eBay Sellers Must Learn the Art of 'Hacking' BestMatch

Outside of the World of eBay (EBAY), in the wonderful world of the Internet, Google's (GOOG) algorithmic search engine is constantly being gamed by those with good intentions (white hat), unknown intentions (grey hats) and devious intentions (black hats). This is broadly known as search engine optimization or SEO. Google and the bad guys are locked in a never-ending arms race where Google works constantly to stay one step ahead of linkfarms, cloning, cloaking, linkspam and a whole dictionary of strategies designed to confuse the Google bots and increase a website's organic traffic.

Back in our eBay World, as you probably already know in March, eBay switched the search engine from a reverse chronological (aka 'ending first') system to a black box algorithm known as BestMatch. BestMatch has many positive aspects and seems to be working as we've noted.

However - and this only took about a month - now we're hearing from sellers that are upset that other sellers are significantly gaming the system. I received a great example of this from a long-time reader and video game seller today that blew me away.

Here's the example of the term "nintendo wii" with BestMatch results. I've numbered the top 6 results for us to discuss (you may need to click on the below to see the details):

click to enlarge

What do you notice about results 1, 2 and 6? Well, let's just say these are very new systems. Why on earth would a seller put the word new into a title 5-10 times and use that valuable space on a repeated word instead of something like "includes 5 controllers and 4 games"?

Yep, you guessed, it, doing so appears to increase your BestMatch score significantly. Let's assume that these sellers have similar performance histories, as they all have around 300 feedback and that's a level that's hard to mess up.

Now look at the prices and the ending times - two other heavily weighted BestMatch inputs. Item 2 ends in 13 minutes (the longest time out of these 6), yet is rated second. Its price is clearly higher than Item 5.

So if it isn't performance or price or time, then why would Item 2 be ranked above the less expensive, more temporal listings 4 and 5?

It must be the title! By including a whopping 12 "new"s in the title, this seller has been able to get much more exposure for the item and has cleverly filled in the missing title information occupied by all those NEWS in a subtitle.

In the world of computer science, we call this ability to take advantage of an unforeseen/anticipated aspect of an algorithm a hack. Now we are officially seeing the kick off of what I think will be a long and arduous (sometimes very profitable) saga of BestMatch hacks.

How can YOU hack BestMatch to your advantage
The best thing about this is eBay has given us the tools to hack BestMatch. In their research lab area, as we've mentioned before, they have a very simple utility called the Bayestimator.

Here's how to leverage this tool:

Step 1: Enter in your boring old original descriptive title that a buyer would understand and get your scores (here we've tested "New nintendo wii includes controller and 5 games":

Overall this title earns a 40% score and the words that eBay likes are: "new 5 and games"
eBay gives zero juice to "nintendo" and "wii", and so those are somewhat wasted words in the world of BestMatch.

Now that we know "new" is popular, let's try a new title, let's say something like: "nintendo wii console new new new new new new" (OK, I controlled myself to 6 'news').

How about that? We went from an overall score of 40% to a 100%. eBay's BM algo loves this new title and in fact I have 11 more characters available. Guess which word would be best there?

White hat, grey hat, or black hat?
As far as know, aside from being a) annoying to look at and read, and b) highly repetitive, these titles don't violate any eBay policies so I think that automatically would classify this kind of gaming as grey hat.

The BestMatch race begins, can you afford not to play?
I'm sure eBay has already noticed this and is working on ways for BM to be smart enough to actually discount the repetitive use of potentially high scoring words (just like Google does when you spam the heck out of metatags). But, by the time they roll that, sellers will be on to the next hack and so the game continues. Here's how it's different. In the Google world, you may have one or two results pop in above those that are more relevant, so it's a minor annoyance but doesn't really impact anyone that negatively. Also on Google you can always use adwords to get your message out there.

