GTC and Sell a Similar Question

[jeweloftheheart]

If I end my listings once or twice a month and then list as sell similar, will it help visibility or hurt it.  Should I just re-list? I get conflicting answers from eBay. Thanks for any thoughts on this.

[tunicaslot]

I think the GTC is a very good tool for those that sell new items, have their own inventory or drop ship that have consistent sales. For sellers of used or OOAK item - I recommend using ending an item and using sell similar every 29/30 before an item ends because it does get a boost in visibility when it is considered a new listing.

Not long ago - Ebay was ending GTC listings where items weren't selling. Every time that item was viewed and didn't sell it dropped lower in visibility. That's why I was surprised when Ebay made it mandatory to use GTC. The truth is the GTC algorithm has problems - those of us using sell similar didn't have those problems as the GTC algorithm didn't affect us. Now it's affecting every seller across the board and why I think sales have fallen. Again - sellers with consistent sales benefit from it but even those sellers have noticed lower sales and they aren't getting the traffic they once were.

[jeweloftheheart]

Thank you for that information. I will continue ending and sell a similar. 

[southern*sweet*tea]

I sell old cookbooks, recipe booklets and paper ephemera. I've found that since going to GTC, I'm having more older listings sell, ones that I was using thirty day fixed price on. They would end, I would sell similar or relist, they would end, I'd sell similar, ad infinitum.

Now they're picking up steam and are being picked up in Google searches. I like GTC now and wish I had always used it.

[mam98031]

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@jeweloftheheart wrote:

Thank you for that information. I will continue ending and sell a similar. 

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Do you understand the difference between doing a sell similar and doing a relist?  They are different functions and have different meanings.

[chapeau-noir]

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@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

I sell old cookbooks, recipe booklets and paper ephemera. I've found that since going to GTC, I'm having more older listings sell, ones that I was using thirty day fixed price on. They would end, I would sell similar or relist, they would end, I'd sell similar, ad infinitum.

Now they're picking up steam and are being picked up in Google searches. I like GTC now and wish I had always used it.

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^^ This - and it makes complete sense.  It takes a while to populate through Google. Having listings pop up and down like mushrooms every 7-10 days creates broken links, search dead-ends, etc.  When I went to 30-day listings I realised that all of those little short duration listings weren't doing any good for what I sold, anyway.

[jeweloftheheart]

Yes, I know the difference. Been selling here for 14 years.

[luckythewinner]

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@jeweloftheheart wrote:

If I end my listings once or twice a month and then list as sell similar, will it help visibility or hurt it.  Should I just re-list? I get conflicting answers from eBay. 

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The answer to your question may vary from buyer to buyer and from listing to listing, so the answer to your question is not as simple as you might think. 

Here are some points that may help illustrate this: 

1) It hurts visibility for buyers who are watching it 

2) It helps visibility for buyers who search by "Newly Listed"

3) It hurts visibility for buyers who search by "Ending Soonest"

4) It depends for buyers who search by price (based on whether you change the price)

For buyers who search by Best Match ....

it is almost impossible to tell. Best Match placement change constantly based on the listing's history and performance, your selling account, the buying account, your competition, and (most importantly) by the search criteria being used. (It is theoretically possible that Best Match placement could improve for one set of search criteria and get worse for another set of search criteria.) 

The only way to get a rough idea would be to search your item beforehand using search criteria you believe to be likely to be used by buyers, and then search it again afterward to see whether its placement has been significantly affected. In my experience, Best Match placement does not change significantly - but your mileage may vary. 

[mam98031]

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@jeweloftheheart wrote:

Yes, I know the difference. Been selling here for 14 years.

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@jeweloftheheart 

I meant no disrespect.  You might be surprised at how many seasoned sellers do not know the differences between the two functions.  I just wasn't sure since you used Sell Similar all the time in your earlier post and it isn't always the best way to go, so I thought I'd ask.  Again I did not mean any disrespect to you at all.

[calntom]

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@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

I sell old cookbooks, recipe booklets and paper ephemera. I've found that since going to GTC, I'm having more older listings sell, ones that I was using thirty day fixed price on. They would end, I would sell similar or relist, they would end, I'd sell similar, ad infinitum.

Now they're picking up steam and are being picked up in Google searches. I like GTC now and wish I had always used it.

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Roger that SST.  Most all of my items show up in Google search on the 1st page and in the top 10 or top 3 at times. 

Item specifics, pertinent information within the first 3 to 5 words of the title are paramount along with white background pics will get Google to cache the listing in a reasonable amount of time.

Been using all GTC since I got back on the eBay train about

 3 years ago.  No complaints.

[jeweloftheheart]

Oh gosh, no worries mam98031. I understand, thank you for asking! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!