Oh etsy. . .

Ok, so I have complained about etsy's search being not so intelligent for AI and I have complained about etsy's "help" not being very helpful so here's what happens when those to issues collided recently.  😕

I opened a "help ticket" with etsy to report the following :

Etsy search regularly returns really bad results. The forums are full of threads about search being broken but I'm not talking about the "Clumping".

I am talking about search returning results that are not what was searched for.

I searched for "chainmaille barrette" and the top of the first page only actually has 1 correct result, the rest are not chainmaille or not barrettes. Seriously, the houston astros bracelets is infringement, the loop deloop hair clip is wire wrap not chainmaille, the toni chain maile tutorial is a tutorial for a necklace (it's not a finished good, it's not a barrette) the rest are scale flowers not chainmaille.

I even provided a screen shot to prove/illustrate the randomness of their bad search results.  Not surprisingly I was disappointed with the response I received in return, also not surprisingly it took 3 damned days to get a response.  

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear that the search is not returning results consistent to your search. I know you have been with us for 6 years so you know how to search for the items you are looking for.

I'm noting your feedback and will be sharing it with the team to consider for a future update. Please know we take comments from the community to heart, and we make many changes to the site based on what we hear.

For legal reasons, I have to point out that any ideas members share with us are non-proprietary to them. You can read more in our Terms of Use. 

Don't hesitate to reach back out to me if I can help with anything else. 

Best wishes,
xxxxxx(name removed)
Etsy Support

So ya' know the typical awe thanks for pointing that out but we don't plan to do anything about it, non-answer reply. Although, this is the first one that has come with this particular "legal" notation.  I, of course, responded and pointed out this is not just an issue from the buyer perspective but from a seller perspective as well. 

It's not just the buyer perspective of not finding what I'm looking for, it is also a problem as a shop owner as I have "search terms" in my stats and clicks for phrases that I do not have a single word of in my listings. :-/

I noticed in the last few weeks I have seen "search terms" in my shop stats such as :
"in a world full of grandmas be a nana"
"beating on a dime"
"mail order hat pattern 3454"
"metal wall art made in israel"

Honestly, the only one of those that makes any kind of sense is the "metal wall art made in israel" as I do sell metal wall art, HOWEVER I am located in the USA not Israel and I do not ship internationally. I turned off etsy ads because of it.

The following day I received the following response :

Hi there, 

Thanks for your response, with more detailed search terms from your shop stats. My name is XXXXX and I'm a Support Specialist here at Etsy. 

First, I'll certainly be passing your email along as feedback for our team that works on Search. This is something we're always working to improve, so it's helpful to see examples like the ones you've provided. 

I do want to note that it's possible that your items were appearing in a buyers "Recently viewed" or "Similar to recently viewed" which appears at the bottom of a search page. If they clicked on your listing in either of these sections, the original term they entered into search would still appear in your shop stats, even if your listing did not appear in the results for these search terms. For example, I've just done a search for "in a world full of grandmas be a nana", and I only saw one page of search results and none of your items were in those results. However, I do still see all of my recently viewed items at the bottom of the page, which have nothing to do with this search term. 

I do realize this isn't ideal, so I'll be noting this in my feedback as well. 

Please do let me know if you have any other questions. I'm glad to help. 

Best,

xxxxxx(name removed)

So apparently, it is possible to not even be in the search results and yet end up with clicks tied to the search term, it makes no sense to me but there you have it, an "etsy explanation" as usual it explains nothing. 

Etsy transparent as Mud.

October Pink Sale

It's breast cancer awareness month so I'm having a "Pink Sale" as in things that are pink or have pink in them are on sale, 15% off thru the end of the month.  

I give up. . .

I have never had the best search placement on etsy, no matter how I re-work my SEO, regardless of keywords, location, shop policies, about section, 5 star rating be damned.  😐  Nothing I have ever done or tried has had any real impact on my placement except promoted listings which etsy has now ruined.  They billed me $1.28 for a single click the last day even though I had a $1 daily budget, I had to turn them off.  😠

I have seen a lot of threads in the etsy forums about search being broken.  Honestly, etsy's search is broken in many ways, they killed the "fairness" guideline, they turned loose AI which was not ready, and now they are shoving ads everywhere. First, the fairness guidelines were there to limit the number of times a shop could be on the same page, now there is no limit on the number of times the same shop can be on a single page so you get "clumping" whole pages of the same shop over and over and over and over. . . Second, the AI sounds like a good idea except it doesn't work it still needs to "learn" to be "intelligent" it's totally artificial but not smart as it provides really bad results some times.  Finally, since the new "advertising" crap-ness they are shoving ads everywhere they can, more rows of ads than there used to be and ads for things unrelated in searches with less results. 😕

So I searched for "chainmaille barrette" and this is what came up 

I feel the need to point out that there is only 1 actual "chainmaille barrette" at the top of this search result, see that row of "ads" at the top not a single one, scale flowers on clips are not chain and not barrettes.  See that houston astros bracelet that is infringement and hello a bracelet is not a barrette.  Also as pretty as the loop de loop thing is, it's wire wrap not chainmaille of any kind.  😕  Plus what the ? is with the tutorial for a necklace, it's not a finished good, it's not a barrette, it is not really related to the search "chainmaille barrette" at all except by 1 word.  