What's tough with these eBay BM hacks is that many sellers are going to feel economic pressure to rip off the white hat and put on a grey hat. What if one day you notice your top selling item's conversion rates are dropping? You do some searches on eBay and realize all of your hard work on DSRs, title optimization, great pictures and low prices are being nullified by someone doing some BM hacks. You can report them to eBay and they will ultimately fix it, but in the interim, your only strategy is really an 'if you can't beat them join them' approach.

What about the buyers?
Well, I think we can all agree that the results for 'nintendo wii' with the BM hacks have actually become much lower in quality than in the 'ending first' world (you can't hack time). It will be interesting to see what kind of hack-curve eBay faces here and how fast can they get to a BM 3.0 /4.0 that eliminates these kinds of things and truly offers a long-term better buyer experience.

Report your BestMatch hacks.
Have you seen/utilized any BM hacks? Do you feel pressure to go grey hat? If so, let me know. While this is a new (new new new new new new new!) eBay issue, I'm sure we haven't seen the last of it.

Comments

[JohnPseudonym]

I've been asking my customers about their search habits.

I'd say 90% hate the "best match" default and immediately change the search to "lowest total price".

After that, they switch to ending first.

90+% bought from me after changing to lowest or ending first.

So, an honest hack is to list one item at or even below cost and let it run 10 days. Now you have 10 days of being #1 in the lowest total price category.

Only one person can win that item. The rest will look at your other items and use "buy it now".

[bucketslogg]

Look, I find I simply am not interested in "gaming" ebay's disrespectful headtrip flavor of the week. Further, I do not wish to associate myself or count myself among the ranks of "gamers"... Deal from the top or deal me out.

Yours is not an exciting revelation... the fact that it needs be addressed is yet another example of the lengths ebay will go to to waste time and call it a site improvement... probably to justify their final value fee hike, excuse me... I mis-spoke -listings fee reduction.

Responding to this blurb is a waste of time. Ebay is diminishing in relevance... exponentially !!!!!!!!! And, they know it too.

[Dinah Balk]

pssssst scot - sellers knew about this long before you posted it.

BUT now this handy little tool has gone pooooooof thanks to the article you posted. Did you really think eBay wouldn't notice, lol.

[COMMON CENTS]

* While this may look long- please read all of it carefully- it's interesting to all. We're with you on May 1 st!

While Ebay canives their unethical doings and finagling - BE SURE THAT THE REST OF THE WORLD IS WATCHING AND WAITNG-especially the Share Holders. It's now of the usual that Ebay will hold a MONTHLY /SEMI-MONTHLY -penny, nickel or free listing offered to the ebay sellers (particularly as it grows closer to the next stock quater, to entice sellers to list to balance out the numbers at ebay.

* Regardless of what earnings and other self promoted numbers of EBAY 'shares' to , Ebay is working hard to hold onto ,hold and possibly bring aboard more stock holders...
As an opener - There is still the lawsuit from 'Tiffany's' to be flanked-yet to have other Official -Authentic companies - of which Ebay is allowing sellers to sell on Ebay -just for the costs (all for a sellers fee- and any other transactions involved - such as PAYPAL etc) of offering the availablility of such fruadulant items mostly made with obviously poorly made products . Ebay has strongly argued that they police their items- and yet it is they who are in need of the policing- when they've be caught doing unethical business practices - blaming them on computer glitches or electronic bugs -amongst many ohter excuses. The board of directors should have been held accountable-which if anything- should have been called upon by the "SHARE HOLDERS".


A large lot of my friends are collectors of TRUE high end items that were discountinued- from 'Coach', 'FENDI' ,'DIOR', 'Jimmy Choo', 'VERA WANG', 'PRADA', 'VERSACI' ,
'CARTIERS' , 'BURBERY', 'MOVADO', 'BVLGARI' , ---- even up to an almost unaccountable amount of "unlicenced & unofficial " Sports merchandise - most promising to be 'authentic' , licenced, and official (or have a single letter in the word "authentic'-purpo... misspelled) by distrubutors/manufactu... -on up the line.We have been keeping notes on these items - and have even purchased several of these so called items -which were verified to be mere 'Costume jewelry counteits. We will be in contact with not only the authentic companies and division -but also will be bringing it to th attention of the proper authorities involved matters of this nature.

