How to Use Etsy Marketplace Insights

ByJ.B. Updated on
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If you’ve ever spent hours guessing which keywords will finally get your Etsy print-on-demand listings noticed, you’re about to breathe a sigh of relief.

Etsy just rolled out Etsy Marketplace Insights, a brand-new tool that gives you actual search data straight from Etsy’s buyers — not a third-party estimate, not a YouTube guru’s hunch. Real. Buyer. Data.

This is a total game-changer for print-on-demand (POD) sellers. It lets you see how customers are searching, what’s trending, and how competitive your keywords really are.

In this post, I’ll walk you step-by-step through how to use Etsy Marketplace Insights to find profitable keywords, compare it with eRank, and create listings that actually sell.

Because you don’t need more noise — you need clarity and numbers that lead to sales.

What Is Etsy Marketplace Insights (and Why It Matters for POD)?

A screenshot of Etsy's Marketplace Insights tool with a search bar and pictures of items with search results

Etsy Marketplace Insights is Etsy’s new built-in keyword research tool designed to help sellers understand how buyers search on the platform.

When you type in a search term, it shows:

  • Searches (last 30 days): how many times shoppers searched that phrase.
  • Search results (listings): how many active listings contain that keyword.
  • Similar keywords: alternative search terms buyers are using.

Why this matters for POD sellers: you finally have first-party Etsy data. You can see exactly what’s being searched and how crowded the space is.

It’s essentially Etsy saying, “Here’s what our buyers are doing — go make products for them.”

You currently get 15 free searches per week, and Etsy Plus subscribers ($10/month) get unlimited searches. They’re rolling it out shop by shop, but it’s already changing how sellers do research.

Marketplace Insights vs. eRank: Use Both, Don’t Pick a Side

I use eRank and I still think it’s one of the best low-cost tools out there. But Etsy Marketplace Insights is like getting the raw data from the source, direct from Etsy’s search logs.

Here’s how I think about it:

  • Etsy Marketplace Insights = real Etsy search behavior (last 30 days).
  • eRank = data visualization + color-coded guidance for interpreting competition.

The best move? Use them together.

Let’s say you enter “teacher sweatshirt” into Marketplace Insights. You’ll see:

  • 12,300 searches (last 30 days)
  • 26,000 listings

That’s useful, but what’s “low competition”?

Here’s where you borrow from eRank logic:

  • If listings are below ~20,000, that’s typically “green zone” — low competition.
  • If searches are 100+ or higher, that’s solid demand (when also confirmed on Etsy).

So when Etsy doesn’t color-code results, use eRank’s system as your decoder.

👉🏾 Related link: Is eRank Worth It? Review From a 6-Figure Etsy Seller

👉🏾 Related link: Erank vs Etsy Marketplace Insights

Step-by-Step: How to Use Etsy Marketplace Insights to Find Keywords

Step 1 – Start With a Broad Print-on-Demand Term

Begin with a general niche or product type — something like:

  • “dog mom hoodie”
  • “hiking shirt”
  • “funny coffee mug”

The broader your starting point, the more keyword variations Etsy will generate for you. Think of this as your brainstorming phase.

Step 2 – Read the Two Most Important Numbers

When results load, you’ll see two columns that matter most:

  1. Searches (last 30 days): this is your demand metric.
  2. Search results (listings): this is your competition metric.

You want high searches and low listings.

Example:
If “plant lover sweatshirt” has 9,000 searches and 12,000 listings, that’s gold. But if “floral shirt” has 22,000 searches and 2,000,000 listings — skip it.

High demand means nothing if you’re drowning in competition.

Step 3 – Save Your Searches

Marketplace Insights now allows you to save your searches! This is a newer feature. Before, there was no way to actually keep your searches saved. I found myself screenshotting them and never returning to my overwhelming amount of photos to actually find the keywords again.

This gets Etsy Marketplace Insights closer to competing with eRank and other SEO tools that you can actually utilize.

And, if you are using the free version 15 searches per week, it is great to be able to come back to your saved searches. Over time, you will have a huge bank of keywords that will help your shop grow!

Step 4 – Apply the eRank Threshold Logic

Etsy doesn’t color-code its competition data like eRank, so this trick helps you translate the numbers:

  • If listings are under 20,000, that’s a green zone keyword.
  • If searches are above 100–150, that’s enough demand to matter.

You can use these same thresholds to prioritize your design and SEO list.

Step 5 – Validate on Etsy Search

Once you find a promising keyword, head to Etsy and search it directly. Look for:

  • “In X carts” badges (proof buyers are adding those items)
  • Bestseller tags

If those boxes are ticked, you’ve found a solid keyword that has both demand and buyer intent.

