otto.de search suggestions as a keyword source: what autocomplete reveals

Where the suggestions come from

Marketplaces build their search suggestions from their users' input: frequently searched phrases are proposed while typing. OTTO does not describe the exact mechanism publicly, but the suggestions on otto.de behave as on other shops: they adapt to what is typed, contain typical modifiers (size, material, colour, brand) and reflect the language of shoppers, not of manufacturers.

That is exactly what makes them valuable. Your product may be called “cold foam mattress KSM-70” in your inventory system; shoppers type “children's mattress 70x140”.

The procedure in 20 minutes

1. Type the main term, for example “wasserkocher” (kettle), and note every suggestion.
2. Add a space and note again: now the most common additions appear (“wasserkocher glas”, “wasserkocher klein”).
3. Go through the alphabet: “wasserkocher a”, “wasserkocher b” … to “z”. That surfaces the modifiers hidden behind the first five suggestions.
4. Numbers and units: “wasserkocher 1”, “wasserkocher 0,5” – this is how you find volume, size and quantity the way shoppers write them.
5. Repeat for synonyms: the same for “teekocher”, “kessel” or whatever is common in your category.

Work in a private browser window without logging in so your own earlier searches do not influence the suggestions.

Sorting the suggestions

At the end you have 30 to 80 terms. Sort them into three groups:

• Exact fit: your product fully satisfies the search (“wasserkocher glas 1,7 liter” for a 1.7-litre glass kettle). These terms belong in the title or attributes and in tracking.
• Partial fit: the search means a variant you do not have (“wasserkocher klein” for a 1.7-litre kettle). Not in the title; possibly worth watching.
• No fit: a different product type or brand. Drop them. Other manufacturers' brand terms do not belong in your listing.

From suggestion to tracking

The first group is your candidate set. For each term, check whether and where your product is found today. In MarktRank you create the terms per product, and the first check shows position, page and ad share. Terms you rank on page 1 for stay in the set; for terms without a hit, look at the listing first: is the word missing from the title, the bullet points or an attribute?

The Find keywords function goes the opposite way and shows which search terms your product already ranks for. Both lists together – suggestions you should rank for and terms you already rank for – give the complete picture.

Common mistakes

• Stuffing every suggestion into the title. otto.de understands synonyms; a title with twelve variants of the same term reads badly and gains nothing.
• Confusing suggestions with demand. A suggestion proves that people search, not how often. The order of the suggestions is a hint, nothing more.
• Collecting once. Suggestions change with the season. Repeat the collection before your most important sales periods.

Frequently asked questions