eBay started out as an auction platform and has evolved over time into a marketplace with mostly fixed prices. The platform is now the second-largest marketplace in the world, and therefore, it is imperative for many sellers to sell there. eBay uses Cassini search algorithm for SEO.
eBay has been using its own Cassini search algorithm since 2013. This makes a pre-selection for the potential customer and sorts the offers according to their relevance. The relevance of a product is determined by the product-buyer interaction, which is made up of various factors that we will discuss in more detail in this article.
This is how the Cassini algorithm works.
It is important for eBay to increase its own sales. This is largely done through sales fees that are incurred each time the merchants make a sale. Thus, the total turnover increases with the higher sales volumes of the sellers. For this reason, eBay tries to prioritise the products with the highest purchase probability for the potential customer.
In order to display the most relevant products to the customer, the product-buyer interaction is determined and then sorted by relevance. This is made up of the following influencing factors:
- Sales figures and bids at auctions
- Click-Through Rate
- Sell-through rate
- number of observers
- Positive seller ratings
- Positive product reviews
The click-through rate (CTR) describes the relationship between impressions and clicks on the offer. On eBay, impressions are defined as visible listings on the listing page, regardless of whether the customer has scrolled to the product and seen it or not. If the customer now clicks on one of the impressions, this action is noted as positive and increases the CTR.
The higher the sell-through rate (STR), the more important an offer is to Cassini. The STR indicates the number of clicks on the product detail page and the completed purchase.
The quality of the listing is also considered by the Cassini search algorithm. The price, shipping costs, and conditions play an important role here.
Increase in impressions in the ranking—how do I achieve this?
In order to be able to survive as a seller on eBay and generate sales, it is important to increase the range of the offer. We will now go into more detail about a few tips for increasing the ranking.
Wide range of keywords
A wide range of keywords is particularly important to increase impressions and, thus, visibility among potential customers. Good and detailed keyword research is the be-all and end-all at Cassini. If the keywords are wrong, Cassini’s offer will not be placed correctly, and eBay users will not be able to find it. Compare your product with those of the competition and filter out the most important keywords. Google’s Keyword Planner also delivers good results for this.
Offer low prices at the beginning.
Sales history plays an important role for Cassini. However, since this is not yet available for new offers, it is advantageous to set it up quickly. You can achieve this by starting with a low price. Once the sales history is built up, the sales price can be gradually increased to the planned sales price.
eBay Guarantee
Articles that stand out due to their high quality and added value for the customer receive the eBay guarantee. Listings with the eBay Guarantee may benefit from a number of advantages, such as better visibility under “Best Results”. The items are marked with the eBay guarantee logo and are bought more often by the customers.
reviews and customer inquiries
Cassini rewards sellers who have impeccable reviews with a higher ranking. Negative reviews, on the other hand, result in a lower ranking. In order for the buyer to be satisfied, the sale should always be completed without errors. When problems arise, it is important to resolve them as quickly as possible and to the customer’s best satisfaction.
If a customer makes an inquiry, it should be answered within 24 hours. The longer it takes to answer, the higher the probability that the customer will choose another offer.
Conclusion
The eBay marketplace is one of the most important platforms worldwide and offers great potential for sales and high turnover. If you want to sell on eBay, you will have a few questions regarding a sales-promoting product presentation and general conditions such as price and conditions. eBay is ideal for every product category, so entering the market should definitely be considered. However, this turns out to be not so simple; the Cassini search algorithm analyses various aspects of the offer, such as sales figures, CTR, STR, and ratings. The price-performance ratio and the conditions of the offer also play an important role in the ranking. However, the seller can take numerous measures to ensure that the visibility of the offer is increased.
Our competent and experienced marketplace specialists from SaphirSolution will be happy to assist you with marketplace optimisation and help you optimally adapt your offers to Cassini.
If you are interested, please contact us for a free initial consultation!
