For example, in some cases it might make more sense to “exact match” a keyword multiple times and give it more weight vs. adding a different keyword – especially if the keyword you would add isn’t being searched at all.

That’s why the rule is “don’t repeat keywords unnecessarily” –

. . . the most important skill to learn is to know when it’s unnecessary and when it might be warranted.

And that’s always going to be a decision made case per case. Listing per listing. Keyword per keyword.

If you’ve taken the Etsy SEO Blueprint course, you know that when we get to writing titles and tags, there’s a full step that’s all about “assessing repetitions” which teaches you how to think about them so you can decide what to keep and what to get rid of. There is no perfect answer that is applicable to every situation. But IT IS possible to learn how to decide what to do in each case, for each particular listing. That’s the skill you want to develop that will make SEO a heck of a lot easier for you.

# 2 – Context is everything

 Ok – here is another example of how a successful Etsy SEO strategy is about “thinking critically” and always, always looking at things in context…

 One keyword alone doesn’t make a successful SEO strategy, and these days, as you probably know, finding a keyword that’s got 

• HIGH Searches
• LOW competition
• HIGH engagement
• HIGH click through rates 
• HIGH amount of clicks 

AND 

• Is being searched for consistently across the year 

is just SUPER rare.

I actually call these keywords “Unicorn keywords” —they’re lovely and all but they’re a rare sight. 

The majority of your keywords will be a bit “meh”  . . . 

Some will have a good search volume but not such a great engagement, 

Others will have low competition but not too many people searching, 

Some will have a low amount of search but a really decent engagement and be consistently searched for through the year, 

And some will be quite long-tail, others will be pretty broad – it’s going to be a mixed bag.

This is why when you create your keyword strategy, you need to be able to take a look at things in context. 

What does that mean?

Well, the idea is that your keywords work together at the listing level to complement each other. One keyword weakness is another keyword strength and overall they play well together so that you have a healthy keyword mix at the listing level.

Taking this one step higher from the listing level to the shop level, you need to look at how each listing keyword strategy works with your other listings at the shop level to form a comprehensive strategy and cover all your bases. 

This is another important step we teach you in the Etsy SEO Blueprint.

You can’t stay too focused on an individual listing or an individual keyword. You have to learn to think and look at things in context.  

 So – where does that leave you?

The Secret to Etsy SEO Success

To be successful with Etsy SEO, you need to understand how to THINK about Etsy SEO the right way.

You need to understand the thought process behind the decisions you’ll need to make.

As the old adage goes …

“Catch a man a fish and he will eat for a night,

teach a man to fish and he will eat forever.”

Ready To Tackle Etsy SEO For Your Handmade Shop?

If you want to learn how to fish, my absolute best recommendation, as we dive into things in much more detail, is to check out the Etsy SEO Blueprint course available over at Tizzit.co.