Google search results showing lots of unavailable listings?

[accountableani]

When I used to Google search using image or description it would frequently display current ebay listings for that item. Over the last six months this is happening less and less; search results are flooded by temu and shein but also I'm finding the ebay listings that are coming up are stagnant old ended items or just items that aren't even available to view. 

I just wondered if this was the case for everyone? And if it's done on googles side or ebay? It has been since a lot of changes have come in from ebay making selling feel a lot harder but I'm also wondering if there is more I can do in my listings other than keywords to optimise the chance of appearing there? 

[itemresa]

Free Google search placement is no longer a perk of listing on eBay. Sellers now have to pay eBay to place their listings in internet searches by starting an "off-site advertising" campaign. The absence of current eBay listings in your Google searches could indicate that seller adoption of this program has been lackluster.

[eburtonlab]

Google prioritizes listings that have longevity, and also listings that are popular -- that link to or are linked to by other popular sites.

In practice that means that Google is much more likely to turn up eBay catalog product pages rather than individual item listings, or sold or ended eBay listings rather than current or newly listed eBay listings.

[inhawaii]

A google search may come back with expired ebay listings, ended ebay listings, out of stock ebay listings.

That's why I never search for a ebay items on google.

As crazy as this sounds, I search for ebay items on ebay.

[luckythewinner]

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@accountableani wrote:

When I used to Google search using image or description it would frequently display current ebay listings for that item. Over the last six months this is happening less and less; search results are flooded by temu and shein but also I'm finding the ebay listings that are coming up are stagnant old ended items or just items that aren't even available to view. 

I just wondered if this was the case for everyone? And if it's done on googles side or ebay? It has been since a lot of changes have come in from ebay making selling feel a lot harder but I'm also wondering if there is more I can do in my listings other than keywords to optimise the chance of appearing there? 

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Are you talking about Google Shopping, or just the Google search engine? 

The Google search engine indexes web pages, not eBay listings. The fact that a listing has ended does not mean that Google is suddenly going to index it differently or drop it from search. It may be ended, but it is still a valid web page. 

The frequency with which Google re-indexes web pages is up to Google, not eBay. If a listing disappears from eBay because eBay no longer shows it after 90 days, Google is not going to know this until the web page for that listing gets re-indexed by Google. 

[luxgoods]

Some people like to see all of their options so they use Google to see other venues selling what they are looking for . But it is so nice to see your loyalty to ebay. 

[eburtonlab]

Some people like to see all of their options so they use Google to see other venues selling what they are looking for . But it is so nice to see your loyalty to ebay.

In fairness to the person you are responding to, I think the point of that reply had much less to do with "loyalty to eBay", and much more to do with "the right tool for the job".

If you want historical pricing, use Worthpoint or Terapeak.

If you want to see popular results or what has been available on multiple sites, use Google's search.

If you want to see what is for sale on eBay right now, use eBay's search.

[chapeau-noir]

Google search returns in general are getting junkier and junkier due to monetization, AI "slop", etc.

[isaiah53-57]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

Google search returns in general are getting junkier and junkier due to monetization, AI "slop", etc.

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Hmmm... that reminds me of another company with product search - starts with an e and ends with a y... and it aint etsy

[inhawaii]

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@luxgoods wrote:

Some people like to see all of their options so they use Google to see other venues selling what they are looking for . But it is so nice to see your loyalty to ebay. 

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I believe the OP was talking about google bringing back unavailable ebay listings.

Yes I am quite loyal to ebay.  They've been pretty good to me over the last 20+ years.

Is that a bad thing?