This guide explains top ways to optimize your item titles when selling on eBay to maximize the exposure your item will get in search results without keyword spamming.
Basic Facts about eBay's Search Functionality for Sellers to Remember
- eBay's Default Search: eBay's search engine matches all keywords entered against the Item Title you enter in the Sell Your Item form for all standard searches.
- Title and Description Search: Search keywords are not matched against the description field unless the user checks the "Titles and Descriptions" checkbox which is usually just beneath a search box (but is not visible on the eBay homepage or in the search box in the header at the top right of the screen). Most buyers never check this box unless they cannot find relevant items of interest using this Title Search.
- Item Subtitle: Search keywords are not matched against the Item Subtitle. Item Subtitle can be a very effective marketing tool once your item is returned in a search results or category browse, but the search engine does not look at these keywords for title search, but does include these keywords when users search on Title and Descriptions.
eBay Item titles are a maximum of 55 characters in length
-
This means that you should include information that describes key
characteristics of the item you are selling, but also includes general
descriptors of the item like Sofa, Action Figure, Ticket, DVD,
Timeshare, Car, Automobile, Computer.
- Buyers search using these
terms to filter out items in certain categories and only with some
exceptions (see section below), eBay does not add
these keywords into your search based on the category you are listing
in. For example: When you are listing an item in the Passenger
Vehicles category means that you should remember to include the word car in your title as that is what buyers use to search for
vehicles and filter out car parts and accessories.
- Always keep the buyers in mind. What keywords would a buyer use to find these items in general?
Automatic Keyword to Category Mappings
- In some cases, when a user will include specific keywords in their search terms, eBay will automatically search for all items within a specific category regardless of whether those item titles have that specific keyword in the title or not.
- For example: On the eBay.com site, if a user types in the keywords superman action figure in the search box, eBay will return all items that would normally be found (all items that have all three words in the title) plus any items in the Action Figures category that have the keyword superman in the title. Those additional items returned from the Action Figures categorymay or may not have the keywords action figure in the title.
- To see a list of all keyword to category mappings, go to the keyword to category mapping help page.
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Guide created: 10/04/05 (updated 04/19/08)


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