Simple SEO: In-bound Links

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Oh no! It's that ever confusing, overwhelming acronym - SEO! Don't worry. Keep calm. We're going to work through this together. While SEO is a complex topic there are some simple ways to help improve your Etsy shop's search-ability.

Let's back up one second. What is SEO? Search Engine Optimization. In the broadest sense it is a tactic for how we can fine tune our shops to help customers find us via search engines like Google and Bing. 

One aspect of SEO is in-bound links. These are links found all over the web that lead to your shop. You want to have these - lots of these. When a search engine sees that there are links going into your shop, it builds your shop's credibility. It shows that people find your shop interesting and relevant and can bump your shop up in search results.

Here's what we do here on the blog to help your in-bound links. Every member shop with 5+ items has an EtsyMini under our Members List tab. 1 link. Every time we feature a team treasury you've made there is a link to your shop. 1 more link. Each time you have an item in one of those mini treasuries there are 2 links - one to the item and one to your shop.

Now, here is what you can do this week. Insert links to your shop within your shop. Yes - these count! There are a lot of ways to do this, but one of the easiest is to end each of your item listings with a simple statement like "continue shopping here" with a link to your shop home page. If you want to go above and beyond try incorporating links into your profile, shop policies, and even shop announcement. Remember, these links can connect to anywhere in your shop and still benefit SEO. That includes to your profile, policies, listings, and shop sections.

Off to do your homework and be sure to report back! Look for a new task every Monday.