Amazon SEO: How to Optimize Your Listing for Optimal Amazon Ranking
You may know the feeling: you offer a great product on Amazon, but when you search on Amazon, your listing does not appear among the top search results. In the worst case, you may not even find yourself on page 1. This significantly reduces the chance of that item being purchased, as very few users look at page 2 and beyond. With good Amazon SEO optimization, you can significantly improve your listing and thus the ranking of your product within the search results, and perhaps even secure the top spot.
Newcomers to online retail often have many questions about Amazon SEO, to which the online giant provides little or vague answers. Therefore, we have taken a closer look at the basics that everyone should master and the measures that are crucial for listing optimization on Amazon.
What is Amazon SEO?
“SEO” is the acronym for Search Engine Optimization and refers to the optimization of texts and websites with the aim of placing them as high as possible in the search results of, for example, Google or Amazon.
Typically, SEO refers to optimization for Google. However, a website can also be optimized for other search engines, including Amazon’s search. SEO is primarily conducted by sellers who want to increase the visibility of their listings for users of the Amazon search. In this context, SEO specifically refers to organic ranking, meaning the unpaid search results.
The visibility of a product is always relative: for keyword A, the product may rank in first place, while for keyword B, it may not rank at all. This is because the determining factor is how the search algorithm assesses the relevance of a listing in relation to a search query. It evaluates this based on various factors, such as which keywords appear in the product title. The higher the relevance, the higher the likelihood of purchase.
This highlights how important Amazon SEO and achieving a placement as high as possible are for the click-through rate and likelihood of purchase on a listing.
Who should polish their Amazon SEO?
Those who trade on the marketplace of the e-commerce giant typically deal with two types of products: branded goods or private label. While branded goods are sold by third parties and are often name-brand products, private label items are marketed under the seller’s own brand. This has a significant impact on the optimal approach to Amazon SEO. Typically, the content – such as product titles or descriptions – is managed by the brand owner.
What is an Amazon Listing?
In the Amazon ecosystem, a listing refers to the product detail page that serves as an entry in the e-commerce giant’s catalog. Here, customers can find all relevant information to make a purchasing decision. On Amazon, the listing consists of defined elements that the owner of the listing can fill out according to their preferences:
The listing is the page that the user reaches when they select and click on a product in the purchasing process from the search results page.
For example: You, as a seller, are trading backpacks on Amazon and offer the Speed Lite 12 by Deuter. The brand owner then edits the listing, while you simply add your offer to the already existing product page using the EAN. All offers for the same product are listed under the same product page. The individual sellers then compete for the yellow cart field, known as the Buy Box. Sellers have no influence on the ranking within the search results and often have to settle for a poorly optimized listing.
Unlike with branded goods, private label sellers or brand owners should definitely focus on the ranking factors and actively work on their Amazon SEO. With this knowledge, sellers can improve their listings and, as a result of a higher ranking, generate more sales and revenue. Below, we present tips and tricks for your Amazon SEO to optimize your listing as much as possible.
SEO Optimization for Amazon Sellers: How Does Ranking Work on Amazon?
Amazon’s goal is always sales. For the online giant, it is secondary whether it sells itself or its sellers do. Amazon earns from every sale made, regardless. Sellers can use similar levers for optimization as they do with Google SEO. However, there is a completely different search intent on Amazon. Customers want to find and buy products. Since they cannot directly inspect the items as they would in a physical store, the product detail pages hold particular significance. The keyword here is: Keywords! With the right Amazon keyword tool, research can be done quickly. Because the algorithm always asks: Does a search result match the search query?
Excursus: Indirect Ranking Factors
With the listing, Amazon sellers have an effective means to improve their ranking in the search results, known as SERPs. However, other aspects can only be indirectly influenced through good Amazon SEO. These include the click-through rate (CTR), time on page, and conversion rate (CR). The higher these metrics are, the more the algorithm assumes that a search query has been satisfactorily answered. This, in turn, increases the likelihood that the next search query for the same or related keywords will be answered similarly.
Good Amazon SEO thrives on the quality of the information provided. This increases the click-through rate, which in turn boosts conversions. The great thing is that while it can take months or even years to improve rankings on Google, initial successes in Amazon SEO can sometimes be visible within just a few minutes. If that isn’t motivation to start today, what is?
How does Amazon’s A9 algorithm work?
It is especially important to familiarize yourself with how the A9 algorithm, which underlies the search engine, works – not least because this can ultimately give you an advantage over other marketplace sellers and lead to more sales overall.
To conduct a search, Amazon’s search engine determines which items best match the customer’s query and then ranks the results based on the performance of the item for the customers.
The Key Ranking Factors for the A9 Algorithm
The A9 search algorithm is based on two fundamental principles: relevance and performance. A product with high sales performance is more likely to rank higher in Amazon’s search results than a product with fewer sales. Similarly, a product page that uses keywords relevant to the customer’s search query is assessed by the algorithm as more relevant and is therefore likely to be placed further up in the rankings.
