Write eBay Auction Titles That Really Work - By Ian Marples

Your auction title is probably the most important part of your listing. If your title doesn't inform and entice potential customers then they simply won't open it. eBay allows you to use around 56 characters in your title, so use them wisely. Note that subtitles are not searchable, so make sure you include as many keywords and selling points in your main title as possible.

It's important you spend time analyzing past auctions, comparing different titles and decide which have been most successful. You can view completed auctions by searching under the "Advanced Search" section.

You'll notice that the titles of the auctions with the most success will usually be very clear, to the point and include a lot of keywords. Keywords are words that potential customers will use to search by. When these words are entered into eBay search field, if they match your title, then your auction will be displayed. So, the more keywords you can squeeze into your title the better.

For example, someone looking to buy an iPod Nano may enter the following keywords into eBay's sear field: iPod Nano, iPod MP3 player, Apple MP3. For your auction to generate a lot of views, you should try to use as many as these keywords as possible.

Below is an example of a poor auction title I recently found on eBay.

IPOD - L@@K BARGAIN @ 1p START WOW ! ! !

Whilst the brand "iPod" is included in the title, there is no mention of Apple, MP3 player or the condition of the item, which are all things users are likely to search for. The remaining part of the title is wasted with gimmicks that serve no purpose. They may catch a users eye, however no one will ever search for terms and characters such as "@ start wow !!!" By adding these to your title you are simply wasting space, and furthermore, making your entire listing look very amateurish.

Below is how I would rewrite the title for optimal results:

Apple iPod Nano 2GB White MP3 player, Brand New, Boxed

I've included a whole host of keywords, and listed any main selling points such as "brand new" and "boxed". Should a potential customer search for any of the words in the title, or a combination of them, my auction would be displayed.

So, before you begin to write your auction titles make a list of any keywords that you can think of. Perform a search to see if anyone else is selling the same item as you. Do any of the auctions catch your eye, what's appealing about them? Analyze the title variations and decide which works best. However, don't completely copy another title as you're trying to make your auction stand out from the crowd.

Remember, a poor title will result in fewer visitors, and therefore will result in less money.

Read more; advice on selling on e-bay

Ian Marples is an Internet marketer and web author who runs the website http://www.uncleslinky.co.uk to help budding online entrepreneurs succeed.