Overwhelming Todo

[kerravonsen]

So, Etsy have changed their search algorithms and Marmalead have finally updated their interface to reflect this. (Marmalead is a web-app which helps with Etsy Search Engine Optimisation). This means that all of my listings have gone from a grade of A- to C+. What is worse, the best thing to improve this is not at all straightforward; it requires the one to imagine things that aren't there. To explain: what they want are "long tail keywords", that is, phrases which (a) accurately describe the item, (b) are phrases which very few other sellers are using, (c) which nonetheless are also phrases which customers are using for searching. Marmalead can tell you whether any given phrase fits the (b) and (c) criteria, but what it cannot do is suggest phrases to use which other people aren't using -- it just suggests the most common phrases which other sellers are using. So I just have to randomly think of phrases, like putting a pin into a page and trying to recreate Shakespeare.

So I'm rather depressed, and somewhat despairing. Here's my shop, take a look.

In the meantime, have a to-do list.

• write todo list
• domestic
  • finish mending hole in old jeans
  • laundry
    • put away extra basket of clean clothes
    • put away main basket of clean clothes
    • fill basket with dirty clothes and put on 1st load of laundry
    • put finished (1st) load of laundry in dryer
    • empty dryer into basket (1st load)
    • put away 1st load's basket of clean clothes
    • fill basket with dirty clothes and put on 2nd load of laundry
    • put finished (2nd) load of laundry in dryer
    • empty dryer into basket (2nd load)
    • put away 2nd load's basket of clean clothes
  • dishes
    • empty dishwasher
    • load dishwasher
    • start the dishwasher and put timer on for 50 minutes
    • when the load is done, open the door to speed drying
    • empty dishwasher
• Unclutter/Craft Supplies
  • move the art-prints binder from spare room to empty section of shelf in my bedroom
    • check how full it is, and if need be, order another binder from Officeworks
  • empty the bags of stuff from $2 shop and put the contents in open cardboard box(es)
• Inventory/Etsy listings
  • try to think of long-tail keywords
  • find the inventory bags in the spare room and reorganise into proper places
    • necklaces
      • take the tags off the necklaces and put them on the necklace bags
      • sort out the necklaces into labelled bags
      • take the bronze pendant necklaces and put them in gauze bags, putting the tags on the bags
        • put aside of the ones which have become too tarnished
    • bracelets
      • take the tags off the bracelets and put them on the necklace bags
      • sort out the bracelets into labelled bags
    • put hair chains in chains drawer
    • earrings
      • take the rubber bands off the cards
      • figure out the right size for new cards that will fit inside small boxes (45mm x 65mm)
      • design updated earring-cards (smaller than current ones; rectangular, to be cut out with guillotine rather than punch)
      • print out earring-cards
      • cut out earring-cards with guillotine
      • and punch holes with a pin, for earrings to slide into
      • find where I put the earring-stoppers
      • transfer the earrings from the old cards to the new cards, using earring stoppers to hold them on, rather than sticky tape
      • put the earrings in earring-drawers
  • discover half-way through that one bag of earrings is missing
    • find the missing bag underneath two bags of yarn
  • for each listed-but-not-printed art print:
    • upload the three required high-rez images to Officeworks
    • order a 8x12 print of it
• Art/Craft
  • make prototype 2-twist-on-4-twist cord to test out an idea for my sshg_giftfest item
    • depending on how that goes, make a prototype 4-twist-on-4-twist cord
• Videos
  • finish downloading The Tunnel from ABC iView
  • update the portable video drive with recent downloads
  • update the backup portable video drive with recent downloads
  • watch SOMETHING (tonight)
• Social Media
  • Catch up with Etsy group
  • Catch up with R-S-P group
  • Catch up with O-C-N group
  • Catch up with S-A group
  • Catch up with DW/LJ
  • Catch up with YouTube subscriptions
  • check Twitter

Edited to Add: Wonderful, now I'm being targeted by foriegn-language spam comments. (headdesk)

Comments

[fred_mouse]

sympathies on both the search engine optimisation crap and the foreign language spam. I'm having no luck with any imaginative terms, but if your foreign language spam is running the same as mine did, turning off comments on the post they are spamming makes them go away. I did end up with a second bout a few weeks later, but that seems to be it (and I locked the post sooner, so there was less spam to get rid of).

[kerravonsen]

I don't like turning off comments, because that prevents anyone else from commenting!
I ended up just deleting them all as they appeared.

[fred_mouse]

I found that turning them off for a few days was enough and then I turned them back on; I just added a note that explained why. However, if it is this post (I kind of assumed that it was an old post, because that is what happened to me) I can understand that that would be less than helpful.

[primsong]

The way Etsy just kept on rearranging the furniture and using people's live accounts as guinea pigs for stupid ideas was part of why I was somewhat relieved when I closed down my shop a bit ago - I do miss messing around with selling estate sale finds, it was fun, but I do not miss Etsy's policies or search issues. I do hope it works out for you okay, I favorited your shop and had fun looking things over - I especially like the Gravity Waves print, wish I needed some art. Nice work! ^_^

[kerravonsen]

Thanks!

[delphipsmith]

Lord you are a busy person. I feel a real slacker lol

[kerravonsen]

You should see the things I didn't put on the list!