Relevance
#1: Product Title
When it comes to Amazon SEO, the title is crucial. The title should include the most relevant keywords and contain what would typically be on the product’s packaging. Ideally, the brand name should also be included in the title. It is one of the first elements that catches the customer’s eye, even before they have clicked on a listing. Therefore, optimizing the title on Amazon is extremely important for the click-through rate (CTR). Sellers should place the most important keyword at the beginning, followed by relevant information such as the brand name, unique selling points, and key product features. The more relevant keywords that can be incorporated, the better.
Typically, up to 200 characters* are available in Seller Central to optimize the Amazon product title. The focus should be on how to make it as attractive and “clickable” as possible for potential buyers. Generally, shorter titles tend to get clicked more than longer ones. Amazon recommends a maximum of 80 characters, but depending on the target audience, 120 to 150 characters can also be optimal. At the same time, relevant keywords must also fit within this limit. Therefore, the ideal length of the title varies depending on the product and category.
Amazon has also provided its own guidelines regarding product titles, which include some exclusion criteria.
Here is an example of a product title from the “Accessories” category, which also includes some exclusion criteria. The titles must adhere to the recommended length for your product category, including spaces…
[Brand] + [Department] + [Product Name] + [Size & Color] (for products with variations) +[Product Description]
Example: Ray-Ban + Unisex + Wayfarer + Sunglasses
*Caution Regarding Character Count. The allowable length of titles, bullet points, etc., may vary depending on the product category. To ensure that product descriptions and other elements are displayed and found in search without issues, it is best to adhere to the style guides from Amazon.
#2: Bullet Points
The second rank in the Amazon SEO analysis is occupied by the so-called bullet points, which are sometimes referred to as product attributes. In Seller Central – under the “Description” section – you can enter the bullet points for your products. These are displayed as bullet points below the title and price, making them one of the first things that catch the buyer’s eye. The algorithm also recognizes this fact and considers the bullet points to be correspondingly important. Therefore, the most important keywords that did not fit in the product title should be included here. It is essential to formulate precisely and clearly, rather than writing long epistles – even though up to 250 characters per point are allowed depending on the category.
Additionally, it is advisable to develop a strategy for the bullet points as a whole, not just for a single point. First, a brief summary of the product could be presented, followed by a description of any accessories included in the package and the unique selling points of the product. Finally, there would be space for other important features and a specific call-to-action (CTA). This way, the bullet points can effectively represent the customer’s purchasing process.
The order of the bullet points or attributes is irrelevant for A9; however, you should keep in mind that many potential customers only read these bullet points and do not scroll down to the product description. Therefore, take your time and carefully select your keywords.
#3: Product Images
If your ranking is good but your CTR is lacking, you should take a closer look at your product images. While keywords cannot be incorporated here, the images are extremely important for the listing and the CTR. Because the first image…in combination with the title is displayed in the search results and plays a crucial role in determining whether the buyer clicks on your listing or that of your competitor. Therefore, a low conversion rate does not necessarily have to be due to poor Amazon SEO.
Therefore, you should definitely optimize the product images for Amazon. They should be of the highest quality possible and at least 1000 x 1000 pixels in size. However, 1600 pixels or more is better, as this allows the viewer to use the popular zoom feature. 80 to 90 percent of the photo should be occupied by the product. Many sellers have had good experiences with six to eight photos in Full HD or 1:1 format.
Before you hire a professional photographer for your Amazon SEO, first check the image requirements set by Amazon, especially for the main image. This must be present; otherwise, the algorithm will ignore the entire product. Additionally, the background must be pure white; logos, frames, watermarks, price tags, buttons, etc., are not allowed. There are also Amazon-owned AI tools for image creation.
In the subsequent images, sellers have more flexibility. Since the first image should show the product in its entirety, it makes sense to change the perspective in the other photos. Here, you can showcase the product and highlight important details. Descriptive texts and various color options of the item are explicitly encouraged. A video is also possible – and it additionally increases the time spent on the product page, which in turn strengthens the ranking.
#4: Product Description
The product description is not one of the most important factors, but it is worthwhile to optimize it as part of Amazon SEO. It can be the deciding factor in the conversion process that turns an undecided customer into a convinced buyer. The corresponding field in Seller Central offers up to 2000 characters of space. Additionally, Google also indexes Amazon product pages, so the product description can contribute to increased traffic from external sources.
Sellers should also incorporate additional relevant keywords here. However, the focus should definitely be on the (sales psychological) quality of the content, the informational value for the customer, and optimal readability. This includes aspects such as spelling and grammar, a clear structure, and meaningful subheadings.
