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Shop Talk

The Art of Tagging on Redbubble

Well, well, well, look at those biceps, I mean tags. Aren’t they just gorgeous?

In case you are wondering, tagging your work is how you and your customers find one another. Cute, right? More specifically, they are a bunch of words that describe the artwork in your shop. It also helps internet goers find your unique gear through Google, Redbubble, and other search engines. Kind of like magic. But with computers.

Tags may seem daunting at first, but we’re here to spot you. Think of us as your SEO personal trainers. That stands for Search Engine Optimization, a trick of the trade you’ll use to improve visibility for your shop. To get you started with SEO, we’ll do a quick exercise to choose the best tags.

Once you finish, you’ll be benching 15 tags per new upload in no time.

Ok, let’s play a game.

It’s time for a warm up

What words come to mind when you think of your art? Brainstorm 30 words or phrases that define what you’ve created and then narrow that down to the best 15.

The key is to use simple, relevant, and direct words like “Surreal Collage Art” “Sleepy Cat Jokes” or “Kung Fu Animal Watercolor.” Remember, these are the words your customers are using to find you. If your portfolio is varied, see if you can pick a theme or common thread through your work and pin a few words down you can continuously use.

Next, take your tags for a test drive. Enter them into Google and Redbubble searches to see what comes up. Do you see content that looks like yours? Is your work in the top results? Awesome! Remember, this takes practice, so keep experimenting and pumping the tag iron for greater discoverability.

Going for gold

“I’m going to PUMP. YOU UP,” you declare while pointing a finger with a raised eyebrow and a vein popping out of your forehead.

Keep in mind that you don’t want to fling tags around the way Oprah throws Pontiac sedans at her audience. Use these words strategically and organically to inspire the best kind of discovery – one with relevance. Think of tags as an extension of your art and your voice. It’s after all the reason customers have come.

With any exercise, repetition delivers results. Keep updating your content and finding new tags that describe your work but maybe underused by similar artworks.

The cool down

You’ve worked up a sweat with all that heavy SEO lifting. It’s time to relax those mental muscles for a moment.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wasn’t built in a day, and your SEO strategy won’t be either. But with patience and persistence, you will see great results. Put in the work and before you know it it’ll be time to schedule your spray tan and take center stage at the gun show. You got this!

Get to Tagging!

 

 

Featured image: Mistress of Night by Raidho

View additional posts by Taryn Smith

Taryn Smith

Taryn is a freelance writer, animal lover, and pilsner enthusiast based in Berkeley, CA. Connect with her at www.tarynshelby.com