In 2020, over two billion people shopped online, and during the same year, e-commerce sales surpassed 4.2 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide. The number reached $4.9 trillion the following year, which is expected to increase by 50% in 2025.

Shopping habits change, but e-commerce is here to stay.

Speaking of e-commerce, the first name that pops into our head is “Amazon”; it is obvious since 60% of online purchases in the U.S. were done on Amazon last year. Roughly 10% of Amazon sellers make at least $100,000 in sales each year .

Everyone wants to be part of this platform, but there are already at least 9.7 million sellers on Amazon. Only a tiny portion can survive to thrive in such a giant, fierce place.

It is where the papmall® team comes to save the day, providing you with a comprehensive guide about Amazon SEO to help you stand out from the pack!

What is Amazon SEO?

The importance of SEO

Amazon SEO is the process of upgrading product listings to help them rank higher on Amazon search results. It revolves around the types of keywords people use when looking to buy a product. In an Amazon product listing, you need to introduce your products with titles and descriptions, focused keywords, and relevant information that defines what you have to offer.

On marketplaces, people generally have transactional search intent, so your content should be tailored to that intent and include phrases people type when looking for something. The earlier you appear, the more clicks and sales you can generate. And you need Amazon SEO to do that!

How Amazon’s A9 Algorithm Works

Before you can think of getting noticed on Amazon, it is pivotal to know about the force behind everything - its A9 Algorithm.

It is this simple: When you enter something in the search box, A9 understands that you want to buy whatever you write. It matches the query to a product category, a display of which it will show up on the screen.

But how does Amazon decide what products will appear? Amazon search ranking relies on the following factors:

• Positive customer reviews.

• Sales history.

• Keywords in the product listing.

• Reasonable pricing.

It is worth noticing that while the algorithm prioritizes relevance based on a query, historical data is not of less importance, as pointed out above.

How is the Amazon A10 algorithm different?

If you have heard about Amazon's proprietary algorithm, you are probably curious about the current one: the A10. Amazon still keeps its ranking factors, but the importance of each has changed.

We will never say this enough: The goal of marketplaces is to sell. And with the A10 algorithm, Amazon has improved metrics to increase the chances of selling. The update also focuses on sales from organic clicks more than those from advertising.

So at the end of the day, relevance and performance are what Amazon appreciates. Though the company will continue to change its algorithm, all you need to do, at least for the moment, is to optimize the existing ranking factors.

Google SEO vs. Amazon SEO

Search Engine Optimization: Google vs. Amazon

Type of Search

People have different intentions when they access Google, however, there are three types of search queries in general:

• Informational searches: Users want to find an answer to a problem or new topic or learn to do something.

• Navigational searches: Users look for a specific site, platform, or brand. For example, “facebook” and “youtube” are the top two navigational searches on Google.

• Transactional searches: Users want something and look for places to buy it, online and offline.

Put another way, Google users who seek information about a product do not use the same keyword, as they are not sure what they are going to buy.

Things are different on Amazon. As mentioned, only those who know what they are looking for will go straight onto the e-commerce site. So, for Amazon SEO, brand and transactional queries matter the most.

SEO Techniques

A typical SEO strategy on Google comprises three pillars - content, technical SEO, and link building. And it can not be done in a day or two.

We do not need that much work on Amazon. That’s because there are no external links that lead to your product listings, so technique-wise, there’s almost nothing you can do to improve your listings’ rankings.

But you have total control over your content. You are responsible for the content of your listings, as well as their pricing, ratings, and reviews. All of this has an impact on your Amazon rankings.

In short, a content marketing plan is the main component of a successful Amazon SEO strategy.

Amazon SEO keywords

As you may know, Google SEO has head-tail or long-tail keywords, which are either high or low competition and deliver different marketing results.

For instance, while a head term like "amazon product seo" caters to a broad spectrum of people, a long-tail variation like "what is ppc (pay per click) in amazon" will target a more specific audience, which works wonders for attracting and converting qualified leads.

