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Ask Daniellexo: Breaking the Rules

Daniellexo discusses when to break the rules of search engine optimization.

Avatar image for Danielle Maveal by Danielle Maveal
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I wish I could write the secret to Etsy Success out on a recipe card and give it to you: "One perfect Etsy shop title, one sparkling shop banner and three tweets. Enjoy!" Ah, if only it worked that way. Today's question triggered a few conclusions that have been buzzing around my head all week. "How come some people aren't following the recipe but are still ending up with deliciously baked shops?" Read on and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Dear Daniellexo,

When it comes to some of the suggestions from the Seller Handbook and many Etsy threads on Search Engine Optimization, all seem logical and not too hard to follow: keep it simple, descriptive and know your buyer's search mind.

I have a ton of work to do.

Here is my question, before I start that ton of work.

I checked out some of the top selling shops in my category. Why is it that some of these top sellers "break all the rules" (use short, non-descriptive titles) but still get the sales? I thought I could look at the best sellers as examples of great titles... I was surprised. Many titles are not descriptive. They start their item titles with something cute, i.e. "Sweet Magnolia" to describe a necklace.

I am curious if you have an idea about this. I have seen many successful shops don't follow the "rules" to get better search engine results and do just fine. Maybe it's their product niche? I know based on your terrific newsletter, that you may have an idea about this.

I look forward to any reply you may have to my question.

Sincerely, Jenny (thevintagejewelrybox and silvercholla)

Dear Jenny,

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how there is not one single path to Etsy Success. This is something I've always known, but the more Etsy grows, the more I witness little tips and tricks, and the more I notice exceptions to what a lot of us thought were success rules.

I've been immersed in the selling experience on Etsy for nearly five years. From that experience, here's something I've found to be true: if there is one area of running your business that you are exceptionally passionate about, you can use that to outshine all the other obstacles that may be in your way. These could be anything from product development, to marketing, to just being able to connect with people at parties. I'm not saying that if you're a genius at social networking, that you'll never have to worry about having the world's best photographs.  But if you're a genius at social networking, you'll probably find a great way to get your following to help you with photography.

If you can come up with a product design that sells itself — something that is so unique and clever, everyone who sees it takes notice and shares it with a friend — you may never need to worry yourself with inbound links.

No one will ever create an Etsy Robot that follows all the "rules" and immediately becomes successful. There's one thing an Etsy Robot could never have that you do have. A je ne sais quoi — something that can't be taught, something intangible. It's that voice you hear that says, "Why don't you try this?"

Please don't unsubscribe from my newsletter. Don't throw those business books into your recycling bin. Everyone creates their own recipe for success and you will need those tried and true tips to help you come up with this recipe. Remember the first ingredient is your own je ne sais quoi. It's hard for me to tell if you've found it yet. It's possible you have, but you either have to be patient (sometimes it takes a bit of perseverance to get everyone else on board) or may not be pushing it far enough!

xo,

Danielle

Avatar image for Danielle Maveal Words by Danielle Maveal

Before working for Etsy, Danielle also managed two jewelry studios/shops in Toronto and Detroit, and even had her own gallery in Brooklyn. Then she found a really cool website that allowed her to sell her own work. Within 3 months, she quit her job and ran an Etsy shop full time (she almost hit 1,000 sales before Etsy hired her!).

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