There’s a reason why almost every business wants to sell their products or services on Amazon. First, customers trust Amazon and that’s why the eCommerce platform is always ahead of its competition. eCommerce statistics show that more than 197 million people visit Amazon.com every month. Therefore, selling on Amazon is a sure way to reach millions of potential customers. Moreover, the initial investment required to sell on Amazon is relatively low. There are countless reasons why selling on Amazon is good for your business. No matter your business niche, Amazon is the place to be if you want to expand your reach. Learn more about the compelling reasons to sell on Amazon and how to use these 8 hacks for SEO optimization for Amazon.
Why You Need To Improve Your Amazon Product Listing
A majority of business owners don’t understand how SEO optimization for Amazon impacts their sales and the overall performance of their businesses. Let’s look at the other reasons why you need to improve your Amazon product listing:
Improve Your Listing’s Visibility, Which Will Translate To More Sales
A better ranking position on Amazon increases the visibility of your listing. Typically, customers check only the first page whenever they’re searching for a particular product. They rarely check the second page and the subsequent pages. Ranking poorly on Amazon means you’re missing the chance of gaining potential customers. So, if you can rank highly on Amazon, it can be a perfect opportunity to make more sales. Learn how to optimize your product description on Amazon today and increase your sales.
Improve Your Business Image
It’s a fact that customers want to buy from businesses with a respectable image. No one wants to do business with a seller who’s ranking on the last pages. As unpleasant as it may sound, that’s how things work. For this reason, it’s in your best interest to get a better ranking position on Amazon and set yourself up for success. Typically, customers trust businesses that rank higher on Amazon. A better ranking position assures customers that they’re buying from the best. A good place to start is to learn the anatomy of the perfect Amazon listing and how the Amazon product ranking algorithm works.
A Higher Ranking On Amazon Drives More Traffic To Your Listings
Listings on the first page of Amazon get about 45% of the traffic; those on the second page get 10%, and the subsequent listings share the rest of the traffic. These statistics explain why your Amazon listing needs to be on top. More traffic translates to a higher conversion rate. With so much competition on Amazon, it makes sense to leverage Amazon listing optimization to stay ahead of your competition. Learn more about how to create a product description that will drive more traffic and improve your conversion rate.
Reduce Your Marketing Expenses
Whether you’re a new seller or a seasoned Amazon seller, you’ll want to find ways to reduce cost per acquisition and increase your return on investment. The best way to achieve this is to leverage SEO optimization for Amazon and rank higher on Amazon. Another practical way to reduce marketing costs is to retain your existing customers. So alongside Amazon listing optimization, you’ll need to offer better value for your customers and stay updated with the Amazon product ranking algorithm. Also, try as much as possible to build a good reputation with positive customer reviews. If it happens that you’ve received several negative product reviews, there are effective ways to handle them. Learn how to handle negative product reviews and turn things around.
A Better Ranking Position On Amazon Increases Business Authenticity
Customers searching for products and services on Amazon find listings on the first page to be more authentic. A majority of customers buy products that appear on the first page. It’s more of a psychological game that always gives sellers on the first page a competitive advantage. So ranking higher on Amazon not only gets you more traffic but also increases the authenticity of your business. Whether you’re a new seller looking for ways to improve the ranking of your product listing, or a CPG company seeking to build a respectable image, you’ll need to learn the ins and outs of SEO optimization for Amazon. By understanding how Amazon listing optimization works, you’ll be able to create Amazon product descriptions that will put you ahead of your competitors.
Generally, ranking higher on Amazon comes with immense benefits for business owners, CPG companies, FCMG companies, and many other Amazon sellers. However, ranking on the first page of Amazon and maintaining a better ranking position is no piece of cake. The competition is massive. You must stand out to survive on Amazon. Luckily, we’ve made things easier for you with our comprehensive playbook for Amazon Sellers.
