I tried to list a doll this morning, and, while researching comparisons, I noticed that the total items shown didn't match the total search results. It showed there were 6 results, but only 1 was shown:
I thought maybe it was a "clear your cache", etc. issue, so I did all that and got the same result. Then I tried searching from a private window, where the same search yielded accurate results. Incidentally, I had several items to list and this happened with every item I searched, so it wasn't a one-off.
Another member posted here about how ad blockers are preventing promoted listings from appearing in search, and the results were accurate after I disabled AdBlock.
However, all my listings are promoted, I've used chrome with AdBlock as an extension for years, I research comps routinely, and sponsored listings have never been "hidden" like this, nor have the number of results been noticeably different from the number of listings shown.
I don't know if this is a change with AdBlock and/or chrome and/or eBay, but I do know that my sales have been down dramatically for about 2 months. I've previously accepted this fate as just part of the business, but if promoted items aren't appearing in searches for people who use ad blockers (literally everyone I know), it's safe to say that's going to affect sales.
This certainly seems like an issue that eBay needs to address immediately, especially with the constant emphasis on promoted listings. Sales for everyone using promoted listings are being lost every single second.
@popblox wrote:I tried to list a doll this morning, and, while researching comparisons, I noticed that the total items shown didn't match the total search results. It showed there were 6 results, but only 1 was shown:
I thought maybe it was a "clear your cache", etc. issue, so I did all that and got the same result. Then I tried searching from a private window, where the same search yielded accurate results. Incidentally, I had several items to list and this happened with every item I searched, so it wasn't a one-off.
Another member posted here about how ad blockers are preventing promoted listings from appearing in search, and the results were accurate after I disabled AdBlock.
However, all my listings are promoted, I've used chrome with AdBlock as an extension for years, I research comps routinely, and sponsored listings have never been "hidden" like this, nor have the number of results been noticeably different from the number of listings shown.
I don't know if this is a change with AdBlock and/or chrome and/or eBay, but I do know that my sales have been down dramatically for about 2 months. I've previously accepted this fate as just part of the business, but if promoted items aren't appearing in searches for people who use ad blockers (literally everyone I know), it's safe to say that's going to affect sales.
This certainly seems like an issue that eBay needs to address immediately, especially with the constant emphasis on promoted listings. Sales for everyone using promoted listings are being lost every single second.
Add block??
try turning it off and see what you get. clear your browser as well.
@donsdetour wrote:
I thought maybe it was a "clear your cache", etc. issue, so I did all that and got the same result. Then I tried searching from a private window, where the same search yielded accurate results. Incidentally, I had several items to list and this happened with every item I searched, so it wasn't a one-off.
Another member posted here about how ad blockers are preventing promoted listings from appearing in search, and the results were accurate after I disabled AdBlock.
Add block??
try turning it off and see what you get. clear your browser as well.
Yes, thank you - as I mentioned in my OP, I tried both of those things and the listings are viewable after AdBlock is disabled. The majority of buyers aren't going to have a clue that they need to disable anything in order to view accurate search results.
The issue of a work-around isn't in question, the problem is there no indication to users that search results are hidden if an ad blocker is active in their browser.
@popblox I did your same search in FireFox with AdblockPlus enabled and then disabled. The listing outlined in green is the only one that showed up with ad blocker enabled - disabled showed 7 results even though it said 6.
The really odd thing is only one of the "missing" listings showed as Sponsored - so it's not entirely clear what the relationship might be to Promoted Listings. Maybe somehow "sponsored" is still in the background because the seller has included those items in a PL campaign, even if the buyer is being shown the organic/non-sponsored version at that time?
I did find this in the adblockplus ABP filters source, so there definitely seems to be something to the idea this is related to PL, just not sure how to explain the ones that don't say sponsored. Hopefully the ads team can shed some light on things.
@dhbookds wrote:They did acknowledge it a couple of years ago..............and "were working" toward a solution.......
Problem is that FTC (or whatever agency) requires ads to be shown/declared as ads.......and that includes the PL listings.......and as such the ad blockers can find/block them. so the only thing they could do is notify buyers, as so many other sites do, that items are being blocked.
That does make sense, however, I'm not sure this is a "sponsored" listing issue at all. After I made this post, I tried removing promotions from all my listings and they still weren't appearing in search results. So, I ended about 15 of the listings, did "sell similar", and promoted none of them.
The result is the same. Below is the exact same search, the window on the left has ad blocker disabled - when I disable ad blocker, I can see accurate results. In other words, my listings are not visible in search results when an ad blocker is active, even when they're NOT promoted.
