Growing Your Craft Etsy SEO Guides

Best Keywords & Tags for cake toppers

Getting found on Etsy can feel like a challenge, but mastering Etsy Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is your best chance of getting traffic on Etsy. SEO is about using the right keywords to tell Etsy (and your target customers) exactly what you sell so you appear in the right Etsy search results.

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Let me walk you through everything you need to know in this SEO guide, including:

Understand your ideal target customer
Discover high-impact broad and long-tail keywords for your listings
Analyse what successful cake toppers sellers are doing right
Learn how to use keywords to optimise your titles, tags, and description
6 ways to find more keywords for your listings

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How to Optimise Listings

Ways to Find Keywords

Understanding Your Ideal Target Customer

Before you dive into keywords, you need to understand who your target customer, including their needs, desires, and the language they use. Because when you know what they are looking for, you can target them with the same keywords that they would use in Etsy search. Here’s a closer look at your typical customer in the cake toppers niche:

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The typical customer for Cake Toppers is an event planner, whether professional or a DIY parent/bride, who wants to transform a standard cake into a stunning centerpiece. They are detail-oriented and looking for a specific aesthetic to match their party theme.

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What problems are they trying to solve or desires are they trying to fulfill when searching for cake toppers?

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They are trying to add a personalized "finishing touch" that signifies the occasion (like a wedding or milestone birthday) and makes the cake photogenic for social media.

This can lead them to search for terms like: custom gold mirror acrylic name topper

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They need to communicate a specific theme or interest without having to pay for an expensive custom-sculpted cake, using the topper as the primary decorative element.

This can lead them to search for terms like: rustic wood woodland animal baby shower topper

cake toppers is a pretty competitive niche with high demand and high competition, so it's important to use long-tail keywords to niche down and have a better chance of ranking on Etsy.

Top 10 Broad Keywords for cake toppers Sellers

Core keywords (also known as short-tail keywords) are the broad, popular terms that describe your main products. While they often have very high search volume and competition, they are the starting points for you to build your long-tail keywords for the next steps.

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Here are 10 popular broad keywords for the cake toppers market:

Cake Topper

The foundational keyword. While broad, it is the starting point for most searches. It should almost always be paired with a material, occasion, or theme to be effective.

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Wedding Cake Topper

A massive, evergreen category. Buyers here are often looking for "Mr & Mrs," initials, or sentimental phrases. They usually have a higher budget and prioritize keepsake quality.

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Custom Cake Topper

This keyword targets high-intent buyers who want specific names, dates, or ages. It implies a lead time for production, which these customers are willing to accept.

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Birthday Cake Topper

From "One" to "Fabulous 50," this is a volume driver. It covers everything from simple number candles to elaborate thematic cutouts.

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Acrylic Cake Topper

Refers to the popular plastic-like material that allows for finishes like "gold mirror," "rose gold," or solid colors. It is the modern standard for laser-cut toppers.

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Wooden Cake Topper

This material keyword attracts buyers planning rustic, boho, or farmhouse-style events. It implies a natural, matte finish often made from birch or bamboo.

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Edible Cake Topper

A distinct sub-niche for toppers made of fondant, sugar sheets, or wafer paper. These buyers want the entire decoration to be consumable.

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Baby Shower Cake Topper

Targeting expectant parents or friends throwing the shower. Themes here often overlap with gender reveals (e.g., "Oh Baby," "It's a Boy/Girl").

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Cupcake Toppers

Don't ignore the small treats. This keyword targets buyers looking for sets of 12 or 24 smaller decorations, often used for school parties or dessert tables.

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Rustic Cake Topper

A style-specific keyword that performs very well in the wedding sector. It often signals wood materials, calligraphy fonts, and floral accents.

Top Long-Tail Keywords for cake toppers

While core keywords are important, long-tail keywords are how you can really get found on Etsy. These are longer, more specific phrases (usually 2-5 words) that buyers use when they have a clearer idea of what they want or are closer to making a purchase. They often have lower search volume than broad keywords but higher conversion rates because they target a more specific need.

