faulty logic for GTC

[evry1nositswindy]

I know we have all been talking about GTC and how it affects our accounts.  The reasoning from eBay was that it kept the item # the same so it would be 'current' on google searches.  If I look at my traffic report, VERY few impressions/sales come from outside of eBay itself.  Here is a picture of it.  Does anyone show that their views from outside of eBay are statistically significant (5%)?

[ms.rodriguez*]

I’m sorry but I don’t care if my item has 10 watchers or 500. What difference does it make if no one is buying. 99% of the time ,if I watch something, I own that item and will be listing it soon. I’m sure many other watchers do the same as me. I don’t watch inorder to buy next week.
Maybe Ebay should come up with a 60 day or 90 fixed price for the same price as 30. It would save the url longer. For me, FORCED GTC has got to go.. In the last 5 days, i ended approximately 160 GTC ads and restarted them. I will continue to end the ads.

As a protest, I’m not buying here. I know that other sellers are doing the same. Many can’t even pay their Ebay bills because sales are so bad.

[ms.rodriguez*]

Yes, better dead links than dead sales...

[zamo-zuan]

---

@gracieallen01 wrote:

---

@zamo-zuan wrote:

---

@ms.rodriguez* wrote:
The ONLY logic behind GTC is that ebay gets to screw every seller by charging them a relisting fee. Since I joined 1998 with my main seller account, I have NEVER used Google to buy an item on ebay. Go ahead and end your listings before they end and relist them using sell similar so that at least, they are considered new for a day or so and you might actually get a few sales.

As a seller of inexpensive items, I do not see a reason for a someone to watch my item and buy it next August. Sorry. I have a credit card linked to my paypal and if I want something , I don't wait weeks to buy it. A day , at most just to make sure that I want that particular item. Goodluck with your sales.

---

The true reason for GTC is that they force everyone to use the algorithms now. 30 day listings avoided the algorithms and thus had an advantage in search.

Now everyone has to be subject to eBays algorithms and sees how broken they are. But for those of us who been using GTC the whole time, this is nothing new sadly.

Welcome to the GTC pool 😞

---

I thought it was because, now with GTC, to get a leg up in search, more people would be using 'promoted listings'.  What with more links from the outside, that would mean more chance of someone 'elsewhere' seeing an offering, buying it and ebay getting the added % from the 'promoted' sale.

---

The thing is, the sponsored listing feature showed up over a year and a half ago (coming up on two years), and  having to use it to appear as well in search with GTC started around a year ago. 

That's just a part of the issues with the algorithm. But it's definitely nothing new to GTC sellers. 

The other part you mention is a part of it as well. The design benefits eBay search showing items the buyer DOESN'T want, but then advertising a listing of what they do want, so they click the sponsorship to buy the product.

Their "AI Targeted Search" is by no means better for the buyers. You don't really need AI for eCommerce purposes, and any AI for eCommerce that does not put sales history & quality control as top priority is harmful to sellers. 

[zamo-zuan]

---

@gracieallen01 wrote:

---

@goodluckselling wrote:

I did the research you are asking about a couple months ago and both eBay and Amaz are showing about 20% of all traffic is from outside sources like google and any other incoming link as a combined total.  This number is up considerably from just a couple years earlier where both platforms were in the 10 to 12% area.

It is not just for external search engines.  It is also helpful to sellers who do there own promoting so they do not have to continue to update the URL address they have active on the internet (social media, blogs, websites, etc).

Affiliate marketing sites have been ineffective because the original links were only good for 30 days before they were useless.  Now these links will be active longer and useful.

Also by keeping important attributes like sales history, watchers, views, (buyer engagement details) eBay can do a better job at identifying which listings are engaging buyers which they use for search placement, or to use for email promotions, for inclusion in on site promotions and also for inclusion in google shopping ads that eBay buyers for sellers.

Good Luck Selling!

---

I wonder if ebay took into consideration the increased percentage of external views to figure how much more they might be getting from promoted listings?  In general, do you know if the percentage suggested for the promoted listings still trending up?

---

Nope. If you have a sponsored listing, and have one of those situations where you appear on the page twice (both your natural and sponsored listing appearing), you get 2 impressions, but if they click you only get one view.

[zamo-zuan]

---

@mam98031 wrote:

---

@goodluckselling wrote:

---

@gracieallen01 wrote:

---

@goodluckselling wrote:

I did the research you are asking about a couple months ago and both eBay and Amaz are showing about 20% of all traffic is from outside sources like google and any other incoming link as a combined total.  This number is up considerably from just a couple years earlier where both platforms were in the 10 to 12% area.

Good Luck Selling!

---

I wonder if ebay took into consideration the increased percentage of external views to figure how much more they might be getting from promoted listings?  In general, do you know if the percentage suggested for the promoted listings still trending up?

---

 eBay promoted listings will keep increasing because eBay is much more focused on specific advertising opportunities now than in the recent past. 

