Listing optimisation was a recurring theme at the recent eBay UK Roadshow in Salford, Greater Manchester. Throughout the day, eBay’s leadership team hammered home the importance of expedited shipping, careful use of item specifics, and images to enhance their sellers’ opportunity to be found in eBay search.

One question in particular regarding eBay search best-practice really hit home with some sellers. Could slow-selling items be damaging their overall visibility and performance on the online marketplace?

The answer was short and to the point: Yes!

eBay listings with no sales after 90 days may impact search relevance

Any seller with deep inventory will almost certainly have listings that run for 90 days or more without making a sale. According to eBay, these listings will have an adverse effect on your entire account’s search relevancy.

The example given at the roadshow was a confectionary seller who noticed that their sales had fallen off a cliff in the run-up to the Christmas holidays — a time when they should have been busier than ever.

A quick look at the listings revealed several listings for Easter Eggs which hadn’t sold in more than three months.

The retailer had assumed that because the Easter Eggs were still in date, they might as well leave them listed in the hope of someone buying them. Nobody did.

On the advice of eBay, the retailer took down these dormant listings, and their sales returned to the volumes they would typically expect at such a busy time of year.

Delist, optimise and re-list

The advice given at the roadshow was simple. Any listings with no sales after 90 days should be delisted, optimised and re-listed.

This might not be such an easy task for retailers with particularly deep inventory. However, it highlights the importance of carefully monitoring your live listings.

eBay listing optimisation is a strategy that often tops many eBay sellers’ “to do” lists. Unfortunately, however, it’s a job that often gets thrown on the back burner while they focus on “more important” tasks.

When you learn that un-optimised listings not only have the potential to impact the sales of individual items but could bring down your entire product catalogue, it is time to reconsider your approach to optimisation.

To learn more about optimising your eBay listings, book a free 15-minute consultation with one of our eBay listing experts.