It wasn't too long ago that i read that such a brave,intelligent, infamous designer-'Kate Spade' was so annoyed about her hard work being copied to cheap knock offs and walked the streets searching for knock offs of her items and did something aobut it.Kate Spade - you're an amazing woman , and example to be followed,


The TRUE artists , manufacturers as well as copyright holders are blindly... robbed- but will also be bringing it to the attention of the proper authorites.
Some individuals or couples- may save up all they have for a year - to purchase an AUTHENTIC GENUINE ITEM DIRECTLY FROM THE AUTHORIZED DEALER OR STORE of that particuar item/ article such as an Authentic pair of Rings-because that is what they saved up for . Fifty years or more, those two special rings they bought at the genuine store, or website will still be worth their value because of the designer.

Unfortunately with times a little rough -( which will get better in a few years) people are tempted to buy the same earrings at a "huge savings" and that they are "authentic" (which are not- they are made mass produced - and will find that a cigar band would have been more in years.

FOR YOUR EDIFICATION- There are REPUTABLE Stores who not only have a " brick & mortar " business - but also sell online and many have been in buiness for years Yo can always look them up with 'Better Business Affairs'-usually in thier state , but also their "online buisiness- that sell GENUINE " Designer's items that are sold legally and with certificted as so(whether on consignment for someone else that has been verified- , some were donated , and others came from various 'Estates' -and they are sold at a small portion of the price (of which many have kept secret), and mot places have a return policy.

NOTES: Personally, i've bought some stunning pieces,items and other thingss in decent to wonderful condition /quallity for less that what i've seen certain 'KNOCK OFFS" being sold EBAY.
.But- my dear friends- the diference is that mine is genuine- i have a reciept and have been doing business with them for over 10 years.It has been rare occasion that i had to return an item -as a button may have been missing- and would be impossible to replace-otherwise i would have to replace them all which would ruin the item.


So- to all- just give sugestion a try. I've toured many big flea markets and have have found some remarkable treasures from the victorian era- so moderately priced- i bought them all - only to find out she had a shop across town - but she miscategorized it when she and her late husaband first opened. Some of my friends and I made arrangements to come visit her shop so that she would be expecting us. At first glance - it looked like an old soda fountin shop- and very disorganized But we offered our services -free to help clean and reorganize. Within a month - her "junk shop" as he called it- had movie prop buyers , some very well known people and just anyone who pass... lined up around the corner to see what treasures her stores held.



An note to all legitimate ebay sellers and buyers ,some of whom i've bought some extraordinarily wonderful items from-and i refuse to be a victim of my own stupiditity until i see the many many vendors i've so enjoyed doing past with over many years. Even the usual cascade of ebayers whom have been more than a merchant- whom have shared notes with you , and you to them or i- we miss you. We know you are are out there. . We buyers hold hands in unity not to buy from ebay -

Even those sellers who have said when the boycott against ebay started in early Feb- that they couldn't afford it ,or had no other way. Even ebay buyers are growing wise to it as well . They too have grown mundanely board with the usual 'new junk'- made in china. They've already started to swarm flea markets (of which i've haven't made this much in one weekend than i have in years),yard & garage sales and the street fairs.

Hold your heads up high and smile - fleameketeers,collecti... sellers ,vintage/antique/victo... sellers -especially those who sell used items... We have seen many many new users presently selling- and the same with bidders. Those we have done business wtih are no longer at ebay or no selling-but it won't be hard to find you all again,


Ebay may be able to change everything that has to do with them- but they cannot force buyers to do what we do no want-and we know we look foreward to seeing all of you again.
Sine the weather is nice - i hope all who can get outside- get to a flea market- but in the meantime prepare a way to let all of us old buyers .
We're with you on May 1 st!