A couple of years ago, the term ‘search engine optimization’ brought to mind, the notion of appealing to Google’s algorithm to earn yourself a place on the first page of search results. However, with Amazon surpassing Google in terms of product searches, the picture has changed dramatically. Due to this, Amazon SEO has started to garner more attention than ever.
If you want to make the most of selling on Amazon, you need to put your best foot forward. Your ranking in the A9 algorithm largely determines the fate of your product. When a buyer makes a search query and doesn’t find you in top search results, he/she remains oblivious to your existence. It eventually amounts to scanty sales.
What is the A9 algorithm?
Since there is no dearth of sellers selling similar products, to increase the likelihood of buying, Amazon deploys A9, its internal search algorithm. When a search query is made, the market leader displays the ‘most relevant products’ based on a number of factors like- price, sales history, product images, reviews, etc. The higher you rank in A9, the more are the chances of getting noticed by buyers.
A Close Look at the Factors that Determine Product Ranking
If your listing optimization strategy primarily involves stuffing keywords, it is no wonder that you have not yet been able to reach the sales goals you have always aspired to. An in-depth understanding of the algorithm would take your search engine optimization efforts in the right direction.
1. Price
Amazon introduces itself as a customer-friendly eCommerce marketplace. Since product price plays a major role in shaping buying decision, if you charge too much for your product in comparison to your close competitors, you are quite likely to lose out to them thereby affecting your sales cycle. Amazon understands this, due to which, high- priced products miss out a fair chance of appearing higher in the results.
It is advisable to price your products after conducting a rigorous analysis of the price charged by your rivals.
2. Product images
When it comes to selling online, your products are as good as you are able to project them. 63 per cent of online buyers considers good images, more important than product description. This is because it gives them a sense of how the product looks in reality. If your images are not visually appealing, they wouldn’t induce the visitor to know further about the product you are selling. However, at no point in time should your image processing make your products look too good to be true. Image editing that casts an artificial look to your product interferes with your product’s credibility. While uploading the images, it is important to adhere to Amazon’s image upload guidelines.
3. Sales history
Sales play a key role in determining your ranking. The more you sell your products, the more you open doors to new opportunities. If your sales history is better than your adversaries, you rank higher. This is because of the simple reason that a seller with good sales history has bright chances of selling more products. Consistent sales reflect that the seller is more likely to meet the expectations of the customers in comparison to the counterparts. It is noteworthy that the better your sales figures, the more you are likely to rank higher in the A9. However, for selling more you need a good sales history.
4. Product title and description
i) Product title
What makes the buyers feel that your product is the one they are looking for? Your product title. In order to take your buying prospect to your product page, your title should be concise and furnish as many details about the product as possible. Ideally, a good title should include details like:
Your title can be informative but if it doesn’t include relevant keywords that buyers use in looking for products, it’s all in vain.
ii) Product description
Title acts as a snapshot of your product but how is your buyer supposed to know whether the jeans she is planning to buy can be washed in a machine or does it require some extra care? This is where the product description comes into the picture. It helps to answer all possible questions that might pop-up in the mind of a potential buyer. It should convey your product details in a clear manner by the strategic use of keywords.
Important factors pertaining to keywords:
- Relevant keywords
- Apt placement
- Use of long-tail keywords
While writing product descriptions, keep in mind that in addition to informing prospective buyers about product features, they play a crucial role in convincing prospective buyers to actually buy the product. Thus, instead of mechanically stating your product’s features, it is advisable to create a blend of product features and how they can benefit the buyer.
5. Reviews
Since eCommerce doesn’t offer the advantage of personal selling where a skilled salesperson assures you about the quality of the product, it is the review that helps to establish a sense of quality and trust among your prospective buyers. A 4 or 5-star review from some of your customers can contribute abundantly in boosting your sales.
Avoid making exaggerated claims as they eventually land you in a pit of poor reviews. When you get a negative review, you should make efforts to reach out to the complainant and try to provide an apt solution to the problem. If they are satisfied with your solution, you can even request them to remove their review.
Other factors
Adequate inventory- Being stingy and lazy in maintaining surplus stock can cost you dearly. This can have two possibilities-
(i) When a buying prospect visits your page and finds your product ‘out of stock’, you simply lose the chance of selling.
(ii) When you delete the product listing till the time you replenish your stock, you have to list your product afresh. This means no sales history and starting from ground level all over again.
Amazon’s Terms of Service- In the wake of getting exceptional results in the short-run, if you get incited to indulge in activities that are against Amazon’s guidelines, remember that you will have to pay a big price for it. It can even go as far as getting your account suspended.
Response to customer feedback- When you don’t respond to the queries of buying prospects, you lose the chance of selling, consequently casting a negative impact on your search history.
Once you understand the factors that affect your visibility on Amazon, you can turn the tables in your favour. If you feel that optimizing your product listings once would lead to perpetually boosted sales figures, you need to think again. Amazon SEO is an ever-going process that if carried out well can help you propel your sales figures.
In the trail of your efforts for selling more, you should keep in mind that- Amazon cares about its buyers and how to sell products to them. In order to succeed, consider making it a bottom line for all your actions.
