What once offered discount books has become a global empire, used to sell wares as diverse as home products, car supplies, and niche interests. I am, of course, talking about Amazon. Amazon has become ubiquitous. How many of us in need of something, immediately hop onto Amazon and start searching? For this reason alone, developing an Amazon storefront and in some way providing your products through Amazon is essential. Without Amazon SEO, however, your product listing is unlikely to get a lot of traction. I’ve compiled the best strategies to make sure your products come up in search rankings, pull in potential customers, and consistently rate with relevant keywords.
Demystifying Amazon SEO
If you are in e-commerce, you are likely somewhat familiar with the principles of search engine optimization (SEO). Amazon SEO, however, can feel like a whole different animal, because it does not offer the same landing page, social profile, Google Business page that is so common to other forms of business. Although you can certainly use Amazon to sell items that are also listed on a Google Business page, for many people using Amazon, search rankings rely primarily on high-quality Amazon SEO alone, making it vital to make sure your relevant keywords are easily tied to your product listings, and you come up readily in search rankings (ultimately leading to a greater conversion rate). Before I dive in, however, let’s go over the basics of Amazon SEO and how it might differ from general sites or even social media platforms.
The first step in understanding how the A9 algorithm works is recognizing that Amazon is, first and foremost, a business platform, and it is going to prioritize sales above all else. Having beautiful product images and titles jam-packed with all relevant hashtags will not be enough to rank highly in search volume. Instead, to appease the Amazon search engine, you need to focus on keyword relevance and the informational depth of your titles and descriptions. Conversion is king in Amazon searches, so you need to both come up in searches and provide potential customers with enough information to select your product above others.
To successfully navigate Amazon’s search engine, you also need to factor in user intent and the overall journey of your buyer; if, for instance, you sell shaving cream designed for men, and place “women” in your description or title, you may get an initial set of hits, but you may not do well in the long run, and subsequently have your product placed lower in search results. Rather than trying to manipulate search rankings, consider what your potential customers will be placing into the search bar, and describe and title accordingly.
Finally, make sure that you are building trust with customers and establishing authority in your niche. Negative reviews will also factor in, so it is not enough to simply have your title align with what is put in the search box. To successfully navigate Amazon, you need to build trust with customers and demonstrate that your product is the best on the market.
Keyword Competition: A Double-Edged Sword
As I said previously, the search volume coming into Amazon is truly enormous. This means that the search terms being placed in Amazon’s search box are highly competitive, and you are likely to come up against a slew of products similar to yours. To help make sure that your product ranking is consistently high, consider targeting long-tail keywords rather than focusing entirely on short keywords and phrases. Long-tail keywords are less likely to be used by your competitors, who may be more likely to select from a list of keywords that are shorter, which makes you more likely to rank more highly.
As you decide upon the keywords and phrases you use in your titles and descriptions, you should also make sure you are leveraging informational content. This includes the summary description, the more detailed description, and the product information portion of each product listing. Why? Ultimately, organic reach is one of the best ways to prevent negative reviews (by aligning with what your audience is actually searching for), and increase the likelihood of maintaining your customer base. By anticipating your customer’s needs (“Why might someone be searching for a wine opener on Amazon rather than hopping over to the store to buy one?”), you can more effectively meet their search queries and encourage an ongoing relationship.
The reality of intense competition on Amazon means that you need to make sure you are also avoiding keyword stuffing and diversifying your keyword targets. Keyword traps are tempting, but they are not ideal for appearing in organic searches, and they do not always yield relevant products (see the example of shaving cream above). The search algorithm takes keywords into account, certainly, but it takes far more than that into account when populating a product search, and you need to have a diverse array of keywords to stand out among your competitors and satisfy Amazon search queries. A basic keyword research tool can help you compile a series of diverse keywords to help with backend search terms.
The Content Advantage: Quality Over Quantity
One of the best ways to make sure your product reviews are high is to provide not only a product, but something of a service. Instead of simply describing your product, offer ways to use the product, examples of how others use it, and other bits of information that can be used to increase all possible customers’ reliance on your brand. By establishing topical expertise within your niche, you can increase the likelihood of continuing to come up high in Amazon’s search algorithm and maintain repeat business among your customers.
