The Amazon sales rank – Four things you should definitely know
We know bestseller lists from every bookstore. When looking for a new book, people often check which title is currently selling particularly well or which author is popular. However, bestseller lists are not just for books. The online giant also creates its own ranking: the Amazon sales rank.
But what does this metric actually indicate? And while we’re at it, let’s clarify some open questions on the topic: How is it calculated, where can the sales rank be viewed on Amazon.de, and how can it be influenced or even improved by an Amazon seller?
With this article, we aim to shed some light on the subject, take a closer look at this special rank, and provide you with all the important information about it.
# 1: What is the Amazon sales rank, actually?
This rank captures, how well a product sells compared to its competitors in the same category or subcategory. If a product is listed in different categories, as many sales ranks are taken into account. If we look at the example from the screenshot (the product is now listed under a different ASIN), we see that the professional hair clipper for men from the brand Hatteker holds 1st place in the category hair clippers AND 5th place in drugstore and personal care. This means that this item sells better than all other hair clippers. Compared to other items in the drugstore and personal care category, it ranks 5th among the best-selling products. An item that holds an Amazon sales rank in the top 10 or lower sells quite well.
Whoever wants to determine the Amazon sales rank of a product simply clicks on the product page. Under the additional product information, where you can also find the ASIN and the average customer rating, the Amazon sales rank is listed under the designation “Amazon Best Seller Rank”. This way, sellers on Amazon.de can easily read the sales rank – e.g. from competing products or for product research.
# 2: How is the Amazon sales rank calculated?
The online giant creates a ranking for each category of the listed items. According to its own statements, the Amazon sales rank is determined based on sales figures and updated hourly.
To give new products a chance at the coveted first place in the Amazon sales rank list, sales are historically evaluated. The further back the values are in the past, the less weight they carry. This means that, for example, a book that was initially sold often but has not been ordered for a longer period of time will receive a worse rank than another book that is new and currently being sold frequently. The hourly updates are also intended to help give new products a chance at rank 1.
# 3: How can one influence the Amazon sales rank of their own products?
Whoever wants to make the leap to Amazon sales rank place 1 simply needs to record more sales than other products in the same category.
But that is easier said than done. It is important that your product offers customers added value that competing items do not provide. However, you should not compare apples to oranges. With a hair clipper like the one in the example above, you will not be competing with a deodorant, even though both products can be found in the drugstore and personal care category. This is because, while it is a main category, the products are sorted into different subcategories.
But the hair clipper also has a sales rank on Amazon in the hair clippers category, which is a subcategory. Here you will also find your competitors: namely all other hair clippers.
To stand out from the competing products, you have various options that you should use in combination instead of focusing on just one: Your product is better than that of the competition.
1. Your product is better than that of the competition
Maybe your hair clipper has attachments that your competitors do not offer? Or it is made of particularly durable material, so the machine can fall without breaking immediately? Then that is exactly the reason why your product should sell more often. Highlight this fact in your marketing activities, as it will positively affect your Amazon sales rank and its calculation by the algorithm.
2. SEO, SEO, SEO – well, and also a bit of marketing
What good is a product that is better than that of your competitors if you simply cannot sell it? You must ensure that customers also know: your product is better! Focus on concise product titles, professional images, and a good description. You can also demonstrate your Amazon SEO skills at the same time. Research relevant keywords and use them in both the title and the description if you are the author of the product page.
This way, you simultaneously increase the visibility of your product, which in turn has a positive effect on sales figures and thus the Amazon sales rank.
3. Customer service
It is now well known that Amazon focuses on an exceptionally good customer journey. This means for sellers that there is no way around it. Customers are spoiled by the high standards of the online giant. If these expectations are not met, they become frustrated and leave negative reviews. This has two negative effects. On the one hand, it discourages potential customers from buying your product; on the other hand, it decreases your chances of winning the Buy Box or labels like Amazon’s Choice and thus the visibility of your product.
Tip: Opt for FBA! This facilitates fast shipping processing and an exceptionally customer-friendly returns management according to Amazon’s guidelines for you, as you hand over fulfillment to the e-commerce giant. This can even influence your Amazon sales rank.
