Seasonal Store Tag Updates: Features, Benefits & Why They Matter

[Susang6]

Hi everyone,
As we move through seasonal sales cycles like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter Solstice, and Christmas, it’s easy to focus on individual product tags but don’t overlook your storefront tags. These quiet champions play a big role in Zazzle’s internal search visibility and external SEO.

Recently, I realized my store tags hadn’t been updated since 2009 (😳), and when I refreshed them with trend-driven, seasonal keywords like “Christmas in July,” I saw a clear increase in traffic and sales. Within five days, I sold a table lamp and 21 sheets of tissue paper. Coincidence? Maybe. But when your storefront  speaks the language of the season, customers (and algorithms) tend to listen.

So what does updating store tags really do for you?

 Features of a Seasonal Tag Refresh:

• Highlights your current niche, such as “Halloween decor,” “Yule gifts,” or “Christmas in July tissue paper”
• Helps Zazzle correctly categorize your shop for algorithm placement
• Aligns your brand with current search behavior and seasonal buyer intent

 Benefits You Might See:

• Increased impressions during trend-driven searches
• More engagement with in-season products
• Sharper brand identity that evolves with the calendar
• Better alignment between About Page, homepage visibility, and customer expectations

How to Update Store Tags Effectively:

• Use 5–8 specific keywords that reflect current offerings
• Rotate quarterly or monthly depending on your niche
• Explore trending phrases in Zazzle’s search bar or Google Trends
• Keep the language customer-friendly and seasonally relevant (e.g. “Spooky Halloween Invitations” vs. “October cards”)

If your store’s still rocking tags from a bygone decade (guilty as charged), consider giving it a seasonal refresh your future views and sales might just thank you.

Footnote: The strategies shared here came out of some weekend house cleaning. While updating my About section, I scrolled down and realized my store tags hadn’t been touched in years and they no longer reflected what was happening in my shop. I updated them using SEO phrases based on how customers actually search when shopping online. For anyone curious, Zazzle offers its own tagging recommendations in the Maker Manual: Make Your Tags Count and their broader Title, Description & Tagging Best Practices guide.

[Sara_H]

@Susang6  Zazzle has stated they prefer real talk rather than ai/chatgpt produced posts - https://community.zazzle.com/t5/creator-news/ai-generated-messages-policy/ba-p/194759

[Susang6]

I’ve seen that Zazzle encourages real talk and authenticity in discussions, and I completely respect that.

Just to clarify, everything I’ve posted comes from personal experience including recent updates to my About section and store tags, which sparked noticeable shifts in traffic and sales. I write all my posts myself and use Grammarly strictly to edit grammar and clarity The use of Grammarly is common for many writers.

For background: I was a studio writer at Demand Media, where I completed editorial training in SEO, keyword strategy, and content optimization for platforms like eHow. So if my style comes off polished, it's not AI it’s the result of years working in content and publishing.

[dbvisualarts]

Susang6  doing things the old fashioned way, hard work and experience!  I respect that.  Grammar is my downfall.  I was pointed towards Grammarly years ago, I should go back and refresh my memory on it.  I graduated high school 52 years ago (yikes)  I have forgotten alot about the rules of grammar.

[Susang6]

Like you, I’m definitely “old school” hard work, experience, and doing things properly always matter. I discovered Grammarly years ago while publishing for eHow, where it was widely used and respected among writers. It's an excellent tool for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and I still recommend it.

Grammar has always been my Achilles’ heel too.. I’ve forgotten a fair bit of the formal rules myself, but tools like Grammarly can help bridge the gap. No shame in refreshing our memory we’ve earned our stripes the long way!

[Susang6]

In case you missed it James, Zazzle Admin, did an update on this topic see it  here 

[Susang6]

Author’s Note: Everything shared in this post is written in my own words, based on personal experience and tested strategies. I use Grammarly as a writer’s editing tool to refine grammar, spelling, and clarity just as many content creators do. Grammarly is not an AI content generator, and its use is common practice among professional writers. If this post shared at the community forum  is not permitted under Zazzle’s forum guidelines, I respectfully ask the moderators to remove it.

