EBAY SEARCH ENGINE

[photosalp]

In a previous life I sold stock photography on a number of sites and a few sites let it be known that photographers that uploaded regularly got better placement in search results. I wonder if eBay is similar? In May, before the security breach, for various reasons I couldn't list new material for a couple of weeks and my sales plummeted even though I had 2000 items listed. Once I got back to listing new stuff, right after the security hoopla, my sales picked right back up. Since then I've been listing pretty well every day and June might end up being my best month so far this year, while so many people are saying it's been a horrible month for them. This weekend stamps were selling as I listed them, even before I had a chance to file them away. So I wonder, are the people who are having a slow month still listing new material?  Does anyone know if eBay's search engine favours sellers who regularly list new material? Al 

[pierrelebel]

Congratulations for your increased sales.

Frankly I do not think the eBay search engine had anything to do with it.  It is most likely buyers and potential buyers looking for new listings.

[msmaggie060]

I agree with Pierre, I think you are just lucky with your new items. I list some new items every day and still this has been my slowest month ever, both in my store and on my non-store account.

[cumos55]

there are many questions relating to how a search engine is made to "wake up"... and ... Do they really have an effect?

(1) Listing new items  is always an option

(2) Putting a store on vacation for a short period of time appears to have an effect.... that was promoted a few years ago

(3) Revision of listings  also appears to have effect....edit all listings

                                       I used to go and pretend to revise the postal code on all listings...

                                       remove the postal code.. add the same postal code....

(4) then comes the 16 month notice....  noted on eBay.com  as opposed to eBay.ca.....  old listings just might be ignored ... end listings  and relist

(5) high priced items attract views....  and then potential buyers  see lots more

Once a buyer finds your store... they will come back... they have done so for me...

Many sellers list and leave it.... constantly working the listings, adding new listings and more appear to "tickle" the search engine.

Some seller have started on eBay  and after a short period of time things seem to die...  could be eBay's promotion of new sellers... or... the listings have become stagnant....  the buyers' needs have been met.

and then comes the reality that old listings get ... "less views" ... eBay does not show all listings available in a search....  keeping the listings  as  "new"  most likely helps..

Work the listings....  and do not let them go stale.

Always adding new listings...  finding new complementary categories of inventory... revising... modifying  and removing "old"  "stagnant" inventory.

[cumos55]

The level of competition   and the amount of listings available in a specific category do have an effect.

I do have a Competitor...  who has about 50 listings.....  but lists intermittently  and not GTC....  

My listings sell because they are always visible...GTC... and ....  because I sell internationally  ... to Europe mainly

and sometimes  you just list it right to get exposure in a search...  I work to list it just that little bit different....  with keywords that describe the book's content more fully....  There are also a lot of "keywords "  in the description of the book..

Other factors considered by some buyers..... no stock photos.... level of feedback.... and perhaps  the "character" of the feedback... 

[bcwet]

I agree any time I list alot of new items I have more sales and I notice a bump in best match. I would warn people about putting your store on vacation the last time it took me two days for my items to show back up after i took it off.  The search engine is still screwing up shipping costs.... I wish I sold stamps....

[rosscd57]

I think it has to do with a number of factors. I only sell about 35 to 49 radios per year and only for a 4 to 5 month window. I always have a really good search position and I think it is because my items are expensive and I usually sell over 90% of my listings.

I figure if eBay is going to make $50.00 on one item and $.50 on another - which one do you think they are going to promote?

[pierrelebel]

"a bump in best match"

Often I question the importance given to "Best Match" by sellers.  It is only one factor.

As a buyer, I do not use Best Match, ever.

One of two things can happen:

1) I am looking for something very specific and generally set the search criteria to "highest price with shipping"

2) I am browsing (window shopping) and will search by sub-categories, again setting up the criteria to "highest price with shipping".

In the last four weeks, sales have been terrible, almost non-existent. The drop in number of hits and visitors to the store confirms the problem is caused by lack of traffic - specifically in my category (postage stamps). Two major factors: the drop of Google search results and the fiasco with breach of eBay user information.

However, when I notice hits and sales, they can usually be traced to being new listings, not just unsold items being relisted.

Conclusion: buyers are looking for "new" stuff.

[pjcdn2005]

I agree that it has to do with a number of factors but I do think that since new listings do seem to get some extra visibility that consistently putting up new listings does make a difference.

[cumos55]

New listings bring new potential buyers.

They visit the store  and find out there is a lot to look at and perhaps buy.

Many times  I have seen a jump in views  but not in visitors...

Then I see a jump in the viewing of one or several listings... or a category  (such as World War II, as happened recently) of listings and then one and sometimes more of these listings sells

Window shopping by one person.... appears to be the answer

I had that a few years ago...

person bought one book ...  asked me to wait and they bought more... and then a lot more over the next 18 months...

Finding and listing new categories of inventory, complementary to everything else you sell,  helps to bring a more diverse group of buyers to the store...

[cumos55]

A seller should also have the same number of listings ending on each of the 30 days in a GTC cycle

That means with 3000 listing, one should have 100 GTC listings end each day.

3000 listings ending all on the same day does not make sense

This factor may be more important with a much lower number of listings  such as 300

Also  it might help to have each major category spread across the 30 days of a GTC cycle... Visibility used to be highest  at the end and beginning of a GTC cycle...  Cassini might have changed this visibility factor..

[cumos55]

Cassini has changing what a seller must do to gain a good search standing.

Many sellers aim for a quality title.... and say very little in the description..

Some sellers even fail with the tile.

Cassini looks at the description....

Some sellers say look at the photo....  That is not enough with Cassini  ...  Cassini can not read what is in the photo..

Extra Keywords.  and more description  are needed... in the body of the listing in addition to what is in  the title of a listing.

There are too many seller who do not understand the reality of Cassini.....

[pjcdn2005]

Cassini looks at the description

I remember that being mentioned when Cassini first came out but I test it every once in a while  by trying to search one of my items using a couple of keywords from the title plus a couple of words from the description but that rarely brings up the item in search although sometimes it might show it in the 'items related to' search. I do find that if I use search words that are listed in item details, those listing will consistently come up in the related to search.