Business Bits - SEO

Search Engine Opitimization is quite the buzz as of late. Or, probably, more accurately- I'm just paying more attention to it as of late! Anyhow, Search Engine Opitimization, commonly referred to as SEO, is the active process of improving the amount & quality of traffic to a site. Basically, how to get people, the right people, to come to your shop/site/blog.

It's a huge part of marketing & developing your marketing strategy. Recently, I've begun exploring this....and after pushing through a few technology induced headaches, I think I've got a plan....and some good resources to share. Many thanks to WaterRose, a fabulous Etsy seller who shared an excellent post. After sifting through tons of information, one thing is certain- I don't think there is much point in wringing my hands on how to advertise, spending money to buy ad spots, or twittering away if there are basic (albeit time consuming) adjustments I can make to improve my shop's SEO. Now, if that's not a kick in the pants, not sure what is!

{{Mini Polka Dot Favor Tag from Perideau Designs }}

When exploring how to improve SEO results for your Etsy shop specifically, you'll need to focus on tags, titles, descriptions, and other little bits that will take time (and patience!).

Since the resources I gathered are so fantastic on their own, I'll list them here. I recommend brewing a big 'ol cup of coffee & settling in to take notes & make a plan.

Beginner's Guide- What is SEO? - from SEOmoz.org (experts!) answers the what & why

Etsy SEO Cheat Sheet - from Handmade Business Blog; addresses the how, by far the most clear & easy to follow guidelines to improve your Etsy Shop (if you read nothing else, read this one!)

Improve Your Website's Search Ranking - from Inc. Magazine: super informative & easy to read (this too is an ultra must-read!)

Etsy Item Titles SEO - from Timothy Adam Designs; always a good resource & explains how Etsy titles affect SEO

Google Caffeine- A Detailed Test of the New Google : from Mashable- The Social Media Guide, explains how Google's new search engine function, soon to launch, affects SEO and other things. A little techinical, but you can wade through it. Promise.

Listing Your Handmade Craft the Right Way - From Craft is Art; good article & food for thought on how to better list your items on Etsy & other craft sites.

Whew, that should be enough to keep you busy for awhile! Still in the mood to work on your marketing? Check out last week's post on how to write a business plan.

Cheers!