To convert undecided customers into sales, the product description should evoke emotion. Sellers can follow the AIDA model and ask themselves why the customer should be interested in this particular product. How can the product description create a specific desire for ownership in the customer? Direct addressing and emotionally crafted selling points usually achieve this best.
Excursus: A+ Content
Through the so-called A+ Content, sellers can expand the description of a product listing from 2,000 to 7,000 characters. Additional elements such as images and graphics are also possible. This can be particularly useful when a product requires extensive explanation, has a special design, or includes unique features. Even from an SEO perspective, there are several advantages. While Amazon does not crawl A+ Content, the increased conversion rate can still positively impact ranking. Keywords that otherwise have no space in the title, bullet points, description, or backend can be included here. Unlike Amazon, Google does register the additional content. In this way, keyword optimization of A+ Content can improve organic ranking on Google.
Performance
The best listing is of no use if you, as a seller, do not deliver good performance. In this case, you will hardly be able to maintain a good ranking over a longer period. Therefore, you should never rely solely on Amazon SEO. Performance factors also play a significant role, and your customer service must meet the high standards of the eCommerce platform.
These performance factors are measured, for example, by the click-through rate, conversion rate, and sales volume. Those who sell more have greater visibility with their products. This is understandable, as many sales are an indicator of above-average quality and satisfied customers. And Amazon loves nothing more than satisfied customers. So, what points should be particularly considered here?
By the way: Amazon does not differentiate how revenue is generated. Sales generated through Amazon Ads or external advertising also boost the visibility of a product. Therefore, sellers should definitely incorporate PPC ads into their strategy and run Sponsored Product Ads.
Optimize Amazon Ranking: The Backend
Just like in e-commerce SEO for Google, optimization for Amazon search can be done not only in the frontend but also in the backend. Sellers can enter keywords in the backend, thereby informing the algorithm about which search terms the respective listing is relevant for.
To optimize the Amazon backend search terms, several factors must be considered. For example, the maximum allowable number of 249 characters must not be exceeded. To save space, repetitions of words should be avoided, while the use of hyphens is a good idea. This allows for the combination of different variations of a keyword.
However, hyphens should be used judiciously, for example, whenever many different keywords or spellings need to be covered. Read more here about how to find, enter, and optimize Amazon backend search terms.
Here are a few tips for selecting backend search terms:
Amazon SEO: The Key Ranking Factors at a Glance
Conclusion: A Good Listing Requires Effort
An appealing and sales-promoting listing that ranks as high as possible on Amazon is not created overnight. Keywords need to be researched, texts written, high-resolution images created, and everything entered in Seller Central. Even after that, the product does not sell itself. Success monitoring and continuous adjustments to the current market situation fill the to-do list. While many sellers use a corresponding Amazon SEO tool for this purpose, the workload should not be underestimated.
However, sellers have little alternative. Those who do not want to forgo many customers must inevitably offer their goods on Amazon. Private label sellers and brand owners only have a chance for a high ranking if they optimize their listings. This includes elements such as titles, bullet points, and performance. Those who do not have the time to focus on Amazon SEO should consider hiring a specialized Amazon SEO agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Amazon SEO” refers to the targeted optimization of text, images, etc., for Amazon search. Typically, this involves product detail pages that are structured in such a way that they appear as high as possible in the search results for a specific search term. The acronym can be expanded to Search Engine Optimization, which translates to “Suchmaschinenoptimierung” in German.
Especially for private labels, optimizing the product page is a must. Typically, the competition in Amazon search for a product is very high. Without SEO, it is therefore nearly impossible for customers to find this product among the many other listed items, as very few customers look beyond page 1.
SEO for Amazon works similarly to SEO for Google. The customer’s search term is matched with the content on the product page. If the right keywords appear there, it indicates the relevance of the page for that search query. Therefore, keywords should primarily appear in the title, bullet points, backend, and product description. Other important factors include the price and the seller’s performance.
No, SEO can be effectively managed without a specialized agency. However, those who lack experience and need to learn the basics or do not know what good content looks like could benefit from consulting.
This question is difficult to answer in general terms. However, some programs are a must: In addition to an Amazon keyword tool and an Amazon analysis tool, marketplace sellers should also definitely engage with topics such as repricers, profit dashboards, and FBA refunds.
Amazon Advertising does not have a direct impact on SEO. However, marketing measures are still beneficial because they improve performance (such as CTR) and thus enhance the visibility of a listing.
Yes, definitely. Without optimizing the listing, it is hardly possible to achieve a good position in Amazon search. Therefore, it is particularly important for beginners to improve their SEO and provide optimized listings. These listings should then be monitored as part of ongoing SEO through rank/keyword monitoring.
Image credits in the order of the images: © akarawit – stock.adobe.com / © mh.desing – stock.adobe.com / © Rymden – stock.adobe.com
