Guest Author - Rae Osenbaugh

eBay is very insistent about not using certain misleading words and phrases in auction titles. They call it Keyword Spamming.

Keyword spamming is when you place brand names or other inappropriate keywords in a title or description for the purpose of gaining attention or attracting bidders to a listing. The searchable text that sellers place in listings must be directly related to the item being sold. eBay will cancel your auctions if you violate this policy; and if you continue doing it, they will cancel your ability to sell. Here are examples of some titles that use keyword spamming:

Apple Laptop Computer—Like New

Save Money with Our Repro Louis Vuitton Bags

Special Polish for Silver spoons, Brass Candelabra and vases

White Sports Coat: Just Like the One Worn by Elvis Presley

New Ladies Designer Shoes Similar to Jimmy Choo

The first example is quite common—but not allowed: you cannot use the word New in the title unless it really is new. Another variation of this title is Almost New. A subject search will focus on the word New, not the Almost, so eBay is very careful about those titles.

The second title uses the word Louis Vuitton to sell a non-Vuitton product. In the third example, buyers search for words like Silver Spoons, Candelabra, vase, etc., but the seller is promoting polish, not silver collectibles. In the fourth title, the seller is taking advantage of a celebrity name and the item has nothing to do with that person. The last one uses the name Jimmy Choo when the seller is offering something similar to his work.

There are so many auctions on eBay at any given moment and it can take a while for eBay employees to find an auction that violates this policy --but they will eventually find it. There are two basic ways eBay finds listings with keyword spamming. Sometimes other members report them and other times, eBay's scans auctions looking for words that tip them off. Some of these words include:

like, looks like, as, rare, not, replica, similar or similar to, style, repro or reproduction.

There are more, but these words may get your auction kicked off eBay even if what you are selling is legitimate. Often eBay's automated system will just kill your auction and send you a notice by email. Then you can appeal it with eBay, but that often is not worth the time it takes. It's easier to do it right the first time.