Selling candle on Etsy - Full Keyword, Tag & SEO Guide

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 candle niche:

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Buyers of candles on Etsy are often seeking to create a specific ambiance in their homes, looking for unique scents that evoke memories or moods, or searching for thoughtful, often personalised, gifts for various occasions. They appreciate craftsmanship, natural ingredients, and distinctive designs that go beyond mass-produced options.

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What problems are they trying to solve or desires are they trying to fulfil when searching for `Candle` products?

One common desire is to enhance their home's atmosphere, making it cosier, more relaxing, or seasonally appropriate. They want their space to feel inviting and reflect their personal style through scent and decor.

This can lead them to search for terms like:
- autumn scented soy candle
- luxury home fragrance candle
- relaxing aromatherapy candle

Another key motivation is finding the perfect gift. They might be looking for something unique, personalised, or humorous to celebrate a special occasion or simply to show someone they care.

This can lead them to search for terms like:
- personalised wedding favour candle
- funny birthday candle for friend
- handmade candle gift set

Top 10 Broad Keywords for candle 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 candle market:

Scented Candle

This is a primary category, encompassing all candles designed to release fragrance. Sellers should clearly indicate scent profiles to attract buyers looking for specific aromatic experiences.

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Soy Candle

Soy wax is a popular, natural alternative to traditional paraffin, often sought by eco-conscious consumers. Highlighting "soy wax" appeals to buyers looking for cleaner-burning options.

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Beeswax Candle

Known for their natural, subtle honey scent and air-purifying qualities, beeswax candles attract a discerning customer base interested in premium, natural products.

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Pillar Candle

These freestanding, classic candles are versatile for decor and ambiance. Their burn time and decorative potential are key selling points.

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Taper Candle

Elegant and traditional, taper candles are often used for dinner parties, formal events, or creating a sophisticated atmosphere. Colour and material are important attributes here.

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Wax Melts

An alternative to wicked candles, wax melts offer a way to enjoy fragrance using a warmer. They appeal to customers who prefer flameless options or enjoy layering scents.

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Candle Holder

An essential accessory, candle holders are searched for by style, material, and the type of candle they accommodate. This category complements candle sales significantly.

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Aromatherapy Candles

These candles are marketed for their therapeutic benefits, using essential oils to promote relaxation, energy, or other mood enhancements. Specifying the intended effect is crucial.

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Personalised Candle

Customisation is a huge draw on Etsy. Candles that can be personalised with names, dates, messages, or photos are highly sought after for gifts and special occasions.

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Candle Gift Set

Bundling candles with accessories or offering a collection of scents makes an attractive gift option. Presentation and perceived value are key for these sets.

Top Long-Tail Keywords for candle

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

rustic farmhouse scented candle
minimalist monochrome candle
bohemian style decorative candle
vintage floral painted candles
modern geometric concrete candle

Occasion/Use Long-Tail Keywords

birthday cake celebration candle
wedding ceremony candle set
spa day aromatherapy candle
Christmas dinner table centrepiece candle
memorial remembrance candle

Target Customer Long-Tail Keywords

luxury candle gift for her
sandlewood candle for men
new mum pamper gift candle
teacher appreciation candle
pet lover paw print soy candle

Materials & Finishes Long-Tail Keywords

File Type/Platform Long-Tail Keywords

pure soy wax essential oil candle
natural unfiltered beeswax candle
hand poured coconut apricot wax candle
frosted glass jar scented candle
wooden wick crackling candle

Technique/Production Method Long-Tail Keywords

hand poured artisan candle
botanical infused decorative candle
custom label personalised message candle
cold pressed essential oil candle
traditional dipped taper candles

Feature/Benefit Long-Tail Keywords

long burning clean scent soy candle
eco friendly vegan candle
strong fragrance throw wax melts
aromatherapy stress relief candle
pet odour neutralising candle

Theme/Subject Matter Long-Tail Keywords

coastal beach scented candle
enchanted forest pine candle
celestial moon magic ritual candle
bookish library themed candle
funny sarcastic quote funny candle

Size/Shape/Fit Long-Tail Keywords

large three wick scented candle jar
small votive candle bulk set
extra tall thin dinner candles
sculptural abstract shape candle
mini travel tin soy candle

Problem Solved Long-Tail Keywords

mood boosting uplifting scented candle
sleep aid lavender chamomile candle
insect repellent citronella outdoor candle
unscented dripless dining candles
meditation focus enhancement candle

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 similar keyword list even on the free plan. 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 candle bestsellers to see what we can learn from them:

Bestseller Listing Title Analysis 01:

Fall Candle / Pure Soy / Autumn Candle / Fall Decor / Container Candle//Mason Jar Candle//16 oz. Candle/ 8 oz. Candle/Hand Poured/ Dye Free by TheDancingWick

This title effectively targets buyers searching for seasonal autumn candles with specific material preferences ("Pure Soy") and common container styles ("Mason Jar Candle," "Container Candle"). Including sizes ("16 oz.," "8 oz.") and production methods ("Hand Poured," "Dye Free") caters to informed consumers looking for quality and specific features. The repetition of "Fall Candle" and "Autumn Candle" strongly signals the seasonal theme, enhancing its visibility in relevant searches.

Bestseller Listing Title Analysis 02

Engagement Candle, Funny Gifts, Wedding Candle, Personalized Candle, Bachelorette Party, Funny Candles, Custom Engagement Gift by OffColorCandles

This title excels by targeting multiple gift-giving occasions and recipient desires within the celebratory and humorous candle niche. Keywords like "Engagement Candle," "Wedding Candle," and "Bachelorette Party" clearly define the events, while "Funny Gifts," "Personalized Candle," and "Custom Engagement Gift" highlight the unique selling propositions of humour and customisation. This broad yet specific approach likely captures a wide range of searches from buyers seeking memorable and often light-hearted presents.

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 candle, 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: Scented Jar Candle

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Better Title: Vanilla Bean Luxury Soy Candle, Hand Poured Aromatherapy Gift

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 candle:

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Listing Description Example 01

Indulge in the calming embrace of our hand-poured Lavender Bliss soy candle, a perfect addition to your relaxation ritual. This natural aromatherapy candle uses pure lavender essential oils to create a serene home fragrance, ideal as a thoughtful wellbeing gift or for unwinding after a long day.

Listing Description Example 02

Celebrate their special day with our unique Personalised Birthday Cake Candle, a truly custom scented gift. This fun, festive soy candle captures the sweet aroma of vanilla frosting and sprinkles, making it a memorable and delightful birthday present that can be personalised with their name and age.

Listing Description Example 03

Create an elegant ambiance with our set of classic Unscented Beeswax Pillar Candles, perfect for dinner parties or sophisticated home decor. These natural, long-burning pillar candles offer a beautiful, steady flame and are virtually smokeless, ensuring a pure and refined atmosphere for any occasion.

6 Ways to Find More Keywords for candle

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 candle 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 candle 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 candle?
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 candle niche regularly to improve my SEO strategy?