Items not appearing high up on search despite being sponsored listings

[sunta2010]

I've noticed a sudden, large, and dramatic downturn in sales for the last week, so I decided to run a test on search results on Ebay for a few of my items. I did a search by typing in just a few of the words from my title ("80s color block sweater") on one of my items and it popped right up on the first page of the search results. However, when my husband runs the exact same search on his computer, my item appears buried way down on the third page, out of four pages, despite the fact that ALL my items are promoted items and I pay Ebay a whopping 10% of each sale. I had him try two other items as well, and same deal. Pops right up for me, but buried for him. So while Ebay is making it appear to me on my browser that everything is fine and my items are coming right up on search, on his computer, they are not coming up in a good position despite being promoted listings. How could I go about solving this problem? 

[coolections]

I checked two of your listings:

amanda smith blue pant suit  1 of 16

laura ashley floral dress large  1 of 31

So that tells me not only are your listings available, but they both show at the top of search.

[hurryagain]

@sunta2010 

I am thinking that there's alot of competition in the clothing arena and many other sellers are sponsoring their items as well.  There used to be 4 sponsored slots on each page - 2 at the top and 2 at the bottom...I am now only seeing that there are only 2 sponsored slots at the bottom of each page which may be making it even harder for your listing to appear at the top few pages of a search. 

I did your 80s color block sweater search and your item did not appear on any of the sponsored areas, it was on the last page in its regular slot since I was searching by time ending soonest.

Perhaps other sellers are doing an even higher promo campaign than you are...going even higher than 10%???  Or there are so many sponsored sweaters matching your description that is running at a 10% campaign as you are OR better yet...the sponsored sweaters that I am seeing are all promoting using that wonderful new pay per click campaign which would probably trump all other regular promotional campaigns.

It's all about the money, nothing but the money honey.  If a publicly traded company does not earn more moolah over the previous year - year over year - its stock get beat up so they HAVE to find new avenues of income and if that means raking the sellers or employees or whomever else not related to it's board or traders over the coals...then it means ya rake 'em over the coals.

...Ain't pure capitalism just AWESOME???

[coolections]

Chance encounters sweater 3 of 4. Easily seen by anyone searching for a chance encounter sweater. The terms you use in search makes a world of difference. Most buyers would never type what  you searched.

[bimm_corp]

@sunta2010 

>I've noticed a sudden, large, and dramatic downturn in sales for the last week

Having noted quite a few posts commenting on the downturn in sellers' sales despite using Promoted Listings, I hazard a guess as to one possible reason for this happening.

Iwould guess that most of the sellers seeing this are using the Standard Promoted Listings. Is it possible that they are seeing the result of the introduction of Advanced Promoted Listings beginning to take precedence in searches over the standard version?

[hurryagain]

---

@coolections wrote:

Chance encounters sweater 3 of 4. Easily seen by anyone searching for a chance encounter sweater. The terms you use in search makes a world of difference. Most buyers would never type what  you searched.

---

Actually I just copied & pasted what the OP used for their search since that phrase is what they used and are complaining about the results.

😁

[hurryagain]

---

@bimm_corp wrote:

@sunta2010 

>I've noticed a sudden, large, and dramatic downturn in sales for the last week

Having noted quite a few posts commenting on the downturn in sellers' sales despite using Promoted Listings, I hazard a guess as to one possible reason for this happening.

Iwould guess that most of the sellers seeing this are using the Standard Promoted Listings. Is it possible that they are seeing the result of the introduction of Advanced Promoted Listings beginning to take precedence in searches over the standard version?

---

Oh yeah...that aweSOME pay per click.

Clickity-click-click-Clickity-click-click-Clickity-click-click-Clickity-click-click-Clickity-click-click

$$$$$-$$$-$$$---$$$$$-$$$-$$$---$$$$$-$$$-$$$---$$$$$-$$$-$$$---$$$$$-$$$-$$$---

😁

[holidaze1]

And regardless of what she searched her point was her and her husband typed the same and had quite differing results.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@holidaze1  ebay has said repeatedly that one of the factors in PL placement is the buyer, and so yes, it is not at all unusual for one person to see one thing and another person to see something else. PL search placement is dynamic, which also means that I could look for an item in the morning, and see it as promoted towards the top, and look later in the day and not see it as promoted as all.....for a number of possible reasons, including that in the interval, more sellers listed more such items as PLs.  

There are not, and never have been, any guarantees that your PL item will show as a PL in a particular search. ebay's algo makes the decision as to which item to show every time a search is conducted. 

[fashunu4eeuh]

My searches of keywords from your listings returned these results for Best Match:

Red horse riding jacket:  First page, 42nd spot.

Ferrar velvet dress:  First page, 9th spot.

Large Okley yellow t shirt: First page, first and second (sponsored) spot. (Do you mean Oakley?)

Glen Rob sequined dress: First page, first and second place (one is Sponsored).

The other poster @my-cottage-books-and-antiques  is right, different users will see different results, as they are based on many things, including personalized data. Ebay states what criteria are used to return results in Search. See link below.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behaviour-policies/user-agreement?id=4259

"We strive to create a marketplace where buyers find what they are looking for. Therefore, the appearance or placement of listings in search and browse results will depend on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:

• buyer's location, search query, browsing site, and history;
• item's location, listing format, price and shipping cost, terms of service, end time, history, and relevance to the user query;
• seller's history, including listing practices, Detailed Seller Ratings, eBay policy compliance, feedback, and defect rate; and
• number of listings matching the buyer's query,..."

I think it is good to try and determine what could be affecting sales, realizing it could also be that you are just having an off week as part of the ebb and flow of retail, so I wouldn't get too worried just yet. Ebay has recommendations for optimizing your listings for Best Match that you may find beneficial. See link below.

Wish you all the best and hope things quickly change for you as holiday sales ramp up. Good luck.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/listing-tips/optimising-listings-best-match?id=4166

[coolections]

@holidaze1 

Because "best match" is just that. It remembers what you normally search and gives you a customized search. Regardless of the order, the OP's items are always visible for anyone and everyone to see. It is just a different order in best match. What happens here daily on the boards is people who cannot get buyers to purchase their stuff uses the same old excuse about items not being seen.

[fashunu4eeuh]

---

@holidaze1 wrote:

And regardless of what she searched her point was her and her husband typed the same and had quite differing results.

---

This is not an indication that something is amiss. eBay is set up for there to be differing results.

[sunta2010]

Thank you for checking. I understand if someone types in the exact title using all the words in the title, the listing will appear high in the results. But I'm talking about doing a search using just a couple of words, like how most people actually search. For example, "vintage  80s dress." 

[whatmorefabric]

It is not a smart idea to search for your items.     Every time someone  clicks on your listings without purchase, it lowers your items in the search.

Exact title match is not the only search criteria.      If  I search for pink floral dresses a lot,    pink floral dresses will show up higher on my search than someone that someone who searches for blue stripe dresses,  even if I do not place pink or floral in the search.

[katzrul15]

---

@whatmorefabric wrote:

It is not a smart idea to search for your items.     Every time someone  clicks on your listings without purchase, it lowers your items in the search.

Exact title match is not the only search criteria.      If  I search for pink floral dresses a lot,    pink floral dresses will show up higher on my search than someone that someone who searches for blue stripe dresses,  even if I do not place pink or floral in the search.

---

And now every time I look at a listing while on the boards, I get spammed to death with those items by e-Bay, but not the one I looked it.  Similar ones, but not THAT one.