10 Common eBay Keywords Title Mistakes Sellers Make

Some eBay listings, no matter how good their eBay keywords are, have low conversion rates.
 
A popular reason behind this is because sellers are titling their listings wrong.
 
Here’s some of the eBay listing title mistakes you might be guilty of…
 
#1 Not including valuable keywords in your title
 
Displaying important eBay keywords in your title is the main point of labeling it. When your listing title contains keywords customers don’t often look for, it’s possible that your listing won’t rank high. Another possibility is not having conversion rates due to low listing traffic. These are only some of the reasons why adding invaluable eBay keywords can affect your sales. To remedy this, here are some details you can include in your listing title:
 
  • Brand name
 
  • Model Name
 
  • Model Number
 
  • Color
 
  • Size
 
  • Item condition
 
  • Other item specifics
 
#2 Not including the model name and number
 
It’s important that you inform customers of details provided by the manufacturer. It’s also logical to learn about your products before creating listings for them. Most customers go to eBay with a specific item in mind. They know the kind, brand, condition, and price of the item they want. This goes to show that sellers must be specific with how they title their listings. A customer wouldn’t go to eBay and search for “sale brand new toaster 240 volts”. Most customers would type in “KitchenAid CounterTop Toaster Oven KCO223CU” instead. See the difference between the two? While the former is ideal for customers who come to eBay not knowing what they want. The latter will have higher conversion rates and ranking in the search results.
 
#3 Inflating the title with adjectives
 
“Slight Used Authentic Forever 21 Small Brown Stylish Fashionista Chic Suede Knee High Western Style Boots Size 7”
 
We can tell you what’s wrong with this title. But you probably see it already.
 
It’s alright to maximize the 55-character allotment for titles, but not with unimportant adjectives.
 
#4 Using acronyms and abbreviations you made up
 
Nothing is more frustrating than trying to guess what an acronym means. If a seller makes up their own acronyms then even a buyer with enough knowledge about the product, will still get confused. All eCommerce platforms have their own site-specific acronyms and jargons. There have been several eBay jargons developed since eBay became famous. Pioneer eBay sellers are familiar with the jargons, “NIB”, “NWT”, and even “GUC”. For eBay newbies, this can be a challenge. This may also cause confusion once it isn’t explained further in the listings.
 
As a refresher, here are some existing eBay jargons you can use:
 
Mint – Good as new
 
LE – Limited Edition
 
NIB – New in Box
 
NWB – New with Box
 
NWOB – New without Box
 
NWT – New with Tags
 
NWOT – New without Tags
 
GUC – Good used condition
 
EUC – Excellent used condition
 
HTF – Hard to find
 
VHTF – Very hard to find
 
VTG – Vintage
 
B1G1 – Buy 1 Get 1
 
FC – First Class Shipping
 
FSH – Free Shipping and Handling
 
# 5 Not checking your spelling
 
“Authentic Used Yves Saint Lauren Classic Medium Monogram Saint Lauren Satchel in Black Grain De Poudre Textured Leather”
 
With one glance, a savvy buyer can tell the seller spelled “Laurent” wrong. It’s repeated twice in a row, too!
 
Spelling plays a key role in authenticating your item. This is even more important for luxury items such as bags, shoes, and clothes. These luxury items target a specific market. People shopping in that area tend to be specific. It’s tricky selling luxury items on eBay since you’ll be selling something for a hefty price. Proving your item’s authenticity becomes a challenge too since you’ll only have photos for proof. Spelling accuracy can help end the doubts of those looking around for luxury items.
 
Erasing customer doubt is one thing, increasing traffic is another. Spelling errors prevent listings from ranking higher in search results. Buyers can only find your listing if they spell it the way you did. If they did spell it incorrectly and found your listing, doubts will eventually grow. Keep in mind, it’s the way you make your listings reflect how you are as a seller after all.
 