[Windy]

We have store tags? 

OH, we DO have store tags. I haven't looked at those in years and years. Thanks!

[Susang6]

like you I totally forgot about the store tags and considering they were not updated since 2009 they were lame.  I followed Zazzle tips on phrasing tags the way a customer would search plus added high ranking SEO keywords.  My goal is to get ranked well after Googlebot's crawl my store page.  (I am hoping) 

here's what my new tags look like.  I think they will carry my store well into the next season. 

[Windy]

I think it will work! Your tags look very well crafted.

[Monet]

You removed your store name from the store tags? Mine was there by default… 

[Susang6]

My store name was never in my store tags.  

[PAZP]

Thank you @Susang6 for the reminder and guidance in keeping our stores more current. 

[Susang6]

You're so welcome! It’s easy to get caught up in the creative side and forget those behind-the-scenes tweaks that make a real difference.

[Jadendreamer13]

Thanks for the reminder. I just reviewed my store tags, and they are all still relevant and a good reflection of the products and designs that I offer.

[NigelSutherland]

This has been a useful reminder. I went to look at my existing tags, and realised they were pretty simple one-word tags which weren't very imaginative. I've simply replaced them with long-tail keywords which I hope will be more effective. 
Makes me wonder what else I should be looking at to improve visibility, (other than the obvious product descriptions and tags).

[Susang6]

You’re totally on the right track with switching to long-tail tags they can make a big difference! Specific multi-word phrases like ‘rustic woodland Christmas card’ or ‘grumpy gray cat mug’ match how people actually search online. It’s a great way to improve visibility both on Zazzle and through Google. I’ve seen a real boost since updating mine, too

[karab]

Thanks for the reminders...And just to add to the AI discussion, I've put my own writing into the AI detectors and it always comes back as 90% AI or something in that range. I think that good grammar is considered to be something that real people don't use anymore, sad to say.

[Marblewave]

Yes, that happens to me too 🙄  It reminds me of when a robot asks you to prove you're not a robot...!

[kcbypatricia]

Thank you for the reminder! Mine were there probably since I started!

[holidaycottage]

Thanks so much for this reminder!  I haven't looked at my store tags in quite a while.
Very helpful!

[Marblewave]

Thank you @Susang6 ! 

I must admit I've tended to assume customers wouldn't often visit store home pages, but just search for a product and go straight to that. I will certainly go and update my tags for my store and see what happens!

[CBolton]

I always wondered why they only allow 10 tags, even on the store tags. I personally don't think that is enough for store tags. 

[Susang6]

Maybe start a discussion on the topic to find out if other creators support more tags. List the features and benefits of more tags.  Hopefully the moderator will read and that is how change occurs

[PAZP]

Years ago I believe we were able to have more than 10 tags. I don't remember when it changed or if we learned why that changed. I'm sure other long time creatives on here might remember that and can add more information on it. 

[Zorinda]

I remember.  One of the reasons for the limit of 10 — I seem to recall had to do with tag spamming.  We were also able to list products in 2 different Zazzle categories. Then they limited it to 1.

[Laura]

and we were able to reorder the tags via drag and drop! I miss that!!

[Windy]

That would be handy!

[Monet]

Did you include your store name as one of the tags?

[Susang6]

no I did not, because customers would not know to "search for" my store name.  I only used tags that were trendy, relevant to what was offered in my store.  And tags or keywords  in phrases that reflected how customers search

[TRW]

I was recently told that store tags are only used by the zazzle internal searches.. for the algorithm to reference how to place your items in their overall categories... and that customer searches that happen to match store tags will not find your shop that way. I guess I am trying to say shop tags are not relevant to CUSTOMER searches, but only useful for zazzle's backend.
I hear such contradictory advice, it's hard to know what is true!

