Marmalead vs eRank: Complete SEO Tool Comparison for Etsy Sellers
As an Etsy seller, getting your shop noticed in a crowded marketplace can feel like an uphill battle. Search engine optimization (SEO) tools like Marmalead and eRank promise to help by uncovering high-demand keywords and optimizing your listings for better visibility. But which tool delivers the best results? We tested both Marmalead and eRank for 3 months to see which one excels in keyword research and listing optimization—two critical areas for boosting your Etsy sales. In this in-depth comparison, we'll break down their features, performance, pricing, and overall value to help you decide which tool is right for your shop in 2025.
Why Etsy SEO Matters
Before diving into the comparison, let's talk about why SEO is crucial for Etsy sellers. Etsy's search algorithm prioritizes listings that use relevant, high-demand keywords with low competition. This means the right keywords in your titles, tags, and descriptions can land your products on the first page of search results, driving more clicks and sales. SEO tools like Marmalead and eRank take the guesswork out of this process by providing data-driven insights into what buyers are searching for and how to optimize your listings effectively. Over our 3-month test, we used both tools to optimize a small Etsy shop selling handmade jewelry, tracking metrics like views, clicks, and sales to measure their impact.
Marmalead: Overview and Key Features
Marmalead is a veteran in the Etsy SEO space, often praised for its focus on Etsy-specific metrics and machine learning-driven insights. It's designed to help sellers find profitable keywords and optimize listings with actionable data. Here's what Marmalead offers:
Key Features:
- Keyword Research: Marmalead's "Storm" tool uses machine learning to generate keyword suggestions, showing real-time search volume, engagement, and competition. It also provides a 3-month forecast and 12-month historical performance for each keyword, helping you predict future trends.
- Listing Optimization: Marmalead grades your listings (red, yellow, green) based on keyword usage, tag effectiveness, and other SEO factors. It also offers insights into pricing trends (bargain, midrange, premium) for your niche.
- Competitor Analysis: You can analyze competitors' listings to see their keywords, sales, and engagement, helping you identify gaps in the market.
- Customer Insights: Marmalead provides data on customer demographics (e.g., location, age, device) to tailor your marketing.
Pricing: Marmalead offers one plan: $19/month (Entrepreneur plan), with annual billing at $15.83/month. There's no free plan, but a 14-day free trial is available.
Marmalead in Action: Our 3-Month Test
We started by using Marmalead's Storm tool to find keywords for our jewelry shop. For the seed keyword "handmade silver necklace," Marmalead suggested long-tail variations like "handmade sterling silver necklace minimalist" with high engagement (300 searches/month) and low competition (500 competing listings). We applied these keywords to our listings, focusing on titles and tags. Marmalead's listing grader gave our initial listings a yellow rating, pointing out we weren't using all 13 tags and lacked long-tail keywords. After optimization, our listings improved to green, and we saw a 25% increase in views (from 400 to 500 views/month) and a 15% boost in clicks (from 20 to 23 clicks/month) over the first month.
Marmalead's forecasting was particularly helpful. It predicted a rising trend for "boho silver jewelry," which we capitalized on by creating new listings. By month 3, those listings drove a 10% sales increase ($50 more in revenue). However, Marmalead's competitor analysis felt limited—we could see competitors' keywords, but the data wasn't as granular as we'd hoped, lacking detailed click-through rates or sales estimates.
eRank: Overview and Key Features
eRank is another popular Etsy SEO tool, known for its comprehensive features and affordability. It caters to both beginners and advanced sellers, offering tools to optimize listings across multiple marketplaces (Etsy, Amazon, eBay). Here's what eRank brings to the table:
Key Features:
- Keyword Research: eRank's Keyword Explorer and Keyword Tool show search volume, clicks, competition, and click-through rates for keywords. It also pulls data from Etsy, Amazon, eBay, Pinterest, and Google, giving a broader perspective.
- Listing Optimization: eRank's listing audit tool analyzes your titles, tags, descriptions, and images, providing a letter grade (A to F) and specific recommendations. The "Superstar Keyword" feature suggests additional keywords to improve rankings.
