Search Oddity

[snoopwiz]

  I will do my best to keep this under 5,000 words. Been trying since yesterday to come up with a listing title that search would actually find.

Few notes first.  I went back and forth, on and off, for a few hours yesterday with a knowledgeable staff c/s person at eBay FB.  His suggestions all made sense but, none worked. Even used the exact words other sellers were using and showing up in a good search location. No go again. He seemed as baffled as I.

For search, I used my seller id, my buying i.d., guest, and a friend  in a different city searched on his end as well.

Check my listing for Dynaco a25 tweeter.   If found, it will be WAY down at the bottom of the page under "more to consider"   Many other items higher up and have pretty much zero to do with the search term.

Now, check using Dynaco tweeter a25 and, holy guacamole, it shows up at the top of search plus, my smiliar listing for the Dynaco's matching woofer shows up as the 2nd in search. Truthfully shouldnt even be in that search but, if so, at the end, at best. Realistically, few, if any would search using Dynaco tweeter a25.  The natural "rhythm" for most who would search it would of course be Dynaco a25 tweeter.  (Brand/model, part number/ what it is)

I added a few percent tithe to eBay for each.  When one searches my listing for Dynaco a25 woofer,  it comes up in search at 3rd place with my listing for the Dynaco a25 tweeter also showing on the page as a "similar sponsored item"

I may be getting too close to 5,000 words so, if you have the time, and can help, it is appreciated. 

[fashunu4eeuh]

It can take up to 24 hours for a listing to index and show up in Search results, tho most happen within a few minutes. However, if during that period before it shows, you revise the listing, it goes back to the end of the line to be re-indexed.

It sounds like you have been tinkering with the title constantly, therefore, the listing won’t show up until all the revisions are indexed and re-indexed.

From the eBay User Agreement:

”Your listing may not be immediately searchable by keyword or category for several hours (or up to 24 hours in some circumstances). eBay can't guarantee exact listing duration…”

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behaviour-policies/user-agreement?id=4259

[snoopwiz]

Thank you. Understood however, the initial listing sat untouched for many hours until I contacted eBay FB.  They had assure me that it had indeed indexed/re-indexed. Only then did we begin tinkering with the titles, usually waiting at least an hour or more before re-doing it.

That it is showing up at all (albeit not where I would expect) would mean its been indexed, shouldn't it? 

Out of curiosity,  if you searched under the 2 different tittles I used, where your findings?

[selsa84]

Yours did not show when searching dynaco tweeter. Search returned 13 but not yours. May be indexing because of revising, but the search on eBay is pretty bad as of lately. Someone will be along shortly to tell you you're doing it wrong. 

[snoopwiz]

Thanks.  Did you try Dynaco a25 tweeter then Dynaco tweeter a25?  If so, were your results the same as

mine?

[carolynnq]

Yours didnt show anywhere (including in the "results matching fewer words" section) when searching for Dynaco a25 tweeter. Yours was second in list  for Dynaco tweeter a25.

Have you tried adding additional words like "speaker" to the title?

[selsa84]

With dynaco tweeter a25 it shows 6th from bottom out of 19. If the search worked properly it should show when just searching dynaco tweeter though. 

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

You may have been asking the wrong question. The problem apparently isn't your title; it's your category.

eBay has a weird system which they call "Implicit category navigation," through which they often selectively will show only one subcategory of results.  Most of the listings for that tweeter are under "Vintage speakers" so eBay has selected to automatically show only the 42 results from that subcategory.  Your item is listed in a different subcategory (Speaker parts & components --> tweeters) so it only shows up if the searcher clicks on "All" to see all 57 search Results.

[snoopwiz]

Thanks much.  I did try adding tweeter.  Tried adding the part number. Tried adding Made in Denmark. And a few others but, the search remained the same.

[fashunu4eeuh]

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@snoopwiz wrote:

Thank you. Understood however, the initial listing sat untouched for many hours until I contacted eBay FB.  They had assure me that it had indeed indexed/re-indexed. Only then did we begin tinkering with the titles, usually waiting at least an hour or more before re-doing it.

That it is showing up at all (albeit not where I would expect) would mean its been indexed, shouldn't it? 

Out of curiosity,  if you searched under the 2 different tittles I used, where your

findings?

---

Hi @snoopwiz 

When searching for “Dynaco a25 tweeter” the listing did not appear. But strangely, the results that came up were all from the vintage components category, which is not the category you selected.

When searching for “Dynaco a25 woofer” your listing did not appear in the main body of results, but did turn up farther down the page, underneath the “Results matching fewer words”.

[snoopwiz]

Thank you. We did try speaker. We did try Made in Denmark. We did try many other potential search terms but none managed to change the search results. Appreciate your time.   

[snoopwiz]

Thanks.  The proverbial "if."  Appreciate your time.  

[snoopwiz]

Thanks. That is so "out there" that it makes perfect sense. I will change the category and perhaps fiddle a bit as well with the title and report back. Appreciate your time.

[snoopwiz]

I did as you suggested, waited a few hours and when I checked it again.....Holy Guacamole, it comes up in search, well positioned as well.  Its position may change as it still may be seen as a new or recently edited listing but, got er dun.   Thanks so much.  Old horse, new tricks.  Love it.   

[snoopwiz]

As suggested, I changed the category a few hours ago, (adding vintage) and depending on how I search, it now shows up in the top few.  Thanks again.