You may be wondering why I care, well this is the type of thing that keeps my listings buried.   In the small search "chainmaille barrette" there are only 78 results, I have 11 listings for chainmaille barrettes so you'd think I could get more than 1 on the first page, but nope.  Plus to add insult to injury the one single listing of mine on the first page of that search is in the very bottom row, it is quite literally the very last thing on the page.  However the infringing shop has 3 f*cking bracelets on the first page of the barrette search.

The truly crappy part is it's purely an etsy thing, I know my keywords/SEO are on target because if you do a Google search for chainmaille barrette and select images I am right there in the first row and the third row and the fourth row and even my instagram post is in the top half of the page.  So etsy hates me and buries my listings on purpose.  If you try a larger search like chainmaille earrings which has 6,500 results my first appearance is 1 listing on page 4 and 1 on page 5 and 1 on page 8, in spite of the fact that I have 20 earring listings and set them for free shipping which was supposed to get priority placement.  😕

In light of all that it is probably no surprise that I have become rather disillusioned with etsy in the past couple of years, unfortunately the new A.C.Moore marketplace seems to be really slow taking off so I'm stuck with etsy but I have cut promotions and the etsy plus subscription.

P.S.  I have no changed the barrette listings over to free shipping and miraculously 10 out of 11 are now on the first page.  😏

what's up with that?!?!

Since the start of the new etsy "advertising" crap-ness I have been getting some really weird search terms. . .like really weird.

"in a world full of grandmas be a nana"
"beating on a dime"
"metal wall art made in israel"
"mail order hat pattern 3454"

The only one that makes any kind of sense is the 'metal wall art' but when you add the made in Israel and I'm located in the USA. . .well you can see how it doesn't apply, as for the rest of them they are nonsensical the only words that are even in my listings are articles like in/on, a, be.  

It's total BS that my items would even be shown in such searches that obviously do not apply, the AI (artificial intelligence) is not living up to what the I stands for as this is the opposite of intelligence.  😠  It makes no sense to serve shoppers such obviously wrong search result because it will not lead to purchases, furthermore, the more an item is shown without being clicked, favorite'd or purchased it degrades the listing quality score. 😕  

I think etsy is purposely degrading our listing's quality scores so that they can increase the per click charges across the board, yes I am accusing them of manipulating things to maximize their profits as a platform at the cost of individual shops, site functionality, and buyer service. 

F*ck you Etsy. . .

Of all the ignorant bullshit that etsy has done in the years I've been there. . .I think I've finally had enough.  😒

I found this gem on my stats page 

This one is on my listing manager page

So basically even though I've worked my ass off for years creating unique items and continuously editing, updating and working on my listings and products it doesn't matter one bit because I refuse to make the whole shop free shipping so etsy will bury my listings and hide my shop from shoppers.  😒

I am now going to start promoting the new A.C.Moore marketplace.  I have already changed the "shop now" button on my facebook to direct there, I have also changed my instagram and pinterest.  😉  So everyone check out the newest place to buy  https://marketplace.acmoore.com/rainbowmaille

Etsy in it's infinity stupidity. . .

Etsy regularly. . .often makes what I think are really bad decisions, they change things for basically no reason and constantly re-format stuff just for fun. . .well fun for the techs who are obviously bored and just screwing around but never fun for sellers who have to deal with the bullshit.  😒 

As you can tell I'm a bit pissed this morning, I have been forcibly switched to the new "etsy ads" which I did NOT want. They in their infinite stupidity have decided to combine promoted listings with google ads so they can overcharge us all.  I never liked the "google ads" I did try them, twice as a matter of fact, and never got a single sale out of all the money spent and boy oh boy they spent some damn money, as there is no control of the cost per click and they bid themselves silly because you cannot set any limits other than the "daily budget" it's a bit like handing a ten year old money and asking them to spend it wisely.  😐 You know you're never getting any thing of value and you'll never see any change back.  

My first clue to this switch over was on my dashboard when I logged in and found a note in the shop advisor section :

Etsy Ads Credits for your Etsy Plus Subscription

You will still receive your $5 monthly advertising credit with Etsy Plus. Any remaining credits will post to your Payment account by Oct 1.