Not all of the keyword and algorithm work is completed when a product is initially listed; some of the work is ongoing, including answering user questions in an authoritative and comprehensive voice. When someone asks a question, that is your audience attempting to engage with you. As any expert in digital marketing can tell you, engagement is essential for successful performance in e-commerce. When a question arises, make sure you answer it as efficiently as you can without leaving information out, in order to increase the likelihood of your customer making a purchase decision in favor of your product or brand.
Ultimately, the best tool you have at your disposal is not a keyword tool or delivering a comprehensive guide to your product; ultimately, it is prioritizing user satisfaction in order to continue driving organic traffic and sales. Organic traffic is more likely to result in conversions, and your sales history is more likely to see repeat customers when those customers arrive at your product because it provides key features they want or need.
Building a Content Fortress: 18 Effective Strategies of Amazon SEO Mastery
Keyword optimization on Amazon, as you can see, is not quite the same as the search engine algorithm used on Google and other search engines. Bad reviews, good customer reviews, keyword stuffing, answered questions, and the description section of a product listing can all help make sure that the SEO tools you are using work together to make sure your product is listed high on a search page. I have compiled the 18 most effective strategies to master Amazon SEO techniques.
Keyword Research & Targeting
Keyword research and targeting goes beyond keyword lists, and requires a more intensive and intentional approach. The following 5 strategies will help level up your strategic decisions regarding keyword implementation.
1. Uncover Long-Tail Gems.
Tools like Jungle Scout and Helium 10 can be used to discover high-intent keywords. Using these keywords in titles, key product features, and even FAQs can help increase the likelihood of having your target audience come across your products.
Further ReadingL The Top 15 Keyword Rank Checkers to Monitor Your SEO Performance
2. Analyze Search Intent.
Search intent helps you understand buyer needs and the motivations behind a given keyword. Understanding intent can help you put together everything from titles, to descriptions, to product pricing. Search intent is valuable.
3. Group and Prioritize.
By organizing keywords into logical clusters, according to intent and product relevance, you can improve your search rankings and increase the likelihood of seeing a higher product rank.
4. Optimize Product Titles and Descriptions.
Integrate core and long-tail keywords naturally to increase organic traffic and to appear more informed to your audience. Target keywords are often stuffed into the body of descriptions and titles, resulting in a long string of short keywords. Avoid this trap by investigating the most relevant long-tail keywords, instead.
5. Hidden Treasures.
Leverage backend keywords by using relevant search terms that are not necessarily visible to customers. Backend keywords are not visible to people entering search terms; however, they are visible to Amazon’s algorithm. This is the right spot for keyword stuffing, and making sure that as many search terms as possible are included in your listing.
Content Creation and Optimization
Content creation and optimization may not seem terribly pertinent on an online shopping platform like Amazon, but there is actually quite a large portion of real estate for content creation on each amazon product page. It is important to make sure you are targeting your SEO performance (both Google SEO and Amazon SEO) within the body of your descriptions, summaries, FAQs, and titles.
Further Reading: The Ultimate Guide to SEO for eCommerce Websites
6. Master the Outline.
Create detailed outlines for your product pages, focusing on information completeness, rather than just keywords. While it may seem valuable to show up in as many searches as possible by keyword stuffing, Amazon SEO experts know that search filters on the site do not respond well to stuffing. Instead, complete and helpful information is given greater priority via greater interest from those who click on the listing.
7. Content Variety is Key.
Blog posts, guides, infographics, and videos can all be used to engage different audiences. When perusing products, many people focus on the degree of helpfulness found within descriptions and other areas of the listing. If you are not sure how to use a new product, however, what is better than finding resources for education right there on the page?
8. Answer Unasked Questions.
Anticipate user queries, and proactively address them in content. Search performance will hurt if there are not answered questions available to curious would-be customers. Whether you use a dedicated tool to find the most common questions about a product, or you develop your own questions, anticipating questions is often a great way to develop content for your product page.
9. Data Drives Decisions.
Using A/B testing, you can leverage analytics to further refine your content strategy. Data should be at the core of your decision-making in all of your marketing efforts, including Amazon SEO. By better understanding your audience and their needs, you can more effectively develop content that strikes a chord with prospective buyers.
10. Internal Linking Powerhouse.
Related content pieces should be connected to improve user experience and increase SEO rankings. Remember: giving as much information as possible is one of the best ways to improve your connection with your audience.
