My Favorite Side Hustle
If you know me, you know I love a good side hustle! Since I was young, I was always thinking about ways to make money until I could get an actual job. Little did I know, I would come to dislike working in Corporate America. I was creative and loved arts and crafts projects. I dreamed of selling items at the neighborhood flea market.
Today, I can do this type of activity all from the comfort of my home.
And, I don’t actually have to make physical objects, but can flex my creative muscles.
I’m going to tell you how to get found on Etsy by sharing with you what I learned in my first year on Etsy!
How I Stumbled on Etsy as a Side Hustle
In 2020, I did an analysis of my investment contributions, and realized that I actually needed to invest more if I wanted to retire early. My salary is pretty high (six figures), but with the cost of daycare for two kids ($3,546.96), and my mortgage and HOA ($2,561), and other expenses,
If I wanted to retire early, I needed more money to invest.
I decided to look for a side hustle that I could do while maintaining my 9-5. Anything that would take away from my already limited time with my kids would not work. Side hustles that provide services were not an option.
Youtube became my favorite resource for learning about side hustles. My favorite Youtube couple, Ourrichjourney empowers their viewers to save more, make more, and invest more. And that is what I planned to do. They also have fantastic videos about side hustles.
But, I stumbled on Etsy as an idea for a side hustle while listening to podcast with Rachel Richards, author of Money Honey and Passive Income Aggressive Retirement. She mentioned that her favorite side hustle is called print on demand (POD). Her enthusiasm about POD got me motivated to learn more.
With POD, you can create a design and place it on a product, and it is made to order, so you never have to have inventory lying around your house.
When I heard about this, I thought it sounded like a fun idea. I have always been creative, but there is virtually no way to be creative as a lawyer. The idea that I could have my own online business with no overhead, and very little startup costs appealed to me.
I did a ton more research on Youtube and watched several videos by Cassiy Johnson, Heather Johnson, and Brittany Lewis. I fully resonated with Brittany’s no BS style and consumed all of her content on Youtube, podcasts, Instagram, and Facebook.
After a lot of research, I opened my Etsy store. Opening the store was the easy part. I created a shop name, banner, set up my store policies, and set up a few product listings all in one day. Then I connected it to my print provider, Printify.
Think of Printify as your backstage crew, making sure your show is a hit. You create the designs, they handle the printing and shipping. You never have to touch or ship product, they do all of the work.
Once you have your Etsy shop connected to Printify, then that is where the fun begins!
Now, I wish it was as easy as some Youtubers make it seem. I understand that they need views and subscribers, but Etsy is not a get rich quick scheme.
It is work, it is fun, but it is not an easy path to riches. Once you open up your shop, you may be anxiously awaiting an avalanche of Etsy sales. However, there are certain things you need to do to increase your chance of success on Etsy. Let’s demystify the path to getting found on Etsy with some best practices related to SEO.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and it is a crucial aspect of getting your Etsy shop seen by potential customers. With so many shops on Etsy, it can be challenging to stand out amongst the competition. And, there is a lot of competition because there are 7.3 million Etsy sellers! You want to make sure that you stand out in Etsy search results.
This is where SEO comes in – it helps optimize your shop and your Etsy listings so that they rank higher in Etsy’s search results. When someone searches for a specific keyword or phrase on Etsy, you want your products to appear at the top of Etsy search.
SEO sounds complex and complicated. It is not.
The word “optimization” alone sounds like some mysterious strategy that will take hours and hours to learn. I’m here to tell you that SEO is easy.
You use SEO in your every day life, and probably don’t realize it. For example, you have a craving for a particular type of pastry to go along with your coffee. You go to Google, or your preferred search engine and type in….words to find what you want! You would probably type in “coffee shops with best pastries near me.” Those words are the key words that connected you to your buttery, delicious pastry. It’s that easy!
With that example in mind, let’s walk through how you optimize your shop and listings for better SEO to make Etsy’s search engines showcase your shop.
Keyword Research
There are two types of keyword research that I do: (1) research what is in demand to determine a possible product offering, and (2) research to find which keywords I plan to use in my Esty listing title and tags.