How the Amazon product ranking algorithm affects your findability
The Amazon product ranking algorithm is similar to Google’s search algorithm, in that it considers a wide range of factors to rank products on Amazon. It is designed to analyze search queries and decide which product recommendations to give. Amazon product ranking algorithm ensures shoppers get the most relevant results for their search queries. Some of the things Amazon’s A9 considers when ranking include: product title, backend keywords, customer reviews, product description, images, pricing, sales performance history, text match relevancy, and availability of products. These are the key elements that determine your ranking on Amazon and can improve your SEO optimization for Amazon. Your findability on Amazon depends on performance in regard to these elements. For instance, using the relevant keywords in strategic points will improve your findability. Similarly, positive customer reviews give the impression that you’re a reliable seller, and this will improve your ranking position. Generally, your product page will rank higher on Amazon if the aforementioned elements are well taken care of. Conversely, your ranking will drop significantly if you fail to optimize your Amazon performance with these elements in mind.
Amazon SEO optimization: 8 ways to increase rank and sales
Optimize your titles
Amazon uses product titles to determine how to rank products within its search engine results pages. So the way you format your title will determine your ranking position in Amazon’s search engine results pages. A good number of new sellers fail to achieve a good ranking on Amazon simply because they don’t understand how product titles should be formatted. A good title for your Amazon listing should include the following:
- Brand
- Product
- Material or key ingredients
- Quantity
- Color
- Size
A good product title must include the target keyword, preferably to the leftmost. Putting your target keyword at the beginning of the title will ensure the keyword is not cut off on devices with smaller displays. Be sure not to over-stuff the keywords in the title. Ideally, target keywords should be used 2-3 times in the product title. Titles must not exceed 200 characters, and they shouldn’t be too short. Let’s say you sell cameras for Amazon photography. If you created a title that reads, “Camera for Amazon Photography,” your product won’t rank well on Amazon. Instead, you’ll want to create a title like, “Sony Alpha 30FPS Digital Camera for Amazon Photography 3.0 LCD Display 27.4 MP SLR Camera – Body Only (Black).” Such a title provides potential customers with valuable information that helps them make a purchasing decision.
A great product title for Amazon not only increases the click-through rate to your product listing page but also improves your conversion rate.
Add High-Resolution Background Images
When it comes to Amazon listing optimization, product images matter. Listings that utilize high-resolution background images attract more sales. On the other hand, low-resolution images affect users’ perception of your products. The following are the key image guidelines that will help you rank higher on Amazon and make more sales.
- Have a solid white background so that the product image looks more product-centric.
- The image should be clearly visible– Be sure to take care of lighting and the size of the images. It’s best to shoot your images in natural lighting to achieve the best results. Preferably, shoot just before dusk or after dawn.
- High resolution—High-resolution product images are sure to grab a shopper’s attention. Besides, they reduce the risk of returns. Amazon recommends using images that are larger than 1000 x 1000 pixels so that customers can zoom the images. You’ll need a good camera to get the best shots for your Amazon product. Check out some of the best cameras for Amazon photography.
- Showcase all angles and scenarios—Shoot the images from unique points of view to give shoppers a complete picture of what to expect. Playing with angles also reduces the risk of returns.
- Add at least 5 product images to give shoppers the best feel of your product.
Here are guidelines that will help you take stunning product pictures.
Maximize The Bullet Points
Amazon’s A9 algorithm takes bullet points into consideration when ranking products within its search engine results pages. So take advantage of the five bullet points that come after your product title to highlight the key features of your product. Keep in mind that bullet points are not the place to write theories, background stories, and customer reviews. Bullet points should give customers concise information about your product in a few sentences. The reasonable length for bullet points should 3-4 sentences. Amazon’s A9 algorithm and shoppers are never going to like it if the bullet points are in huge blocks. This not only makes it difficult for shoppers to read but also makes it hard for Amazon’s A9 algorithm to rank your product page. While you may have many things to say about your product so that potential customers will have the best feel of your product, too much information in the bullet points section will ruin your ranking. Be sure to make the description easy to read for shoppers.
Add In-Use/Unboxing Videos
Amazon product ranking algorithm uses in-use/unboxing videos alongside other aspects to decide how to rank products in search results. If you’re not using high-resolution videos in your Amazon product listing, you are missing the chance to increase sales. Great in-use videos explain everything a potential customer needs to know about your product right from product features to benefits and how to use the product. Along with improving a customer’s shopping experience, great in-use videos establish the fear of missing out (FOMO) in a shopper.