Well it's nice to know that the $5 credit for promoted listings that was a major selling feature for the etsy plus subscription will remain intact, but what good is a $5 credit when google ads wastes whole dollars on single clicks?!? 😕

I tried looking at stats and of course it says "advertising" now instead of promoted listings and which still does not include stats info for the freaking app so is in no way accurate. If you go through marketing and try to look at the advertising stats it gets worse, with limited time frames and no way to see daily clicks and charges. Totally bogus, unhelpful, super shitty, ugly format and I told them so via the survey. 


This sucks, the format is ugly AF and the limited info is annoying and frustrating.  I track my stats vs. PL clicks as "yesterday" time frame every day and now I can't do that.  If you think I'm going to leave this shit on so that you can spend up my budget and charge me a bunch of money for ads on google which I never liked, wanted or had any luck/revenue with you are sorely mistaken.  And furthermore since this change to my advertising choices with it's severally sucky limitations coupled with the screwing up of my featured items section, I will also be discontinuing my etsy plus subscription as it's a waste of money since I can no longer set the format I want in my features and have no need for the advertising credits since I will be turning off all ads.  Congratulations etsy you have fucked up my shop and screwed yourself out of my "seller services upgrades".

I had seen forum complaints about featured items sections not holding format and I'm really unhappy that I pay an extra $10 a month for etsy plus so that I could have the format I want in my featured items section and now they have fucked it all up and I cannot change it, I have tried and what I have set is not what is shown.  😡  I am paying extra for a feature that I no longer have control over!?!?!  WTF?!?!!?  

So congratulations to the etsy execs and techs who have managed to screw up multiple things at once, the results of which are I will be turning off my etsy plus subscription and all advertising since I have no control over these things any more.  I sincerely hope that many sellers turn off both that it costs etsy a bundle in their bottom line because that seems to be the only thing they understand.  😐

Tired of the "know-it-alls". . .

I find it rather rude when trying to have a discussion about different aspects of online selling and someone decides they are the end-all know-it-all.  Seriously, this morning I have been informed that "You must not understand how business works though."  "also you clearly don’t understand SEO."


Well allllright-y then smarty-pants please by all means go on. . . 

First, let me start with this is not my first business, I have had another previously. Second, etsy is not my first attempt at selling online I had a stand alone website for 10 years.  Finally, the concept that every thing you need to know is in the etsy handbook and works perfectly for every shop is asinine or a joke.  😕

If you go to the etsy search and type "chainmaille bracelet" in and hit search you get over 12,000 results, so lets's start with not everyone can be near the front of search when there are that many results, period.  I don't give a shit what you do. 

Now if one looks at those listings on the first page you will find many do not at all follow the guidelines in the handbook. 

Then consider that the articles that came out last year completely contradicted everything previously touted as being the "right" way.  
The old fashioned keyword stuffed etsy titles, where they encouraged you to use every available space in the title line for keywords and repeating yourself was a good idea, go ahead use the word bracelet 5 times.  A couple of years ago they admitted they were moving towards more of a google standard and google hates repeats and prefers shorter titles. So now keep it short but be descriptive but only the first few words matter.  Okay

Etsy used to encourage sellers to "tell a story" about what makes your item or your process special in the description, basically write a book, the longer the better.  Now my descriptions are "too long"  because they don't fit in the smaller allocated space but they do include full item details of materials, sizes, color options, etc. 

"Attributes" which have changed greatly through the years, many of the things that we are now supposed to set/select either didn't previously exist or were optional and not counted in search.  Now apparently attributes are important and if you don't set them you don't count.  really!?

Use all 13 tags, but single word tags are bad long tail keywords are better. Be specific in your categories. Fill out your about section and policies, blah blah blah. 

So since I have adjusted my listings repeatedly over my years on etsy trying to keep up with what they say "now" I have my about section and policies and I've had sales and gotten nothing but 5 star reviews, never had a case or complaint, I have to ask why the first pages of the "chainmaille bracelet" search are filled with listings that don't use all their tags, that have repetitive repeat words in the titles and tags, that have no attributes set, that are from shops that have no policies, and/or no reviews. ???

Why do I fight to keep trying to comply with these ridiculous and contradictory guidelines when nothing on the first page is in compliance?  Why should I keep trying to dig out of the massive piles when I will likely never be found because I won't offer free shipping and I have a small budget for promoted listings?  Nothing I have ever done to be in compliance with this insanity has ever changed my crappy search placement, brand new shops open and post listings that do not fit any of the guidelines and they get the new bump any way.

But don't mind me I'm just "ignorant" and have no idea what I'm doing.  😶  And this annoyance and incident is brought to you by a "seller support" group with some super "supportive" members. 😒