As SEO's we know how important titles are; not just to the search engine but to get searchers to clicks, as calls to action.
Danna Crawford is a long time eBay Powerseller. Her ability to craft effective titles directly impacts her income. Although many of her examples naturally pertain specifically to eBay, the same principles can be applied to general and ecommerce titles
The wording of the title when selling an item on eBay is very important for a few reasons.
- To Capture the readers attention
- To be picked-up easily in search engines
- And most importantly, to make a sale!
As a mom helping other moms, having learned the tricks of the trade on a tight budget myself, I encourage them to avoid additional fees and pay extra attention to the wording and style of the title when selling an item on eBay.
I teach them to play with words in the title to catch the attention of those eBay shoppers that shop by browsing through categories. Category shoppers scan through the listings by each category.
Some sellers will splurge on the extra options at eBay and pay fees to bold or highlight their items. My suggestion to those on a budget is to simply word the title items with attention style. Meaning; use CAPS and lowercase lettering in order for ATTENTION.
By using this style it will force the eyes browsing through the categories to sway over to your words that are standing out at ATTENTION!
Here is a great example from one of my listings:
Vintage LORD ELGIN Watch Wristwatch ROLLED Gold Band NR
Notice the effect CAPS can have on the title. I also used watch and wristwatch to help with those buyers that may be searching: Lord Elgin Watch or Lord Elgin Wristwatch.
Captivated
Keywords are very important in order for an item to show up on the first page of a google search.
If an item youre selling is commonly misspelled it may be a good idea to include the misspelling into the title in addition to the correct spelling if you have enough room.
Example: DR. MARTENS Doc Martin SHOES sz.10 BROWN Doctor Martan
The proper spelling for this popular shoe that generally sells very well is: Dr. Marten. I would then have the correct wording at the start and try to include as many wrong ways in the title that room will allow, yet making sure to have room for the important selling points of the shoe like the size and/or color.
The eBay title only allows for 55 characters. Its important to take advantage of all those letters by using quality words and to avoid common words like: a, and, the. There is no need to use commas.
Also avoid hyphens (if theyre not appropriate) or fancy markings touching the letters that may mess up search results. Avoid: L@@K or WOW. Use a valuable acronym which may help you to sell that item instead.
There are many different and interesting acronyms used in the eBay world. A friend of mine and I put a book together called: Words For Auction, available directly from the publisher.
A few examples that are commonly used in eBay titles:
- NWT = New With Tag.
- NWOT = New Without Tag.
- MIB = Mint In Box.
- NR = No Reserve.
Acronyms are great to use as space fillers in titles and a fun way to add a bit of a description to the title.
Think like a buyer when writing a title.
What words will make me what to click on this and buy this item?
What way can I spell this out to capture the attention of those viewing?
Bottom line:
GET creative and CAPTURE the reader to WANT more!
Danna Crawford, eBay powerseller and CEO/Founder of PowerSellingMom, Inc. and WholesaleBoxLots.com. You can follow Danna on Twitter or check out her eBay store
Images courtesy of liewcf and Mark A. Vargas
I think it is a gift to know what words will catch the attention that you seek. I appreciate the advice to play around with different titles to see what works.
Thanks.
Thanks for your comment! I personally love a good challenge! You could look at it as a challenge and seek out those HOT words to capture the readers attention.
yes Title in many cases is important not for search engine only.
One thing more people need to realize..when everything is bold, nothing is bold. Too often people want to make everything stand out.
Utah, great point!
Not a good idea to BOLD it all. Only a word or a few now and then.
Even notice the highlighted area above. It does make you stop and LOOK while reading a story.
Just curious, did that photo captivate you? ((smiles))
THANKS SEO test for the comment!
Does the thing about blod face being picked up by engines work the same for italicized words?
I do not think that it is a gift at all. It is a lot of trial and error and the use of BOLD helps if used judiciously.
Great tips! The title is the first thing the reader sees so it is crucial to make that first impression a good one.
this is really inspiring! i did not know that factors like keywords can have such great impacts on online marketing.
i have always been a great fan of Danna. she has inspired me to make a move in this field. thanks a lot!
Keywords in title is especially important when the domain does not belong to you. Seriously, what other factors can you edit to bring your items up on the search results. You need to capture the buyers’ attention, in order to sell to them. Focus on the title.
Anna Nguyen
Agree. Choosing the right and targeted keywords make good results for SEO. Your tips very helpful, Thanks.
It is true that being picked up by the search engines is at least as important as catching the buyers eye, so the title needs to be designed in a way that will catch both all important eyes.
Very good tips indeed. Title is most important to capture attention of buyer on Ebay or even visitor in search engines. I would add as option to include one catchy-eye symbol at the beginning and end of title. That brings attention also.
In short, the title used must be captivating and attention-seeking.
Rif Chia