Does ebays algorithm actually care about the best practices ebay employees tell us matter. BREAKDOWN

[brettyg599]

So I was doing searches today and noticed best practices do not seem to be affecting the top 100 of the "best match search" It looks like it only cares about auctions, sponsorship's, and new listings.

Of the first 100 Patagonia jackets when I search "Patagonia Jacket" Here is the results.

Free Shipping excluding promoted listings: 19 of the 100

Free Returns excluding sponsored: 4 of the 100

Top Rated Plus excluding sponsored: 4 of the 100

White background excluding sponsored: 10 of the 100

Sponsorship's: 13 of the 100

Auctions: 74 of the 100

New listing including sponsored: 45 of the 100

Ebay store owners excluding sponsored: 30 of 100

Guaranteed shipping: I actually didn't know an easy way to check this one but I could infer not very many have guaranteed shipping.

If you look at this data it is very clear they are prioritizing auctions and new listings.  Both of which are typically not long time professional sellers.  Most professional sellers do not do auctions and ebay has advised me on multiple calls that its buyers want buy it nows(Yet they are giving most of the top search results to auction style which makes no sense).  If you notice only 4 of the top 100 non sponsorship's carry the top rated plus icon.  It is almost a non factor in search now which is SUPER SAD to me considering the weight it used to hold. Also of note free returns meant almost nothing and concerning is more of the top 100 are from non ebay store owners than store owners. That doesn't make any sense to me since I would guess more than 50% of patagonia jackets on ebay are from store owners. The search is not prioritizing having an ebay store.

I did this same sample for multiple other items I sell, "North Face Jackets" "Lularoe Dress" and saw the same results.  It appears to me inaccurate that the algorithm uses best practice as ebay states and that is how to boost our sales.

If you look at my data it didn't care about white background, top rated, free returns or free shipping.  It pretty much only prioritized new and auction style listings.

This is why a lot of big sellers and long time sellers have seen huge declines.  Only very recently listed stuff sells and they conveniently moved all our stuff to GTC never becoming new again. It moved almost all store owners items off the first 100 results.

Would love for some others to check categories for items they sell and chime in.  If we create enough noise ebay has to listen and either tell us how best match works, or better make best match work how they say it should by using BEST PRACTICES.

Would love your input on my findings @Anonymous 

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@brettyg599 wrote:

Free Shipping excluding promoted listings: 19 of the 100   21

Free Returns excluding sponsored: 4 of the 100     6

Top Rated Plus excluding sponsored: 4 of the 100   3

White background excluding sponsored: 10 of the 100   30

Sponsorship's: 13 of the 100  2

Auctions: 74 of the 100   42

New listing including sponsored: 45 of the 100  14

Ebay store owners excluding sponsored: 30 of 100  55

Guaranteed shipping: I actually didn't know an easy way to check this one but I could infer not very many have guaranteed shipping.  12

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Well, that took some time! My results are in red. I searched Patagonia jacket, best match all categories

Everyone's results will be different.  If you search for a lot of new stuff, you are going to be shown more new stuff. If you click on more auctions than BIN, you're going to be shown more auctions than BIN.  Search is tailored to how you browse/shop...at least that's the theory behind it all. Supposedly it shows you what it thinks you want to see. Since I never buy clothes here...and don't buy new stuff here...I imagine I'm getting a better "true mix" of stuff?

It's a roulette wheel, who knows where it's gonna stop and what's going to be shown.  I don't even try to figure it out anymore.  I do the best I can the best way I know how and don't worry one bit about how the competition lists their stuff.

[flyingmvp]

Thanks for sharing with us yet another factual post supported with data and specifics, I am assuming we will see here  another monster discussion with 10+ pages with great inputs from strong veteran sellers with lots of stats and data to back the same issues and occurrences  you see as well.

then the usual 4-5 cheerleaders will explain why and how you're wrong and why your listings don't sell.

Here is my response from couple weeks ago:

There is some good data out there from sellers who took the time to inquire and research, last week we had a post regarding the concerns we are discussing:  https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/The-Tale-of-Two-eBay-Stores-Part-II/m-p/30244764  ("There is nothing you can do")

We have zamo-zuan who keeps sharing with the community his digging for answers and conclusions,

We have so many more sellers who report about sales "falling of the cliff".

There is no argument that something  (After the spring update-according to many, many sellers) has definitely changed,  the recent glitches, the lack of consistency in sales and the questionably of the visibility of the Promoted listings, do not increase the confidence in this venue at all.

We've seen so many deeply informative similar posts in the past 3-4 months but nothing seems to change, 

At this point it would be safe to assume that it's not supposed to change, it is what it is.