[Windy]

This one is easy to test. I just put one of your product tags into quotes and used the Zazzle search bar. Here's what came up. https://www.zazzle.com/s/%22art+history+class+sketchbook%22

[TRW]

store tags and product tags are not the same thing... I do not think anyone else can see your store tags or use them to find your shop

[Windy]

I did not read your post closely enough. What  you say may well be true!

[TRW]

thx for checking though!

[Susang6]

"artists sketchbook"

[Susang6]

Totally get the confusion  the advice around store tags is all over the place! From what I’ve observed (and tested), store tags don’t directly impact customer product searches. Instead, they help Zazzle’s algorithm understand your shop’s overall vibe  like “woodland,” “vintage,” or “Halloween” which may influence your placement in curated collections, seasonal promotions, or even how your shop appears during browsing.

So while store tags aren’t “search keywords” in the traditional sense, they’re not useless either. Used strategically  and rotated seasonally  they contribute to your shop’s long-term visibility by aligning your brand with trending themes. That subtle relevance can help drive traffic over time, even if it’s not as immediate or direct as product tags.

You do realize I’m only trying to help others, right? I updated my store tags for the first time since 2009, and it was literally the only thing I changed  yet I saw a noticeable boost in views and sales shortly after. That’s why I believe the tags made a difference, and I’m truly thankful the Zazzle algorithm helped bring new customers to my shop

Going forward, I’m planning to rotate my store tags to reflect seasons, trends, and holidays  just to keep things fresh and relevant. If you’re unsure whether it’s worth it, why not try updating your own store tags to match an upcoming holiday or seasonal theme and run your own test? You never know what might spark new visibility.  

[Barbara]

It would be useless for me since my designs and product types are all over the place and in a single store. Any niches I have are placed in collections and/or categories within the store. Once upon a long time ago, I tried multiple stores and quickly got rid of them because i was constantly either placing products in the wrong stores or I had products that could belong in multiple stores and so a decision was required that never worked well.

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[Susang6]

Barbara my main store is far from being a niche.  My other stores are niche, but not the store I started in 2009..its got everything.  going forward I am updating my store profile tags seasonally.  Like I just updated for “back to school” “Halloween greeting cards” basically what’s trending now.   I want  to attract seasonal customers.

But if you prefer to just set your tags and forget them you could use these. “unique gift ideas” “ personalized gifts” “custom artwork” “small business find”  “affordable gifts”  “funny sayings” “one stop gift shop” and then change out a tag for season or holiday.  I think those tags would be good for your store.  

[Susang6]

Update > 

I’ve read over and over  including from Zazzle’s own help docs that phrase-based tags are encouraged because that’s how customers actually search in the marketplace. People tend to type natural phrases like “rustic fall wedding invitation” or “black cat Halloween decor,” rather than just single words. That’s why Zazzle allows up to five words per tag and recommends descriptive phrases when they match how customers shop.

Here’s the source directly from Zazzle’s Help Center:
Title, Description & Tagging Best Practices

So if you see me using tag phrases, it’s because I’m following what Zazzle itself suggests. I’m sharing what’s worked for me  and if my tips aren’t useful to someone, that’s totally fine. Just scroll past. I get the message.

This whole tagging thing is new to me I hadn’t updated mine since 2009, and I’m still experimenting to find what works best. I’m not going to post screenshots of my royalties and referrals, but I will say the increase was wonderful. Since the only change I made was updating my store tags, I genuinely believe that’s what sparked the boost. It’s made me thankful Zazzle’s algorithm picked up on the shift and brought more eyes to my shop.

What I’ve learned so far suggests that both store and item tags play a role  store tags may guide the algorithm in understanding your overall niche, while item tags align with specific searches. That said, I could be wrong. When in doubt, I’d recommend sharing the link to this discussion and  reach out to Zazzle Help directly or contacting our forum moderator Heather for clarification. They’re in the best position to confirm how everything connects behind the scenes.

and with that said I am done with the forums...

Susan Golis