Growing Your Craft Etsy SEO Guides

Best Keywords & Tags for notebooks & journals

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.

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 notebooks & journals 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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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 notebooks & journals niche:

The typical customer for notebooks & journals is either a creative individual seeking a space for self-expression (writing, drawing, planning) or a thoughtful gift-giver looking for a meaningful, personalized item for a loved one.

What problems are they trying to solve or desires are they trying to fulfill when searching for notebooks & journals products?

They are seeking a beautiful, dedicated space to organize their thoughts, track their goals, or process their emotions, moving beyond simple digital notes to a more tactile and intentional practice.

  • This can lead them to search for terms like: daily gratitude journal with prompts

They need to find a deeply personal and lasting gift for a significant occasion, such as a graduation, birthday, or Mother's Day, that feels more unique and heartfelt than a generic store-bought item.

  • This can lead them to search for terms like: personalized memory book for grandma
notebooks & journals 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 notebooks & journals 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.

Here are 10 popular broad keywords for the notebooks & journals market:

Notebook

This is the most fundamental, high-volume keyword for the category. It captures a massive audience looking for a blank or lined book for a wide variety of purposes, from school to office work.

Personalized Journal

A powerhouse keyword that targets the highly profitable customization market. Shoppers using this term have high purchase intent and are looking for an item with a personal touch, like a name or monogram.

Leather Journal

This targets a large and valuable sub-niche of customers looking for a durable, classic, and high-quality journal. It implies a premium product that is often given as a gift.

Custom Journal

Similar to "Personalized Journal," this term is used by buyers who want a made-to-order item. It suggests a high degree of customization, potentially beyond just a name, such as a logo or custom artwork.

Bullet Journal

This keyword targets a specific, highly engaged community focused on a popular planning and organization method. These buyers often look for specific features like dot grid paper and thick pages.

Sketchbook

This is the core keyword for attracting artists, illustrators, and designers. It signals that the paper quality is suitable for drawing mediums and is distinct from a standard writing notebook.

Travel Journal

A popular niche keyword that targets travelers who want to document their adventures. It's often associated with prompts, pockets for keepsakes, and durable covers.

A5 Notebook

This is a critical modifier related to a very popular, portable size. Customers specifically search for "A5" to fit existing notebook covers or because it's a preferred size for planning and journaling.

Gifts for Her

A broad but essential keyword that captures a huge audience of gift shoppers. Combining this with more specific terms like "Personalized Journal" is a powerful strategy.

Planner

While a distinct category, "planner" has significant overlap with notebooks. Using it helps capture customers looking for structured notebooks for organization and time management.

Top Long-Tail Keywords for notebooks & journals

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
  • vintage floral fabric journal
  • minimalist black softcover notebook
  • retro faux leather notebook
  • cottagecore embroidered mushroom journal
  • rustic refillable notebook
Occasion/Use Long-Tail Keywords
  • graduation gift for her personalized journal
  • new mom pregnancy journal
  • wedding guest book alternative
  • daily to-do list notebook
  • new job gift notebook and pen set
Target Customer Long-Tail Keywords
  • personalized notebook for teacher appreciation
  • gratitude journal for women with prompts
  • memory book for grandma from grandkids
  • sermon notes journal for men
  • custom logo notebook for small business
Materials & Finishes Long-Tail Keywords
File Type/Platform Long-Tail Keywords
  • engraved wood cover spiral notebook
  • handmade paper junk journal
  • refillable genuine leather journal cover
  • linen fabric hardcover journal
  • vegan cork cover notebook
Technique/Production Method Long-Tail Keywords
  • hand stitched coptic bind journal
  • laser engraved wooden notebook
  • hand tooled leather diary with lock
  • letterpress cover pocket notebook
  • gold foil stamped personalized journal
Feature/Benefit Long-Tail Keywords
  • journal with lock and key
  • lay flat spiral bound sketchbook
  • notebook with pen loop and pocket
  • dot grid bullet journal with numbered pages
  • five minute daily journal with prompts
Theme/Subject Matter Long-Tail Keywords
  • celestial moon and stars journal
  • botanical wildflower notebook
  • Dungeons and Dragons campaign journal
  • bible study and prayer notebook
  • national parks travel log
Size/Shape/Fit Long-Tail Keywords
  • A5 dot grid notebook 160gsm
  • pocket size field notes journal
  • B5 lined hardcover notebook
  • large 8.5x11 mixed media sketchbook
  • travelers notebook standard size insert
Problem Solved Long-Tail Keywords
  • anxiety journal with daily prompts
  • food sensitivity tracker notebook
  • goal setting planner and notebook
  • couples communication journal
  • budget and expense tracker notebook
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.

Let's look at the listing titles from two notebooks & journals bestsellers to see what we can learn from them:

Bestseller Listing Title Analysis 01:

Custom Journal, Engraved Leather Journal, Personalized Journal, Custom Leather Journal, Personalized Leather Journal, Journal and Notebook by BespokeWolf

This title uses a classic Etsy strategy of keyword repetition to maximize visibility. By including "Custom Journal," "Engraved Leather Journal," and "Personalized Journal," it aims to appear in searches for every possible combination of these high-intent terms. While not the most human-readable, this approach is highly effective at targeting buyers who know they want a made-to-order, engraved leather product.
Bestseller Listing Title Analysis 02

Grandparents Journal for Grandma Gift from Grandkids Memory Book Grandmother Notebook Mother's Day Gift for Nana Birthday Gift for Mom Wife by AllThingsIAm

This title is a masterclass in targeting the gift-giving market. It focuses entirely on the "who" and "why" of the purchase by including multiple recipient names ("Grandma," "Grandmother," "Nana," "Mom") and specific occasions ("Mother's Day Gift," "Birthday Gift"). This ensures the listing appears in a wide variety of searches from highly motivated buyers looking for a specific, sentimental gift.
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 notebooks & journals, 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: Personalized Notebook

Better Title: Personalized Leather Journal for Men, Engraved A5 Writing Diary, Custom Notebook for Dad, Graduation Gift for Him


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.

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.

Let's look at some listing description examples for notebooks & journals:

Listing Description Example 01
Capture your thoughts in style with our handcrafted personalized leather journal, the perfect custom gift for any occasion. Each journal is made from genuine full-grain leather and can be professionally engraved with a name, initials, or a meaningful quote, making it a truly unique keepsake. This durable writing diary is designed to be a lifelong companion for notes, sketches, or daily reflections.
Listing Description Example 02
Brighten your desk and organize your day with our beautiful floral A5 notebook, an ideal gift for her. The durable fabric cover features a vibrant botanical print, while the high-quality lined paper inside is perfect for daily planning, journaling, or taking notes. Its lay-flat design ensures a comfortable writing experience from the first page to the last.
Listing Description Example 03
Take control of your organization with this premium A5 bullet journal, designed for ultimate productivity. The thick, 160gsm bleed-proof paper features a versatile dot grid layout, giving you the freedom to create custom spreads for your weekly planner, habit trackers, and lists. With its minimalist softcover and lay-flat binding, this is the perfect tool to build your ideal planning system.

6 Ways to Find More Keywords for notebooks & journals

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 notebooks & journals Etsy SEO Checklist

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

  • 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 notebooks & journals 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 notebooks & journals?
  • 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 notebooks & journals niche regularly to improve my SEO strategy?
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