Why this matters
Craiglist is an online marketplace. It is free to use and is one of the largest websites on the Internet for classified ads for jobs, services, rentals, sales and many other categories.
Keyword Research: Most users filter before searching, making keywords very important. Keywords should be used throughout the title and body of your ad. Here are two easy-to-use websites to find keyword suggestions wordtracker.com/search and ubersuggest.io/. Use this information to write your own clear descriptions, titles and feature lists. Make sure that your ad has all the benefits of your product or service and list every single feature. People will assume that if you don’t mention it, it doesn’t have the feature.
A Lot of Photos but Keep it Simple: Craigslist sees heavy HTML code as a sign of spam or fraudulent posts. Keep your ad mostly text-based, with simple code only and working in creative bolding. As much as eye-catching, quality photos are important, it should not have heavy HTML.
Location-Specific: It’s expected for every post to specify your location/city. And for bigger cities, the area of town has to stated before picking the product category.
Include a Link: Somewhere in the text of your ad should include a link to your website. This link should not go to your homepage instead link directly to a specific product page.
Use Varied Ads: To avoid being marked as spam and flagged for removal it is helpful to use varied ads. Do not use duplicate content, switch up the title, etc. It’s helpful to have multiple variations of your ad ready in advance, which will make posting throughout the week a very simple and efficient process.
To Avoid Scams on Craigslist: Never deal with money sent through Western Union. Also, never give out your bank account numbers to anyone who says they want to make a direct deposit. They can do that and then their checks or deposit can bounce.
Track Results: Keep track of which versions of your ads are getting more clicks. There are many Craigslist tracking services, but the most popular tracking service is Craigslist Ad Tracker, which offers free and premium account options.
Resources
Marketing your business on Craigslist
10 Tips for Effective Marketing on Craiglist
20 Important Tips for Selling on Craiglist