It’s been a minute- sorry guys! I’ve been up to my eyes in course creation and finishing off my MA, so I accidentally didn’t write a blog post for TWO WHOLE MONTHS! Whoops!

But I’m here now. And I promise I’ll try to get back to my normal posting schedule now that my Etsy course is finished. It’s launching next week- I am so flipping excited!

So I thought I would come back in with my absolute golden rule for Etsy SEO- I mean, this one is an absolute non-negotiable in my eyes.

Let’s dive in…

What is Etsy SEO?

Ok, so before we get to the golden rule, I just want to give you some context.

Etsy SEO (search engine optimisation) is the way you can create your content so that the Etsy search algorithm knows what your listing is all about and therefore who to show your listings to. You can find out more about how the Etsy search algorithm works in this article here.

The Etsy algorithm is an ever-evolving, constantly shifting thing. Keywords go in and out of fashion, trends happen and seasonal events can massively impact things.

But generally speaking, the listings that perform the best on Etsy have the following things in common:

• Excellent product photography
• Clear title (containing a longtail keyword)
• Clear description (with relevant longtail keywords)
• 13 product tags (relevant longtail keywords)
• Good number of favourites
• Good sales history (positive reviews, repeat customers)

What Happens When You Change a Listing?

When you make changes to a listing, it can affect how the algorithm ranks it.

Note, changing images and prices does not affect the algorithm (that is, at the moment- I write this in 2025 and this is how it currently works)

It takes around 60-90 days for the algorithm to index any changes to your tags, titles or descriptions. Each time you make a change it resets the clock on this timeframe, so constant tweaks are a bad idea. I always recommend making all the changes in one hit and then leave it the hell alone so that the algorithm can work its magic.

The Etsy SEO Golden Rule- Don’t Change Best Selling or High Performing Listings

So here’s is my absolute golden Etsy SEO rule-

If you have a best selling or high performing listing, do not change it.

Like, EVER!

If you change your listing, you risk upsetting the balance and your search ranking dropping. And it might take 60-90 days to index any further changes, so if your rankings drop and then you try to change it back, that’s another few months until the algorithm has done its thing. Nightmare!

Here’s What To Do Instead

Duplicate the listing and make your changes on the copy. Give the copy version a new title, new main image and test it there. You can tweak your tags and keywords on your new version as much as you like.

But leave the original listing as it is.

Give the new version a few months and see what happens, but let it run alongside the old version.

If the new version overtakes the old version, then congratulations! But if it flops, you still have the high performing listing. It’s like an Etsy backup plan. We call this A/B testing- where you run 2 versions of the same piece of content to see which works best.

Exceptions To The Golden Rule

Of course, there might be the odd occasion where this is not possible- like perhaps your supplier went bust and you have to change the colour options.

If that’s the case, do not panic.

Make the changes you have to make- if it’s just changing the photos or prices, remember that is ok because it won’t affect your SEO anyway. But if you can leave your tags, description, title and keywords alone, please do.

Summing Up

The thing is, with most Etsy shops, and indeed, most businesses, there is a common saying that 80% of your income comes from 20% of your products. So those best sellers are so important and need to be protected.

That’s my number one piece of advice for any Etsy seller out there. What’s your number one non-negotiable Etsy selling rule? Let me know in the comments!

I’ve just launched the SEO module from my course Etsy Selling: The Ultimate Guide – It’s got everything you need to start ranking higher in Etsy searches, broken down into manageable chunks. You can get your hands on it here.

Ah, it’s so good to be back- I’ve missed you all!