Amazon A10 Algorithm: Actionable Insights on Amazon’s Search Engine
As the undeniable champion of global e-commerce, Amazon shows impressive numbers. In the United States, over 230 million people shop on Amazon each year, with more than 160 million doing so at least monthly. What is the driver of an engagement with such volume? A major part of the equation is the platform’s powerful search and ranking algorithm – once known as A9, and now evolved into the more sophisticated Amazon A10.
By ensuring that shoppers are instantly shown the most relevant, high-converting products, Amazon has even surpassed Google as the primary destination for product searches. This dominant position will only become more pronounced with the rollout of the A10 algorithm on Amazon. With the transition to A10, sellers now face a more complex – but also more rewarding – landscape.
TL;DR – A9 vs A10: What’s Changed?
| Feature/Signal | A9 (Legacy) | A10 (Current) |
| Focus | Purchase likelihood | Buyer satisfaction, seller reputation, external engagement |
| Core Signals | CTR, CR, sales | CTR, CR, inventory, external traffic, seller authority, reviews |
| Ranking Personalization | Limited | Increased personalization and behavioral pattern analysis |
| Organic vs Paid Balance | Ads heavily weighted | Greater balance; organic performance matters more |
| External Influence | Minor | Major factor, especially for new products or launches |
The Amazon A10 algorithm favors sellers who build lasting customer relationships and maintain strong overall performance — including high seller ratings, consistent shipping times, and low return rates — rather than those focused only on quick, one-time sales.
How Does the A10 Algorithm on Amazon Work?
Step 1: Determine Relevant Products
The Amazon relevance algorithm begins by checking keyword relevance across certain factors: Product title, Backend search terms, Bullet points, Description. The algorithm is designed to find all products containing the searched keywords, and to remove filler words and punctuation. Make sure your keyword strategy covers broad, long-tail, and semantic variants for best results.
Step 2: Filter for Visibility Readiness
Ensure your listing contains all the necessary elements in order to be considered for ranking: A main image, valid price, active inventory, and eligibility for Prime / Buy Box.
Step 3: Rank Based on Buyer-Oriented Performance Signals
When comparing the A9 and the A10 algorithm with each other, this is where A10 surpasses its predecessor. See the list below:
| Signal | Description |
| Click-Through Rate (CTR) | % of searchers who clicked your product |
| Conversion Rate (CR) | % of visitors who bought after clicking |
| Sales Velocity | Units sold in 7/30/90-day windows |
| Review Quality & Quantity | Recent, verified, detailed reviews |
| Inventory Health | In-stock rate, availability |
| Seller Authority | Account age, feedback, fulfillment model |
| External Traffic | From Google, socials, blogs, etc. |
| Advertising Balance | A healthy mix of organic + paid visibility |
How to Optimize for the Amazon A10 Algorithm
Now that we’ve discussed the three steps that the current Amazon algorithm uses to rank products, it’s time to take a closer look at the steps that you can take to optimize your product listings. The steps aren’t overly complicated and go a long way in terms of pacing your products where they need to be: on your customers’ screens.
Step 1: Keyword Optimization
An advanced keyword research goes a long way. You can use freeware such as Google Trends to see which products people are currently looking for, but using paid tools such as Helium 10 and Junglescout yields better results. Also remember to optimize titles, bullets, backend terms and to target high-volume as well as long-tail keywords.
Step 2: Conversion-Ready Listings
If you want your product to stand out in the Amazon search ranking algorithm, use high-quality main images – ideally 1000×1000 pixels or larger. If you support these with lifestyle shots and feature photos that show your product in action, it will catch the buyer’s eye quicker. Same goes for bullet points, lead with the benefits to immediately capture buyer interest. For an even bigger impact, add A+ Content and videos to your listing. If you are looking for examples on how to do this, read our article on A+ Content and how it works.
Step 3: Fulfillment and Inventory
Make sure you stay in stock – it pays off (quite literally) to set up inventory alerts so you never run out. For faster and the most reliable shipping / customer satisfaction, use FBA or Seller-Fulfilled Prime. Using Amazon FBA also has a very positive effect on your seller metrics in general.
Step 4: Review Strategy
Never underestimate the weight of good reviews. This is true for your general business processes, but it also holds a lot of weight for the Amazon algorithm. A10 identifies products with good reviews and ranks them higher. Moreover, reviews not only actively affect your seller rating, they are often the second touchpoint in the customer journey of your buyers. Ask for reviews using post-purchase emails to keep feedback coming in. If you’re launching a new product, enroll it in Amazon Vine to get those first trusted reviews. And when negative feedback pops up, respond openly and professionally (this is not possible for FBA users). It’s always a good idea to increase the amount of reviews that are rolling in and improving your knowledge on how to get more reviews on Amazon.
Step 5: Generate External Traffic
External traffic is one of the big Amazon ranking factors. Got ideas on how to drive more shoppers to your listings through external traffic? Try all of them. Be it through blog reviews, Google Ads, YouTube product features or having influencers show your product on their channels. Especially partnering with Amazon influencers or affiliates that are well-known and active in your niche will help you to expand your reach and build trust. Don’t forget to set up tracking through Amazon Attribution so you can see what’s working and double down on it.
Step 6: A Balanced PPC Strategy
Use ads to boost visibility – but don’t depend on them alone. Focus on building strong organic rankings at the same time. Test what really drives results by running A/B experiments with and without ads to find the right balance for your brand.
Final Thoughts
Amazon’s A10 ranking algorithm builds on A9 by putting more emphasis on buyer satisfaction, seller reputation, and external engagement – not just paid ads. While the core elements like keyword relevance, CTR, and conversion rate still apply, A10 gives more weight to organic performance and behavioral data, making results more personalized and trustworthy for customers.
For sellers, this doesn’t mean more complexity – it means focusing on what already matters: quality listings, solid customer service, and real demand signals. But with rising competition, applying the A10 principles is no longer optional – it’s essential for standing out and ranking well.
FAQs
The Amazon A10 algorithm is more sophisticated than its predecessor, A9. A9 focused primarily on keyword relevance and sales performance, the current A10 goes further by incorporating factors like customer behavior, seller authority, external traffic, and overall buyer satisfaction. It also uses more advanced personalization and behavioral analysis, making it better at matching shoppers with high-quality, relevant products – ultimately improving customer experience.
Amazon’s product ranking algorithm evaluates listings based on keyword relevance, performance metrics like click-through and conversion rates, and customer satisfaction signals such as reviews and inventory health. It also considers external traffic and seller reputation. Products that meet these criteria and deliver value to buyers rank higher in search results.
No, the A9 and A10 algorithms do not respond in exactly the same way.
While both consider keyword relevance and performance signals (like CTR and conversion rate), A10 is more advanced. It places greater emphasis on customer satisfaction, external traffic, and seller reputation, and it uses more personalized, behavior-based data to rank products. A10 also gives less weight to paid ads compared to A9, favoring strong organic performance instead.
In short: A9 was more mechanical; A10 is smarter and more customer-focused.
Bildnachweise in der Reihenfolge der Bilder: © charles taylor – stock.adobe.com / © Siarhei – stock.adobe.com / Screenshot @ Amazon / © yuriygolub – stock.adobe.com