But again: Do not rest on your success if you have mastered one of the points. All three are extremely important, you should have all metrics under control.
That’s all well and good, but what’s the point of it all?
# 4: What does the Amazon sales rank bring?
Primarily, bestsellers are rewarded with a prominent orange badge, which crowns the 1st place of the Amazon sales rank already in the overview of the search results. This has a psychological effect on the customer. The label is not only very present, it also conveys trust. After all, many other customers have already sold this item, and this wouldn’t happen if it weren’t good. Or?
The Amazon sales rank is also relevant for sellers who want to expand their product portfolio. Because based on this, the demand and sales potential of an item can be estimated. If a product ranks well, ideally of course in 1st place, it means that it sells relatively well and the demand is correspondingly high.
# 5: Why a solid market analysis boosts your sales rank
If you are successful on Amazon and have new product ideas, thorough preparation and a detailed market analysis are crucial. Such an analysis examines sales figures, prices, competition, and macroeconomic trends to determine whether the market is ready for your products. Market data is essential to save time and money.
But what exactly does that mean? An Amazon market analysis is part of the broader market research and market observation that collects information about industries, customers, and competitors. You can also use this data for your own market forecasts to derive future developments and make decisions that will make your business more profitable. Key elements of this analysis include the evaluation of products, sales figures, and competitors.
Above all, however, a market analysis is crucial for the sales rank on Amazon, as it helps to understand demand and competition. It allows you to optimize your product range and pricing strategies, leverage competitor strategies, and improve products based on customer reviews. An effective market analysis also supports marketing strategies and inventory management, prevents stockouts, and identifies profitable niche markets. Overall, this leads to better sales figures and a higher sales rank, making products easier to find by potential buyers.
Here is an overview of the key functions of a market analysis:
How can such an analysis be conducted time-efficiently and intelligently?
There are two options at this point. You can conduct the analysis yourself, which will cost you a lot of time and nerves – especially considering how error-prone such analyses often are when created solely by human hands. The second option, namely a specially developed Amazon analysis tool, is much more recommendable. It is true that you will need to spend some money for this. However, considering the accuracy of the analyses and the time savings you gain by using these tools, it is an investment that is definitely worth it.
Here is the solution we trust:
AMALYZE Shield
AMALYZE Shield is a high-quality tool for comprehensive market analyses. With its numerous features, it provides in-depth insights into the organic visibility of items, can be used as an Amazon Sales Estimator, compares the performance of products, and enables a detailed SEO analysis.
In addition, each individual product is evaluated based on various criteria – from title to images to bullet points and description. This provides AMALYZE Shield with valuable data that offers tremendous support in planning marketing and sales strategies. It shows the best sales rank, allowing you to immediately recognize which products are particularly in demand in the market.
You can also monitor your own ASINs with AMALYZE Shield and directly compare them with the competition. This way, you always keep track of your own performance compared to other sellers in the market.
All of this is rounded off by features for evaluating brand and seller portfolios. With this feature, you have the opportunity to compare and assess different brands and sellers to better evaluate your own market position and optimize it if necessary. Through these comprehensive analysis capabilities, AMALYZE Shield is an indispensable tool for anyone who wants to seriously engage in market analyses and increase their success.
Conclusion: And now?
The Amazon sales rank is one of many metrics of the e-commerce giant and evaluates the popularity of a product. It relates to sales figures and is therefore a good indicator of the sales potential of an item. You should definitely consider this when contemplating adding this product to your range.
In addition, the winners are rewarded with a prominent label that builds trust with customers and encourages purchases. To display the Amazon sales rank, it is only necessary to take a look at the product detail page. This way, sellers can also find out the Amazon sales rank of competing products without any special tool.
It is therefore quite sensible for sellers to engage with the sales rank on Amazon and keep it in mind during product research. Because it is a good indicator of how well a product can be sold.
Image credits in the order of the images: © tomertu – stock.adobe.com / Screenshot @ Amazon / © sdx15 – stock.adobe.com / © Yuliia – stock.adobe.com