External traffic and promoted listings are not the same thing?  Promoted listing are on site promoted listings and not used as I have ever seen on external search engines.  Promoted listings actually would be against external search engines policies of no duplicate listings at the same venue.  I guess eBay has some kind of way to format eBay promoted listings so external search engines do not pick them up?

eBay in the past couple months (May 1st) ended a long running advertising area called eBay Commerce (old shopping.com) click here where merchants advertise products that match content people browse on those third-party sites, with the ads going back to merchants’ own domains.  eBay now wants to build its own data base about shopping and is focusing on affiliate sites (coming back to eBay only) and advertising directly on eBay (promoted listings, cross promotions, etc).

This first level data (eBay on site listings) versus the third level (eBay commerce) should render more data and better accuracy and increase revenue from advertising.  Remember eBay does not allow off site links any longer.  Basically they are saying we can drive brand name interest on the eBay platform.  I think we will see a big increase in famous big brands selling here from the trademark owners account and flooding the on site advertising opportunities.

Good Luck Selling!

---

Just to add a little to this.  GTC decreases the chances of dead links with searching through Google or another outside search engine.  This fact was a driving force behind the change.  With listings that are short term, the links remain out there on the internet but they become dead links when the listings close.  So GTC will cut down on that.

I still don't think GTC is something that works for all sellers.  While I've used it for years, I know others don't like it for a variety of reasons.  And it is important for Ebay to understand this IMHO.

---

They claim this, but seller can see the truth and monitor our listings on Google. We've been GTC for years as well and it's not like our items were showing up better than anyone else.

Sellers should base this on their own experiences. The best way is still to set up your own shopping feed if you want your items to actually show up.

[zamo-zuan]

---

@goodluckselling wrote:

---

@mam98031 wrote:

---

@goodluckselling wrote:

---

@gracieallen01 wrote:

---

@goodluckselling wrote:

I did the research you are asking about a couple months ago and both eBay and Amaz are showing about 20% of all traffic is from outside sources like google and any other incoming link as a combined total.  This number is up considerably from just a couple years earlier where both platforms were in the 10 to 12% area.

Good Luck Selling!

---

I wonder if ebay took into consideration the increased percentage of external views to figure how much more they might be getting from promoted listings?  In general, do you know if the percentage suggested for the promoted listings still trending up?

---

 eBay promoted listings will keep increasing because eBay is much more focused on specific advertising opportunities now than in the recent past. 

External traffic and promoted listings are not the same thing?  Promoted listing are on site promoted listings and not used as I have ever seen on external search engines.  Promoted listings actually would be against external search engines policies of no duplicate listings at the same venue.  I guess eBay has some kind of way to format eBay promoted listings so external search engines do not pick them up?

eBay in the past couple months (May 1st) ended a long running advertising area called eBay Commerce (old shopping.com) click here where merchants advertise products that match content people browse on those third-party sites, with the ads going back to merchants’ own domains.  eBay now wants to build its own data base about shopping and is focusing on affiliate sites (coming back to eBay only) and advertising directly on eBay (promoted listings, cross promotions, etc).

This first level data (eBay on site listings) versus the third level (eBay commerce) should render more data and better accuracy and increase revenue from advertising.  Remember eBay does not allow off site links any longer.  Basically they are saying we can drive brand name interest on the eBay platform.  I think we will see a big increase in famous big brands selling here from the trademark owners account and flooding the on site advertising opportunities.

Good Luck Selling!

---

Just to add a little to this.  GTC decreases the chances of dead links with searching through Google or another outside search engine.  This fact was a driving force behind the change.  With listings that are short term, the links remain out there on the internet but they become dead links when the listings close.  So GTC will cut down on that.

I still don't think GTC is something that works for all sellers.  While I've used it for years, I know others don't like it for a variety of reasons.  And it is important for Ebay to understand this IMHO.

---

It is interesting to consider that now all FP listings are GTC so the competition is active just like yours are, and if you are suffering a lose of sales, it just might mean your listing is not as attractive to prospective buyers as your competitions?  This is a sure sign that change might be in order in how you present your listing to buyers.

---

What about those of us who are at top of our category and can monitor statistics that show our listings are still as attractive to buyers, but everyone in the top of the category is suddenly dropping? 

This trend has been going on in GTC for over a year. Started at the beginning of 2018, coincidentally when they began to try to add AI to search.

It's not a coincidence.

[zamo-zuan]

---

@clu3 wrote:

I've never understood the logic of Ebay not giving information on impressions and views in real time.  Why does that information have to be a week behind?

---

Most likely because it's not accurate. I reported the issue to them 14 months ago that their impression charts did NOT match their internal charts for impressions. 

I was told they "didn't forget about me and would get back to me" then I never heard back regarding this issue again.

[goodluckselling]

---

@ms.rodriguez* wrote:
I’m sorry but I don’t care if my item has 10 watchers or 500. What difference does it make if no one is buying. 99% of the time ,if I watch something, I own that item and will be listing it soon. I’m sure many other watchers do the same as me. I don’t watch in order to buy next week.

---

The problem is that the watchers carrying over is not

• just for you the seller. 
• Buyers who are watching items also have a stable item to return to.
• eBay uses this info as signs of buyer engagement as part of search placement.

