Most product descriptions are written by people who know their product too well. They list specs instead of benefits, use jargon buyers do not search for, and miss the keywords that drive organic traffic. Here is how to write descriptions that rank and convert.
Use the Product Description Generator to create platform-optimised listings with AI in seconds.
The Anatomy of a High-Converting Product Listing
The Title
The title is the single most important element for both search ranking and click-through rate.
What goes in a strong title:
- Primary keyword (placed first or near the start)
- Brand name if recognisable
- Key differentiating feature
- Size or quantity if relevant
- Material if it is a selling point
Amazon title example: "BambooKitchen Cutting Board Set of 3, Organic Bamboo Chopping Boards with Juice Groove, Non-Slip Rubber Feet, FSC Certified, Small Medium Large"
What to avoid:
- ALL CAPS (penalised by Amazon, looks spammy)
- Promotional language: "Best seller", "Sale", "#1"
- Special characters: !, @, *
- Subjective claims without evidence
Bullet Points
Bullet points are scanned, not read. Lead with the benefit, follow with the feature.
Weak: "Made from bamboo" Strong: "Naturally antibacterial: organic bamboo resists moisture and odours without chemical treatment"
Amazon shows 5 bullet points in most categories. Use all 5. Each bullet should address a different buying concern: quality, safety, ease of use, size/compatibility, warranty or guarantee.
Full Description
The full description is where you tell the story. Structure it as:
- Opening hook (one sentence that captures why this product matters)
- Primary use case and benefits
- What is included
- Who it is for
- Call to action or confidence statement
Aim for 150-300 words for most platforms. Etsy buyers read more; Amazon buyers less.
Platform-Specific Requirements
Amazon
- Title: max 200 characters
- Bullets: max 200 characters each, formatted as sentences
- Description: max 2,000 characters (A+ Content replaces this for brand-registered sellers)
- Backend keywords: up to 250 bytes of search terms not visible to shoppers but indexed by Amazon's algorithm
eBay
- Title: 80 characters maximum
- Item description: no character limit; HTML is accepted
- Item specifics: fill all optional fields, they help eBay's cassini search rank your listing
Etsy
- Title: 140 characters (all count toward search ranking — pack with keywords)
- Description: up to 13,000 characters
- Tags: 13 tags, each up to 20 characters — use all 13
Shopify
- Page title (H1): 60-70 characters for SEO
- Meta description: 150-160 characters
- Product description: no limit; longer descriptions help SEO
Writing for Search (SEO)
Every platform has a search algorithm. Keywords in your title and description affect where you appear.
- Research before writing — use the platform's search bar to see what auto-completes for your product
- Use long-tail phrases — "bamboo cutting board set 3 sizes" instead of just "cutting board"
- Write naturally — keyword stuffing is penalised by all platforms
- Include common misspellings and variations in backend keywords or eBay item specifics
Generate optimised product descriptions in seconds with the Product Description Generator.