Product Offering Research
New sellers have a misconception that they can sell products that they want to sell. While it is fun to think about selling things that you would want to buy, it is not the recipe for success. You need to research what people are searching for in order to make any traction.
That does not mean that it is still not a fun process.
I love research and designing, and offering products that people are searching for is still interesting and so much fun.
Tools and strategies for finding relevant keywords
Key words are literally everywhere. Don’t complicate it. You will see trends, designs, and interesting things just by living life. Type them into an SEO data tool like eRank and see what the competition is. eRank will also give you additional key words that might work for you as well.
The first step is to conduct thorough research on relevant keywords related to your potential products. These are words or phrases that people would use when searching for products like yours. There are so many tools to start with, some have free options to start with.
I started with Sale Samurai and EverBee, but did not gain traction in my shop until I started using EtsyHunt and eRank. I searched for keywords (that people were actually searching for) with lower competition. Then created my designs, Etsy Titles, & Etsy Tags with those key words.
Before eRank, I had some success on a couple of shirts that just happened to have less competition (around 2,000 products offered for that key word). I didn’t realize until I took a course that this should have been my strategy the entire time. You live and your learn.
This is why I’m a course junkie. It helps you cut through the noise and misinformation out there on Youtube and Facebook Groups.
Incorporating long-tail keywords in listings
Long-tail keywords are a key part of the Etsy search process. Long-tail keywords are specific, often multi-word phrases that shoppers use when they’re closer to a point-of-purchase or when they might be using voice search.
For example, instead of ‘t-shirt’, a long-tail keyword would be ‘women’s vintage rock band t-shirt size medium’. These specific, targeted phrases attract the kind of buyers who know exactly what they want and are ready to click that ‘add to cart’ button.
When you tailor your listings with long-tail keywords, it’s like you’re holding up a sign in a crowded marketplace that reads, “Hey, I’ve got exactly what you’re looking for!”
And just like that, you’ve created a direct pathway for your ideal customers to find you amidst the endless ocean of products.
Short-tail keywords:
Now, let’s chat about short-tail keywords. They are broad, general, and will guide shoppers your way. Short-tail keywords are typically one to two words, such as ‘necklace’ or ‘wedding dress’. Sure, they may seem overly simplified, but don’t underestimate their power, especially if you have lower competition keywords! They serve as an essential cornerstone in your Etsy SEO strategy.
Using short-tail keywords can dramatically increase your store’s visibility. Think about it: when people start their search journey, they often begin with a broad idea of what they want, right? If you have those general terms in your listings, you’re casting a wide net that’s sure to catch a lot of fish. While it’s true they come with more competition, but if you are seeking out low competition key words in the first place, you have a better chance of being seen.
Make sure you balance your use of short-tail and long-tail keywords in your Titles and Tags.
And although SEO is important, it is not the only factor that will lead you to your first sale.
My Etsy Shops
Here are my results from my first year on Etsy for both of my shops. I started Shop 1 (POD) in October of 2022, and started Shop 2 (Digital) in June of 2022.
Shop 1: Print on Demand
Here are my results for the year.
This is revenue only, my profit margin is approximately 30%.
For those that say it is not a lot of money, I beg to differ. I had an 8 unit rental property that had around the same cash flow each year. And that property carried debt, risk, and certain variables that Etsy simply does not have. I like to say “I made money clicking buttons.” That is why I will continue to work on my shop. I see how big it could get, and it is a lot of fun.
Let’s talk about Shop 2.
Shop 2: AI Stock Images/Mockup Photos
For Shop 1, with Print on Demand, you have to buy mockup product photos of the item that you are selling. For example, if you sell hoodies, you would buy a mockup photo of a model wearing a blank hoodie. Then you place your design on the mockup, and that becomes your listing photo on Etsy.
I purchased a lot of mockups and noticed there was a huge lack of diverse mockups.
However, there weren’t many Black, Asian, Plus Size, Senior, or just diverse mockup photos.
I originally wanted to create a shop with my husband. We had a fancy camera, bought some photography equipment, but I just couldn’t get my photos to look professional. We tried and tried, but knew I needed to take a photography course, and buy additional equipment in order to be successful.
