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[partfinds]

Does EBAY SCAN DESCRIPTIONS AND ITEM SPECIFICS FOR SEARCH? I THINK IT ONLY SCANS TITLES SO THE REST IS PRETTY USELESS?

[a_c_green]

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@partfinds wrote:

Does EBAY SCAN DESCRIPTIONS AND ITEM SPECIFICS FOR SEARCH? I THINK IT ONLY SCANS TITLES SO THE REST IS PRETTY USELESS?

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Look for the link to "Advanced search" and you can check the box for searching subtitles and descriptions there. I think Item Specifics are included in the default search already.

[partfinds]

I am a seller. Most buyers don’t use advanced. It seems that items are being hard to find. Was that always like that?

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

ebay basic search uses title and item specifics. Left side search page filters use item specifics.

As far as I know, unless the searcher uses "advanced search" description does not impact search. It's value is that it can sometimes "close the deal"....in other words, buyer has found your item, is looking at the listing, and if he reads your description, you might say something there that will persuade him to buy the item. That depends a lot on the item. 

[pburn]

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@partfinds wrote:

Most buyers don’t use advanced.

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Not quite sure how you reached that conclusion . . . is there survey data published somewhere?

[reallynicestamps]

EBay scans titles and descriptions. They do not scan sub-titles, making that a useless option.

They may scan Item Specifics, but those, which often repeat information in titles and descriptions, are designed for search engines like Google.

Once opened, the buyer can also see them, but they have to open the listing first.

Most buyers don’t use advanced.

Most buyers Search using Best Match. That doesn't mean buyers don't use About to Close or Newly Listed, which are almost as popular.

[eburtonlab]

The default search matches keywords in the title and item-specifics. There is a checkbox at the top of the search results page to search item descriptions as well; it is not necessary to use the Advanced Search to take advantage of most of the options available.

What items are you or your buyers having trouble finding, and how are you searching? There are many possible reasons why an item might not appear in a given search or sort. Some things may depend on how the seller lists a particular item, and others may depend on how a buyer searches or sorts.

[dhbookds]

There is a small box just under the search box to "include item descriptions"..........

[iart]

Good question!

I think they use title and specifics. I think the first 3 or 4 words in the title are most important. I don't think they use the description but it usually contains important info for buyers and might help to prevent NAD complaints.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that they use the Item Specifics when valuing the item. Example: We sell a lot of author signed books and eBay tries to tell us they are worth a similar price to non-signed books. Signed books could be substantially higher in value (the difference between a book about George Washington and the same book actually signed by George Washington). When the eBay bots assume you are trying to get more than an item is worth, I am pretty sure that they reduce the items visibility.

We've brought this up to several eBay Reps (including in here) and they admit this is the case. Yet, they never fix it.

[ittybitnot]

Look for the link to "Advanced search" and you can check the box for searching subtitles and descriptions there. I think Item Specifics are included in the default search already.

@a_c_green 

For some reason I don't think subtitles were ever 'searchable' per se.  They were used as an "extra" cost  for the seller feature to provide additional information in a "browse" situation.  Since because specific categories are now being removed, "browsing"  a category in the regular sense  has been eliminated, and such the benefit of a subtitle if there ever was one to begin with. 

I have found little difference using the "advanced search" when including 'descriptions' over the last year or so.  The trend seems to be to make SEARCH totally dependent on Item Specifics. as opposed to titles as shown by the required redundancy with the title IS required.  

That being said, BUYERS are upset that their favorite browsing categories have been deprecated.  The "filters" just are not cutting it for these people.  

There is, of course, the same old 'targeted' search results that interfere with what is actually available as opposed to what you are shown.  eBay thinks this new program will be good for buyers and sellers alike.  As a buyer, it is a maddening experience now. 

[partfinds]

I tried

GMC CLIMATE 

GM CLIMATE

item are promoted at suggested; the title has those keywords, item specifics 

yet they don’t come up.

[partfinds]

Almost none of my stuff shows up in google (w140 antenna, w140 radio, w220 dooe switch etc). I noticed that almost none sellers show in google . I noticed that there are more independent websites coming for car parts in google.

[coolections]

Useless to who ? If there is no description I would never buy from you. My guess is 99.99% of the people who look at your listing will hit the back button. 

[eburtonlab]

A search for GMC climate turns up over 5000 results for me. How closely have you looked?

If I narrow the results by price to make things easier, I can see four of your items listed about two-thirds of the way down the page:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_armrs=1&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=124&_udhi=130&_nkw=gm...

[coolections]

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@partfinds wrote:

I tried

GMC CLIMATE 

GM CLIMATE

item are promoted at suggested; the title has those keywords, item specifics 

yet they don’t come up.

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You are not searching right if that is what you typed. NO ONE IN THE WORLD , except for you maybe would search that like the way you wrote it.