Does number of views influence best match algorithm?

[mozartbach1971]

I read somewhere on the internet that the number of views will influence the best match algorithm.  Does anyone know if this is true?  I'd like to know if it specifically pertains to auctions as I only list in this format.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

They can choose but most do not for the reasons I noted.

It is not like the days when Ebay was the greatest entertainment on the internet. Ebay is just another way to spend your money and move on to something more worthy of your time and more interesting.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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on simply adapted the basic rules of SEO to sales rather than information.  

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Hardly, the A9 search was extremely controversial because it used parameters not found in the search terms or the listings.

It used history of what was purchased when a particular search was done, for example.

Amazon sellers have been complaining for years that their standard SEO does not yield the search results they expect.

And Amazon made it exceptionally clear that attempting to use standard SEO would not be effective.

Spamming keywords like classic SEO reduces your chances of selling on Amazon. It might just do that on Ebay too.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

When people search for hats and up come car tires, I show them how to get out of best match. 

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Most people who get that result, do not come to this forum to be advised.

Most Ebay buyers do not visit the Ebay forums.

[mozartbach1971]

If a listing has many views and no purchase, the scenario is that the item in question will steadily fall in placement due to relevancy (or lack thereof). 

I only run auctions would this rule apply to auctions?

[mam98031]

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@tobaccocardyahoo wrote:

They can choose but most do not for the reasons I noted.

It is not like the days when Ebay was the greatest entertainment on the internet. Ebay is just another way to spend your money and move on to something more worthy of your time and more interesting.

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IDK, I have not facts to back it up.  Google AI says:  Most buyers on eBay likely do not rely solely on the default "Best Match" sort, but rather change the sort order to "lowest price," "ending soonest," or "newly listed" to find desired items. While Best Match is the default setting and aims to show the most relevant and likely-to-sell items, many buyers prefer to actively filter results based on price or listing time rather than accepting the algorithm's personalized recommendations. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Google AI is not facts. Its results are influenced by posts like yours and mine on this forum.

The current state of the art of large model AI cannot differentiate between truth and lies in its training materials.

In researching some Broadway plays both GoogleAI and Chatgpt yield results which conflict with IBDB and the Playbill databases which are extremely reliable sources. The AI programs use incorrect information from Wikipedia to get their result.

If someone did a search for hats and bought a tire, that will influence Best Match and would also influence a more sophisticated AI product.

You do not want to recognize that some level of error comes with the use of technology, unless it suits your argument.

The truth of the matter is more sellers complain about the Ebay and Amazon searches than buyers because they feel they are not getting their just placement.

And a further truth is that many products are not going to be efficiently located by buyers using any search. They sell based on aesthetic characteristics and words are not a substitute for aesthetics when shopping.

[mam98031]

I qualified it.  I didn't say it was fact.  I said it was what Google AI states on this.  I did not present it as a fact nor did I hide that it was what AI said.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

IDK about auctions specifically, though but logically speaking, from a former programmer's POV, there wouldn't be a separate search algorithm for different types of listings, there would only be one.  We have been told in the past that hits affect placement, but along with 256 or so other factors.   Most of them are kept secret & certainly the weight factors of each one is a secret.  But we have for sure heard that it can affect placement & that can be both positively & negatively.  In other words, lots of views are not always = good.  Lots of views with many sales can be good, lots of views with no sales, can be bad (that applies more to FP).  

However, I don't work for eBay & I don't know for sure, I'm just talking from a general programming standpoint & also from info that eBay has shared in the past.  

[gurlcat]

Heck yeah it does, but not just total views as a raw number, but rather views per time, or in other words, quickly-accumulating views after listing.  This is why I don't recommend listing in the middle of the night when people are sleeping, better to post when they might see your item and click on it.  

Quickly-accumulating watchers might help too, hard to say because those two things tend to go hand-in-hand.  

