Amazon Listing Optimization

Amazon Listing Optimization is the fine-tuning of listings to increase their rating for specific search queries, affording them the chance to rank higher in organic search results. Given the exceptionally competitive Amazon Marketplace, Amazon Listing Optimization is vital for your listings to surface and not be buried by the competition.  

The search queries and search results pages are all parsed by Amazon's A10 ranking algorithm. It favors products with higher conversion or click-through rates. Therefore, your main focus should be on optimizing your listings to increase the said metrics.

Of course, only optimizing product pages will not guarantee you the income you need. Make sure not to forget that the most important aspect of an Amazon business is choosing the right product.

Keyword Research

Keyword research enables you to identify relevant keywords for your product listings. This is crucial, as Amazon’s algorithm relies heavily on keywords when populating search results pages with listings. If you overlook relevant keywords, your listing might not show up in the search results. If this happens, you’ll be losing revenue without even knowing it.

The first step is to select short-term or direct keywords, which could be popular names or something connected to them that characterizes your products. These will act as primary keywords and form the core for main keyword sets for each listing. Make sure to include keywords that help with product identification and description.  

You can then move on to secondary keywords, specifically targeting key categories and parameters that apply to your products, as well as their intended demographic cross-sections.

This includes words that apply to:

• Your target audience - women, men, adults, children
• Place of utility - outdoor, home, office, party, etc.
• Size - large, small, or even specific measurements that are common in the particular product’s category
• Material - synthetic, cotton, wood, etc.
• Other categories - included materials, tools, etc.

An appropriate combination of primary and secondary keywords is necessary for an optimized product listing.

Here are some ways you can find relevant keywords for your products.

1. Google Trends

Google Trends, which launched in 2006, is a free search tool that enables you to study the popularity and trends of specific keywords over time.

‍

These metrics are derived using data from the Google ecosystem, including Google Search, YouTube, Google Shopping, Google Pictures, and Google News.  

You can enter a keyword into Google Trends, and it will provide you with statistics on the Google Trends Interest for that term from 2004 to the present. You can then compare the search volume and popularity of the keyword over a specific period of time or by region. You can enter up to 5 keywords in one search.

2. Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner enables you to find new keywords with the help of words, phrases, and related categories.

You can also search the historical data of all kinds of keywords, along with the search volume trends and performance forecasts. It allows you to filter results based on geographic location, language, and dates. Analyzing these filtered results will give you insight into the level of competition, organic impressions, and other relevant metrics.  

Use these insights to find new keywords and calculate whether the ones you’ve chosen are effective or not.

3. Keyword Search Tools

Tools such as AMZScout also perform keyword searches, helping you find relevant keywords for listings. These tools are convenient and avert the need for manual keyword look-ups.

You can use a specific product's primary keyword or ASIN to find other related keywords for your listing.

4. Amazon Search Bar

To add to your list of keywords, you can also use Amazon Search Bar Suggestions. Amazon’s algorithm populates the marketplace search bar with keyword suggestions related to inputted words and phrases. The algorithm uses site-wide user activity history to come up with relevant suggestions.

‍

‍How to Optimize a Listing

Using this example, the following aspects can be optimized to make any listing effective:

• Title
• Product description
• Images
• Reviews

• Questions and answers section

Here’s how you can optimize these listing aspects, along with backend keywords, efficiently.

‍

Title

The listing title is the first thing that users come across, therefore, it is the most important aspect of your listing. Optimize the title to encourage user click-through and views.

Ensure that your title contains as much relevant information about the product as possible, including the following:

• Brand name

• Product category - laptop, dress, earphones, shelf, etc.
• Important characteristics - color, storage amount, material, etc.
• Highlighted features - this can include descriptive adjectives and key details (such as the model year, in the case of electronics)

Insert keywords into your title, placing the most popular keywords at the beginning of the title itself.

Backend Keywords

These are keywords that customers cannot view, but are used by Amazon for indexing marketplace listings. They directly impact search results, even if they’re not visible at the front end.

Amazon allows the addition of up to 249 bytes of generic keywords in search terms.

Product Descriptions

Product descriptions are what sell a product to the client. They must contain relevant product information and have a combination of primary and secondary keywords, while also being easy to read.

Optimize product descriptions by using:

• Bullet points containing important and relevant information that is easy to refer to
• Compound keywords and synonyms that provide detailed information about product specifications, while also optimizing the listing to feature in search results

Product descriptions are critical in converting views into sales and should be written with a great deal of thought to ensure they meet Amazon’s exacting standards.

Images

Images greatly influence a listing’s click-through rate (CTR). Generally, higher click-through rates translate to better sales figures.

Amazon allows you to add up to 8 images to a listing. Use them to showcase the product's unique selling points and features. Use different angles to give users an accurate visual description of the product.

You can also use images to explain product applications and uses.

• Use a white background for the image.
• Make sure the product and props cover at least 85 percent of the frame.

• Use high-definition pictures that can be magnified without observable quality degradation.

Reviews

Try to keep your ratings as high as possible by providing good quality products. Substandard products and poor customer service will result in negative reviews and will lower the listing’s rating, negatively impacting its ranking in the search results.

Try to get as many reviews as possible by:

• Sending personalized requests for reviews to each customer
• Inserting a request for reviews along with your product
• Asking for reviews through social media

Positive reviews will go a long way in improving your ranking and will help you rank better in the search results.

Questions and Answer Section

Q&A is a vital section for optimizing your listing. It can help customers gain specific information and clear up any confusion about your product.  

Moreover, it allows you to discuss details that are absent in the description.

• Provide concise answers that are objective and helpful
• Be as prompt as possible with responses to queries

• Reply in a friendly and professional tone
• Avoid jargon

Conclusion

Everything needs to be on point when optimizing your Amazon listings, from the title and bullets, to the images, reviews, questions and answers section, and backend keywords.  

[Text Wrapping Break]Start optimizing your listings so you don’t get left behind by the competition. There are a host of tools you can use to make the entire process less tedious.  

That said, it’s essential to keep a close eye on the marketplace and be adaptable. Any changes in consumers’ on-site activity will always ripple through the search results.

Information, implementation, and adaptability; all three are components of success. This first one is covered. The rest is up to you.