Apr
13
Update: As of 6:30 pm EDT, Apr 13th, it looks like Best Match has been restored as the default search result. However it looks like time remaining is weighted significantly more - and keywords are currently weighted significantly lower. The other factors such as Shipping & Handling, & DSR’s appear to be still influencing the search results.
After Scot Wingo’s Blog reported that stuffing Key Words in your eBay listing title increased sellers’ placement in the search results pages significantly, eBay has apparently disabled the Best Match search algorithm.
I’m confident that this is a only temporary suspension of Best Match while eBay tweaks the search algorithm to deal with the keyword stuffing/spamming issue.
The eBay search results page still lists Best Match as the default sort method, however if you change the “sort by” method in the drop down menu found at the top of the search results to “Time: Ending Soonest,” the search results are sorted exactly the same as what is currently advertised as sorted by “Best Match.”
Scot’s blog post stated that eBay listings that stuffing keywords in the titles zoomed to the top of the listing results. Randy Smythe summarizes this technique well in his blog:
Now with Best Match, sellers add multiple keywords to their titles to get advantage in search. Now the following listing title: New, New, New, New, New, Wii5, 5, 5, 5 New New, carries more weight than New Nintendo Wii with 5 Game Bundle.
This was entirely predictable. When I broke the news about eBay’s Best Match patent application last winter, I discussed the possibility of exploiting the search algorithm in order to manipulate rankings on search results page. What is surprising is that eBay did not predict that users would attempt to exploit Best Match and have the mechanisms in place to counter the technique. Keyword stuffing is such a basic search algorithm spamming technique — Google and the other search engines fought and defeated this rudimentary tactic years ago. I’m amazed that eBay was not prepared for it.
eBay’s lack of foresight aside, you can rest assured that when they put Best Match back online, they will have reeingineered the search algorithm to counter the keyword stuffing spam techniques. I’m confident that the new algorithm will contain a penalty for keyword stuffing and the sellers who continue employ these tactics will find themselves at the bottom of the search results vice the top.
Scot Wingo’s post suggests that sellers should use these keyword stuffing techniques in order to gain higher listings. Let me take this opportunity to again suggest that optimization is different than manipulation and that eBay will eventually start punishing users that attempt to manipulate their search results. These punishments will start out relatively benign with lower search result rankings and will likely escalate to cancelled listings and closed accounts.
The temporary suspension of Best Match is an obvious signal that eBay is not going to sit idly by while users attempt to manipulate search results. I don’t think that they are going to continue such a passive approach to these efforts either. Disincentives for Best Match maniplation are on their way.
What is going to make you more money over the long term: Best Match optimization or Best Match spamming? The answer to that question is where you should focus your efforts to rank highly in eBay’s search results.
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One Response to “eBay Disables Best Match Search Due to Keyword Spamming”
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Glenda from the eBay search board has stated that everyone has been defaulted to “Best Match” again no matter what you have set in “Customize Display”.
This may be the results of the “KEYWORD” fix.
This time eBay did not change your “Sort BY”, only your “Browse Sort By”.
It will look like you are in something like ending soonest or newly listed BUT you will really be in “Best Match”.
Millions of people will have no idea.
You will need to change your default settings in Customize Display again per: Glenda
THIS IS WHY YOU COULD NOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENDING NEWEST AND BEST MATCH, THERE IS NONE UNTIL YOU CHANGE YOUR SETTINGS IN “CUSTOMIZE DISPLAY” AGAIN.