Power Sellers Unite

suburbantreasure · Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 250

I've had very consistent sales since I opened my Blujay and Ecrater stores last January. I've averaged several sales per week. However, I have not had a sale on Ecrater since Feb 22 - and only one from blujay in the past month or so!

I have done nothing differently - but I did go into Google today and searched for my items. I cannot find any of them. If I search Fisher Price Playset or Fisher Price Dream Dollhouse for instance, many sets come up, but none are mine - not from Blujay nor Ecrater.....not even Ruby Lane where I also sell!!

What has happened with Google? If this is the case, no wonder my sales stopped dead for absolutely no apparent reason?
Is anyone else having difficulty finding their items on Google?

sciencefare

suburbantreasure wrote: › docWrite("quote")What has happened with Google? If this is the case, no wonder my sales stopped dead for absolutely no apparent reason?
Is anyone else having difficulty finding their items on Google?I took a quick look, and was able to find your stuff on Google, so from here it seems to be working OK.

I found your "White Sasha Doll Shoes" at Ruby Lane on Google as the 4th hit here.

I found your "Fisher Price Houseboat" at eCrater on Google as the 5th hit here.

I found your "Vintage Sterling Silver Ballerina Dancer" from Blujay on Google as the 2nd hit here.

BTW, you've got some nice items for sale. Best of luck! :D

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

Only 2 of my 3 active items are currently feeding to Google, and I'm able to find them. I do know that once a while back, on the phone with another PSU member, in 2 different states - we did same/exact searches.

Our results were different. We had no scientific idea/reason for the results being different, so concluded as a 'guess' that google returns results based on your searching habits, your frequently visited places and also perhaps location.

If SF found them, that means you're there!

sciencefare

2BOYSandTOYS wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote") I do know that once a while back, on the phone with another PSU member, in 2 different states - we did same/exact searches.You know, I've encountered the same thing... two folks in different geographical areas, performing the same search, at the same time, with different results... it's odd. :o

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

Very odd - it was an eye-opener for both of us as we both had assumed (for years) that the results displayed for a search were consistent.

Needless to say - I guess not - now....if we could just figure out why/how - we'd be rich (not really....but can hope for it - eh?) :oops: :lol:

sciencefare

2BOYSandTOYS wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")Very odd - it was an eye-opener for both of us as we both had assumed (for years) that the results displayed for a search were consistent.

Needless to say - I guess not - now....if we could just figure out why/how - we'd be rich (not really....but can hope for it - eh?) :oops: :lol:LOL! .. yep! :)

suburbantreasure · Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 250

Thank you very much. I asked on the Ecrater board and the mod checked for me and could only pull up my items when they turned the filter off in advanced search!

Now it's REALLY interesting that you found the houseboat because I specifically looked for that twice in Google shopping and it was definitely not there.

That is really really strange.
It was suggested to me that perhaps because I have some duplicate items in my stores, that Google might be rejecting the feed somehow. The Sasha shoes I just listed about three days ago - so it's picking up those items quickly.

Google's really strange!

fun-n-games · Joined: 06 Mar 2008 Posts: 44

I followed SF's link on the houseboat and it came back with quite a few hits (of which I assume one is yours). But, when I searched google shopping...zip.

suburbantreasure · Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 250

I've figured it out - it seems that someone is using my store name Babesntoyland as the URL for a new stripper website!
Thus, this is why the items come up when the explicit content filter is turned OFF!

Needless to say, I'm livid. Whomever did this even used the same spelling as mine, so Google is filtering out the entire name!!

Absolutely unfreaking real.

Not sure how Ecrater works, but I believe that I will have to pay a fee to have my store renamed.

DaLizardsLair · Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 4780

2 - 3 times each year, items disappear from Google, until the site owners jump through whatever new hoops that Google requires from them, at which time, items start appearing again.

Which is why you should make sure that you are listed with all of the major search engines.

jjjcollectibles · Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 389

I'm so sorry this happened to you. :-( But at least you now know what the cause is, so you have a chance to fix it.

If I were in your place, I would open a new store on eCrater with a new name, and then copy all of your items into it. Then you wouldn't have to pay a fee, and returning customers would still be able to find you by your old name. You'd have two stores with identical items, one to make Google happy and attract new customers, and one for returning customers who know you by the old name. Then I would simply inform all the returning customers about the name change and invite them to visit the new store. Then, after awhile, when no one is visiting the old store any more, simply close that one down.

There might be reasons why this plan wouldn't work, but without knowing those reasons it seems workable to me. :-)

DaLizardsLair · Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 4780

suburbantreasure wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")I've figured it out - it seems that someone is using my store name Babesntoyland as the URL for a new stripper website!
Thus, this is why the items come up when the explicit content filter is turned OFF!

Needless to say, I'm livid. Whomever did this even used the same spelling as mine, so Google is filtering out the entire name!!

Absolutely unfreaking real.

Not sure how Ecrater works, but I believe that I will have to pay a fee to have my store renamed.

Which is proof positive of why one should secure a domain name before listing with any site.

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

I have those filters 'on' and still saw your items -- in other words, I have adult content filters set to avoid the naughty. I believe if you contact eCrater.com, they'll work with you as needed. I don't know about the other sites you list on....

So sorry this has happened to you - *sigh* - I hope you can work to get it resolved soon!

suburbantreasure · Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 250

I like the idea of opening a second Ecrater store - I can just remove the items from one as I add them to another so there are not duplicate (I believe, a violation of Ecrater's policies). Ecrater mod told me to contact Google product search first. I plan on doing that, but also realize that could take weeks or not at all, as I imagine I'm not very high on their list of priorities! :roll:

The entire thing will just be extremely time consuming with 154 items.........(uploading one photo at a time....and many of my items have multiple photos...)

sigh...........
thanks for the suggestions!

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

I had hoped that if you contacted the eCrater.com technical folks that perhaps they could just change your store name (from the system aspect) which would be much easier than relisting each item into a new store....

The good news - the eCrater system is super fast and the listing is almost one page. It sure would seem faster if they can just move the items for you OR if they could just rename your store!

Best to ya!