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
About the Author: Danna Crawford
