Etsy’s New Search Tools Aim to Elevate Quality Listings and Enhance Seller Success

As the digital marketplace grows, Etsy has been enhancing its search and discovery tools to spotlight high-quality listings. With 100 million items available, Etsy focuses on featuring its best offerings from its sellers to buyers.

In an interview with PYMNTS, Nick Daniel, Etsy’s chief product officer, explains the company’s recent efforts are designed to incorporate listing quality into their visibility on the platform.

“Since earlier this year, we’ve been working on new ways to incorporate the quality of a listing into where it shows up on Etsy — in places like search and recommendations,” Daniel said, noting factors such as listing details, photo quality and customer service records.

Ramping Up the Consumer Experience

Daniel emphasized Etsy’s commitment to enhancing the browsing experience

“We are optimizing our search results to showcase a broader range of items from more sellers,” he said. “We also want to make it easier and more fun to explore the incredible breadth and depth our marketplace has to offer. This is particularly helpful when customers don’t know exactly what they’re looking for and want to browse a wider set of options in various styles.”

This diversification strategy has opened new opportunities for sellers, as Daniel noted, “serving up a broader array of listings has led to approximately 70% of shops on Etsy having more visibility in search.”

According to Daniel, the refinement of search algorithms involves a range of factors to determine where listings appear.

“When shoppers are searching on Etsy, it’s important that they can easily find high-quality listings from shops that have a track record of good customer service,” he explained. “Making these listings easier to find helps build trust with shoppers so they come back to shop on Etsy again and again.”

Positive trends have emerged since the implementation of these updates.

“We’ve seen an increase in the number of 4- and 5-star reviews sitewide, while also seeing a decline in the rate at which buyers request refunds, both of which indicate shoppers are happier with their experiences on Etsy,” Daniel said.

The revamped search features come at a time when Etsy is looking to recoup the number of consumers shopping on the platform — its second-quarter earnings showed a dip in sales as retail spending continues to navigate the uncertain economy.

Consumers, overall, are being more selective about purchases, and PYMNTS Intelligence data shows they often trade down to less expensive options, especially those consumers who live paycheck to paycheck.

Enhancing the search experience for consumers and providing tools to sellers to better craft listings may help Etsy reach those shoppers.

New Seller Tools

Daniel said the introduction of the Etsy Search Visibility Page was a key development designed to enhance transparency for sellers.

“We’re excited to announce the new Etsy Search Visibility Page in Shop Manager, giving our sellers more insights and recommendations into how they appear in search than ever before,” he said. “We’ve heard from sellers consistently over the years that they want more transparency into what goes into Etsy search to help optimize listings and make more sales.”

The Search Visibility Page was developed in response to repeated seller requests for greater clarity on search algorithms. The page offers actionable tips to help sellers improve their search rankings, focusing on elements such as listing image quality, return policies, message response times and shipping prices.

The page is intended to empower sellers with the tools needed to enhance their listings and, by extension, their search visibility.

“As sellers make changes to their listings, they’ll have the ability to track improvements in real time,” Daniel said. This feature aims to facilitate a more proactive approach to optimizing listings and improving the overall shopping experience on Etsy.

The Search Visibility Page provides detailed insights into various aspects of seller performance. For example, Etsy will notify sellers monthly if they meet customer service standards and how this affects their search visibility.

“Sellers can also keep track of daily progress on the customer service stats page,” Daniel said. “Consistently going above and beyond for customers could also help our sellers be recategorized as a Star Seller, which serves as a further trust signal to buyers and can drive increased conversion. We want to make sure high-quality listings with clear information stand out so that buyers feel confident in making a purchase.”