How to use Item Specifics

[thesoulyearns]

In an effort to try and comply with eBay's title rules/recommendations, I've reduced the descriptive words and kept it to just the basics of how eBay's own listings seem to look.

eBay states that Item Specifics can help buyers find your item better (without clogging up the title with keywords.) Are there any proven ways to use I.S effectively, where the words are actually searchable? Thanks and here's the official eBay page regarding Item Specifics, with a selection of information from the link:

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/sell/item_specifics.html

Advantages to including item specifics

When you create your listing, we’ll suggest item specifics based on the category in which you’re selling your item. By filling out as many item specifics as possible, you’ll make it easier for buyers to find your listing and make an informed purchase.

Item specifics tell buyers about your item.

Item specifics are shown at the top of your description, telling buyers exactly what you’re selling. They make the basic facts about your item clear and accessible, helping buyers make a purchase decision.

Item specifics help buyers find your item.

The item specifics that you select can make your listing more relevant to a buyer’s search, which can bring it closer to the top of search results."

[davewil1964]

As far as I know, item specifics are not searchable.

They do, however, show up on the left of the search form.

ie. For books, you can narrow the search by Subject, Condition, Format, Language and Seller. All but Seller are item specifics. They also include Seller-nominated specifics, eg Subject Australian for books, which is not a standard eBay subject.

I don't know how it works in other categories, but I imagine it would be similar.

There is nothing wrong with including relevant keywords in your titles. You have 80 characters and as long as you're not keyword spamming there is no reason not to use them.

[phorum_junkie*]

Item specifics are for those buyers who search by narrowing down the choices on the left so obviously the more of those you fill in the better. They are no substitute for having as many words in the title as you can fit that a buyer may search for.

Anyone wanting a specific item will probably search title and description first then from the list of item specifics down the side they will narrow their search by selecting the size/colour/manufacturer or whatever so as long as you have filled in the item secific and that is the size/colour etc they are interested in your item will be included in their results..

[digital*ghost]

Actually, item specifics are searchable, but only the default ones provided by eBay. If you add your own item specifics, they're not searchable, and depending on the category you're using, the default specs won't be searchable if you write your own instead of choosing from eBay's dropdown list. 

I can only give you information based on the categories I've used and tested extensively enough, which is limited to clothing and jewellery, so take the following as a general guide and in other categories I recommend testing what works and what doesn't.

The following is (at least generally) searchable:

Category name, including sub-categories

Words used in the default item specifics, sometimes even if you write your own (however, quite often that means they'll be "Not Specified" in the left-hand menu

Words for variants in the variant listing format (every word typed into the variation names is searchable). 

Using a dress as an example, the following values entered will remain searchable whether they're in the title or not.

The word 'Dress'

Any colours specified 

Sleeve Style (eg strapless, short sleeve)

Size

Length

Material

Washing Instructions (yep, if someone is searching for a 'Dry-Clean Only' dress, they can find it in a keyword search

Brand

Item Condition

For clothing in particular, it's imperative multiple values are separated by commas. If something is a cotton & polyester blend and you type COTTON / POLYESTER, while it's searchable, it will go to 'Not Specified' in the left hand menu. If you type 'Cotton, Polyester', they're recognised as separate values and the listing will appear in refined searches under both cotton and polyester. The same applies to colours. You can't, however, have more than one size entered (well, you can, but only the first one entered is recognised and can be found in a menu-refined search). 

That basically means you can have a title for a dress without stating any of the key words people would use to find it, and they will still be able to find it. 

Aside from having much less to choose from, the versatility of the item specifics for clothing does not extend to the jewellery category. If you state multiple materials, or materials not in eBay's default list, they're not searchable. 

Hopefully that will give you a good idea on what can and can't work in most categories. 

[thesoulyearns]

Thanks everyone.

So, item specifics aren't searchable via what the person types into the white box but they are findable in some cases if the item specifics allow a descriptive quality to be shown on the left-hand panel. The unfortunate thing is that some item specifics simply won't show on the left-hand panel (as said by D*G) so their sub-genre simply isn't findable unless it's typed into the title or the person selects "Search in Description."

Regarding keyword spamming in a title, this is what eBay says:

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/policies/keyword-spam.html

"Examples of keyword spamming that are not permitted:

Lists of words:

The inclusion of words as a means to attract viewers via eBay search engines that do not truly describe the actual item:

Example not allowed:

'oil reproductions, art recreations, gallery, art gallery, impressionist, impressionism, oil paintings, reproduction, painting, recreation, copy, quality, reproductions, recreations, realistic, copies, paintings, old masters, replica, posters, prints, video...'"

That seems to suggest that you can't describe what your item is, in some cases anyway. E.g. you can't say a painting is a painting in the title. This is very unfortunate for some sub-categories that eBay hasn't outlined for us to use when listing. E.g. Hidden object PC game - eBay has no sub-category for that, yet it's a descriptive word, so it can't be put in the title. I guess eBay doesn't want us doubling up on categorical keywords but it should be allowed if there is no category for them or the category won't show up in the left-hand panel.

[digital*ghost]

Thanks everyone.

So, item specifics aren't searchable via what the person types into the white box but they are findable in some cases if the item specifics allow a descriptive quality to be shown on the left-hand panel. 

No, as I said, item specifics are searchable using keywords typed into the box, but they generally have to be default values supplied by eBay.

That means, if you list a dress properly using item specifics and the only thing in your title is (for example) "Hey, look at me, I'm selling something!!!111!!!!!!1", if someone types a search for Liz Jordan red strapless dress machine washable full length size 10 and that's what the dress is, it will show in the search results. 

[thesoulyearns]

Actually, item specifics are searchable, but only the default ones provided by eBay. If you add your own item specifics, they're not searchable, and depending on the category you're using, the default specs won't be searchable if you write your own instead of choosing from eBay's dropdown list.

Thanks, D*G. I guess you answered it here but I glossed over it. Just wish eBay would (technically) allow more room for descriptive words in the title when the specific searchable genre isn't provided by eBay.