5 Ways to Improve Your Model Discoverability

In order to sell more of your 3D models, potential customers need to be able to easily find your assets. Since the majority of customers start looking for 3D models on search engines such as Google (60-70%), your goal is to make your Sketchfab 3D models appear at the top in the Google listings. Here are some tips to help you accomplish this:

Tip #1: Choose your title keywords wisely

A wisely chosen model title is essential to make your model more visible within both the Sketchfab Store and search engine results more generally.

• Include 3-5 keywords in your title. These keywords should be both specific and general. For example: smartphone is not enough and it’s too generic. Using a title like Modern generic smartphone may be better, as it targets both buyers looking for modern and generic content as well as general buyers looking for smartphones.

• Avoid using titles that are too specific or personalized, e.g., GEN-X67 Robot or Rachel 3D character. Using these types of titles will decrease the chance of potential customers finding your content at all.

Tip #2: Describe your model…and include keywords

Your ultimate goal is to sell your 3D model—an appropriate, detailed description plays a huge part in accomplishing this. Think about it, when you’re looking to buy anything, whether it’s a physical item or a 3D model, you want all possible information about the product.

• You can start with what inspired you to build your model or share your process.

• Then, write as a subtitle: “What’s included:” and get into the technical aspects of what’s actually included in the model: textures, animations, what softwares you used, what formats are downloadable, etc.

• It is always important to mention if your model is low poly or high poly; is it game-ready or print-ready? Is it completely manifold? Animated? Rigged? All these details will allow potential buyers to feel confident buying your models. And all this information provides more keywords for search engines to index.

If you skip adding a thorough description to a model, 2 outcomes could happen:

1. Potential customers will not get the information that they need about the product and may not risk buying it.
2. Search engines may treat it as a shallow content page because the page lacks relevant and unique information.

Now that we’ve mentioned the importance of keywords in three first 2 tips, you may be wondering, how should I know the best keywords to use? There are plenty of online tools, such as Wordstream, that allow you to compare different words and select those that users search for the most.

The model description clearly states what the model is and what comes with the purchase.

Tip #3: Add conceptual tags

Tags are the perfect opportunity for you to expand your models’ discoverability. In addition to the obvious, specific tags you might use, conceptual tags let you reveal even more information and can increase the chances of finding more buyers. If it’s a car, what kind of car is it? A #van? A #sports-car? A #luxury-car? If it’s a flower, what season does it blossom? #Spring-flowers? #Summer-flowers? Maybe it’s an #indoor-plant? Or specific to some region?

• Always add as many conceptual tags as you can think of.
• Don’t forget to add a dash if you want to write 2 words as one tag (e.g., low-poly, sci-fi).
• Synonyms can be helpful, too (e.g., maybe your dog model is also a puppy).

Tip #4: Do NOT duplicate your descriptions

First of all, what do we mean by duplicate descriptions (or duplicate content)? Duplicate content is content that appears at more than one location or URL online. Meaning, if the same information is available at multiple URLs, it could be considered duplicate content.

So if you first publish your 3D model on other marketplaces and then on Sketchfab (with the same description, title, etc.), search engines will most likely treat your Sketchfab model page as a duplicate and hide it in search results. In that sense, both your model pages will be competing with each other and your selling efforts will be divided within them.

Tip #5: Backlinks, backlinks, backlinks

Backlinks are links that direct users to your Sketchfab 3D Model. Search engine algorithms rely heavily on backlinks. The more pages point to your product page, the higher your model will likely appear in search results.

• The best places to create backlinks are on 3D-related sites, whose users you think might be interested in your model. For example, our Sketchfab Forum is a great place to promote your models. Or you can post on other 3D forums or blogs—when someone asks for content similar to what you have created, you can refer them to your Sketchfab model page.

• Alternatively, you can create a personal blog on a platform like WordPress or use your artist profile on ArtStation to link to your 3D model pages.  Some sellers use this tactic very effectively.

• Social media is another great option for getting the word out about your uploads—Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Quora, Reddit, and other sites are all good for raising awareness and establishing backlinks.

Just remember not to spam post links everywhere. Nobody likes spam and this sort of behavior could harm your reputation as a seller.

Good examples of relevant and effective backlinks: The Chandra X-Ray Observatory 3D Photo Album, A post on the Sketchfab Forum