Do promoted listings actually increase visibility ???

[candd205]

Well.... I guess so !!!      (Graph after turning off promoted listings.)

[tarotfindsandmore]

Those are your impressions. How do your actual views look?  I haven't seen any significant change in views since I've turned off PLs, but my impressions do look like that.  I'm not sure how much impressions actually matter. 

My sales haven't changed significantly since I stopped promoting.  If anything, they might be up slightly.

I put PLs on some of my listings for the weekend to see if it makes any difference.

It is interesting that the default view is the most visually jarring chart, rather than the most important one...sales.

[meme6253]

Do you see the graph as trusted information?, Or could it be providing a spin on the actual information, So that you believe it makes a difference?, I don't know the real answer, but something to think about.

[fern*wood]

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@tarotfindsandmore wrote:

My sales haven't changed significantly since I stopped promoting.  If anything, they might be up slightly.

That seems to be the most important information to pay attention to.  

[candd205]

The views chart shows only a slight decrease, nothing as dramatic as those impressions.

[valueaddedresource]

@candd205 as others have said here, views and sales are the more important stats and tell you more about how your business is doing/how promoting or not promoting effects your business.

It's important to understand how eBay defines/counts impressions - and once you do, it becomes clear why that stat may not be particularly useful.

If you click the little i in a circle next to Impressions on that report page, here's what eBay says:

"The number of times links to your listings were shown to people searching on eBay, including as a result of being advertised, during the selected time period. An impression counts when a link to your listing appears on eBay, and the buyer is one click away from your listing. Links may have been shown on a page, but not viewed."

That last sentence "Links may have been shown on a page, but not viewed" has actually been added sometime recently and didn't used to be there - I suspect it was added specifically because many sellers were confused about what actually counts as an impression before.

You know how when you look at a listing page, if you scroll down there may be hundreds of other items shown on the page, some even in carousel ad modules that you have to scroll or swipe right to see more?

Everytime a listing page loads, every single one of those other listings shown on the page (even the ones in side scrolling carousels) count an "impression" - even if the buyer never actually scrolls to physically bring them into view on their screen.

It's the same in search results. If you have your search settings at 60 items per page, then when you are looking at page 1 of search results, all 60 of those items on that page will count an impression even if you only scroll down to the 4th item before clicking through to view that item or clicking away to do a different search or close the site completely.

And there are other places your promoted listings ads may be shown as well - watchlists, purchase history, etc. - and the same definition of impression carries over there as well.

So you can see how using Promoted Listings will naturally increase your impressions simply because it increases the number of other places where a link to your listing may be included - but that doesn't necessarily equate to more views or sales because even though there was technically an impression, it's entirely possible the buyer may not have even actually seen your ad if they didn't scroll far enough to bring it into view on their screen.

[tarotfindsandmore]

That might be why they push that "impressions" chart.  Impressions are basically the equivalent of the pile of junk mail circulars most of us still get once or twice a month in our snail mail.  The impressions just sort of float around in the periphery, annoying most real shoppers. They're "picked for you" type of listings that you didn't ask for.  Unlike the views, there's no way to know if they're even registering with buyers.  I, personally, don't notice them at all anymore.

They're kind of troubling in the sense that you will pay for those "promoted impressions" (even if the buyer doesn't realize they were on the page) even after the promotion has ended if the item was promoted at any point within the prior thirty days.  

[ten_o_nine]

Review your traffic page is defaulted to "impressions" by design. If they defaulted to "Listing views", very few would promote.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@tarotfindsandmore 

"...you will pay for those "promoted impressions" (even if the buyer doesn't realize they were on the page) even after the promotion has ended if the item was promoted at any point within the prior thirty days."

Impressions don't result in a Promoted Listing/ Ad fee.   A view can result in a fee under the 30 day rule, but not a mere impression. (thank goodness)

[tarotfindsandmore]

I'm still finding this confusing. How does this work with the whole halo thing?  It seems like impressions could get scooped up in this.  Is this what they mean when they say you aren't directly charged for impressions...leaving open the possibility that you might indirectly be?

https://www.google.com/search?q=ebay+promotions+halo+fee&rlz=1C5OZZY_enUS1153US1153&oq=ebay+promotio...

"eBay charges halo fees on promoted listings when a buyer clicks on a promoted listing, but then purchases a different promoted item (or any item within a 30-day period). This means you'll be charged an ad fee even if the specific item the buyer clicked on wasn't the one they ultimately purchased. The ad fee for a halo sale is based on the ad rate of the purchased item, not the clicked item. "

I'm still fiddling with promotions for store coupons (which I know definitely end no later than the coupon) and off-site, but I am done done done with PLs.

[12345jamesstamps]

I match my item(s) with other sellers's similar items in the same category.

I look to see what pops up under my item(s).

Then I will clink a seller's item and see if my item pops up under other seller's item.

Generally speaking, I usually don't see my items under other seller's items.

I think some 'power' sellers with a big base of items for sale promote 'over' what eBay suggest.

I usually just don't see my items promoted under other sellers.

And yet, my items are cheaper with the exact other seller's items.

Plus my feedback with 100% is usually higher than other sellers.

It's algorithms that come into play.

Such as eBay will make a better fee with items with a shipping charge vs. same items with free shipping.

The way I make it is with 'repeat buyers' which is about 25% repeat buyers.

[fbusoni]

@candd205 

I've read in some posts here references to a "rebound effect" of sorts on organic impressions, once one stops PLs.

Sometimes your organic impressions return to what they were when you were promoting.

Sometimes the decline persists. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@tarotfindsandmore 

As I said, a VIEW can (under certain circumstances) lead to a fee being charged, an impression CANNOT. The answer is right there in what you quoted: " when a buyer clicks on a promoted listing." 

[tarotfindsandmore]

but then purchases a different promoted item (or any item within a 30-day period). This means you'll be charged an ad fee even if the specific item the buyer clicked on wasn't the one they ultimately purchased. The ad fee for a halo sale is based on the ad rate of the purchased item, not the clicked item. "

That's good to know.  The part above is the bit that seems suspect to me.  Thanks for the clarification.