How to Choose the Right Keywords for Etsy Listings

Keywords are the phrases buyers type into Etsy search, and choosing the right ones is the single highest-leverage thing you can do for a listing. The goal is not to guess clever words; it is to match the exact language your buyers already use.

Start with the buyer’s words, not yours

Makers describe products the way they think about them. Buyers search the way they shop. You might call something a “boho macrame wall hanging,” but a buyer types “living room wall decor above couch.” Bridge that gap by collecting the phrases buyers actually use: Etsy’s own search-bar suggestions, the related searches on results pages, the words repeat customers use in reviews and messages, and the terms competitors put in their titles.

Write down every phrase you find. You are building a list to judge, not committing to anything yet.

Judge each phrase on demand and competition

Once you have a list, weigh each phrase two ways. Demand is how many people search it. Competition is how many listings already target it. A phrase with solid demand and low competition is rare and valuable; a phrase almost nobody searches is not worth a slot no matter how well it describes your product.

This is where guessing falls short and data helps. Toolsy’s Keyword Search shows the search volume and competition for each phrase so you can compare them honestly instead of by gut feel. As a rule, specific long-tail phrases of three or more words convert better for new shops, because the buyer knows exactly what they want and fewer listings compete.

Give every keyword a job

You have limited space: a title, thirteen tags, and attributes. Do not waste it repeating the same idea. Instead, spread your chosen phrases so each one earns its place.

• Put your strongest, most specific phrase near the front of the title.
• Use all thirteen tags, each a different multi-word phrase, never single words.
• Fill in every attribute Etsy offers, since they act as keywords too.
• Match tags to real search phrases, not synonyms of words already in your title.

Etsy reads your title, tags, and attributes together, so variety beats repetition. Our Etsy SEO guide covers how those fields fit into ranking overall.

Test, then keep what works

Keyword research is never one-and-done. After a few weeks, check which searches actually bring visits and sales in your shop stats, and watch where your listing sits for its main phrase. Toolsy’s Rank Checker tracks a listing’s position for a keyword over time, so you can see whether a change helped or hurt. Keep the phrases that pull traffic, swap out the ones that never move, and repeat. Small, steady edits beat a single big rewrite, and they teach you which words your particular buyers respond to.