Although search engine optimization (SEO) may be associated with websites and blog posts, it can also work anywhere with a search bar. The basic principles behind SEO apply even to online selling platforms, including Facebook Marketplace.

Organically optimizing a listing simply means ensuring the keywords used in the title and description are intentionally selected to reach as many potential buyers as possible. As opposed to paid ads that show up automatically, this free strategy is all about boosting your listings’ chances of exposure based on the quality of your keywords and their ranking on the FB Marketplace’s search results.

Crafting listings that are packed (but not overloaded) with relevant keywords can help sellers gain the favor of the Facebook algorithm and snag the coveted spots on top of search results. With a bit of research and preparation, your listings stand a better chance of attracting and winning your target market.

Tips to achieve high-ranking Facebook Marketplace listings

Good visibility is the goal. To get there, your listings need to be clear, concise, and possess the relevant words to be discoverable. Try the following steps to boost your listings’ rankings:

Put on your buyer’s hat. Assume the position of a buyer looking for what you are listing. What would you be typing into the search bar? Try a few keywords and see what kinds of listings occupy the top spots in each search. Also, notice which listings land on the bottom. To improve your SEO for Facebook Marketplace, list down 3 to 5 best keywords to seamlessly incorporate into your title and description. Do this every time you list an item to ensure you’re not overlooking any important keywords.

Come up with an inclusive title. Take note of the kinds of buyers you’d want to attract to your listing. Some already have a particular brand or style in mind, while some are looking for something more generic. Aim to catch the attention of both. For instance, if you’re selling a pair of women’s sneakers, you can include the brand and style (e.g., Adidas Ultraboost 22 x Marimekko) as well as the size, color, or distinct attributes (Size 6, white floral print sneakers).

Stick with the facts. An optimized title doesn’t mean stringing catchy adjectives and gimmicky words together. On the contrary, you need to focus on facts because Facebook Marketplace discourages the use of misleading, subjective, unverifiable claims in the listing, such as those along the lines of “Bestselling,” “In Demand,” “Hot Release,” or “Must Have.”

Keep it short and avoid keyword stuffing. Although Facebook allows up to 150 characters in the title, the ideal length is around 65 characters. A title should be informative but not kilometric and longer than the description. Avoid stuffing your title with keywords. You know you’re overdoing it if your title sounds unnatural, meaningless, and almost robotic such as “Fresh and Healthy Lifestyle Wooden Salad Bowl and Server Set Sustainable Organic Bamboo Cutlery.”

Facebook Marketplace also discourages the use of ALL CAPS or sticky caps. Recommended style is to use uppercase for the first letter of each word in the title. The use of emojis and excessive and distracting punctuation marks are not encouraged as well. These don’t improve the searchability of your listings. Instead, mindfully use the space for words that inform and make an impact.

Facebook can judge the quality of listings based on the factors mentioned above, and it will reflect on how your listings rank. No one knows how exactly that works technically, but trust that Facebook’s savvy algorithm has a way of knowing.

Craft compact, accurate product descriptions. Opt for easy-to-digest short paragraphs or bullets in discussing the details and specifics of your listings. Refrain from repeating keywords within the product description as this is considered another form of keyword stuffing. One technique to strategically use your keywords is incorporating one unique keyword per line or bullet.

Proofread. Read through your listings twice or thrice before publishing to catch any errors, redundancies, or typos. Doing this additional step could easily set your listing apart from the competition in terms of quality. Discerning buyers and the Facebook algorithm will know the difference.

Most of the time, sellers who cannot be bothered to use decent grammar and syntax wouldn’t care about SEO either and probably aren’t serious about making a sale. Again, buyers who matter would know and would rather give their business to someone who cares and is serious about what they are selling.

Fill out the fields. Complement a concise but informative listing and product description with carefully filled out fields such as price, item condition, size, style, and material for your listings to be pulled up every time a buyer searches using these filters.

Automated cross-listing of SEO-friendly drafts

Facebook Marketplace SEO isn’t rocket science and doesn’t require anything from the seller except time and commitment to quality. As a casual seller on Facebook, this might not be a problem. However, if you sell in two or more other platforms like Poshmark and Mercari with a ton of items to manually cross-list regularly, you may be hard-pressed to find the time to optimize your listings every single time.

Good thing there’s OneShop, an all-in-one app that helps you automate tasks such as cross-listing and delisting across multiple platforms, including Facebook Marketplace. Think of all the time you will be able to save by easily creating SEO-friendly drafts that can be cross-listed on different selling sites.

Start your 7-day free trial today with no risks involved and get set up within three minutes. See how this automation service can improve your reselling operations.