- Competitor Analysis: eRank lets you analyze up to 100 of your competitors' recent listings, showing their tags, click-through rates, and sales estimates. It also tracks top sellers in your niche.
- Additional Features: eRank includes a bulk keyword tool, trend tracking, Etsy price tracker, and shop performance metrics (views, favorites, sales).
Pricing: eRank offers a free plan with basic features, a Basic plan at $5.99/month, a Pro plan at $9.99/month, and an Expert plan at $29.99/month. Annual billing offers discounts (e.g., Pro at $7.99/month).
eRank in Action: Our 3-Month Test
We used eRank's Keyword Explorer to find keywords for the same "handmade silver necklace" listings.eRank suggested "vintage silver necklace handmade" with 400 searches/month, a 5% click-through rate, and moderate competition (700 listings). We optimized our titles and tags, and eRank's listing audit graded our listings as B, recommending we add more descriptive tags and improve image quality. After making these changes, our listings reached an A grade, and we saw a 30% increase in views (from 400 to 520 views/month) and a 20% boost in clicks (from 20 to 24 clicks/month) in the first month.
eRank's competitor analysis was a standout. We identified a top seller in our niche using the tag "bohemian silver necklace," which had a high click-through rate (7%). We incorporated similar tags, and by month 3, our sales increased by 15% ($75 more in revenue). eRank's broader data scope (including Pinterest trends) helped us spot "minimalist jewelry" as a rising trend, which further boosted our visibility. However, the interface felt cluttered at times, and the free plan's keyword search limits (100 lookups) were restrictive for larger shops.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Keyword Research
Marmalead
Marmalead's Storm tool excels at Etsy-specific keyword research, offering real-time data, engagement metrics, and forecasting. Its focus on long-tail keywords helped us rank for niche terms like "boho silver jewelry," driving targeted traffic. However, it lacks data from other platforms like Pinterest or Google, limiting its scope.
eRank
eRank's Keyword Explorer is more comprehensive, pulling data from multiple marketplaces and providing click-through rates alongside search volume. This broader perspective helped us identify trends like "minimalist jewelry" that Marmalead missed. However, its keyword suggestions sometimes felt less tailored to Etsy's algorithm compared to Marmalead.
Winner: eRank slightly edges out Marmalead due to its broader data sources and detailed click-through metrics.
Performance Results After 3 Months
Marmalead Results:
- Views: +25% (400 to 500/month)
- Clicks: +15% (20 to 23/month)
- Sales: +10% ($50 more revenue)
eRank Results:
- Views: +30% (400 to 520/month)
- Clicks: +20% (20 to 24/month)
- Sales: +15% ($75 more revenue)
Winner: eRank delivered better overall results, with higher increases in views, clicks, and sales.
Pros and Cons
Marmalead
Pros:
- • Excellent Etsy-specific keyword research with forecasting
- • Beginner-friendly interface and grading system
- • Useful pricing insights for market positioning
Cons:
- • No free plan, higher cost ($19/month)
- • Limited competitor analysis and external data sources
eRank
Pros:
- • Comprehensive keyword research across multiple platforms
- • Detailed listing audits and competitor analysis
- • Affordable pricing with a free plan
Cons:
- • Cluttered interface with a steeper learning curve
- • Free plan has keyword search limits
Which Tool Should You Choose?
After 3 months of testing, eRank emerges as the better overall choice for most Etsy sellers in 2025. Its broader data sources, detailed competitor analysis, and superior listing optimization tools led to better results in views, clicks, and sales. Plus, its affordable pricing (starting with a free plan) makes it accessible for sellers at any stage.
However, Marmalead is a strong contender for beginners or sellers who prefer a simpler, Etsy-focused tool. Its forecasting and user-friendly interface make it a great option if you're new to SEO or don't need data from other platforms.
We recommend starting with eRank's free plan to test its features, then upgrading to the Pro plan ($9.99/month) for full access. If you find eRank's interface overwhelming, Marmalead's 14-day free trial is worth exploring for a more straightforward experience.
Stay Updated on Etsy Tools & Tips
Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on everything Etsy sellers need to know!
Subscribe to Newsletter