Amazon is the largest e-commerce platform in the world and sells more than 12 million products. There are five million marketplace sellers across all 12 Amazon marketplaces. Since there are a massive number of products listed on Amazon, it’s hard for them to have an algorithm that determines the best products to show up after a search. Amazon’s A9 Algorithm is the current algorithm which Amazon is using to determine the best products to rank up before others. Do you want to improve your ranking? In this article, you’ll understand the various factors that affect an Amazon seller’s product ranking and how you can optimize your product listing for higher search results.
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Amazon’s A9 Algorithm & Product Listings
A9 is the internal engine of Amazon which can be optimized to improve product ranking. The techniques to do this change constantly and it’s necessary to remain up-to-date. This system is the organic product ranking algorithm of Amazon which determines the best products to showcase during a search query. Amazon’s A9 Algorithm is a composition of direct and indirect factors which are used to match users’ search queries while they’re surfing through the Amazon marketplace.
Factors That Affect Amazon Product Ranking
1. Product Variations
There is a built-in feature that Amazon has and is known as parent-child product functionality which directs all users to a single product page. What is the benefit of this? The advantage of this is that you can display all the variations of a similar product on a single page. A variation is nothing but a theme which includes the color or name, style, size, or count of a product. As an Amazon seller, it’s important to also optimize the title of your variations (read our blog on parent & child ASINS on Amazon) in order to drive traffic inwards, towards the listing.
2. Customer Reviews & FAQ
Positive reviews of a product are an important factor which affects Amazon’s Product ranking. The number of FAQs is another important factor because it helps customers decide whether they want to buy a product or not. A good way to optimize your listing is by test-buying a competitor’s product. That helps you review and source out several features for your product. You can also get a clear understanding of the clientele that is directed towards the best seller’s products. In order to provide a good customer experience, relay similar methods into your listing.
3. Size & Quality of Images
The dimensions of the image must have 1000 or larger pixels in either height or width. The size of 1000*1000 pixels or larger allows users to enable the ‘hover-to-zoom’ feature. Ensure the frame of each image is filled with 85% of the product on a white background and also make sure that no blurry images are used.
4. Product Pricing
Let’s assume you’re a customer and you want to buy a product from Amazon. What will be your first requirement? To get the best deal. This doesn’t mean you quote your product as the cheapest. Customers want something that gives them a bit of everything. Affordability, free shipping, and good features. Best deals are a combination of good ratings, reviews, and affordable pricing, so strike the right balance and your product has a higher chance of being recognized.
5. Complete Your Product Listing
Don’t let your product listing have incomplete information as this affects product ranking. If you want to rank your product higher on the Amazon search engine, you have to complete your Amazon product listing. On the seller central board, you’ll notice several empty fields, so the more information you place, the better your chances of being ranked. You have to fill in every single field in the listing setup as it maximizes the chances of being able to rank your product before others, especially if your content is optimized.
How Amazon Sellers Can Optimize Product Listings?
Optimize Main Title First
The product title has the greatest impact, both positive and negative, on product performance in the search result. This is the most valuable asset you have on your Amazon Product listing. As per the suggested best practices of Amazon, your product title should include elements such as:
- Brand Name
- Product information
- Unique sales point or key feature
- Material used
- Color & Size
- Packaging or Quantity
If you want to optimize your Amazon Product listing, you have to make your title effective. That depends on how you order the above elements. You also have to make sure that you include target keywords in the title as this one is one of the major ranking factors. Include the most relevant keywords first as this has direct algorithmic implications. We have to make sure that the customer knows what we’re selling after their search. There is no search intent on Amazon because users come here to buy a product and that is what Amazon focuses on. You have to make a list of the most important keywords that have a higher relevance and strategically place them in the title while avoiding keyword stuffing. Also, ensure you follow Amazon guidelines.
