Question
I know this topic has come up many times, but why can't ebay improve its search functions? Is it not the single most critical function on the site? How many people are going to wade through hundreds of listings using browse?
I'm looking for "sawtooth picture hangers". I type in just that. 0 responses. So I type in picture hangers. One of the listings that comes back is "saw tooth picture hangers". Can't ebay use smart technology (like amazon) to pick this stuff up? And why can't we search within a search (admittedly even amazon doesn't allow you to do that but it should)?????
Maybe I'm just cranky because I think if I am having trouble finding what I want how hard is it going to be for someone to find my auctions?? (Judging from recent sales, VERY hard http://community.here.com/infopop/em...icon_frown.gif )
Vent now concluded.
Tessa ~
my .com
Answer
Best to use ( ) on those sorts of searches to include several words that might be included in the title. Like this:
picture hangers (saw,tooth,sawtooth)
That will return listings with titles that include 'picture' and 'hanger' AND either 'saw' or 'tooth' or 'sawtooth'.
Try it with and without descriptions (with descriptions often includes a lot of stuff you don't want, though). Then try closed auctions as well.
eBay search is pretty good-- it's trying to figure out what words sellers might use, and what categories they might list in, that's tricky.
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Thanks for the heads up Steve, but you illustrated my point. Not everyone knows those tricks. And if the buyer isn't savvy they won't find what they're looking for, or worse give up and look elsewhere.
Tessa ~
my .com
Answer
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> And why can't we search within a search <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Color me confused, but I think I have been doing that and it works for me.
cariad
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"Not everyone knows those tricks."
Yeah-- so that creates buying opportunities for savy sellers. It cuts both ways-
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G'day Tessa,
I think that another way that it would cut, would be to produce so much irrelevant results for many of the searches, that many buyers would just give up. Your example is fine, but if you are searching for a trading name that gives, say, 6 results, the "Did you mean..." prompts may suggest something with one letter difference that produces 2000 results. If the "smart" technology instantly kicked in (and this was proposed a few months ago - and also included plurals), I think that many buyers would be overwhelmed by having too many irrelevent results to find exactly what they are looking for.
Like Steve, I find the search tool on Ebay to be very good. They hamper it by delaying ot for the benefit of Doubleclick and Banner Ad's, but the search engine itself seems to be one of the better designed tools on the site.
Kind Regards, Kevin
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Color me confused, but I think I have been doing that and it works for me. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Are you talking about searching within a category? I'd like to be able to search within a search term (not category) once I 've pulled up my main search keywords without going to refined search where I have to exclude terms which may or may not be included in a listing.
Steve and Kevin I get your point. I still think plurals and keywords like saw tooth and sawtooth should be included even if it means getting more listings. I'd rather refine than have listings excluded. And you're right. A lot depends on how the seller keywords the listing.
Tessa ~
my .com
Answer
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I'd like to be able to search within a search term (not category) once I 've pulled up my main search keywords without going to refined search where I have to exclude terms which may or may not be included in a listing.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Maybe I'm missing something, but, you can search within a search. After you do a search, look on the left side of the screen.....the search words you entered will be there (below "Basic Search"). Then simply type in another word there without deleting what's already there.
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Maybe I'm missing something
No maybe I'm missing something. http://community.here.com/infopop/em...n_rolleyes.gif
Did not know you could add a term there gman. See I knew there was a reason I posted this.
I was also going by memory and thought I'd read here recently that there wasn't a search within a search on ebay. But I just tried searching this forum using "search within a search" and even this thread didn't come up http://community.here.com/infopop/em...n_confused.gif
I was under the impression that quotes and limiting characters were no longer needed on most search engines but obviously that's not the case with ebay. You'd think I'd look at the search tips but no.... guess I need to brush up my searching skills.
Tessa ~
my .com
Answer
Yes, I do it the way gman said.
cariad...color me relieved I'm not confused.