8 Ways to Optimize Your TPT Store for the Back-to-School Rush

Back-to-school season is one of the busiest, and most profitable, times of the year for TPT sellers. Teachers are searching for engaging resources to kick off the year and your store needs to be ready! With a few strategic updates, you can increase your visibility, boost conversions, and set yourself up for a strong sales season.

Let's walk through 8 ways you can optimize your TPT store for the back-to-school success. 

1. Use Keyword-Rich Titles That Help You Show Up in Search

Your product title isn't just a label, it's how your buyers find your resources! To help your products show up in search, your titles should be:

• Specific to the topic
• Clear about the type of resource
• Tailored to who it's for

To make this process easier for myself, I use an SEO tool that is specific to TPT search algorithm called SellerSpy. I've been using their free Keyword Generator and paid Title Analyzer tools (and others!) since 2023, and tweaking my titles alone has improved both my views and conversions! 

2. Design Covers That Grab Attention in Search Results

Once your product shows up in search, your cover is what convinces buyers to click. Here's what to include to make yours stand out: 

• Your branding: Add your logo, brand colors, and font style so buyers start to recognize your store.  
• Product photos "in action": Show pages partially completed, styled with school supplies, or used in a real classroom setting to help buyers visualize the resource in use. 
• 1-2 key features: Include short, bold phrases (not full sentences!) that highlight what makes your resource valuable. Need some examples? Here are some powerful keywords that teachers are actually looking for. 
• Readable title text: Add the product title in a clean, legible font. Avoid overly decorative fonts that hare hard to read on mobile.

You'll want to avoid cluttered designs. Clean and intentional covers stand out more in search! 

3. Use Thumbnails to Show More of the Resource

After a buyer clicks into your product, your thumbnails help seal the deal. Think of them as your visual sales pitch. 

Use your thumbnails to:

• Show additional pages or variations of your resource in use
• Highlight benefits over features
• Include some more descriptive text than your cover, but not too much! 

Keep the focus on strong visuals, not full paragraphs. Let your images do the talking!

4. Include a PDF Preview on Every Paid Product

A preview gives your buyers confidence and clarity. It should answer the question, "Is this what I need?"

Here's what a strong PDF preview includes:

• Multiple pages that show different aspects of the product
• Bite-sized text that explains the benefits or purpose of each part of the product
• Visuals & descriptions so teachers can quickly understand the value

Yes, even bundles need previews! Don't skip this step, even if the bundle includes product that already have their own previews. For free resources, you do not need (and can't) add a preview to the listing. 

5. Write Descriptions That Sound Like You're Talking to a Teacher Friend

Product descriptions should be warm, clear, and easy to skim. You're not writing a formal sales page. But you are explaining your resource to a fellow teacher so they have enough information to make an informed decision. 

Here is a structure I recommend using:

• Snippet: A brief, 1-2 sentence overview at the top
• Key features: What the resource includes and does
• Benefits & outcomes: How it helps the teacher or supports student learning
• What's included: A clear list of exactly what they will get when they purchase
• Standards alignment (if possible!): Tag CCSS, TEKs, and VA SOLs
• Related resources: Link to similar products (cross sells) or a bundle (upsell)

Pro Tip: Use shorter paragraphs and bullet points to make it easy for skimming readers. 

6. Refresh Your Featured Resources for the Season

Your featured resources (the 4 spots under your store name) are prime real estate. Use them to spotlight your best back-to-school or fall-themed products. 

Tips for maximizing this section:

• Include one seasonal freebie, especially now that there is no longer a primary free resource section (as of July 2024)
• Avoid featuring products already on the first page of your store. 
• Use this space to show off high-quality resources that need more traffic

7. Note to Followers

Your followers already love what you offer, so don't leave them hanging! Notes to followers are a free way to build connection and keep your store top of mind. 

Use this feature to:

• Announce new resources
• Share updates to existing products
•  Promote seasonal resources or freebies
• Let them know that your store is on sale

8. Email Marketing (optional-ish)

If you are just starting out, email might feel overwhelming. But, it's one of the most powerful tools you can use to grow long-term. 

Here's how to ease into it:

• Share teaching tips or mini freebies, months before the sale, to build trust before the sale actually happens
• Send 2-3 emails during site wide sales (announce, remind, last call)
• Batch your emails before the sale begins so you're not scrambling and make a mistake!

Looking for support? My friend Melissa Seidemann (@notanotherva on Instagram) has some great free email templates to get you started!

Whether you're editing one listing or overhauling your whole store, these small updates can make a huge impact on your visibility and sales. Don't feel like you have to do it all at once! Just start with what feels doable. 

Your store is worth investing time and effort into. Let's make this your best back-to-school season yet!