If there's one thing that dismays me, it's that so many sellers
on eBay are simply throwing their listing fees away!
First off, can we agree that there's little point in listing
your item unless buyers are going to view your auction? Yes?
In which case, why do so many eBay sellers create auctions which
are NEVER going to get viewed? There are millions of eBay
sellers who do this.
What many sellers don't realise when they create their auction
is that they've wasted their listing fee before they even get to
filling in the auction description page.
They make a fundamental error earlier on in their auction
creation. And that is in their auction title. The reality is, if
your auction title is not effective, it really doesn't matter
how good your description page is - your auction won't get seen.
Here are some facts.
If you sell on eBay, learn them well!
1. To find items they want to bid on, 70% of buyers use eBay's
search box first
2. Words keyed into the search box are compared ONLY with
auction titles
3. Words keyed into the search box are NOT compared with auction
descriptions
4. Words keyed into the search box are NOT compared with auction
sub-titles
Which all means that your auction title must contain the
keyed-in search words used by buyers, or your auction won't get
brought back in search return lists.
And if it isn't in the search return list, it can't be clicked
on by a potential buyer.
And if it isn't clicked on, how can the item get sold?
The harsh truth is that unless your item appears in search
return lists, it isn't going to sell! And that's what will
happen if your auction title is not effective.
How do you get your auctions in search return lists more often?
It's simple. You just make sure you put keywords in your auction
titles which you believe eBayers will search on.
To decide on the keywords to use, you have to think like a
buyer. What words would be used by a person interested in
searching for an item like yours?
At this stage, just list them. Don't put the words into a
sentence yet. Spend as long as you like on this exercise. The
more effective you are with this, the less likely you are to
have one of those sleepy auctions that rarely gets a visitor.
Having listed as many keywords as you can think of, you have to
decide which are the strongest. Remember, you only have 55
precious characters for your auction title.
Taking your best keywords, you now create your auction title.
It's not an English exam, so it doesn't matter if it doesn't
scan like a sentence.
You can add a power word or two if you've space. By this I mean
words like stunning, limited edition, unique, rare, new,
one-off, exclusive, distinctive, dramatic etc. These are words
which can influence buyers to click through to your auction
description. They aren't keywords searched on by buyers, so use
them sparingly. For the same reason, I don't advocate the use of
"clever" words like l@@k or w0w!
Finally, do the words in your title convey what the item is? If
so, that's it. You've created a powerful, compelling and keyword
rich auction title. And your auction will appear more often in
search return lists. And, that's the key!
Now you know how fundamental keywords are to your auction, why
not review your current auction titles today? Get those keywords
into your auction title and take it from me you'll get your fair
share of the 79 million eBay daily searchers.
About the author:
Brian McGregor is an eBay specialist. He is creator of the
unique software product eBay Keyword Pro, which tells you the
most popular keywords on eBay. Get your free version of eBay
Keyword Pro from
www.keyword-p
ro.com/kpdemoversion.htm