However, the same thing does not apply to Amazon. Here the more specific the keyword is, the better.

Amazon SEO optimization - 4 proven tips

Tips to nail Amazon SEO

It is critical to remember that Amazon's algorithm does not reward a listing loaded with irrelevant keywords. Repeating keywords or inserting them unnaturally into a sentence can harm your visibility.

Instead, to crack the A9 algorithm, you should focus on keywords, the listing page, and the back end of your listing and nail them all at once.

So gone are the days of keyword stuffing. Here are 4 Amazon SEO best practices that will help you grow your business like it is nothing:

Amazon SEO name

When it comes to a decent listing title, Amazon provides explicit instructions about what to include in your product titles for the best outcome:

• Brand name

• Product type, or what it does

• A key feature, material, or ingredient

• Color

• Size

• Quantity

What matters is that your title includes all important keywords while also sounding natural. It should be straightforward and evocative enough to make users pause browsing and click on your product.

Length is one underrated factor in SEO Amazon listing. Amazon buyers tend to shy away from short, sloppy product titles. It is advisable to put your brand name first or use special characters to improve the readability of your title.

Make your descriptions concise

It's crucial to keep in mind that in terms of SEO of Amazon, bullet points take precedence over product descriptions.

Typically you only have one minute to impress Amazon customers. Therefore, keeping your product descriptions brief or divided into short paragraphs will help to catch their attention.

As previously stated, repeating keywords or rephrasing your title will not improve your search ranking, so utilizing product descriptions to resonate with your buyers can be helpful for Amazon search engine optimization.

Utilize Amazon backend keywords

If you’ve heard of meta tags or underlying keywords somewhere along the line, it will be easier for you to comprehend Amazon Backend Keywords.

Amazon Backend Keywords are additional keywords, search terms, etc., in your listing that are invisible to readers. Sellers add them in a special section when logging in to Seller Central, and though hidden, these words still carry weight in product indexing and ranking.

Language translations, synonyms or colloquial names that users may search for, keywords that you can not fit into your title, and frequent misspellings are examples of backend keywords.

Consider high-quality images

It has been shown that eye-catching product images can influence a purchase. According to a survey by Field Agent in March 2018 , 83% smartphone users find high-quality photos "very" and "extremely" influential.

Product detail page features that influence digital purchases among US smartphone owners

Many sellers see a significant return after investing in professional-looking product images for e-commerce listings, social media, and more. Therefore, papmall® recommends using images in Amazon SEO optimization to not only meet Amazon’s requirements but also to increase your organic conversion rates.

Encourage reviews

As shown in the bar chart below, 77% of customers “always” or “regularly” read online reviews. Looking at these figures, you can tell buyers trust other buyers more than they trust you.

How frequently do customers read online reviews of local businesses?

What does this mean for you? It implies that reviews play an important role in Amazon SEO. If your products boast a lot of good reviews, they will also rank higher than those with sparse or negative ones. So, remember to improve your credibility by actively encouraging buyers to share their experiences.

Leverage Amazon’s built-in advertising tools

On Amazon, paid and organic searches are inextricably linked, and one influences the other. Hence, using built-in tools for Amazon SEO can promote your product in search results, enhancing brand awareness.

The good news is Amazon's display of PPC ads is very clever: It makes your products highly clickable, to the extent that sometimes shoppers don't realize they're clicking on ads.

Final words

Not everyone can make it on Amazon. To stand out, you will have a lot of work to do. It will test your patience and challenge your mind, but if you’re already familiar with optimizing content for Google, you are halfway there.

You will know exactly where to go as long as you understand Amazon values sellers whose products are top-notch and satisfy customers. These Amazon search ranking tips will get you to the finish line.

You don’t have to do it alone. Amazon SEO experts at papmall® will help you improve product search listings, boost sales by making your store more visible. Contact us and we look forward to growing with you!