Optimize Bullet Points
The bullet points in Amazon product listing have a direct impact on ranking your product in the search results. It has a strong relationship with two important factors of Amazon search results and that is conversion rate and product relevance. You can’t mention everything in the title, so, in bullet points, you get the opportunity to present the feature and benefits of your product. You can use all the keywords from your list, in the bullet points, that you haven’t used for the title. Besides, you can also mention the product warranty details in the bullet too. Test your copy as much as possible. This is what makes you stand out from the average sellers so use different combinations to get higher conversions.
Optimize Product Descriptions
In Amazon product listing, there is no direct impact of product descriptions to rank your product on Amazon SERPs. It is indexed by A9 and also impacts visibility. You have to write an effective sales copy with a strong call to action to get better conversions. You can inform the customer about your brand and the product. Don’t forget to include some valuable keywords that you want to index. Also, a strong call-to-action makes a product description perfect. You have to use alert words like “Buy Now, “Order Today”, and “Limited Offer”.
Use Backend Search Terms
Backend search terms is a place where you can put terms that you didn’t include in the title, bullets, and description. These terms are not visible to customers but are indexed by the algorithm. This is just like the meta keywords HTML tag. You can drop all other relevant terms that you want to index and misspellings too. Backend search terms have a 250 characters limit. Users now use voice search more than text and that is why they misspell product names at times. Amazon considers the misspelling also to show up in the best results. You can use backend search terms to target your keywords and gain visibility.
What is Amazon A+ Content?
If you are a seller on Amazon, you have the option to sign up for Amazon A+ Content. This is a feature that enables the enhancement of your product detail page. You can add visuals and enhanced marketing content to showcase your brand. With the help of A+ content, users can buy products without any hesitation. Do you want to succeed in your Amazon selling business? If yes, then this is where A+ Content plays a huge role as you can differentiate your products from your competitors with the help of EBC (enhanced brand content). Without A+ content, a single product description won’t grab the attention of potential customers and you can’t convert a user into a customer without a proper presentation. Also, there are some formatting restrictions in the product description which makes it hard to showcase your product.
Benefits
- Make the Best Impression
When a user searches for a product, they get many results for the same product. When the product is selected, they read about the product on the product details page. The problem is, if the page is filled with chunks of paragraphs or text blocks, they change their mind and buy from other sellers. To avoid this, A+ Content offers to make your first impression better with the help of large HD images, explainer videos, and other formatted text. This will help your listing grab the attention of the users.
- Engage with Potential Customers
With a cluttered product detail page, you can’t engage with your potential customers. To engage with customers, you have to do something different from your competitors. A+ Content allows you to entice the Amazon Product listing enough to grab the attention of your potential customers. You can tell a story about the product with the help of A+ Content. It helps customers know more about you and your brand.
- Build Your Brand Presence
You can highlight your product with the help of eye-catching images and creatives. This is one of the best benefits of A+ Content. You display your brand’s identity through visuals. Customer buys a product when they trust the brand. You have to put effort to make your A+ Content attractive and make the customer buy your product with confidence.
- Better Conversion
Amazon A+ Content gives you better conversion. More customer engagement means more sales. If you use this feature correctly, you convert more customers. Amazon states that product listings with A+ content tend to have 10% more sales. With the help of the A+ content feature, you can make your customer’s buying experience a pleasure.
- Market Your Products Easily
If you look closely, you can see that A+ Content is like a product brochure. You can use the A+ Content feature as a marketing strategy. This enables you to market your product and show your brand identity with color schemes and various formats.
BIE’s amazon human resources for your Amazon marketplace have been structured to provide instant business value on a single platform so you can enhance your brand’s digital footprint. Being a multi-skilled resource, our amazon human resources can efficiently handle different aspects of your store, provide current analytical feedback for your product listing, and correspond in a smart way to boost positive feedback from your customers.
If you need professional help with your Amazon store management, please do contact us.
BIE is a Vancouver, British Columbia-based agency providing human resources to manage all things Amazon.
