Search is killing me.

[redlinear]

I hate searching by part numbers because my customers do that...never it seems.
But, with item specifics, most everybody has gotten the clue to enter part numbers to give them any advantage they can get. Me too.
Just searched "3965152" in order to make sure my price was competitive.  That's a part number in my Title, in my Description, and in Item Specifics TWICE.
I then sorted low$ to high$ to check the price.
It's down there near the bottom of the page.  Actually it's the 1st one under "Results Matching Fewer Words"
     How can people shop that way?

[ncprog87]

I did that search and that sort. You have two items with the same part number, one in the main listing and one in the “matching fewer words” section .  There are at least two other sellers that also have listings in both sections. Maybe the second is seen as a duplicate and is kicked to the second section?

[ziggylab]

I did the search and found your listing ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/364648243911 ) first (lowest price search - my default). However, this part Dodge 3965152, is not what is shown in your listing. The part is supposed to be an oil filter housing.

[inhawaii]

If I were looking for that part I would search for "3965152 oil filter cover".

Yours comes in the number one spot.

How is this killing you?

[civicwagonparts]

I am frustrated with part numbers overall as a seller.
I consider myself a good seller, and I take the time to make a good listing, with the correct part number, compatible vehicles, interchange #, etc...
Now, all your competition has to do is click "sell one like this" and undercut you by $1.
There has always been the "sell similar" feature, but they only got a blank template and your title.
In the past, sellers had to find their own info, now they just poach your listing and get all your hard work for nothing.
My sales have gone way down since eBay started this policy.

I have been experimenting with listing way over-priced parts, and putting in bogus info. Then when my competition bites, I go back and change my listing to the correct info.

I sell used OEM parts, and buyers check the "used" filter to search for used OEM.
The search filters now constantly uncheck the "used" filter box, and now default to "new", featuring to the buyer a sea of chinese  parts with promoted listings.
The chinese sellers are now listing their "new" parts as "refurbished", so they show up in "used" searches.

[redlinear]

---

@inhawaii wrote:

If I were looking for that part I would search for "3965152 oil filter cover".

Yours comes in the number one spot.

How is this killing you?

---

I don't search that way.  The item is an oil filter adapter. Or, it's an oil cooler valve body. Or, it's an oil cooler cover.  OR, it is for sure P/N: 3965152 and nothing else.
  I changed (revised) the title, price, and the category Yesterday.  To how the ones showing up were listed.

[redlinear]

@civicwagonparts , I agree with most all of that. 
@inhawaii , Auto parts are different than most stuff, especially used.  Maybe because Auto parts shoppers are different.
You have the Self Proclaimed Guru Forum shoppers: They will search (6BT HX35) or (Cummins HX35 Turbo) or just (HX35 Turbo) (or just (HX35) when looking for a Turbocharger off of a (98-02 Dodge Ram 5.9L Cummins Diesel Truck).
When actually the turbocharger is an (HX35W).
Then you have most normal people searching (98 Dodge Ram Diesel Turbocharger).
Or a mechanic shop searching just (Part Number).
   Now, is it turbocharger, or turbo charger?  Makes not difference what is correct,  Does make a difference how most would search...and who knows for sure?
   Is it 1998 or 98? 
Fits 98-02, but a normal people enter their own trucks year.  So, 2001 gets left out unless you fill in the compatibility.  Which is SO time consuming.  And, any option differences are left to the seller to fill in "NOTES".    Which means it will show up as fitting, but the buyer MUST read all the notes to see that it won't fit.
 And the Forum Guru?  They know more than everybody.  They know what fits even if told differently. That purchase is already being returned. Ugh.
   
I do think a person does far better selling before they get to know the vehicle and the parts intimately. 
When I 1st started selling Dodge truck parts.  I had no idea what a "Tapped 040 VP44 for a HO 24v" was.
Now I know, and if I list it that way?  I feel I'm losing the average shopper. 
It's easy to lose sight of reality doing this.
   Part Numbers are now pretty much standard  procedure.  Mostly for my use, not so much most shoppers. 
BUT, a search should pull up a Part Number search, and put it in order of filter/sort.  
And that is not happening every day, several times a day.