[pburn]

You guys have way too much time on your hands! 

(Kidding, of course.)

[lovefindingtreasures2]

Whatever it is, they seem bent on NOT letting sellers know it. I have zero belief in eBay anymore, how can anyone build a business here when they have no clue what the parameters are? I've never gone through so much aggravation in my life selling online.

There is currently no way to figure out how to even grow a business here, it's just one HOT MESS all the time now.

Is anyone flying this eBay plane or is it on autopilot, going around and around in circles until the fuel finally runs out and we drop out of the sky, a big pile of broken sellers, broken in spirit, hope, belief, ambition, trust, and finances on the ground smoldering as we fade out?

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@lovefindingtreasures2 wrote:
Whatever it is, they seem bent on NOT letting sellers know it. I have zero belief in eBay anymore, how can anyone build a business here when they have no clue what the parameters are? I've never gone through so much aggravation in my life selling online.

There is currently no way to figure out how to even grow a business here, it's just one HOT MESS all the time now.

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This is the huge mistake sellers make. You CANNOT grow or maintain YOUR business on someone else's website. It's impossible, because you are always at the whim of the website owner.  If you want to be in control of your own business online, you must have your own domain and website.

I see so many sellers think that they are running THEIR own business here. You're not - you're listing stuff on someone else's website to try to sell it.  Surely to goodness I can't be the only one who thinks like this.

[golfer48736]

I think the writing in on the wall man.  I think everyone already knows the answer to this one.  The backend is listing/prioritizing listings based on sponsorships and 'promote' my item where eBay picks up a surcharge.  Then on the frontend you are being convinced to sell as 'buy it now' which we all know is a quicker sell for eBay and less money in our pockets.  Its a scam man.  I shutting my shop down after final items deliver.  Tired of it.  Great post and research by the way.

[membersinceaug2001]

I've been running only auctions on all other accounts since the GTC debacle and I'm having steady sales every month.  Nothing great like the 90s, but not going down like others state on here.  I figure so few sellers are doing auctions that it's one way to stand out from the crowd.

[hillbillymedia]

IMO "best match" has never truly been "best match". I doubt if any top dog at ebay could explain how "best match" is chosen. I`ve never seen a true pattern but rather a no rhyme or reason result. I believe we are assuming "best match" to be defined as the best item, at the best price, from the best seller and that is obviously not the search engines definition. The search engine has been cluttered with too many other useless parameters and now seems confused (for lack of a better word).

I have been selling on ebay 17 years. I have been a "power seller" for as long as I can remember but I have also been a power buyer for just as long. I have never seen search results as messed up in all my years here as they are now.

The things that should matter ex: condition, price, seller history, best practices etc. don`t seem to make any difference when "best match" is chosen.

A little off topic but, I would love this question answered: When I click USA only in search, why do I still have non-USA sellers shoved in my search? Ebay could easily remove this clutter from my search but they don`t.

[hillbillymedia]

"The search is not prioritizing having an ebay store."

It seems I recall, way back when, that store owners listings used to appear at the very bottom of a search page. I will admit my memory is foggy at best but, it looks, from your search results, that nothing has changed as far as store owners being a priority here.

[dhbookds]

it is what it is.

yep, that's my theory.......  you do the best you can, buy the best products you can at the cheapest price,  list as well as you can........and then the chips fall where they may..

[joesoucie22012]

Only one word for this. Horrible. I do not sell clothes but this is horrible.

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@hillbillymedia wrote:

"The search is not prioritizing having an ebay store."

It seems I recall, way back when, that store owners listings used to appear at the very bottom of a search page. I will admit my memory is foggy at best but, it looks, from your search results, that nothing has changed as far as store owners being a priority here.

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Back in the "good ol' days" stores were not even included in core or general search results. Store listings didn't even show up in regular search until 2010 I think it was. To buy from a store seller, you had to go directly to their store.

[johnwhiplash]

I think sales count more than anything else for exposure. I may have an item that hasn't sold in a month. Then someone buys one and then two or three other people buy the same item. It happens often. Out of more than 100 listings for items in the same category, when one sells, usually more of the same item will sell within a day.

I can put my listings on vacation for a few days and then have virtually no sales for a week after putting them back up. Than it's usually repeat customers that get sales slowly started again.

[abfabvintage]

@southern*sweet*tea 

Hi, Tea. I remember that, if you had a store back then, you weren't even in search. I remember when I wanted to open a store when they were first offered and was told by my ebay mentor (who no longer sells here) to wait. Glad I did. Then when they said stores were now in the search like everyone else, I opened a Basic in 2014. But have since downed it to Starter in 2018 since nothing was selling starting in late 2017 through 2018.