Amazon SEO: Overview

Amazon SEO: How to rank on page 1 on Amazon

Amazon SEO: Overview

Securing a high position on Amazon’s first page of search engine results is not just a goal for sellers – it’s actually a game changer. It’s also the key to elevating your product listings into the spotlight, boost sales, and garner improved brand loyalty.

The interesting thing is that when done right Amazon SEO or search engine optimisation can be a win-win not only for sellers but customers as well. Amazon loves products that are relevant to their visitors’ needs, so the better your SEO is, the higher the chances of your product popping up on page 1 of search engine results. This makes Amazon happy and that, in turn, means more sales for you. Lovely!

Ranking on the first page of Amazon Search Results: The Basics

Before we discuss the individual ways of increasing your chances of popping up on page 1 of Amazon search engine results pages (SERPs), we should briefly understand some of the key elements at work, such as:

The Algorithm know as A10 simply builds around one key metric – sales velocity

The A10 Algorithm

The new and improved A10 algorithm helps determine product ranking on multiple factors, including:

• Customer reviews
• Keyword relevance
• Sales performance
• Competitive pricing
• Fulfilment method
• Product image quality

While we don’t have enough real estate within this article to faithfully explain how each of these factors come into play, let’s just say that they play a pivotal role in the methodology behind how the A10-based ranking system works. When you know how that works, you can fine-tune your product listings more effectively.

Chris and his team are only a phone call away and would love to give you a quick primer on these to help you sell more effectively.

Quality of product listing

A great product listing is crucial for winning a spot on Amazon’s page 1 of search results. Your listing, therefore, must be optimised with the right keywords to match your prospects’ search queries. Unless you do this, your listing will not appear in the appropriate searches.

So, your title, bullet points, description, backend keywords, etc., all need to be strategically done to maximise search relevance. Combine that with detailed and accurate descriptions as well as high-quality images, and you will improve customer engagement while also cutting down your chances of returns – something which can cause a high ODR (order defect rate), and that can adversely impact your ranking.

Customer reviews  

A consistent string of positive customer reviews provide great social proof and not only affect buyer decisions but also improve your chances of having the A10 algorithm rank you high. Low-star ratings, on the other hand, can impact not only buyer decisions but also impact your listings’ visibility in search rankings.

Speed and frequency of selling

Swift and consistent sales as well as regular inventory turnover is something Amazon loves. When your product is a hot-seller and becomes popular with buyers, Amazon tends to promote it more as it directly benefits their platform.

Amazon knows these are high-flying items and will tend to give such listings higher visibility and promotional exposure on its search engine.

More targeted keywords

The more targeted the keywords are, the higher your chances of showing up on page 1 of Amazon’s SERPs. When someone searches for a specific product on Amazon, the A10 algorithm will match their inputted search terms against the various keywords included in products listings (not just your own but everybody else selling the same or similar products).

We can’t stress enough on the importance of carefully researching and choosing keywords to match these potential terms people may be entering on Amazon to look for a specific product; include those keywords in your title, description and backend search terms, as it can significantly boost your product’s visibility.

Best ways to rank on Amazon’s page 1 search results

As promised, here’s what you can start doing to make your listings pop up on Amazon’s page 1 SERPs:

Select keywords your potential buyer might use

Naturally, it makes sense to start off with this one as it’s one of the most crucial aspects of ranking high on Amazon. Think about what kind of search terms your target buyer might want to use when looking for a product like yours.

Amazon’s search bar is a good place to start, as is Google Keyword Planner and a wide variety of SEO tools, both paid and free, which you can use online to find popular and relevant keywords.

Let’s say your product is a “black coffee thermos”; make sure your search terms include phrases like ‘eco-friendly’, ‘BPA-free’, ‘durable’ or ‘recyclable’, and so on.

These are some of the terms a target buyer may use along with “coffee thermos”, of course. Incorporate the target search terms as naturally as possible into the title, description, and bullet points.

Conduct research on your competitors’ listings

Why is this important?

Well, researching what kind of keywords and selling strategies your competitors are using in their listings is a great way to gain some insight and use them to improve your own listing for the much coveted page 1 ranking.

First, you’d want to identify your top competitors for your specific product category. Then, analyse their listings to see what kind of search terms they are using, particularly in their titles and bullet points. You want to pay special attention to things like customer reviews, product features, Q&A sections, etc.

For instance, if one of your competitors is selling wireless headphones for game consoles, and you see that they are consistently ranking high – observe their listings to identify USPs like, for example, battery life, comfort-related features, sound quality, etc. and how those are presented in the descriptions – to inspire your own search terms and unique selling points.

Try to find patterns in the customer feedback (negative and positive) to help identify what buyers value the most. Use that to address any gaps in your own product.

Ask for authentic customer reviews (don’t buy!)

Reviews act as social proof. They influence buying decisions and help to build trust between you and your target buyers. A word of caution, however: do not ‘pay’ people to put up beaming product reviews as that can quickly go against you and you might end up in a heap of trouble with Amazon. So, it’s always good to try other ways of getting true, authentic, and organic reviews from actual people who have used your product.

There are review gathering third-party apps and software available which can automate review requests – integrating with Amazon’s existing systems, where personalised and automated review requests along with timely follow-up requests are sent to buyers, asking them to leave feedback. Taking advantage of such tools ensures that you gain a steady flow of reviews, which is very important for improving and maintaining a high ranking.

Ensure sufficient inventory levels

Amazon’s algorithm tends to favour listings which are consistently able to satisfy consumer demand, and without running low on inventory or running out completely. Products frequently going out of stock means that sales momentum gets disrupted. You guessed it – that adversely impacts product ranking, and you’ll end up getting placed lower in SERPs.

Furthermore, consistent availability of your product reassures buyers that you provide a reliable service. This, in turn, encourages positive reviews and feedback, repeat buys, and ultimately, a boost to your listing’s ranking.

Finally, if you keep running out of stock, you will lose visibility and lag behind your competitors who are proactively maintaining optimal stock levels. So, make sure you are nicely stocked out, particularly during high-demand or high-business seasons. If anything, you’ll be able to benefit from a higher ranking via increased traffic during busy periods.

High-quality photos & videos are a must

Great-quality videos and photos can only enhance your buyers’ shopping experience, as they better understand what they’re getting into by buying a specific product. Clear, crisp, and well-lit images offering a detailed view of the product from all angles (and in action) reduces visual ambiguity. It also reduces buyer hesitation, directly improving your conversation rates as a result and even increasing positive reviews – both of these are two important elements involved in how the A10 algorithm ranks you on SERPs.

High-quality videos that are bandwidth-friendly showcase what your product can do, highlighting key features and USPs in a dynamic way. This will almost always give you a competitive edge over those who are not using videos in their listings.

Amazon’s A10 algorithm will always favour listings with great-quality images and videos, as they are far more appealing and relevant to buyers than those which don’t have either.

Keyword stuffing is a no-no

The practice of overloading or stuffing your product listing content with too many keywords, is a practice that’s to be avoided at all costs. It can be highly detrimental to your Amazon page 1 ranking, and even diminishes the readability and appeal of your product listing.

A listing cluttered with too many keywords, especially irrelevant ones, not only looks clumsy and misleading, but also leads to a lower clickthrough (CTR) and higher bounce rate – both of which will make your ranking sink.

In conclusion, the above ways for ranking on Amazon’s first page of search results is by no means comprehensive, although they are great starting points. Learn more by speaking to Chris and expert team today.