[redlinear]

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@ziggylab wrote:

I did the search and found your listing ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/364648243911 ) first (lowest price search - my default). However, this part Dodge 3965152, is not what is shown in your listing. The part is supposed to be an oil filter housing.

---

That's a fitting that I have no clue as to the part number of it.
That fitting attaches to P/N: 3965152 (one way to help describe what it does and where it goes).
I understand why that fitting showed up in a search for 3965152.  That part number is in the listing info and that fitting is directly related to part number 3965152.
   But, MY actual part number 3965152 isn't being shown like it should with sort/filter.  Other sellers part number 3965152 are not either.   Yet, some are?
  It's really difficult for me to research items and price.
Which means it's just as difficult (if not more so) for an average eBay shopper.
The search results are a mess.

And that fitting?  I expect to see related stuff like that even if it's not exactly what I'm looking for.  That's okay, I understand why I see stuff like that.
And I feel that's an impulse purchase also. Nobody is searching for that.  They are searching for THE item, and see that, and think. Hey! I do need one of those!

[eburtonlab]

Now, is it turbocharger, or turbo charger? Makes not difference what is correct, Does make a difference how most would search...and who knows for sure?

eBay will treat those terms as equivalent in most searches. The exceptions would be if the searcher is using advanced search commands (quotes, exclusions or parenthetical "OR" terms).

Is it 1998 or 98?

Likewise treated as equivalent.

If you are not sure about something like that and you want to guarantee that your listing comes up in a search using either term, make sure that each variation appears somewhere in your item-specifics or title.

Fits 98-02, but a normal people enter their own trucks year.

Make sure 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 are in the item specifics somewhere.

[dbfolks166mt]

     I have always found auto parts to be an interesting item to begin with. When I was doing mechanic work back in the 70's I can still remember going to a parts store to get a distributor cap for some type of vehicle. I knew the year, make, model and engine size but was taken aback when the guy at the counter asked me if the vehicle had an AM/FM radio, FM radio or no radio at all. Apparently three different parts depending on what type of radio you had, or didn't have. 

     Also the first time I replaced the brakes on my Honda they needed to know if the car had 2 doors or 4. I had to think about that one. 

[redlinear]

@eburtonlab 
The vast majority of shoppers don't know the search hacks.
I entered a part number that's in my listing 4 times in 4 different places.  And it showed up at the bottom of the page under "Results Matching Fewer Words".   
And I'm not the only one down there under non matching results WITH exact matching results.

[redlinear]

UPDATE:
SO,  right after I posted this.  I went in and revised my item (part number 3965152). 
Dropped the price in order to be the cheapest on eBay (well, the cheapest I could find anyway..lol).
This morning, when I searched and sorted low to high, it was still down at the bottom under "Items Matching Fewer Words"  (ugh).
SO, I thought that maybe eBay search knew I had two items with the same part number listed (a fitting and an oil filter adapter).
SO, I revised my little $13.50 fitting.  Got rid of that part number completely out of the listing.  Did that couple hours ago.
   Just ran a search again for 3965152 and sorted low to high.
The fitting is still there, and my oil filter adapter is right under it. 

I gained accurate placement.  
Now, why is that fitting still showing up??

[eburtonlab]

Now, why is that fitting still showing up?  [after the item was revised to remove the part number]

Possibly there is a delay in re-indexing; the fitting may still be linked to that part number in a database that has not been fully updated yet, but that may be updated later.

Or else enough users have searched for that part number and clicked on that listing for eBay to now consider the two to be "linked". Presumably eBay builds up a database of alternative keywords by noticing that lots of users search for a red widget but wind up looking at or buying a crimson widget, and at some point an eBay algorithm decides that one is a valid substitute for the other, or at least a reasonable alternative in some contexts, even if no one explicitly says that they are the same (and they may not be).