How to Brainstorm Your Long-Tail Keywords

A systematic way to build long-tail keywords is by adding descriptive modifiers to your broad keywords. Here are the modifiers I recommend:

Style/Aesthetic Long-Tail Keywords

minimalist modern script cake topper
boho dried flower cake charm
glitter cardstock party decoration
vintage style silhouette bride and groom
elegant rose gold mirror acrylic

Occasion/Use Long-Tail Keywords

first birthday smash cake decoration
50th wedding anniversary golden topper
gender reveal he or she cake sign
religious baptism cross cake topper
graduation class of 2024 decoration

Target Customer Long-Tail Keywords

topper for minimalist bride
baker supply cake decorating kit
custom name topper for boys birthday
keepsake topper for parents anniversary
cake smash prop for photographer

Materials & Finishes Long-Tail Keywords

File Type/Platform Long-Tail Keywords

laser cut birch wood topper
double sided gold glitter cardstock
clear acrylic with painted back
3d printed plastic figurine
edible wafer paper butterflies

Technique/Production Method Long-Tail Keywords

laser cut calligraphy name sign
hand sculpted fondant animal
shaker cake topper with sequins
3d layered cardstock mandala
sublimation printed photo topper

Feature/Benefit Long-Tail Keywords

reusable keepsake cake topper
food safe acrylic stick
personalized monogram date topper
sturdy wooden stem for tiered cakes
custom color matching for theme

Theme/Subject Matter Long-Tail Keywords

unicorn horn and eyelash set
dinosaur theme birthday party decor
wild one woodland animal theme
space rocket ship galaxy topper
mermaid tail under the sea theme

Size/Shape/Fit Long-Tail Keywords

6 inch wide standard cake topper
mini cupcake picks set of 12
oversized statement name sign
floating cake charm for side
tall monogram letter for tier

Problem Solved Long-Tail Keywords

last minute ready to ship topper
lightweight topper for sponge cake
custom text for unique spelling
non shedding glitter paper
elegant alternative to traditional figurines

To speed up the process and get even more relevant long-tail keyword ideas, consider using SEO research tools like Alura which you can get a big similar keyword list with information like estimated search volume and demand. Their free plan is pretty generous and you can sign up for free here.

Analysing Best Selling Listing Titles

One of the best ways to improve your Etsy SEO strategy is to see what's working for other successful sellers. By analysing best selling listings, you can gain valuable insights into what effective keywords they use, and how they structure the titles, so that you can apply to your own listings as well.

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Let's look at the listing titles from two cake toppers bestsellers to see what we can learn from them:

Bestseller Listing Title Analysis 01:

Personalized Rustic Wood Wedding Cake Topper: Mr & Mrs Script by TheLocalKrafter

This title hits the "Rustic" trend hard, which is massive in the wedding industry. By combining "Personalized," "Wood," and "Wedding," it targets the three most important factors for a bride: uniqueness, material/style match, and occasion. "Mr & Mrs Script" describes the exact design, helping users who know exactly what they want to find it quickly.

Bestseller Listing Title Analysis 02

Cake Topper for Weddings,Wedding cake topper with a heart and a date, Personalized cake topper in a heart shape, Anniversary Cake toppers by BlissfulWondersCo

This listing uses a descriptive, sentence-fragment style to capture long-tail searches. Phrases like "with a heart and a date" are very specific and likely reflect exactly how a customer would describe the item in a search bar. Including "Anniversary Cake toppers" broadens the scope beyond just weddings, capturing a secondary market of couples celebrating milestones.

Click here to see more Etsy bestseller title inspirations

How to Use Keywords to Optimise Your Etsy Listings

Now that you have a list of descriptive long-tail keywords for your cake toppers, let's see how we can use them to optimise your Etsy listings.

How to Craft Highly Descriptive, Keyword-Rich Titles

Your listing title can make-or-break your Etsy SEO. Write your long-tail keywords to be highly descriptive. For example, compare these two:

Okay Title: Custom Cake Topper

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Better Title: Gold Mirror Acrylic Name Cake Topper, Custom First Birthday Decoration, Modern Calligraphy Script, Personalized Party Decor, Smash Cake Prop

Then put your strongest, most descriptive keyword in the front. Separate each long-tail keyword with symbols like commas or dashes so that the title is easy to read.

Use All 13 Tags with Specific, Long-Tail Keywords

Tags are another important place to tell the Etsy algorithm what your product is about. Use all 13 tags for your listings.

