eBay has launched a new program (in beta) called eBay In Demand. This feature will inform sellers of hot products in demand, but in short supply. eBay In Demand is not accessible by every seller. To access the eBay In Demand feature, a seller must:

Be a registered seller on eBay.com
Have a minimum detailed seller rating of 4.8 across all four 30-day detailed seller ratings
Have a buyer satisfaction rating of Excellent or Good
Be a PowerSeller

You must meet all of these criteria – so even if one of your DSRs is below 4.8, you don’t qualify. This is the first time eBay will make this kind of data available. Sellers who can access eBay In Demand (and take the time and effort to utilize it), will reap the rewards by appearing higher in Best Match. But remember, as in all products on eBay, many items “in demand” only have short runs. This tool may help sellers “ride the wave” sooner and longer than they would if they had to do their own research.

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Post from: EveryJoe

eBay In Demand

Key word spamming occurs when members place brand names or other inappropriate or unrelated keywords in a title or description for the purpose of gaining attention or diverting members to a listing. This is also called search engine manipulation. Keyword spamming in your title or listing is not permitted on eBay. The searchable text sellers place in listings must be directly relevant to the item being sold.

When doing store critiques, I have seen this tactic used many times. I’m not sure why the spammers even think that buyers will buy from them in the first place – it is obvious that they are using underhanded techniques. For example, one customer was selling handmade beaded earrings. Her title read:

“iPod Nano Wii Playstation 3 earrings LOOK”

Key word spamming is a waste of your time and the customer’s time. Not only is this seller driving customers to her listings who aren’t even interested in earrings, but she isn’t even targeting customers who might actually be interested in buying her product. eBay gives you 55 characters for your title – use them wisely to attract potential buyers to your listings. What good does it do you to have hundreds of page views, if the customers are searching for a product that you don’t even offer?

Another example is using inappropriate brand names to describe your item. I see this one often:

“Homemade candle pillar like Yankee Candle Clean Cotton”

This seller is using an established brand name to drive traffic to his homemade item. Many sellers offer homemade candles on eBay, but a seller cannot claim they are “like” an established brand name – that description is subjective and the seller’s personal opinion. Stick with factual information only. You don’t want to manipulate your buyer into purchasing something, and then be dissatisfied and leave you negative feedback.

Abuse of key words can lead to:

Listing cancellation
Limits on account privileges
Account suspension
Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings
Loss of PowerSeller status

eBay is over-run with key word spam and this makes it very difficult for legitimate honest sellers compete when so many other sellers are blatantly breaking the rules. to If you see any listings that are obviously key word spam, report them to eBay trust and safety. Read this helpful guide on Key Word Spam Busting.

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Post from: EveryJoe

Reader Question: What Exactly is Key Word Spamming on eBay?