“My sales have suddenly dropped, but I haven’t done anything differently!”
This is often hollered by frustrated eBay Sellers, at a loss as to why their successful businesses have suddenly plummeted. “Have everyone else’s sales dropped? Is it the market? Has eBay changed something - again?!?”
More often than not, the seller’s listings have simply fallen lower in the search results.
Rank influences sales
Just as Google search rank influences web traffic, eBay rank can affect the number of buyers that see your listings and purchase.
On average, over 90% of purchases on eBay are from listings on the first page of search results – the first 50 listings.
As one of the UK’s top sellers stated, “At the end of the day, on marketplaces, if you’re not on page one, your product may as well not exist”.
This is why top sellers monitor their listings’ eBay search rank frequently and tweak those that have fallen in rank.
How to view your listings’ rank
The quickest way to identify your listings’ eBay search rank is to use ShelfTrend’s Top 500 Listings report, by following these steps:
1. Create a Top 500 Live Listings report using either your product category, keywords, or both.
In this example, we are selling pools on eBay.com.au. The keyword “pool” is used, and to ensure that unrelated products aren’t included, categories have also been used.
2. Click Listings and type your eBay ID into the Search filter
Here we are looking at the search rank of Outbaxcamping’s listings - a large, professional seller. The results table is on the Listing view, and their eBay ID has been added to the Search filter.
3. Review your listing rank
Your listings’ rank appears in the table. If your listings are not there, it means they are lower than position 500 in the search results for the search query that you used.
4. Download the report to track movement
Downloading the report into a spreadsheet allows you to compare results daily, weekly or monthly. The report also includes sales, stock levels and pricing, which are also useful to monitor.
Tactics to improve listing rank
eBay is a moving beast, constantly changing. Factors that can cause a sudden change in search rank include:
Changes in the search terms used by buyers, e.g. vegan leather instead of PVC.
New listings with slightly better pricing or images
New models with more desirable features
Competitors improving their Top Rated Seller status
Listings with higher recent sales from Promoted Listings
While there are some factors that you cannot influence, there are some that you can.
Successful eBay sellers tweak what are seemingly small but surprisingly impactful things, like the photo layout, title and Item Specifics, listing description, and minor price adjustments.
‘Ultimately, we look from the customers’ lens and we go “What is a customer likely to respond well to?”’ – Eric, large UK seller.