More than 2,150,000 sellers offer their products on Amazon. This ensures that competition on the platform increases. This makes it all the more important to understand the algorithm behind Amazon’s product placement and thus Amazon SEO.
Amazon’s A9 algorithm decides which organic rank your Amazon product gets and thus plays a significant role in Amazon ranking optimization. We sat down with industry experts and summarized the best practices for you.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Amazon SEO – Why you should read this article?
- We share expert know-how and that for free!
- Amazon is the largest online marketplace with about 9278.1 million sales in 2018. Thus, you should understand how the platform works and the ranking algorithm works.
- With an average CV rate of 74% among Prime members, Amazon gives you the chance to get the most out of your product and gain access to millions of customers.
- Amazon SEO is known by very few sellers. With our tips, you’ll make yourself unbeatable.
- Understand the difference between Amazon SEO & Amazon PPC
- We work through each topic granularly because we value quality content.
What is the difference between Amazon SEO & Amazon PPC?
Through Amazon SEO, you can optimize your listing so that your products, without spending advertising dollars, achieve a good organic ranking.
With Amazon PPC you can advertise on Amazon and generate additional sales. These ads are usually labeled as „Sponsored Products“ and also have an indirect effect on your organic ranking, as sales through ads increase and sales one your organic ranking. But before you dive into Amazon PPC, you should understand Amazon SEO granularly. Differences to e-commerce SEO are present here, as Google is a different kind of search engine. We can gladly support you as an Amazon PPC agency with your project.
Amazon SEO – These factors fall into the weighting
Every search engine works with ranking factors. However, SEO optimization for Amazon is different than for Google. Based on these factors, content or products are placed. Since Amazon is a product search engine, the following factors are considered for placement:
- Product title
- Bullet Points
- Deposited keywords
- Product description
However, these factors are only „information-based“ factors. In addition, there are so-called „performance factors“, which are divided into the following criteria:
- CV Rate
- CTR
- Product images
- Reviews
- Dwell time
- Return rate
The information-based factors are relatively „easy“ to define from Seller’s perspective, since no external factors intervene. The performance factors, however, depend on the customer. Nevertheless, a strict division between information-based keywords and performance keywords is not possible, because the dwell time depends, for example, on the bullet points. The more interesting your bullet points are, the higher the customer’s dwell time.
Both performance and information-based ranking factors can be optimized by Seller. We show you how!
Amazon SEO Tool – With this tool you can improve your Amazon ranking
Before we get into the individual factors, we want to give you an overview of two tools you can work with to get the most out of your listing.
Helium 10 – All in One Tool
Helium 10 defines itself as „Insanely Powerful Software Tools For Amazon Sellers“. The tool allows you to install a Chrome extension so that you can see all the sales and search volumes of individual keywords. In addition, you can use various functions in the web version, such as the keyword tracker. All in one, the tool helps you with Amazon keyword research. The following main functions are included:
- Blackbox: With Blackbox you can analyze over 450 million products.
- XRay: The browser extension shows you the search volumes as well as the individual sales of the products.
- Scribbles: Scribbles makes sure that important keywords are taken care of in your listing. According to Helium itself, keyword organization can be automated for titles, descriptions and bullets.
- Cerebro – Reverse ASIN Search: With this tool you can enter competitor ASINS in the search bar and filter competitor keywords.
Thus, in addition to the main functions, Helium 10 offers many other features that facilitate research. Price-wise, Helium 10 starts at $97 per month. In part, the Amazon SEO tool can be used free of charge.
JungleScout – Improve Amazon ranking factors with JS
JungleScout offers similar features as Helium 10. Also with JungleScout you can easily do a keyword research and analyze competitor products. A Chrome Extension is also offered for this purpose.
Also, you get a product tracker that allows you to monitor your organic ranking for different keywords. The biggest advantage of this tool is that it provides a supplier database that you can use to contact potential manufacturers.