Further Reading: 7 Best Link Building Practices in 2024
Conversion Optimization & Engagement
Conversion optimization relies largely on engagement and optimal SEO practices. Making sure to help rocket your products in search results is often a matter of supporting engagement. To make sure that your conversion rate is high and engagement is consistent, consider having:
11. Compelling Product Descriptions.
Showcase product benefits, address pain points, and use storytelling to reel your customers in, and demonstrate the value of your products.
12. High-Quality Images and Videos.
Blurry images, shaky videos, or poorly-made videos will all be unlikely to lend an air of legitimacy to your product. By having high-quality images and videos, you increase the likelihood of clicks to begin with, as well as eventual sales conversions; after all, would you purchase a product with a blurry, dark, or unprofessional photo?
13. Positive Reviews and Ratings.
Encourage customer interaction and build trust by inviting new and existing customers to leave a review. Although incentivizing reviews is not necessarily the best way to go about encouraging reviews, a simple “leave a review if you love the product” can go a long way in encouraging engagement and building trust.
14. Leverage Amazon PPC.
Paid advertising can be implemented by strategically targeting specific keywords. Optimizing your content for search engine optimization can further boost any paid advertising you utilize.
Relevant social media platforms can be used to promote content and listings on Amazon. Just as influencers use storefronts to show their favorite products, businesses and brands can use their platforms to link directly to specific products and stores.
Further Reading: How to Launch Your Ecommerce Store on Amazon in 2024
Beyond the Basics: Advanced Amazon SEO Tactics
Finally, there are some SEO tactics that go beyond the basic interventions I have listed above. These strategies can help improve search results within certain niches, such as mobile users or people using voice search.
16. Voice Search Optimization.
Adapting your content for voice queries and smart speakers can open up a whole new world of options for people who use Alexa and other smart devices to search for products on Amazon. By making sure that your content is easily searched by voice command, you increase the likelihood of coming up higher in this type of search query.
17. Mobile-First Approach.
A mobile-first approach means making sure that content and listings are optimized for mobile devices. While Amazon’s app will do some of the work for you here, consider how a large block of text will translate to a small screen on the amazon app or on a phone’s browser. Optimize using targeted keywords, and improve the layout of your content by making it easy to read on a mobile device.
Keep up with the latest Amazon algorithm updates and adjust your strategies according to those changes. Customer search terms may not change dramatically, but the manner in which those terms are processed tends to change frequently, so do not sleep on any changes Amazon makes.
Measuring Success & Continuous Improvement
Measuring the success of your optimization efforts can help you determine what needs to be done to further improve your search engine results. This can be done by tracking metrics, analyzing your keyword performance, conducting regular audits, and continually learning and experimenting.
Key metrics include organic traffic, click-through rates, conversion rates, and sales. All of these metrics will help you determine how effective your current SEO strategy is, as it will help you see how often you are coming up in searches, and how many of those searches are converting into sales. If sales are lower than you’d like, or search rankings remain low, you can adjust your strategy accordingly.
Analyze the performance of your keywords and refine your targeting efforts over time, to make sure you are continually updating your store with the best possible keywords available. Remember: because the A9 search algorithm is different from standard search engines, you cannot only optimize for Google and other search engines. Amazon SEO is a separate animal, and has to be monitored and adjusted separately.
Regular content audits can help identify any improvement opportunities you should leap upon. Regular audits do not have to be exhaustive; instead, they can require only a few minutes of check-in time every day, week, or month (depending on the scope of your shop and content), to make sure your work is performing optimally. You can also stay ahead of the curve by learning and experimenting with your Amazon SEO as you go along making adjustments and improvements.
Further Reading: 23 Amazon Marketing Strategies for 2024 (with 3 Case Studies)
Conclusion
Amazon optimization is a vital part of ensuring that your Amazon store enjoys a regular influx of new and even existing customers. Although many companies and brands are familiar with the basics of SEO for Google and other search internet search engines, the algorithms designed for Amazon do differ from standard search engine algorithms, necessitating some education regarding how Amazon operates. With the techniques I have identified here, you can be well on your way to enjoying a higher search engine ranking in Amazon searches.
Hero Photo by ANIRUDH on Unsplash
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