Suddenly very low traffic...

I'm experiencing very low traffic these two weeks, nothing were changed from my listings but don't know why suddenly nobody come.   I notice this happenned after eBay asked us to change password.  Or maybe due to the World Cup?

 

Message 1 of 21
latest reply
20 REPLIES 20

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

In late May two things happened which have resulted in much slower traffic for many sellers:

 

1) breach of users data at eBay making many buyers uneasy about using the site.

 

2) change in relationship between Google and eBay resulting in fewer eBay listings making the first page of a Google search.

 

For more information, please take a look at:

http://recode.net/2014/05/23/yes-google-punished-ebay-for-bad-seo-practices-but-it-wasnt-part-of-pan...

 

...and similar articles available on the Internet.

 

Some sellers have indicated they have not been affected and their sales are doing OK.

 

My traffic has been affected and sales have dropped to next to nothing in the last four weeks.

Message 2 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

My sales are down very noticeably too, however the last time I checked before the password and google thing, I had very little traffic coming from outside eBay anyway so I suspect in my case it is the eBay password change... (My category is stamps).
Message 3 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

"I had very little traffic coming from outside eBay"

 

Same for me.  However, it is impossible to calculate how many hits we get from "inside eBay" by potential buyers who got unto eBay from a Google search result and continued searching or browsing.

Message 4 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

Hi Pierre, yes that is a good point,.....I had not thought about it from that perspective....
Message 5 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

went to Traffic Reports

 

 

and found the following for referring domains...

 

the percentages have  not changed much over the last 12 months...

 

Right now referring domains are as follows 

 

eBay.com ...  about 50 %

 

eBay.ca ... about 25 % 

 

google.ca and google.com ... ( and other google sites by country) about 25 %

 

No google effect apparent

 

 

Message 6 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

Pierre, I recall reading, a year or so ago, that we would no longer have our listings show up on Google search unless we specifically paid for that service.  Am I wrong about this?  I've just assumed that my listings would no longer show on Google.

 

 

Message 7 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

I remember what you are referring to but I think that was just for Google shopping.

 

 

Message 8 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...


@pjcdn2005 wrote:

I remember what you are referring to but I think that was just for Google shopping.

 

 


Google may be heading across the board towards a more commercial (i.e. paid) service, rather than just letting anybody and his dog show up on their searches.  The "good old days" of freewheeling visibility on the internet may become just a memory soon.  I've been receiving stuff in the mail for months touting Google Ads (for a fee, of course), and have to wonder how many small businesses are signing up.  It's only a small step from selling ads to selling a place in line on searches.

 

I imagine EBay has had a very good, long, free joy-ride with Google -- and by the same token Google has probably benefited from the cross-marketing.  However I wouldn't be surprised to see Google flexing its muscles and saying "he who pays the piper calls the tune".  After all, they do seem to have become something of a powerhouse monopoly. 

Message 9 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

You mean to say I may be showing up on Google and I'm still not getting any views?  Now I feel even worse Smiley Happy

 

Actually I've done a test search on some of my listings on Google from time to time but I've never seen one.  Maybe buried on Page 6 or 7 .... but who goes that far.

Message 10 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

"test search on some of my listings on Google"

 

Actually, you need to look at the bigger picture.

 

If a potential buyer came to visit eBay looking at another listing (not yours) you may benefit by the potential buyer eventually looking at your listings.  I suspect most visitors to eBay look at more than one listing. 

 

All sellers directly or indirectly benefit by having potential buyers directed to eBay listings by search engines.

Message 11 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

I agree with what you're saying, Pierre.  I just wasn't clear on whether you had to pay to be on Google search or if we were all showing up there, at some point or another.  I was under the impression that it had become a paid service.

Message 12 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

Hi 'jt' -- I don't believe it's a paid service --- yet, at least --- as far as ordinary sellers are concerned.  It may be a different matter with big commercial entities.

 

For example, I still see my items showing up on Google searches (usually under the store name), and I see that I still get a reasonably good percentage of traffic coming via Google (both google.com and .ca), based on my Omniture information.

 

Pierre is right I'm sure though, that we all benefit from what I call "cross-pollination", when a buyer searches for one thing and ends up looking at several related things, or doing related searches within eBay. 

Message 13 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

Thanks rose.  In fact, the other day, I was searching for an item on Google, clicked on the eBay listing and then spent about a half-hour looking around at other sellers' listings.

 

Both you and Pierre mentioned seeing how much traffic was coming from Google but I don't know how to access that information. 

Message 14 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

You need to have an eBay store to access that information.

Message 15 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

I see .... thanks.

Message 16 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

Here is mine:

 

original.png

Message 18 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

Yes, mine looks similar -- down about 50% from last year, and May wasn't much better:

 

Summary
  ForecastJune 2014May 2014June 2013
 Total Page Views6143676811,043
Message 19 of 21
latest reply

Re: Suddenly very low traffic...

Me too, no traffic means no sales Smiley Sad

 

I listed some auction style listings, it's driving some traffic, hope can drive any sales soon.

Message 20 of 21
latest reply