For SEO optimization you can use Keyword Scout from Junglescout. With this tool you can display any search volume of different keywords. Historical search volume data can also be viewed.
Price-wise, the tool starts at around $49 monthly, including the extension. However, no free version is provided here.
Expert Tip:
A free alternative for keyword determination is Sonar. This tool was developed by Sellics and shows you all relevant keywords for your product. However, the tool is unfortunately not sufficient for a granular analysis.
The A9 Algorithm – The Foundation
The A9 algorithm is the search algorithm developed by Amazon and used to provide search results on the Amazon website. This algorithm uses various factors to determine the relevance and quality of search results for a given search query. These factors include the ratio of keyword occurrences to the total number of words on a page, the popularity and relevance of the page for the given keyword, and the user ratings of the products and pages.
Amazon SEO Optimization – These Factors Matter
Information-based factors
We have sorted the factors in descending order of weighting. The title of your product as well as the bullet points play the biggest role here.
1. how to find the perfect Amazon product title
Depending on the category, we recommend you to place the keywords in the title that have a high search volume in your niche. However, search volume alone should not be the sole factor in the weighting. In addition, there is the relevance of the keywords.
If the search volume „black dog bed“ has a higher search volume than „white dog bed“ and you are promoting a white dog bed, you should not mention the black dog bed in your title. In addition, the style guides from Amazon itself should always be followed.
Therefore, the following attributes should be included in your product title:
- Brand
- Material or main feature.
- Product type
- Color
- Size
The trick is to link these elements to your keywords without exceeding the 100-125 character limit. The first keyword in your title will have the highest relevance. Subsequent ones are considered with less relevance.
Product title wording should not be underestimated. The work behind it is very granular and requires expert knowledge, as both consumers and the algorithm must be satisfied. Keyword research is feasible with the appropriate tools, but usually also requires 10-15 hours of effort.
Expert tip for a quick keyword analysis (Note: Not the same as a granular analysis):
To identify the most important keywords, you can use the Amazon Autocomplete feature. With this, you will be shown all search queries that are also similarly made by customers. You should note down these keywords and determine the search volume.
2) Formulate bullet points
Next to the product title, bullet points play the second most important role in Amazon SEO optimization. Besides the algorithm itself, the potential customer also reads them. Therefore, you need to find an optimal way to target keywords and sales copy.
Unlike the title, it does not matter where a keyword is placed. It is more important that the most relevant keywords appear in the bullet points and are ideally packaged. Pure keyword bashing does not lead to an optimal SEO result, because customers are not encouraged to buy. Underline your USPs and show what makes your product unique.
Our tip for the optimal bullet points:
Show the buyer what your product offers. If you are selling a stainless steel product, don’t write that the product is very high quality. Instead, you should communicate the exact benefit to the customer, which in this case would be durability and rust-free. You have 200 bytes available per bullet point. The maximum number of bullet points is 1000 bytes.
3) Define keywords
In the seller backend you can define keywords behind each product. These help the algorithm to better understand your product. This is how you manage to ensure optimal keyword coverage.
Place in this field all keywords that have not been added in your title, nor in your bullet points. We recommend inserting a maximum of 249 bytes in the field bar. Exceeding this limit will cause all keywords in the bar to be ignored. Avoid irrelevant special characters, because they take more bytes.
Did you know?
Regular letters from A-Z have a size of one byte, while special characters have two bytes in size. To determine the byte/character count you can use Wrel.
4) Product description
You can use up to 2000 characters for the product description. Here you can formulate sales texts as you wish, which should be targeted. Frequent repetition of keywords does not strengthen relevance.
For the A9 algorithm, the product description falls into lower weighting. Since most users only look at the bullet points and the
Amazon product images
you should concentrate your focus on these two factors.
With the help of the product description you have the possibility to convince potential customers of your product. Place USPs and show the customer how they can benefit from your product and how it will make their everyday life easier.
