In order to provide a seamless search experience for our customers we have decided to implement a new feature called “Word Counter”, a feature to serve our customers better, grow more as a platform and also give our contributors an opportunity to earn more at Teach Simple.

Background

One of the biggest complaints for our customers is the search experience on Teach Simple. Simply put, customers want to be able to find the resources they need quickly and having accurate search results is critical to this.

Our internal audit of Teach Simple revealed over 7,000 products with limited or no descriptions, which hinders the search engine’s ability to properly query results. The Word Counter aims to address this issue by requiring a minimum word count and rewarding contributors who exceed expectations.

In the near future, we will start to roll out this feature on all product submissions. The word counter will move from red to yellow to green as you type, indicating the minimal to optimal word count.

The minimum word count includes words in both the “product description” and “what’s included” fields and is 200 words, equivalent to two paragraphs of text that thoroughly describes the product. This benchmark has been established as reasonable and attainable. Product submissions will only be accepted once the word count reaches a yellow or green status as indicated by the word counter.

Rewarding Contributors

Not only will the Word Counter help improve the search experience for our customers, but it will also serves as a way to reward our contributors for providing detailed and original product descriptions. Products with green status on the Word Counter will receive:

  1. Increased visibility in our on-site search
  2. An increase in subscriber share points

In addition to the two mentioned above, your products also have a higher likelihood of appearing on Google searches.

Simply put, contributors who are able to consistently create longer product descriptions will earn more.

Original Content Only

We want to stress the importance of creating “original” content only.

What is original content?

Original content is words that you create and are unique to this product and Teach Simple.

What original content is not

  • Original content is not a copy/paste from another website like TpT, Etsy or any other site.
  • Original content is not created by AI resources like ChatGPT

To be clear, our internal team will be monitoring product descriptions for AI and copied content.

Tips on Writing Great Product Descriptions

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what to say about a product. Here are some tips that we think will help you meet and exceed the minimal word count:

  • What grade level is this product is suitable for?
  • What are the different ways this product can be utilized in the classroom (i.e. is it whole group, small group, homework assignment, etc.
  • Does this product meet certain standards (Common Core, TEKS, Ontario, Etc Etc.)
  • What is the main objective for using the resource?
  • How many pages are in this product
  • What file type(s) is the product

FAQ’s

Does the 200 words only apply to the product description?

No, the 200 words included text from both the “product description” and “what’s included” fields.

What about existing products?

Existing products that have an optimal word count will retroactively receive the rewards outlined in the article above.

Can I update my existing products to take advantage of this?

Yes, we encourage you to update as many products as you can with the optimal word count.

What if Teach Simple uploads my product?

If our internal team is uploading your products, we will meet the minimum word count but do not guarantee we will meet the optimal word count. You can always revise your newly uploaded products.

How can you tell if something is “original”

We have implemented an AI and duplicate content tracker that is proven to be 95% accurate in detecting non-original content.