with how that algorithm works. In speaking to several other sellers who sell similar type items they have made the exact same observations. 

-Lotz

[ricarmic]

I have made an observation regarding the "prioritzation" of "similar" items....

If I list a number of similar items  in terms of key words, item specifics etc at the same time, virtually always the most views come from the one with the largest price, irregardless of whether it was listed first or last. This makes sense to me. If the algorithm identifies similar items, it makes most sense to send folks to the theoretically largest/most expensive one of them (at least thats what I would do if it were me setting the rules).