In addition to these factors, as mentioned above, the performance keywords play a significant role. When it comes to optimizing these, quality takes precedence over quantity.
The Amazon SEO Performance Factors
Conversion Rate & Click-Through Rate for Amazon SEO
What is important to understand is the inherent relationship between these two metrics. Voerst: What is the CTR and what is the CR?
The CTR rate (click-through rate) indicates how many users clicked on your product after they entered a specific keyword.
The CR rate (conversion rate), on the other hand, indicates how many clicked on your product and then bought it. For Amazon, both factors are significant. An above-average CTR leads the algorithm to conclude that your listing is not optimized well enough or that certain features discourage the customer from buying. As a result, your product loses relevance for the respective keyword. The CR rate ensures that the CTR rate is brought into relation with the buying behavior. This allows the algorithm to quickly identify which product has a higher CV rate and know that these products are popular with the customer. Accordingly, the relevance is classified as very high and the organic ranking increases.
Expert Tip:
We recommend that you use a mail order company that is Amazon Prime certified. In Germany, there are about 17 million Amazon Prime customers who prefer fast delivery. In the best case, a Prime certification means a higher conversion rate for you. In addition, deliverability is a basic requirement. Make sure you record few out of stock phases. This can negatively affect your ranking. The ability to deliver is therefore essential.
Performance factor: product images
In our opinion, product images play the most significant role in Amazon SEO optimization. The A9 algorithm does not rate your images itself. The only criteria that the algorithm can evaluate are the resolution and format of the images.
We recommend a resolution of 1000×1000 so that the magnifier function is activated. In most categories this is the standard, however specific requirements are placed on certain categories. For this you should read the guidelines of the respective categories. Moreover, JPEG photos are preferred by Amazon itself. The color model should be RGB and a resolution of at least 72dpi is desired.
As already mentioned, the A9 algorithm can only measure the number of images and the quality. What is ultimately placed on the images is not directly measurable by the algorithm itself. Therefore, Amazon uses the previously explained CTR to further narrow down the quality of the images. The higher the CTR rate, the more appealing the first image of your listing. In addition, there is the CV rate, which is also partly dependent on your images. In our surveys, we found that 70% of customers click on a listing based solely on the product photo, and around 40% buy the product.
For your main image, you should consider a few criteria. Even though not all sellers adhere to these criteria, they are mandated by Amazon:
- The image should contain the core product
- The background must be pure white (RGB code: 255, 255, 255)
- The product must fill 70-100% of the image area
- The product should be fully visible
- The main image must not contain any text, graphics or illustrations. This is only allowed in the additional images
We therefore recommend using a professional product photographer, as product photos passively influence many other ranking factors.
Expert Tip:
With the help of product videos you can increase your conversion. To do this, you should present to the customer how easy it is to use, for example. A 360 degree view is available for vendor sellers. You can also increase your conversion rate with this feature, as it allows the customer to view your product from different angles.
Reviews – The be-all and end-all for Amazon SEO
Ratings influence not only the CTR, but also the buying behavior of customers. Therefore, motivate your customers to rate your products in follow-up mails. We do not recommend using agencies or other services to generate ratings. Since 2020, Amazon has been actively combating fake reviews and has introduced a new rating scheme for this purpose. Also, Amazon is quick to delete fake reviews or even block your seller account. Put more emphasis on growing organically instead of through fake reviews. Because if your product doesn’t deliver what it promises, sooner or later customers will speak up and post negative reviews. In addition to product ratings, there is also the option of seller ratings. You should also keep an eye on these, as they can influence you as a salesperson both positively and negatively.
Dwell time – How long does a customer stay on your product page?
Amazon SEO optimization requires a well thought-out strategy, as the various ranking factors have an inherent connection and influence each other. So does the length of stay. Amazon uses dwell time to measure how long a customer stays on your product page. Dwell time can be increased with attractive images, engaging bullet points and a detailed product description. In general, a high dwell time cannot be considered positive, since it is the purchase that counts for Amazon itself. However, a reasonable dwell time should be achieved before making a purchase.
