What you type in the search window is irrelevant

[nifty6t]

I don't understand Ebay searches. I have been on Ebay for 26 years so I know how to navigate on Ebay. I have several things on Ebay and today I put a search in for an item that I am selling just to see if there are others selling the same item. My search was Thunderbird speedometer gear. The first item that comes up is parts for 1948 Nash that nothing to do with a Thunderbird speedometer gear. After the Nash parts I get postings for radios, windshield wipers, Mopar lock cylinders, AMC radio and various things that have nothing to do with my initial search. What is going on?

[tobaccocardyahoo]

I did the same search and saw mostly relevant results. There are plenty of Thunderbird speedometer gear listings. 2300+. Many of the irrelevant listings are sponsored listings, which is to be expected.

Maybe your past searches are influencing your Best Match Results. Try searching while logged out.

[eburtonlab]

@nifty6t 

Try this as a starting point for your search:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Thunderbird+speedometer-gear&_sacat=0

Or this:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Thunderbird+speedometer-drive-gear&_sacat=0&_odkw=Thunderbird+s...

In automotive listings in particular, some sellers include lots of unrelated keywords in the item-specifics so that their listings appear in the maximum number of searches.

One way around this is to group keywords together with dashes or quotes, to defeat the "laundry list" spam technique, since it is unlikely that two words will appear next to each other unless you are looking at a relevant listing.

Another way around this is to exclude an unrelated keyword that is likely to be on a list of common automotive keywords -- such as a random make, model or year that has nothing to do with your original search, and then confine your search to a relevant subcategory.

[nifty6t]

Your first suggestion worked perfect. Still don't understand why I would see a posting for 1943-1948 Nash trunk handle.

[magicjohnsonsvariety]

Ebay has been screwing around with the search results for years now.

Not to mention ebay now likes to completely change words or add words i didn't even type in...very frustrating

[toysaver]

"The first item that comes up is parts for 1948 Nash that nothing to do with a Thunderbird speedometer gear."

One reason a listing like this may appear is if a seller revises a listing that was a Thunderbird Speedometer Gear the old information sticks around for a while.   

[eburtonlab]

Still don't understand why I would see a posting for 1943-1948 Nash trunk handle.

When you search using keywords, unless the search is steered into a specific category, eBay finds any listings with the same keywords in the title or item specifics. That Nash trunk handle listing likely has all your keywords in it, and thus matches your search criteria.

[johnrj1226]

Did you  put in the  year.  Many of the parts Ford built were interchangeable with other Ford built  products.  Heck the Ford Falcon when down the  same line as  the 64 Mustang  and in 65 the Mercury Cougar replced the Falcon the  Dearborn Assembly  plant.  I tested the  units on a dyno' to  check speedo accuracy  had 3 different  gears to use to get the speedo accurate  within  plus or minus 3 mph at 60 mph.  Just worked summers up through '67 to pay for college. expenses - worked 68 hour/week - they ran 1 car off the  assembly line ever 58 seconds.  The  'stang was  the hottest thing going in the Big 3 back then.