etzee

Writing a title people actually search for

The words a buyer types, in the order they type them. Not the words you would use about your own stock.

The Metzee team13 Oct 20261 min read

A title is not a description. It is the sentence that decides whether anybody ever sees the item.

The order that works

Brand → item → size or variant → condition.

Nike Air Force 1 UK9 deadstock

Kanjeevaram silk saree handloom gold zari

Pokemon Base Set Charizard holo PSA 7

A buyer searching types roughly that sequence, because it is how they think about the thing.

What to leave out

Your enthusiasm. "Stunning", "rare", "must see" are words every seller uses, so they distinguish nothing and take the room of words that would.

Punctuation and emoji. They do not help a search and they make a title harder to scan.

Words that are not true. "Rare" has a meaning in most categories. Using it loosely is how you get a reputation among exactly the buyers who know.

What to put in that most sellers do not

The size or the measurement. The single most searched-for and most omitted detail.

The flaw, if it is the defining fact. "with repair" in a title costs you the buyers who would have been angry and keeps the ones who are fine with it.

Questions people ask

Should I repeat words for search?

No. It reads badly to a person and does nothing for anything else.

How long should a title be?

Long enough to carry brand, item, size and condition. Beyond that you are writing a description.

Does the category matter as much as the title?

Yes. A perfect title in the wrong category is a listing nobody browsing will meet.

Can I change the title later?

Before bidding, yes.

Next: describing condition.

← All posts

There is a show on right now.

Nothing to install — it runs in this browser.

Find a showCreate an account