Should I use all 13 tags or just the most relevant ones?
I've always heard "fill all 13 tags" but lately I've been wondering if that advice is actually sound. If I'm stretching to fill tags 11–13 with loosely related phrases, could those weak tags actually hurt my relevancy? Or does Etsy just ignore irrelevant tags and there's no downside to filling them all?
3 Replies
Fill all 13, but make them count. The strategy that works for me: tags 1–4 cover my main product phrases, tags 5–8 cover the occasion/recipient ("gift for teacher," "housewarming gift"), tags 9–11 cover the aesthetic ("cottagecore," "vintage inspired"), tags 12–13 cover material or process ("hand stamped," "letterpress"). Never repeat what's already in your title word for word.
There's no evidence that weak tags hurt you — Etsy simply doesn't use them if they're not relevant to a query. So the downside of a mediocre tag is zero impressions from that tag, not a penalty. That said, 13 well-researched tags covering different search angles will always outperform 8 great ones. Always fill all 13.
One tactic: look at your competitors' listings (the ones ranking well) and see what their titles and visible tags include. Not to copy them, but to identify gaps. If everyone in your niche is tagging "minimalist jewelry" and nobody tags "understated fine jewelry," that gap might be an opportunity if buyers are searching for it.