Anyway if you want proof, here you go.  
A friend listed a very desirable Trifari brooch Tuesday.  There are a bazillion Trifari brooches out there, 27,000 current listings on eBay alone.   So many that even with that one being only 5 days old, it's on page 13 of a 'Trifari brooch' general search, sorted by Newly Listed.  

But sorted by 'Best Match' ..... well I checked from both my accounts just now, and on one I saw it listed 6th from the top of Page 1, and the other 7th.  -And NO, not as a sponsored listing.   I don't know how many views it has at this point, but I know it already has 24 watchers (I believe like 11 of them were on day one).

   So you tell me, if it's not buyer interest keeping it at the top of Best Match, then what else could it be?  

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

@mam98031 some years ago eBay actually provided the percentage of searches using Best Match. As I recall, it was above 90 %. Whether that has changed much since then, I don't know 

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Depends on how many years ago.  Certainly things change over time, people get more use to shopping on the internet, so they find the most efficient ways for them to shop.  I'm confident in saying it has changed over time.

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@mam98031  @my-cottage-books-and-antiques I heard a number fairly recently, though I don't recall where I heard it, maybe at Open, but it was in the neighborhood of 74-80%.  It was very high.  Which is exactly what I'd expect as a programmer.  Most people don't even realize they can change the sort order & even of the people who do, most people are too lazy to do it or don't see a need.  LOL, I know I can do it & I do on occasion for a specific reason, but 99% of the time, even I leave it at BM. 

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@mozartbach1971 wrote:

If a listing has many views and no purchase, the scenario is that the item in question will steadily fall in placement due to relevancy (or lack thereof). 

I only run auctions would this rule apply to auctions?

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It's not a "rule" & I addressed this in my reply to you.  As I already stated, it's less likely to apply to auctions, than to apply to MV/MQ FP listings.  As I also said, no one really is privy to this b/c eBay does not publish it.  You may want to check out my post 23, where I explained that mo' watchers (or views) does not necessarily = mo' betta.  There are a lot more variables that come into play.  

[simply-the-best-for-you]

@mam98031  In one of the posts, you mentioned, sorry I don't have time to find it right now, but you said that the Sort Order on Search is sticky.  I have NEVER had it be sticky.  Not when it was first introduced & not 30 seconds ago, when I tested it to see if something changed.  Is there perhaps a setting or something that I'm not aware of?   How are you getting yours to be sticky?  

[gurlcat]

EDIT: JINX! (we were basically saying the same thing at the same time). 

It's not surprising that it's so high just because it's the default sorting every time, regardless of the last sorting type you used, or even if you're using a Saved Search.  I have one that has all my left-screen refinements ready to go, even has the most annoying seller in the category blocked 🤣 ....  but I have to change the stupid Best Match every time, to either Newly listed (to get the best BIN's) or Ending Soonest (to see if there are any good auctions to snipe).  

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@gurlcat wrote:

EDIT: JINX! (we were basically saying the same thing at the same time). 

It's not surprising that it's so high just because it's the default sorting every time, regardless of the last sorting type you used, or even if you're using a Saved Search.  I have one that has all my left-screen refinements ready to go, even has the most annoying seller in the category blocked 🤣 ....  but I have to change the stupid Best Match every time, to either Newly listed (to get the best BIN's) or Ending Soonest (to see if there are any good auctions to snipe).  

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LOL, before I saw your edit, I was like, ummm, isn't that what I just said 😀  Maybe there is a way to make it static though & I just don't know what it is.   Yeah, going with the default is always very typical user behavior.  I'll bet a LOT of sellers don't even know it can be changed.   However, I also think that if we are talking about sellers on this board, chances are good that most of us change ours.  We're just not 'typical' users.  

[ten_o_nine]

I don't think views directly impact the best match algorithm. From what I understand, eBay's algorithm prioritizes demand, relevance, and other factors like price and seller performance. Whether you're listing in auction or fixed-price format, focusing on providing accurate and detailed descriptions, as well as competitive pricing, can help improve visibility in search results.