The most common misconception about SEO is that it is all about Google. It is of course important to have great search engine rankings.
You don’t have to sell your product only through your website. Having an Amazon product page for a product that fits your industry keyword is just as important as having your website appear on the first search engine results page (SERP) for that keyword. When Amazon SEO is not done correctly, less traffic will be generated and fewer sales will be made.
Seeing results on Amazon differs from searching on Google or Bing due to Amazon’s search algorithm. This means that there are fewer ranking factors and signals than traditional SEO, which includes up to 200 factors.
While this might seem like an easier way to rank in Amazon, it’s not that simple. You’re going to have a difficult time analyzing Amazon SEO from a web-SEO perspective. Amazon is, first and foremost, a shopping platform.
How Amazon’s Search Algorithm Works
Because of the same name of the company that handles Amazon’s search engine optimization (SEO), a subsidiary of Amazon, Amazon’s search algorithm is referred to as A9.
As the world’s largest ecommerce site, Amazon is only concerned with one thing: profit, which is why it sells efficiently to millions of customers. Google is a great place to do all kinds of informational searches, but Amazon is mostly for transactional searches. Due to this, its algorithm is essentially based on two things – relevance and performance. With these two, crucial ranking factors optimized on your Amazon product page, you’ll convert and sell more.
Amazon Ranking Factors Related to Relevance
Using relevant keywords strategically on your Amazon pages can directly impact these ranking factors.
- The title of your product
Regarding relevance, the product-title ranking factor is probably the most important aspect of Amazon SEO. It is recommended that you use the most relevant keywords in the title of your product.
If you want to make your Amazon product name more appealing, here are some tips:
- Make sure your brand is included
- Make sure your product is clearly described
- Specific ingredients or essential materials should be mentioned
- Your product’s color should be specified
- Your product’s size should be clarified
- Incorporate the quantity of your product into your description (if applicable)
Keyword stuffing in your title will hurt your Amazon search ranking, as it would in white hat SEO. You risk creating a title that appears spammy by keyword-stuffing, which will negatively affect your click-through rate.
- Seller’s name
Considering your seller name as a ranking factor can have a significant impact on your relevance. It has been observed by some marketers that including the main keywords for the product in the seller name can help them rank higher in Amazon’s organic search results.
As an example, let’s look at the following. A seller named “Man of Men” is the top result on Amazon for “American flag ties for men.” The word “men” in the seller’s name could definitely contribute to their ranking. Changing the search query to exclude “for men” results in different results.
Amazon’s SERPs reward seller names, so consider them carefully.
- Backend Keywords for your Amazon
You will only use backend keywords in the backend section of your Amazon Seller Account. They are used to inform Amazon’s algorithms that a specific product listing targets a specific keyword. The backend keywords can be compared to meta tags, which help Google determine when to display your webpage to people searching for specific information.
Backend keywords can be entered into five fields. Lines are limited to 50 characters each. A backend keyword that exceeds the limit will not be indexed.
When filling out Amazon backend keywords, keep these five rules in mind:
- Make sure you don’t repeat anything
- Quote marks will limit your overall character count, so avoid them
- Avoid using the same word too many times
- There is no need for commas
- Use synonyms or variations of spelling
- Brand field
In addition to the brand field, a search box for additional products from the brand appears above the title or headline of the product page. Be sure to spell your brand name correctly as you list your products. Typically, Amazon users search for products based on their brand names, which is why you should always include the brand name in your listings.
Utilize a keyword tool to find the variation of your brand name that is most searched for if your product has various names you could potentially use.
- Bullet points and a description of your product
Both of these are interconnected. In both cases, you have the opportunity to be extremely detailed and persuasive about your product. Your most important keywords should also be included here. In the description, make sure the copy is readable, natural, and persuasive from a purely sales perspective.
Be sure to follow the best practices for ecommerce landing pages. You will gain SEO power from including your keywords, but it won’t resonate with potential buyers.
The bullet points follow the same pattern. The bullet points are scannable, making them easy to read, so your customers will pay close attention to this area. Make sure you provide your customers with crucial information about your product, such as the ingredients or dimensions, rather than just the features. Add value to each of these bullet points by working your relevant keywords into them. Make sure your competitors don’t provide more detailed information than you do.
Closing Thoughts
As a seller, you need to know what Amazon’s algorithm wants from you, which ultimately translates into making Amazon’s customers happy. Relevance and performance are the two most important factors to consider when optimizing your product page.
Your search rankings, conversion rates, and sales should eventually improve if you optimize with these factors in mind.
