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Amazon is a fantastic opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to get into the exciting world of e-commerce. The site has over 145 million mobile users and sells an average of 4000 items per minute. To build a successful Amazon strategy, however, you need to leverage the algorithm. After all, if your customers can't find you, they can't buy from you.
Whether you're starting a new business from scratch or you're planning to buy an existing business, having an in-depth understanding of the inner workings of Amazon is essential. Here's a beginner's guide to Amazon SEO to get you started.
What is Amazon SEO?
With millions of products available on Amazon, there needs to be a way to sort through the chaos and present viable options to consumers. Amazon achieves this monumental task through the use of an algorithm known as A9.
The algorithm works similar to a Google search, which is why it falls under the umbrella of SEO. As a result, when you search for a black floppy hat to wear at the beach this summer, it decides which products of the 30,000 plus results that fit the description to show you. If you use Amazon to sell products, you would love these Amazon listing optimization tricks.
How Does A9 Work?
A9, Amazon's algorithm, is built to show you the product you are most likely to purchase. Furthermore, it shows you the product that is most likely to result in a positive purchasing experience. In other words, sorting out reliable providers from unreliable ones.
As a business, it's essential to consider how your efforts in marketing, as well as product delivery, will play into your rankings with A9. To do so, you must understand the factors that influence SEO and what you can do to position your product for a higher ranking.
Factors that Influence Amazon SEO
Like Google SEO, there are specific characteristics that A9 evaluates to determine whether your product is worthy of the front page. While it takes time to build up these characteristics enough to make an impact, ensuring that you're covering your bases from day one will make the journey smoother.
The primary features that Amazon evaluates in each product post includes:
- The use of relevant keywords, particularly in the title.
- Past sales performance from the product and business as a whole.
- Sensible product pricing.
- Product in-stock availability.
These should be the four main priorities when optimizing your sales content for Amazon SEO. Let's dive into them further.
Product Title Keywords
Your product title and the relevant keywords contained within are one of the most important aspects of optimizing for A9. The product title should be descriptive, with as many relevant keywords as possible. Using the previous example of a black hat, your product title shouldn't be just "black hat." Instead, it should be something like "Your Brand Women's Wide Brim Felt Stevie Nicks Inspired Hat."
Optimizing your title for keywords not only tells Amazon what to look for, but it also provides a lot of eye-catching detail when a potential customer scrolls past. Furthermore, those keywords carry over into Google searches before someone even looks at what's available on Amazon.
Product Pricing
As a startup, it can be tempting to undercut the competition to boost sales in the first few months. While playing the pricing game can help convert customers, pushing your limits too far will cause A9 to flag you as suspicious.
Your pricing should be strategic and competitive, but on par with your target market. Before you start pricing your products, consider who your ideal customer is. Why do they want your products? What is their annual income? Who are they in their daily life? You should look at the competition and use that research to frame your pricing, but it isn't the only consideration.
Stock Considerations
Product availability plays a vital role in Amazon SEO. Amazon wants to reduce customer friction and create the best possible shopping experience. As a result, it's less likely to show your product if there's concern about you being able to fill the orders you receive.
If you hit the "out of stock" threshold, your product listing will be deranked.
Sales Performance
While sales performance isn't as heavily weighted as other aspects in A9, it still plays a role in Amazon SEO. Selling products has an exponential impact on your ratings. The more you sell, the higher your ranking. Conversely, the higher your ranking, the more likely you are to sell.
How to Improve Your Amazon SEO Rankings
Now that you know what factors impact Amazon SEO, you can create product listings that are attractive to A9. Here are some target objectives to develop listings that rank and convert.
Create Compelling Copy
Each product should be described with concise, compelling copy that leads to conversions. While keywords play a role in the copy as well as titles, the goal here is to convey information that offers a solution to your ideal customers' pain points.
When creating copy, use bullet points and your unique selling position (USP) to convince browsers to buy.
Use High-Quality Images
The images you use won't directly impact your Amazon SEO, but they will improve the number of clicks and conversions you receive. Use high-quality images that capture the essence of the product and give insights as to the size and functionality.
Know Your Keywords
Conduct keyword research as you would for optimizing your website content. Take time to learn the words that sell and conduct A/B testing to get a better idea of how to optimize your content for A9.
Prioritize Outreach and Reviews
Reviews play a pivotal role in if your product will sell. Create a marketing strategy that offers a discount or free product to influencers in your niche in exchange for a review, both on Amazon and elsewhere. Make customer retention your number one priority, reaching out for feedback and to gain more reviews.
Deliver on Your Promises
Finally, the most important thing you can do as someone selling on Amazon is to deliver on what you promise. The product your customer receives should be as advertised, with no exceptions. If you experience shipping delays or other issues, be proactive in dealing with your customers. Amazon SEO will get your product in front of customers; the service you provide is what makes your business last.
Final Thoughts
These are the basic guidelines for optimizing your content for Amazon SEO. Keep in mind that the algorithm changes frequently. Optimizing your product listings will take time, strategizing, and dedication. Do your due diligence to ensure that you're up to date on what's expected of you.
Codedesign is a digital marketing agency specializing in data-driven online sales and lead generation solutions for brands in a variety of verticals. Contact us to schedule a consultation with one of our digital marketing experts.
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