Focus on specific, long-tail keyword phrases
Tags have a 20-character limit
While it's ok for some broad keywords to appear in multiple tags, try to use a wide variety of descriptive terms across your 13 tags

Find Accurate Attributes & Categories

When you list a product on Etsy, you'll select a category and then be prompted to fill out attributes specific to that category (e.g., colour, material, size, occasion). These are just as important for SEO and helping buyers find your items through Etsy's filters.

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Be thorough and fill out as many relevant attributes as possible and be accurate for your product category.

Write Description for Shoppers & Etsy search algorithm

Etsy now uses keywords in your listing description for SEO. What I recommend to Etsy seller is to write compelling short paragraph (1-3 sentences) at the very beginning of your listing description that naturally include 3-5 relavant long-tail keywords for the product. Clearly communicate what the product is, its key features, and the benefits it offers the customer.

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Let's look at some listing description examples for cake toppers:

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Listing Description Example 01

Elevate your wedding cake with our personalized rustic wood topper. Laser-cut from high-quality Baltic birch, this "Mr. & Mrs." script design adds a touch of natural elegance to any boho or farmhouse reception. It is lightweight, food-safe, and serves as a beautiful keepsake to display in your home long after the big day.

Listing Description Example 02

Make your little one's big day sparkle with this custom gold glitter "One" cake topper. Crafted from premium non-shedding cardstock, it catches the light beautifully without leaving any mess on your icing. Perfect for first birthday smash cake photoshoots, this sturdy decoration comes attached to a food-grade stick for easy insertion.

Listing Description Example 03

Add a modern, sophisticated touch to your event with this custom acrylic name topper. Available in stunning finishes like rose gold mirror, silver, or black, this laser-cut sign is customized with your choice of text, making it perfect for birthdays, bridal showers, or graduations. Its sleek design complements everything from simple buttercream cakes to elaborate fondant creations.

6 Ways to Find More Keywords for cake toppers

Keyword research is an ongoing process. I recommend these 6 ways to find effective long-tail keywords for your listings:

Etsy Search Bar

Start typing your core keywords into Etsy's search bar and pay close attention to the auto-suggestions that appear (guide here). These are real searches from actual Etsy shoppers.

Competitor Research

Look at the titles of listings that rank on page 1 (especially those with "Bestseller" badges). Don't copy directly, but use their keyword choices as inspiration for terms you might have missed.

Your Own Shop Stats

Your shop stats show you the exact search terms shoppers used to find your listings. Pay special attention to those that you are not directly targeting, and consider targeting them in listing titles.

Alura

One of my favourite Etsy keyword research tools. Alura speeds up the process of giving you a list of related popular keywords, and analyse which ones are the best for you.

eRank

Another popular tool among Etsy sellers, eRank offers robust keyword tools, trend analysis, grading your current listings, and checking keyword strength.

Everbee

Another great keyword research tool. I especially love Everbee's Chrome extension that shows you the estimated search volume directly on Etsy.

Your cake toppers Etsy SEO Checklist

Phew, that's a lot of information. Let's do a little recap:

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Understand My Customer: Do I understand my target customer and their primary search motivations?
Core Keyword Research: Have I identified the top core keywords for the cake toppers niche?
Long-Tail Keywords: Have I brainstormed a diverse list of long-tail keywords using various modifiers?
Ongoing Etsy SEO: Am I using at least 2-3 methods (from Section 7) to regularly find new keyword opportunities for cake toppers?
Optimised Titles: Are my listing titles highly descriptive, front-loaded with strong keywords?
Maximised Tags: Am I using all 13 tags with specific, long-tail phrases?
Compelling Descriptions: Does the opening paragraph of my listing descriptions naturally include 3-5 important keywords and clearly state benefits/features?
Analyse & Improve: Am I reviewing my Etsy stats and competitor listings in the cake toppers niche regularly to improve my SEO strategy?

Get More Etsy SEO Resources Here:

GYC Etsy SEO Checklist

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GYC Etsy SEO Guide

Our free SEO guide walking through everything you need to know.

Full Etsy SEO Course

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Growing Your Craft is supported by Etsy sellers. When you purchase/subscribe through affiliate links in this guide, I'll earn some coffee money at no extra cost to you. Blog illustrations by Freepik Stories.