Unboxing videos have been touted as the next marketing tool as they have proven to be effective in convincing customers to make a buying decision. The simple act of unwrapping your product lets viewers experience the product. So it’s a good idea to accompany your Amazon product listing with a high-resolution in-use/unboxing video. You can also utilize Amazon live video to reach out to potential customers about your products. The way you host an Amazon Live video can determine whether you’ll attract buyers and retain existing customers. Learn more about how to host a great Amazon Live video.
Conduct Keyword Research To Find The Best Keywords
Similar to Google’s SEO, Amazon product ranking algorithm uses keywords to rank product listings. Using the best keywords in the product title, bullet points, and “About the Product” description can help your product listing to rank higher on Amazon. Just be sure to use them in a natural way rather than in a “salesy” way. It’s recommended to use long-tail keywords because a majority of customer shopping on Amazon use them to find products. There are several ways you can get the best keywords for your products. You can analyze some of the high ranking products in your category and extract the most relevant keywords. Alternatively, you can use keyword research tools such as Sonar, AMZBase Amazon product research tool, and MerchantWords. These tools will help you determine the search volume for each keyword as well as those used by competitors so that you can choose the keywords that will drive traffic to your Amazon product page. Another trick that can improve your ranking and SEO optimization for Amazon is to include target keywords in the URL. Check out other tools that can help with keyword research.
Add Enhanced Brand Content To Your Amazon Listing (A+ Content)
As an Amazon seller, you must do things differently to survive the cut-throat competition on Amazon. Your brand ought to stand out otherwise you won’t make any sales. Luckily, Amazon offers a tool that allows sellers to spice their standard listings for maximum exposure. The enhanced brand content feature (EBC) allows brand registered sellers to modify standard listings with visually rich content. Essentially, this feature takes standard product descriptions and gives them a facelift to enable Amazon sellers to implement enhanced optimization. EBC lets brand registered sellers add images, text, sidebars, and attractive models to product listings. By utilizing this tool, you can easily grab shoppers’ attention and improve your conversion rate. Since enhanced brand content utilizes high-quality images and other visually rich content, it makes sense to promote your brand using enhanced content. To be able to use this feature, you must enroll your brand into the Amazon brand registry. There are many other benefits you’ll get by enrolling your brand in Amazon Brand Registry.
Use Product Cards (Cut Sheets)
A product card or cut sheet is a concise document that gives all details about your product. It includes a description of your product, specifications, features, benefits, and other relevant details that would help a shopper to make a purchasing decision. Amazon sellers use product cards to create a good first impression and attract potential customers. These cards are also used to give customers the best idea of the product before they purchase to avoid returns. To improve your ranking on Amazon and make more sales, it’s essential to a killer product card to accompany your listing. A compelling product card should feature a flawless design, be persuasive, and include a call-to-action.
Need help with creating a killer product card? Here are some of the tools you can use to build a compelling product card.
Handle Negative Feedback Appropriately
If there’s one thing that can ruin your ranking on Amazon, it is handling negative feedback the wrong way. Most Amazon sellers find it hard to absorb negative feedback and more often, they get defensive and some react on impulse. You must try to make things right whenever you get negative feedback, otherwise, Amazon product ranking algorithm will rank your product page poorly. If your customer is concerned with late delivery, talk to them, and put measures in place to ensure timely delivery. If it’s about quality, give them a refund or exchange with a better product. There are many other ways you can handle negative feedback and turn things around and avoid getting banned. Click here to learn more about how to handle negative product reviews.
So there you have it. These eight simple hacks will help you improve your SEO optimization for Amazon. With these tips and the right tools, you’ll increase your ranking and increase your sales in unimaginable ways.
If you want to increase rank and sales, please contact Emplicit, a top-tier, results-driven Amazon marketing agency for growing eCommerce brands. Tap into our managed services to take your eCommerce or Amazon business to the next level today!
