Growing Your Craft Etsy SEO Guides

Best Keywords & Tags for floating shelves

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 floating shelves 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 floating shelves niche:

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The typical customer for Floating Shelves is a homeowner or renter engaged in home improvement, looking to maximize storage space without adding bulky furniture, or seeking to create a stylish display area for decor, plants, or books.

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What problems are they trying to solve or desires are they trying to fulfill when searching for floating shelves?

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They are trying to solve the problem of clutter in tight spaces, such as small bathrooms or kitchens, by utilizing vertical wall space for organization.

This can lead them to search for terms like: small bathroom wall shelf over toilet

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They desire a specific aesthetic upgrade, looking to replace generic storage with something that adds warmth, architectural interest, or a modern touch to a blank wall.

This can lead them to search for terms like: rustic live edge wood floating shelf

floating shelves 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 floating shelves 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 floating shelves market:

Floating Shelves

The primary high-volume keyword for this niche. It describes the specific mechanism (hidden brackets) that makes the shelf appear to "float," separating it from standard bracketed shelving.

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Wall Shelves

A broader category term that captures customers who are looking for wall-mounted storage but may not be committed to the "floating" hidden-hardware look yet.

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Rustic Shelf

This targets a massive aesthetic preference in home decor. Customers using this term are looking for distressed wood, visible grain, or farmhouse-style finishes.

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Wood Shelves

A material-specific keyword that filters out metal, glass, or plastic options. It is essential for sellers offering solid wood or reclaimed timber products.

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Kitchen Shelf

A high-intent "room specific" keyword. Buyers searching for this are often looking for open shelving solutions to replace upper cabinets or display spice jars and dishes.

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Bathroom Shelf

Another crucial room-specific keyword. These shoppers typically need smaller, shallower shelves for toiletries, towels, or decor above the toilet.

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Modern Floating Shelves

This appeals to the contemporary or minimalist buyer. They expect clean lines, smooth finishes (often painted or sleek hardwoods), and no visible hardware.

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Live Edge Shelf

A premium sub-niche term. It targets buyers looking for a natural, organic look where the edge of the wood retains the shape of the tree, often at a higher price point.

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Heavy Duty Floating Shelves

This addresses a specific functional pain point: weight capacity. Buyers using this term plan to store heavy items like books, dishes, or electronics.

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Oak Floating Shelves

Specific wood species are powerful keywords. "Oak" (and specifically "White Oak") is currently trending for its neutral, high-end look in modern interiors.

Top Long-Tail Keywords for floating shelves

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

mid century modern walnut shelf
distressed farmhouse reclaimed wood
minimalist scandinavian white oak
industrial pipe and wood shelf
dark stained antique style shelving

Occasion/Use Long-Tail Keywords

nursery book ledge for kids room
coffee bar open shelving for mugs
cat wall climbing shelf
laundry room organization and storage
display shelf for lego sets

Target Customer Long-Tail Keywords

kitchen renovation open shelving
modern home office wall organizer
rental friendly apartment decor
plant lover window shelf
interior designer custom wood shelf

Materials & Finishes Long-Tail Keywords

File Type/Platform Long-Tail Keywords

solid black walnut wood slab
unfinished pine for diy staining
white washed maple wood
solid wood with matte clear coat
reclaimed barn wood lumber

Technique/Production Method Long-Tail Keywords

hidden bracket floating hardware
hand planed wood surface
custom cut to size length
invisible mounting system
live edge bark removal finish

Feature/Benefit Long-Tail Keywords

heavy duty bracket for dishes
deep floating shelf 12 inch
easy install wall mount kit
stud mount secure shelving
extra long floating shelf 60 inch

Theme/Subject Matter Long-Tail Keywords

coastal beach house driftwood style
mountain cabin log decor
boho chic hanging plant shelf
man cave liquor bottle display
zen yoga studio candle shelf

Size/Shape/Fit Long-Tail Keywords

corner floating shelf unit
skinny narrow picture ledge
custom length wall shelf
thick chunky wood mantel
hexagon honeycomb wall shelves

Problem Solved Long-Tail Keywords

storage for small bathroom
space saving kitchen organizer
strong shelf for heavy books
narrow hallway wall decor
over the toilet storage solution

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 floating shelves bestsellers to see what we can learn from them:

Bestseller Listing Title Analysis 01:

Walnut Floating Shelves, Custom Wood Shelves, Rustic Shelves, Bathroom Shelves with Bracket, Long Book Shelves, Oak Kitchen Shelves by OneNineFurniture

This title is excellent because it leads with a high-value material ("Walnut") which immediately qualifies the customer and justifies a higher price point. It then "stacks" keywords by listing different rooms ("Bathroom," "Kitchen") and use cases ("Book Shelves"), maximizing the chances of appearing in searches for those specific needs. The inclusion of "Custom Wood Shelves" appeals to buyers who have specific dimensional requirements that mass-produced retailers cannot meet.

Bestseller Listing Title Analysis 02

Rustic Shelves with J-Brackets, Book Shelf, Kitchen shelves by URBANDIstore

This title differentiates itself by specifying the hardware style ("J-Brackets"). While technically different from a "true" invisible floating shelf, customers often search these terms interchangeably. By calling out the bracket type, they target buyers who prefer that specific industrial or rustic look. It remains concise but hits the major categories of Style (Rustic) and Use (Book, Kitchen).

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 floating shelves, 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: Wooden Floating Shelf

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Better Title: Solid White Oak Floating Shelves for Kitchen, Heavy Duty Hidden Bracket, Modern Bathroom Wall Storage, Custom Length Wood Shelf

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 floating shelves:

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Listing Description Example 01

Elevate your kitchen or bathroom with our handcrafted solid walnut floating shelves. Made from premium, sustainably sourced lumber, each shelf features a stunning natural grain pattern and is finished with a durable, water-resistant matte seal perfect for humid environments. Our heavy-duty hidden bracket system ensures a secure, sag-free installation capable of holding your heaviest dinnerware or book collections.

Listing Description Example 02

Bring a touch of modern farmhouse charm to your home with these rustic reclaimed wood shelves. Each piece is unique, featuring authentic saw marks and character that tell a story, making them the perfect backdrop for your family photos or succulents. Easy to install and available in custom lengths, these shelves provide the sturdy, stylish storage solution your living room has been missing.

Listing Description Example 03

Maximize your space with our sleek, modern floating shelves, designed for a minimalist aesthetic with zero visible hardware. Crafted from high-quality white oak, these shelves offer a clean, airy look ideal for organizing spices in the kitchen or displaying toiletries in a small powder room. The included steel mounting bracket makes installation a breeze, hitting studs for maximum weight capacity.

6 Ways to Find More Keywords for floating shelves

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 floating shelves 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 floating shelves 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 floating shelves?
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 floating shelves niche regularly to improve my SEO strategy?

Get More Etsy SEO Resources Here:

GYC Etsy SEO Checklist

A handy checklist for you to print out and make progress.

GYC Etsy SEO Guide

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

Full Etsy SEO Course

A step-by-step comprehensive course in GYC Etsy Academy 2.0

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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.