It is not all about you.

Good Luck Selling!

[mam98031]

---

@abfabvintage wrote:

@greg5000 

I agree with you...would rather they see dead links than No links. 

That isn't what he said.  He didn't mention "no links" at all.  What he said was "From all the complaints I've seen here, I think many Sellers would prefer dead Links vs. dead Sales."

[abfabvintage]

@mam98031 

Thanks for the "correction", Mam. LOLOL.

[mam98031]

---

@abfabvintage wrote:

@mam98031 

Thanks for the "correction", Mam. LOLOL.

---

It happens all the time.  Reading more into something said than was actually said.  I'm made the same mistake from time to time.  It just makes it seem that he wrote something he didn't.  He may like your interpretation better, but he didn't say it.  LOL

[greg5000]

---

@luckythewinner wrote:

---

@orangehound wrote:
In case you haven't noticed, the software development processes at eBay look to have not changed since the 1990s ... I mean, seriously, who deploys consumer software these days without usability testing and beta testing?

---

Beta-testing is an artifact of the 1990s. Most big web companies have moved to continuous deployment, meaning that as soon as a change is unit-tested it is deployed live.

---

Most big web companies don't have the number of technical issues and glitches that eBay does.  I fact, most big web companies have very few technical issues and glitches on their websites. 

eBay needs to rethink who they hire to develop and keep the system working, which includes testing, deployment and support.  They also need to insure their Software Quality Assurance Team is the best they can find.

[mam98031]

---

@greg5000 wrote:

---

@luckythewinner wrote:

---

@orangehound wrote:
In case you haven't noticed, the software development processes at eBay look to have not changed since the 1990s ... I mean, seriously, who deploys consumer software these days without usability testing and beta testing?

---

Beta-testing is an artifact of the 1990s. Most big web companies have moved to continuous deployment, meaning that as soon as a change is unit-tested it is deployed live.

---

Most big web companies don't have the number of technical issues and glitches that eBay does.  I fact, most big web companies have very few technical issues and glitches on their websites. 

eBay needs to rethink who they hire to develop and keep the system working, which includes testing, deployment and support.  They also need to insure their Software Quality Assurance Team is the best they can find.

---

Where did you get that information?  I'd be interested in reviewing it.

[tunicaslot]

Tagging - but I use the internet frequently - I quit shopping at Sears.com because their site was slow - I quit shopping at Macys.com because their pages froze. Both have been fixed and don't present those issues anymore. There are sites - I've been unable to connect to but this is usually on black Friday when everyone is trying to get the deals and yet - there is not a week that goes by that I don't have a problem with Ebay - whether connecting, trying to upload photos, save a draft, change a price or just clicking Ebay to go to the home page and receiving the " It's not you - it's us" screen.

So no facts or data - just life's experiences and I know that we see threads here all the time complaining about these same problems.

Also buyers will still reach dead links on google - GTC did not eliminate those.

[mam98031]

---

@tunicaslot wrote:

Tagging - but I use the internet frequently - I quit shopping at Sears.com because their site was slow - I quit shopping at Macys.com because their pages froze. Both have been fixed and don't present those issues anymore. There are sites - I've been unable to connect to but this is usually on black Friday when everyone is trying to get the deals and yet - there is not a week that goes by that I don't have a problem with Ebay - whether connecting, trying to upload photos, save a draft, change a price or just clicking Ebay to go to the home page and receiving the " It's not you - it's us" screen.

So no facts or data - just life's experiences and I know that we see threads here all the time complaining about these same problems.

Also buyers will still reach dead links on google - GTC did not eliminate those.

---

OMG Sears.  Dang you hit the nail right on the head.  That site was beyond annoying.  I actually like Sears, but I too can not stand to use their site when it was slower than a snail.  Macy's seem to be better now and I love their Friends and Family sales.

I am sorry to hear that you have so many problems with Ebay.  I do not experience problems here anywhere near that frequently.  I am NOT saying your issues don't happen, I'm simply saying that for me I do not have weekly basis.

I certainly have gotten those error messages that say "it's not you - it's us".  I have found that 99.9% of the time if I hit the back button and try again, it functions fine.  Of course it is annoying to be sure and I understand your frustration.

I'm not sure about your comment on "so no facts or data" as my question was directed to another poster that clearly stated "Most big web companies don't have the number of technical issues and glitches that eBay does.  I fact, most big web companies have very few technical issues and glitches on their websites. "  My question was just where that info came from.  It wasn't meant to create a debate.  It was merely a question.  Nothing more.

"Also Buyers will still reach dead links on google - GTC did not eliminate those".  I don't remember anyone saying they would.  I know I didn't say it.  That would not be logical at all.  Of course you are correct as that is logical for anyone that is even just a little familiar with search engines.  Once stuff is out there on the internet it may be there forever in some form.  

Since this is a newer policy change on Ebay, as time goes on, there will be less and less dead links that rise to the top of a search someone does on an outside search engine.  In time it will get better.  We are just getting started on this journey.