#6 Not following the proper title format
 
  • NEW JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR PS3 GAME (FACTORY SEALED)
 
  • New James Cameron’s Avatar PS3 Game (Factory Sealed)
 
Observe how the title in all caps presents a different emotion than the one in title case. Isn’t the lower case easier on the eyes? Easier to read? We’re not saying that the title in all caps demonstrates unprofessionalism. We’re showing how it appeals to the naked eye. It’s better because it’s stating what the listing is selling. It doesn’t read like the seller is shouting for attention.
 
It’s okay to highlight your promotions in all caps. But when it comes to the rest of the title, tone it down by using the proper titling format.
 
# 7 Not including your item’s present state
 
Is your item brand new? Refurbished? Unlocked?  Include it in your title if it still fits.
 
Remember that your buyer won’t get to see your item without having it shipped to his address first. Make it easier for them to know what to expect by including the item’s condition in the title. You only have 55 characters for listing titles, make it count!
 
Here are some good examples we’ve found:
 
  • New Ryobi 16 inch 40V Lithium-Ion Cordless Walk-Behind Lawn Mower (No Battery)
 
  • Slightly Used Ryobi RTS10G 10 inch 15 Amp Table Saw
 
  • Kobalt 86435 3/8-in Drive 7/32-in Shallow 6-Point Standard (SAE) Socket B1G1
 
  • Stack-On 16 Gun Security Tactical Key Lock Cabinet Gun Safe LE
 
  • Refurbished Nexgrill Deluxe 5-Burner Gas Grill w/ Side Burner & Searing Zone Propane
 
# 8 Using special characters to make your listing look “fun” and “eye-catching”
 
It’s always nice when sellers try to make their listings look entertaining and fun. But some sellers take the fun to a new level by adding unnecessary special characters. Characters such as asterisks (*), the dollar sign ($), tildes (~), etc. hinder hits in search results. This is because eBay’s search engine will read these characters as part of the title.
 
# 9 Not using the proper term for the item being sold 
 
Knowing the proper term to use for your items is the main reason why product familiarity is necessary. To prove this point, we’ll use two kinds of humidifiers as examples. Let’s say you’re selling these two items:
 
  • New Honeywell HEV320w Humidifier Evaporative 3 Year Warranty NIB
 
  • New Honeywell HUL535B Humidifier Evaporative 2 Year Warranty NIB
 
One of the most common mistakes of people selling humidifiers is thinking there’s 1 kind. Humidifiers vary in 4 different kinds: warm mist, cool mist, whole house, and ultrasonic. The second example we’ve given was mistakenly labeled as evaporative. The Honeywell HUL535B Humidifier is ultrasonic and not evaporative. Now, a buyer who purchases without doing research would think that this is an evaporative variant of the Honeywell HUL535B series. You want to avoid buyer issues on eBay as it costs time, effort, or worse, your eBay store.
 
# 10 Not using keyword suggestion tools
 
It’s obvious to add the item’s brand, color, size, and other specs on the listing title. It can save you time from answering customer messages. But what if there’s not much to include on the title?
 
You seek the help of keyword suggestion tools, of course.
 
This is especially made for eBay sellers without the gift of including important keywords on their listing titles. Keyword suggestion tools are available online which are either free of charge or paid. We’ve compiled a list of tools you can try out today:
 
Free
 
 
 
 
 
 
Paid
 
 
 
 
 
 
Did our list of common eBay keywords title mistakes sound familiar to you? We bet some of it did! Share your thoughts in a comment below and let us know what you think. For more eBay tips and tricks, please visit our blog today.
Try our Easy eBay Template Builder
We have some amazing eBay Tools for you INSIDE.
How to build a startup from scratch.

"For our new friends, Rival Ripper is an eBay listing management platform that combines template building, message tracking, order management, and pricing all into one powerful tool. To learn more about Rival Ripper and get insider access, sign up for our 100% free newsletter."

Yuan Huynh
CEO & Co-Founder of RivalRipper.com

We value privacy. No spam. No worries.

Comments are closed.

Read previous post:
How to Use eBay Analytics in 8 Easy Steps

eBay Analytics has helped thousands of eBay businesses each year   Today, it can help yours, too!   Here’s the...

Close