I agree, "Best Match" is pretty frustrating. The requirements to appear on the first page with auctions confuse me but I think I am getting the hang of listing with fixed price and getting my listings on the first page. I was able to test this with my "Sensitive Plant" or "Mimosa pudica" listings. This species was recently talked about on CSI NY and the demand for it went through the roof! In my first fixed price listing, I sold all 7 plants within the first 24 hours. To ebay, this listing was considered a "best match" because of the amount of sales I had in it. I decided to "relist" this same fixed price item and found that it is first item on the first page! So, if you have a successful fixed price with multiple items to sell, keep relisting that same auction! To put this theory to the test I listed another of the same item and I changed the title a little bit. The new listings was much further down on the list.
This is just what I have experienced with this. I have also noticed that my auctions tend to be much further down the list. I have no idea how what the requirements are for having this further up the list other than flooding the site with the same auction, at which point would make having an "auction" useless because people could just bid on the other auctions and not drive the price up.
I have also tried the free shipping angle. I have seen this to be a Catch 22. Yes, your listings would be higher on the list but you have to front the shipping costs. Now, if you include the shipping costs into the actual price for the item and say free shipping, you end up paying higher final value fees and PayPal takes more money from you.
I have read on the boards that some of the sellers who are also buyers switch the best match off when they search for things but do not think that most buyers are doing the same. They are simply typing in what they are looking for and hitting "Search".
Anyway, if anyone has any ideas on how to get auctions higher on the list I would love to hear about it!
-Eric