Return rate – Does your product deliver what it promises?
The return rate is a performance factor that should not be given too little importance. Through this, the A9 algorithm knows to what extent your product delivers on promises and whether customers are satisfied. If your return rate is very high, this will cause you to quickly slip in the organic ranking. Therefore, always respond quickly to customer messages and try to prevent a return as best as possible.
Expert tip – With A+ content to a higher conversion rate
A+ content can be used instead of the product description. This section in the listing is available for all trademarks that have been officially registered in the DPMA Register. With A+ content, instead of poorly modifiable product descriptions, you can make images and content more appealing and include a dedicated landing page in your listing. You can learn more about Amazon’s trademark application here. It should be noted that every A+ content is checked and activated by Amazon itself.
The biggest advantage to A+ content is that you can significantly increase your conversion. Two major advantages are particularly important here. With A+ content, you can better manage your
- Place product story: With more images you can better communicate the added value of the product. Show the customer the lifestyle associated with ownership of the product.
- Increase brand awareness: By actively positioning your brand, you increase visibility. You differentiate yourself from the competition and can drive repeat purchases and increase customer loyalty.
However, you should pay attention to the following criteria when designing your A+ content:
- Amazon like logos are prohibited
- According to Amazon, there should be nothing about your own company within the A+ content. So you are not allowed to provide contact information
- Phrases such as „best price“ or „the best prices“ are prohibited
- Customer ratings should not be given
- High quality images should always be used. Otherwise, the content will not be approved.
- No duplicate content
Amazon SEO Checklist
- Make sure the title of your product is relevant and meaningful.
- Use relevant and popular keywords in the title and product description.
- Use the right categories and subcategories for your product.
- Use all relevant fields in the product description to describe your product, including features, size, materials, and manufacturing process.
- Use high quality and meaningful product images.
- Collect positive customer reviews and respond to negative reviews if possible.
- Use Sponsored Products or other Amazon advertising programs to promote your product.
- Make sure your product price is competitive.
- Use Amazon A+ content to promote your product with more information and images.
- Avoid having your product show as „unavailable“ by maintaining sufficient inventory levels.
Amazon SEO Conclusion
We hope that this article has given you a better understanding of Amazon SEO. Dype offers you numerous consultants in this field who will be happy to assist you. All of our consultants have already placed several products on the Amazon market and accordingly have results to show. You want to optimize your listing? In a short consulting session, the consultants don’t sell you a service, but show you how you can optimize your listing yourself with simple hacks. With our Dype consultants to Amazon SEO success.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions about Amazon SEO
Some questions around Amazon SEO are asked again and again. Here we provide you with our answers:
How do you get on the first page of Amazon?
- Besides Amazon SEO, you should also run PPC campaigns for visibility, as both measures correlate with each other. As already mentioned in the post, many factors are crucial for the visibility on the first page. We always recommend creating customer-facing listings, as these convert best and are thus rewarded by Amazon with increased visibility.
Is there a helpful Amazon SEO tool?
- Yes. With tools like Helium 10, you can track not only your organic rankings. You can check the specific search volume of keywords, discover new keywords & much more.
Do keyword repetitions provide better ranking?
- No. Keyword repetition or even keyword bashing will not lead to a better ranking.
How often does the A9 algorithm update listings?
- The A9 algorithm works in a very timely manner. Usually, updates in the ranking become noticeable after only a few hours. For example, the bestseller list in the respective category updates every hour.
How can I see my Amazon ranking?
- The easiest way to see your Amazon ranking is with tools like Helium 10. By entering your ASIN in Cerebro, all keywords and rankings will be displayed. In addition, the bestseller rank provides a good indicator of the ranking. This shows the product placement within a corresponding category. Therefore, always make sure that you choose the right category for your products.
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