Turning Those Keywords into High-Converting Listing Titles

Once you’ve got your keywords, the next step is turning them into optimized listing titles that buyers and Etsy’s algorithm both love.

Use Etsy’s Title Helper

Etsy has been pushing shorter title suggestions.

A great title should be:

  • Readable: no keyword salad.
  • Relevant: match what buyers actually searched.
  • Rich: include 1–2 long-tail variations naturally.

Title Formula That Works

[Main Keyword] – [Product Type] – [Recipient/Occasion/Feature]

How Often to Check Marketplace Insights (and Whether Etsy Plus Is Worth It)

Marketplace Insights updates every 30 days, so checking weekly or biweekly is ideal. Etsy’s free tier gives you 15 searches per week, and results stay available for 7 days.

If you’re deep in POD — juggling multiple niches or prepping for holiday seasons — Etsy Plus might be worth the $10/month since it unlocks unlimited searches or, eRank might be a better choice at $6.99 a month.

You’ll also get perks like free shop credits and extra customization options.

👉🏾 Related link: Passive Income Etsy: My $200K Shop & Favorite Tools

Even with Plus, I still recommend keeping eRank handy for deeper data like search trends over time and color-coded competition levels. And, the bulk keyword tool is my absolute favorite feature as it saves me so much time.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Only Chasing High-Search Terms

Big search volume doesn’t always mean big sales — it can also mean big competition. Look for the balance between visibility and discoverability.

Mistake #2: Ignoring Seasonal Terms

Etsy tells you what’s trending right now. Use that info to create seasonal listings (Mother’s Day, graduation, Halloween) and boost visibility.

Mistake #3: Forgetting Design Quality

A great keyword won’t save a boring mockup. If your designs or product photos aren’t enticing, you’ll lose clicks. Pair smart SEO with scroll-stopping images.

Mistake #4: Wasting Searches on Vague Keywords

Don’t burn your 15 searches on one-word phrases like “shirt.” Go specific: “boho teacher sweatshirt,” “funny plant mom mug,” etc.

Final Thoughts

Etsy Marketplace Insights is Etsy’s way of saying: We’re finally giving you the data you’ve been begging for.

This tool helps you skip the guesswork and see what real buyers are searching for. Use it to build smarter listings, validate your design ideas, and finally start seeing traction.

It’s still new, still evolving — but combined with tools like eRank, it’s one of the most powerful resources Etsy has ever released.

Start with your 15 free searches, test a few niches, and build your next bestseller on data — not luck.

You’ve got this.

The Best SEO and Design Tools for Your Print on Demand Shop:

These are the only tools I use for my shop!

Canva: Canva is the most amazing tool. It is user friendly, and always improving! The tools that Canva has have evolved so much since I first started using it in 2022 for the better. I use it almost everyday. I use it to create designs, to edit AI designs, and to create product mockups.

Ideogram: Ideogram is an AI design tool that generates high-quality graphics with exceptionally accurate text rendering, making it ideal for creating quote-based and typography-focused designs. I also use the prompt based editing for mockups, making it a wonderful alternative to Photoshop, which is expensive.

E-Hunt: E-Hunt is fantastic for competitor research and some light keyword research. My favorite aspect of E-Hunt is the Chrome extension that allows you to see the sales amount for an individual item on Etsy. Check out this article to see an example.

eRank: eRank is an SEO data tool that also allows you to search the competition and will also give you key words for your Etsy listing. It is also a low cost tool that will help you find low competition and highly searched niches.

Printify: Printify is a print-on-demand (POD) service that allows individuals and businesses to create and sell custom-designed products without needing to manage inventory or handle fulfillment. I put my designs on products offered by Printify. When an item sells, Printify prints and ships to my customer.

Vela: Vela is the bulk editing tool I use to manage hundreds of Etsy and Shopify listings without losing my mind. You can update videos, photos, titles, tags, descriptions, and prices across your entire shop in minutes, and your VA can build listings inside Vela without needing your Etsy login. Read more about Vela here.

Shopify: Shopify is what I recommend when you are ready to scale beyond Etsy and diversify where your products sell. The fees are lower, you own your customer data (emails), and it integrates directly with Printify and Vela. It is the easiest way to build a standalone storefront that you control. Read more about Etsy v Shopify here.

FAIRE: FAIRE is the wholesale marketplace I use to sell my products to retail, brick and mortar stores. If you want to scale your shop and add a wholesale revenue stream to your POD business, FAIRE is a great option. Read more about FAIRE here.

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Looking for more information on print on demand? Check out these articles:

Janeen is a former attorney and Etsy print on demand coach who started her shop at 40, retired early from corporate life at 42, and moved her family to Portugal. She now teaches others the strategic path to building portable income, while exploring and documenting the most beautiful country she gets to call home.