If you're an eBay member in the UK, you've probably already noticed that searches you perform now bring back the results in Best Match order. If you're not in the UK, watch out, because eBay's Best Match is being installed across other eBay country sites.
The previous default, for many years, was that search returns were presented in the sequence of least time left on the auction.
However, the term Best Match sounds fair enough - it's probably a comfortable term if you're the searcher. How kind of eBay to give me a list of auctions to look at starting with the "most Best Match" at the top!
But if you're an eBay seller, you've now got a real problem.
Before Best Match, you knew that eBay's searching mechanism was simple and straightforward. If the words keyed in by the searcher appeared in your auction title, your auction would be included in the search return list. Granted, the order of this list defaulted to time left on the auction.
But at least you knew where you were with eBay's keyword searching mechanism. Assuming someone searched on the right keywords, and your auction only had a short time remaining, you knew you would appear high up on search returns - even if it was only for a short period of time.
Now, with Best Match being applied to search results, first of all you have no idea where your auction is going to appear. And second, you don't know if you'll EVER appear on the first few pages of results.
At this point, you might be thinking it would be a good idea to understand how Best Match is arrived at.
I agree. It might be a good idea but, like many good ideas, it's not quite as simple as it seems.
Best Match is made up of a combination of elements. Whilst eBay will tell you what those elements are, they won't tell you the weighting they apply to each element.
It seems that Best Match is comprised of demand factors, listing factors and seller performance factors. Let's look at each of these in turn…
Demand factors are apparently based on eBay's calculation of aspects such as the historical buyer behaviour on eBay for similar searches.
Listing factors include the listing format, keywords used, price, time left on the auction
The seller performance factor is based on a measurement called the Detailed Seller Rating. The DSR is an assessment of the seller, and the better DSR sellers have, the better it is for Best Match. A good DSR required sellers to have, for example, a high percentage of satisfied buyers, and high shipping & handling charge ratings.
For most sellers, the only way to analyse how Best Match impacts their auctions is to conduct some research.
Here's an excellent example of how you can do that
http://www.auctioninsights.info/ebays-best-match-made-simple.html
Having said all of this, there's not much point in getting the slide rule and calculator out and having sleepless night. eBay says Best Match will be different across different queries, different categories, different countries - even potentially different buyers.
Pass the black coffee please... |
