Perfect example of search not working

[d-k_treasures]

For the non-believers, please search this:

cast iron train 1020

Then search this:

cast iron train 1018

The first one comes up in ebay search, the second does not. A google search for the second is the first thing that comes up - an active listing on ebay.

Riddle me this, Batman.

[thenobletuckylife]

Hi D-K,

I guess I'll wander on over to your post since it looks lonely.

My answer...don't have one.

Seems ALL of E commerce has problems in this regard but definitely ebay is the poster child for my frustrations for looking for things.

Just today I put in the EXACT title...no listing....but there was. I had the listing saved on another account and wanted to copy and paste it in the search on the other ID...no listing.

Then I shortened it to just the first 2 words...still problems...had to find it in the bottom section where ebay gives alternate ideas.

Mr C

[d-k_treasures]

I see that all of the time - all of the words you are looking for come up under 'related searches'. Go figure.

Actually, Trinton anwered me and said that the seller is on vacation.

Problem is, the listing doesn't show that.

No message no flag, nothing but pure listing. Plus I did this the earlier in the week, and no vacation notice(still none on the listing). If you click on see other items, nothing comes up(now) - if you click on the store, all it says is "Holiday get-a-way" with a yellow flag. If that means they are on vacation, I can see how buyers can be confused, considering I've been on here for over 20 years and have always seen a vacation notice that actually says vacation on it. Even hovering over the flag(again, only shown when you click the store link) that would display a pop-up that says 'This seller is on vacation' would help.

Happy Easter to you and Mrs C!

[stonevintage]

Yea... fine print says they reserve the right to show your listings - or not at all.  I'm very familar with that clause. Mysterious hiarchy re; visibility system in the last 7-8 years at least. I tried using fewer keywords for a while and that seemed to help but not the last couple of years.

Stands to reason the push me/pull you animal is no longer at a standoff. Question is - what or (where, what services) ,  are people paying in order to gain visibility?  Higher store rates, promo, higher volume etc... no body will tell.  I can't mention what happened last time I tried to bring this up for specifics, but what I learned is that it's nobody's business.  I wanted to do a test and run some items for visibility - using all known tools to improve visibility, but it's murky waters and there are shadows of Great White's down deep as you can see....

[d-k_treasures]

I know - but I always use 'ending soonest', so that (hopefully) would pick up everything that a search like BM would leave out.

Anyway, please try the exact search above. I'd like to know if you see the store vacation message in the listing. 

Thanks

[dhbookds]

not in the listing, but store sure shows it.........

[dhbookds]

so ebay's taken down the listings......hidden them, but G had the feed before they were taken down and will continue to show it......and we can get to it from there.  I tried to put into cart.....and got opps a problem......

[stonevintage]

Here, I got a return for one 1020 listing (the one for 25% off) and one hit on the 1018 (7.00 shipping multi piece)

Neither showed vacation mode.  

[stonevintage]

This is the biggie I don't understand. Last year, I checked 100% of my listings to see if they showed on Google search.  Out of 200 items, only 2 showed on Google search. This was my big issue to stop listing.  I wasn't hitting the relist key but rotating groups of 30 items so they stayed fresh(er) still, Google only produced 2 hits ever out of 200.

[swenson8781]

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@dhbookdswrote:

so ebay's taken down the listings......hidden them, but G had the feed before they were taken down and will continue to show it......and we can get to it from there.  I tried to put into cart.....and got opps a problem......

---

That makes total sense to me, as when I put my store on vacation I hide them completely so they cannot be purchased.  However, items listed on here (eBay) are in real time, and the items loaded onto Google from another site are much slower to update, and definitely not updated in real time or overly current.

[go-bad-chicken]

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@d-k_treasureswrote:

For the non-believers, please search this:

cast iron train 1020

Then search this:

cast iron train 1018

The first one comes up in ebay search, the second does not. A google search for the second is the first thing that comes up - an active listing on ebay.

Riddle me this, Batman.

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Yep Same results here. Here are the results.

Search #1: cast iron train 1020

Search #2: cast iron train 1018

Search #3: cast iron train 1018 - ON GOOGLE

Step #4: Clicked on the eBay listing for cast iron train 1018 shown ON GOOGLE.

That is so eBay

[go-bad-chicken]

Although if I try and add the cast iron train to my cart this is the message that I get.

It might be that eBay's cloaking device is in the shop for repairs this week.

[yuzuha]

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@swenson8781wrote:

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@dhbookdswrote:

so ebay's taken down the listings......hidden them, but G had the feed before they were taken down and will continue to show it......and we can get to it from there.  I tried to put into cart.....and got opps a problem......

---

That makes total sense to me, as when I put my store on vacation I hide them completely so they cannot be purchased.  However, items listed on here (eBay) are in real time, and the items loaded onto Google from another site are much slower to update, and definitely not updated in real time or overly current.

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Agreed-- it seems to me that in this case, search is working exactly as intended.  The seller is on vacation, so of course their listings aren't going to turn up in an eBay search if they've chosen to hide them for the duration of their vacation.

[luckythewinner]

When you click  Buy it Now for the "nidden" listing, it says:

"The seller's store is closed for vacation. Check back later."

There is nothing wrong with search.

That is how search is supposed to work when a seller puts his store on vacation.

[go-bad-chicken]

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@yuzuhawrote:

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@swenson8781wrote:

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@dhbookdswrote:

so ebay's taken down the listings......hidden them, but G had the feed before they were taken down and will continue to show it......and we can get to it from there.  I tried to put into cart.....and got opps a problem......

---

That makes total sense to me, as when I put my store on vacation I hide them completely so they cannot be purchased.  However, items listed on here (eBay) are in real time, and the items loaded onto Google from another site are much slower to update, and definitely not updated in real time or overly current.

---

Agreed-- it seems to me that in this case, search is working exactly as intended.  The seller is on vacation, so of course their listings aren't going to turn up in an eBay search if they've chosen to hide them for the duration of their vacation.

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That makes sense and you are probably right. Google probably does not either recognize eBay's vaction setting, or it might be that Google does recognize the eBay's vacation setting, but it takes sometime for their system to de-list the eBay listing from their search results.