This post analyzes the Art category and finds that the Best Match algorithm strongly favors auction style listings for the Art category in general and the sub-categories. Specifically, my analysis indicates that auction-style listings have a statistically significant favorable effect on the following sub-categories:
- Art > Direct from Artist
- Art > Art From Dealers & Resellers
Methodology
Here’s the methodology I used to determine which category favors traditional style auction listing types and which favor fixed-price auctions.
I calculated the ratio of auction style listings to fixed-priced listings on the first page of results for each category. Then I compared that to the ratio of auction style listings to fixed-price listings category wide. If the difference was in excess of 25%, I considered the category to provide a significant advantage to auction style listings. If the difference was in excess of -20%, I considered the category to provide a significant advantage to fixed-priced style listings.
Some other details:
- The category or sub-category needed to have more that 1,000 listings to be evaluated.
- Auction style listings that also feature a Buy It Now price were considered to be auction style listings in this evaluation.
- The first page of the listing results was limited to 25 listings.
When eBay announced the Fixed-Price 30 listing option, they also mentioned that the Best Match algorithm will advantage fixed-priced listings over auction-style listings in some categories and auction-style listings over fixed-priced listings in other categories. Of course, they did not specify which categories would favor which type of listing format — so I’ve spent the time and done the analysis to figure out which categories and sub-categories provide an advantage to which listing type in the Best Match search results.
Knowing what listing style is favored by Best Match in a particular category – and more significantly a particular sub-category – is important when you are posting an item on eBay. If you pick the wrong listing type, you could end up ranking lower in the search rankings than you would like. Lower rankings = less bids.
Methodology
Here’s the methodology I used to determine which category favors traditional style auction listing types and which favor fixed-price auctions.
I calculated the ratio of auction style listings to fixed-priced listings on the first page of results for each category. Then I compared that to the ratio of auction style listings to fixed-price listings category wide. If the difference was in excess of 25%, I considered the category to provide a significant advantage to auction style listings. If the difference was in excess of -20%, I considered the category to provide a significant advantage to fixed-priced style listings.
Some other details:
- The category or sub-category needed to have more that 1,000 listings to be evaluated.
- Auction style listings that also feature a Buy It Now price were considered to be auction style listings in this evaluation.
- The first page of the listing results was limited to 25 listings.
- Sub-categories can vary significantly than their parent category. For example, the Business & Industrial category significantly favors auction style listings (39%), but the Packing & Shipping sub-category heavily favors the fixed-price style of listings (-32%).
The chart below indicates which categories favor auction style listings (indicated in yellow) and which provide an advantage to fixed price listings.
Again, I must stress that sub-categories can differ significantly from their parent category. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be posting an a detailed analysis of each category starting tomorrow with the Antiques category and sub-categories.
To summarize, Books, Music, DVD’s & Movies, and Everything Else appear to heavily favor auction style listings, while Gift Certificates and Baby favor the fixed-price listings.
There’s been a buzz in the blogosphere regarding the eBay listings falling out of the natural search results lately. Scot Wingo speculates it’s because eBay has changed their site in a manner that it makes it difficult for the search engines to crawl them. Some folks even suspect that Google is kicking eBay while they are struggling through their “disruptive innovation” period.
Here’s another theory. Perhaps Google is putting the smackdown on eBay for keyword stuffing some of their pages?
Pass the tinfoil please…
Booted from eBay Partner Network
Filed Under Miscellaneous | Leave a Comment
They say the first rule of running a blog is to post on a consistent basis. The second rule is to not apologize when you violate the first rule. So I won’t apologize.
In late August I found myself included in the many publishers recently booted from eBay’s affiliate program- the eBay Partner Network. Literally overnight, half of my online income stream dried up. Of course I was upset, but it was time to develop new revenue streams anyway. Blogging has taken a back seat while I focused on developing new affiliate sites and partnerships.
I’ve also been busy working on updating my free eBook, Best Match Made Simple, in order to incorporate the myriad of changes that eBay has implemented over the summer. You’ll see the fruits of those efforts on this blog very shortly. I’m very excited about some of the things I’ll be sharing with you in the coming days.