First off, can we agree that there's little point in listing your item unless buyers are going to view your auction? Yes?

In which case, why do so many eBay sellers create auctions which are NEVER going to get viewed? There are millions of eBay sellers who do this.

What many sellers don't realise when they create their auction is that they've wasted their listing fee before they even get to filling in the auction description page.

They make a fundamental error earlier on in their auction creation. And that is in their auction title.

The reality is, if your auction title is not effective, it really doesn't matter how good your description page is - your auction won't get seen.

Here are some facts.

If you sell on eBay, learn them well!

1. To find items they want to bid on, 70% of buyers use eBay's search box first

2. Words keyed into the search box are compared ONLY with auction titles

3. Words keyed into the search box are NOT compared with auction descriptions

4. Words keyed into the search box are NOT compared with auction sub-titles

Which all means that your auction title must contain the keyed-in search words used by buyers, or your auction won't get brought back in search return lists.

And if it isn't in the search return list, it can't be clicked on by a potential buyer.

And if it isn't clicked on, how can the item get sold?

The harsh truth is that unless your item appears in search return lists, it isn't going to sell! And that's what will happen if your auction title is not effective.

How do you get your auctions in search return lists more often?

It's simple. You just make sure you put keywords in your auction titles which you believe eBayers will search on.

To decide on the keywords to use, you have to think like a buyer. What words would be used by a person interested in searching for an item like yours?

At this stage, just list them. Don't put the words into a sentence yet. Spend as long as you like on this exercise. The more effective you are with this, the less likely you are to have one of those sleepy auctions that rarely gets a visitor.

Having listed as many keywords as you can think of, you have to decide which are the strongest. Remember, you only have 55 precious characters for your auction title.

Taking your best keywords, you now create your auction title. It's not an English exam, so it doesn't matter if it doesn't scan like a sentence.

You can add a power word or two if you've space. By this I mean words like stunning, limited edition, unique, rare, new, one-off, exclusive, distinctive, dramatic etc. These are words which can influence buyers to click through to your auction description. They aren't keywords searched on by buyers, so use them sparingly. For the same reason, I don't advocate the use of "clever" words like l@@k or w0w!

Finally, do the words in your title convey what the item is? If so, that's it. You've created a powerful, compelling and keyword rich auction title. And your auction will appear more often in search return lists. And, that's the key!

Now you know how fundamental keywords are to your auction, why not review your current auction titles today? Get those keywords into your auction title and take it from me you'll get your fair share of the 79 million eBay daily searchers.