Amazon accounts for roughly half of all ecommerce sales in the United States. It’s one of the many reasons why companies sell their products on Amazon; it’s a viable way to grow their business.

To be successful on Amazon, online shoppers need to be able to find your products. So, how can you increase the visibility of your products? The answer may be Amazon SEO.

What is Amazon SEO?

Amazon SEO is the specialized practice of optimizing product listings for Amazon’s A9 algorithm. This algorithm determines the products that are shown (and in what order) when a user searches for something on Amazon.

The A9 search algorithm looks at several factors when determining a product’s rank. One of the most important ranking factors is text match relevance to a user’s query. In other words, how closely do the words and phrases in your product listing match what the shopper is searching for?

How to Optimize Your Product Listings

When optimizing a product listing for the Amazon A9 algorithm, the most important elements to consider are:

  1. Product title
  2. Bullet points (product features)
  3. Product description
  4. Amazon backend search terms

The text used in these four areas can have a significant impact on your product rankings. Here are some tips and best practices to get you started:

Start with Keyword Research

Before making any changes to your product listing, do some keyword research. Knowing how shoppers search for products and the phrases they use will help you create better copy.

Use tools such as MerchantWords, Ahrefs, and others to identify relevant keywords and phrases to use in your product listing. Pay close attention to factors such as search volume, seasonality, competition, etc.

Create a Compelling Title

The title is the most important piece of text on a product listing. It can have a powerful impact on a product’s rank and click-through-rate.

Make your title A9 algorithm-friendly by using the phrases identified during your keyword research. However, be careful not to overuse certain terms (also known as keyword stuffing), as this can negatively impact your product rankings.

In addition to the image, the product title is the first thing a shopper sees in the search results. Create a title that is descriptive and compels the user to click through to the product page.

Best practices for creating a product title:

  • Place the most relevant keyword(s) first.
  • Include your brand name.
  • All numbers should be numerals (1 vs one).
  • Capitalize the first letter of each word.
  • Clearly describe what your product is/does.

Avoid including:

  • Price
  • Quantity
  • All capital letters
  • Special symbols ($, !, ?)
  • Commentary such as “Best Seller”

Include Informative Bullet Points

The key product features (or bullet points, as they are commonly referred to) are another key element of a product listing. Use this space to highlight the most important details about your product. The more informative your bullet points are, the more you will sell on Amazon and achieve higher product rankings in the future.

Best practices for creating bullet points:

  • Include 4-5 bullet points with the most important information about your product.
  • Begin each bullet point or feature with a capital letter.
  • Write in fragments and separate phrases in one bullet point with semicolons.

Avoid including:

  • End punctuation
  • Company-specific information
  • Vague or misleading statements

Tell a Story with the Product Description

The description is where you can expand on what makes your product special and unique. An Amazon product description is usually a few paragraphs long, so feel free to get creative. However, avoid including things like:

  • Your seller name
  • Email addresses
  • Your company website URL
  • Company-specific information
  • Information about another product that you sell
  • Language such as “free shipping” or “sale”

When creating your product description, be sure to use complete sentences, correct grammar, and ending punctuation. In many cases, uploading an Amazon product description requires light HTML. If you are unfamiliar with HTML, consult with your Web Developer or use an online “text to HTML” tool to complete this task.

Include Relevant Backend Keywords

Capitalize on the relevant keywords you were unable to use in your title, bullet points, or descriptions by including Amazon backend keywords. These keywords are invisible to users and are only read by Amazon’s A9 algorithm for indexing and ranking purposes.

Best practices for backend keywords:

  • Limit them to 250 characters.
  • Don’t repeat any words.
  • Don’t use commas (they are ignored).
  • Include synonyms and variations in spelling.
  • Don’t reuse keywords from the first 80 characters of the product title.

Get Higher Product Rankings on Amazon

Selling on Amazon is reliant on online shoppers finding your products. An effective way to increase the visibility of your products is with Amazon SEO. Use these tips to optimize your products for the A9 algorithm and start enjoying higher rankings on Amazon.

Looking to optimize your Amazon product listings? WTM Digital’s SEO team can help. Our team follows the latest best practices to optimize product listings, achieve higher rankings, and sell more products. To learn more, contact us today and see how WTM Digital can help grow your business.