Enter AI
While researching, I found out that AI could generate images of people wearing the products I sell. I quickly downloaded Discord, and signed up for Midjourney, and built up Shop 2 with images I created with my prompts! I know AI is controversial for many, but if I can use it to make additional income so that I can design my ideal life sooner, I’m all in!
Now, there is still some confusion over who owns the image that is generated by AI, but I alter each one of my photos, and change it somehow so that the composition of work is mine.
That may or may not offer me copyright protection in the future.
This is not legal advice, but just me saying that the laws are very slow to catch up with technology. So, I’m going to move forward with my shop until the lawyers and AI companies figure it all out.
After working very hard on Shop 1, I felt that Shop 2, and selling digital products was much easier than Shop 1. I think there as way less competition at the time. Though that is changing dramatically each day, as I am seeing a slower decline in my Shop 2 sales.
But, I also had my SEO strategy solidified with eRank, and that helped my gain traction much faster than Shop 1. The profit margin for digital products is around 85%, which is a nice change from Shop 1. I will continue to work on this shop as well. I hired a virtual assistant to help with some of my photo organization. This one has been a lot of fun as well.
Other Ways To Get Found (or Not) on Etsy
Etsy Ads
Etsy Ads are not perfect. They may or may not get your item in front of more potential customers. I will give you my experience with Etsy Ads. While some think they are necessary, even for high competition key words, I’ve found that they are just ‘meh.’ When I used Etsy Ads the first time, I got a sale within minutes of turning them on. I was hooked after that. But, that never happened again. So it was just dumb luck I guess.
I started my shop in October right before high-traffic periods started around the holidays I was getting lots of sales that were not brought in by Etsy Ads. That’s when I realized they were not as helpful as I wanted them to be. I still use them, but I use them strategically. I only use $3.00 per day on my bestselling items.
I’ve tested Etsy Ads out on new items, but when I see how many views they received, it is usually 0-5, even with high search volume for that keyword and an in demand design.
I don’t know this for a fact, but it seems that Etsy Ads will only work on items that have already organically demonstrated that they will be somewhat successful in converting a customer. So now, when test out Etsy Ads, I will only test them on an item that has sold already.
Social Media
Many Etsy sellers feel the need to create accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to promote their Etsy shops. I also felt the same need, and opened up social media accounts for my print on demand store. After a year in, what I’ve found is that Etsy’s traffic alone has contributed to my sales.
It is harder and hard to gain views on social media and build an audience.
Like anything, it takes time, but you have a better change of gaining traction by putting that energy into something that will organically bring in Etsy customers to your shop, like SEO.
In my year on Etsy, I’ve noticed some things that may or may not have an impact on the Etsy algorithm:
Free Shipping Guarantee
Etsy encourages sellers to use the free shipping guarantee for orders over $35. I used it at first, then turned it off because it ate into my profit margin too much.
Once I turned it off, I noticed a slight increase in sales.
Ultimately, if someone wants to purchase your item, they will pay a reasonable shipping rate. In this day and age of Amazon Prime free 2 day shipping, many Etsy sellers feel like they have to compete. The truth is, buyers come to Etsy because it is NOT Amazon, and they are willing to pay for shopping for a unique, hand made item.
Positive Reviews
Great reviews are always fantastic for your shop performance. Obviously, selling high quality items and having excellent customer service will help your shop. I’ve found that after receiving a five star review, I would get more views and sales on that same item in the day.
My opinion is that Etsy likely gives your item a boost once you receive a positive review.
It makes sense if you think about it. Etsy wants to show items that people like to other people who might also like it. It is not clear whether one or more negative reviews will suppress your item. I’ve had negative reviews on items before. But, never more than one negative review on an item.
Conclusion
These were my best SEO tips. In addition to researching and offering products that are in high demand, and low competition, my SEO strategy helped my shop’s performance.
I am proud of the extra income I generated by clicking buttons!
It was a fun year and I’m looking forward to working on it in the future.
Hope this article helped you think about Etsy Search Engine Optimization. It is one of the most important factors in your Etsy strategy, but it is not the only factor. So don’t stress over it. Building a successful shop takes time. I did it, and you can too, and I plan to post my sales performance each month. Follow along, and please let me know your success strategy in the comments below.
I plan to provide quarterly updates, so join my email list to follow along in my Etsy journey!
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments.
