Amazon SEO - What exactly is it?

The term Amazon SEO might seem a bit confusing to most people. What does Amazon have to do with search engine optimization? Users who ask this question often forget that Amazon is the largest e-commerce platform in Germany. Over 50% of the entire online trade is conducted through Amazon.

Therefore, the search function on Amazon is given a very important role: If you manage to achieve good listings in the internal search with the help of Amazon SEO, the chance of selling a large number of products increases.

This becomes interesting for every individual or company that wants to distribute products through the platform—regardless of whether from a seller or vendor perspective. Improving the Amazon ranking and appearing higher in product listings should be a prioritized goal. Because by improving the Amazon ranking, visibility is not only increased, but ideally, the number of products sold is also increased.

How Amazon SEO works, what important aspects need to be considered, and how you can make it to the top of the product listings, you will learn in this article.

How to Improve Amazon Ranking?

To get to the bottom of this question, we should take a small step back at this point. Before optimization begins, the features and peculiarities of the Amazon search engine should be known. Because, like every other search engine, Amazon has its own algorithm which is at least as complex and full of secrets as the algorithm of the Google search engine.

Amazon also provides no concrete, official information on how the algorithm works. Every day, numerous products are created on the e-commerce platform. The Amazon algorithm's task is also to filter the best from the mass of products and index them by relevance. In summary, there are various factors that influence the ranking within the search results.

Basically, the ranking factors are divided into two categories: indirect and direct ranking factors. These are defined on one hand by the click-through rate (CTR) and on the other hand by the conversion rate (CR).

The click-through rate indicates how many of the users who see the product in the listing actually click on it. The conversion rate goes a step further and indicates how many of the users who click on a product actually make a purchase. The CTR and CR are part of the general user behavior on the product detail pages and are therefore categorized under the term indirect ranking factors.

Ultimately, there are other indirect factors that can be considered in optimization. However, the Amazon algorithm prioritizes especially the aspect of sales.

Example: A product that sells better than others is classified as more relevant by the Amazon algorithm than a product of the same category that sells worse. Consequently, it enjoys a higher ranking in the search results.

From these insights, two fundamental questions arise: How do you get users to click on the product? How do you convince users to make a resulting purchase to increase the conversion rate? At this point, both factors need to be considered in a bit more detail and broken down into their basic components.

Direct Factors of Amazon SEO Optimization

The click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rate (CR) play an important role in Amazon SEO. To influence the indirect ranking factors, it is crucial to optimize the direct ranking factors. The direct factors include optimization measures on the product detail page.

An overview of direct ranking factors:

• Product Title

• Bullet Points

• Product Images

• Product Description

• Backend Keywords

Improving Amazon Ranking with Optimized Direct Factors

Some elements of the product detail page, such as the product description, are often the first point of contact for many users. Therefore, special attention should be given to them during Amazon SEO optimization.

Product Title

Whether in Amazon's search results or on the product detail page, the title is an essential element for ranking. In addition to the main keyword, it should also include product-identifying information. For example, with electronic devices, this could be the specification of power, or an indication of the capacity of a container.

These details combined with relevant keywords make it possible to cover various search queries since the Amazon algorithm takes the title into account when evaluating a search query. For instance, if a user searches for a microwave of a specific brand with a specific wattage, then both the brand and wattage should be included in the title in this case. This way, the algorithm can perfectly match the product to the search query.

Care should be taken not to overcrowd the title with too many keywords or too much information. In the worst case, this could negatively impact the Amazon ranking. A healthy mix of keywords and a meaningful or clickable title should be created.

A character length of 80 to 100 characters is recommended for the title. This range varies from category to category. Amazon itself has published style guides for selected product categories in which it is specified what requirements a title should meet.

Furthermore, there are contents that should never be part of the title. These include, for example, product and condition descriptions or a listing of compatible products. It is also prohibited to use only uppercase or lowercase letters or special characters in the title.

Bullet Points

Bullet points or product attributes are other factors that help with product sales and Amazon ranking. Product attributes are especially useful for new customers who don't know the product well or at all. If the product title wasn't convincing enough, bullet points offer the opportunity to provide further useful information in a compact manner.
The most important feature of the product should always be listed in bullet point 1. Following this, other USPs should be mentioned that describe the product and its benefits.

Similar to the title, bullet points are suitable for capturing relevant keywords. This way, the algorithm is signposted to the relevance of the product on another level, impacting the Amazon ranking. But beware: with bullet points, it's important to pay attention to the number of keywords as well. It's not about placing as many keywords as possible, but selected, unique, and product-relevant ones.

Amazon specifies a character length for bullet points of 200 to 250 characters including spaces. This length varies slightly from category to category. This specified length should be used to briefly and concisely convince the customer of the product. Too short bullet points risk conveying too little information. Conversely, too long ones carry the risk that the customer is not willing to read the entire block of text.

Bullet points have an indirect impact on the purchase decision on the one hand, but on the other hand, due to the use of relevant keywords, they are also of immense importance to the Amazon algorithm.

Product Images

Product images are more important than they first appear. The tactile aspects are lost in an online shop like Amazon. This missing dimension must be compensated with very good product images to make it easier for users to imagine the product despite the lack of tactile perception. The images do not impact Amazon ranking as they do not contain keywords.
Instead, with their quality and informational character, they capture the interest of potential buyers.

Product images on Amazon are divided into two categories that define individual requirements: Main Images and Alternative Images.
The main image appears as the first image on the product detail page and in the Amazon search results list. To meet the requirements, it must be depicted on a completely white background. Additionally, only the actual product is allowed to be shown.
Alternative images, on the other hand, intend to convey additional emotions to the customer through various camera angles. Alternative images also provide additional information, such as measurements or weight specifications.

Two things must be kept in mind with product images to increase click-through rates.
Firstly, the quality of the images is decisive. Product images should always be uploaded in maximum resolution. Only this way can it be guaranteed that the user can recognize even the smallest detail of the product. Secondly, the informative content of the images must be taken into account, including typical application areas, compatibility with other devices, comparisons of various sizes within the product, or required tools for assembly.

Such information is usually covered through the use of alternative images. Product images thus have a defining effect on the shopping experience and purchase decision and simultaneously contribute positively to Amazon SEO.

Product Description

An element that extends the overall shopping experience is the product description. It was evident with product images that additional information can be captured in image form. But since search engines primarily work with text, we have the opportunity here to describe the product more thoroughly within the product description.

As the customer still does not have the opportunity to hold the product in their hands during the purchase process, the product description comes into play alongside the product images.

The product description offers space for further keywords. On the other hand, it aims to make the product appear more lively through its content. Sellers and vendors on Amazon also have the option to use so-called A+ Content for their product descriptions.

With this feature, it is possible to expand your product description with images and graphics using a broader selection of templates. Not only the description itself, but the entire product page appears more appealing as a result.

Integrating and using A+ Content on product detail pages does not directly improve the Amazon ranking. Instead, it shows a way to convince the customer of your product and thus stand out from the competition.

Even if A+ Content does not directly impact Amazon SEO optimization, search engines recognize and index these contents. And that is ultimately reflected positively in the rankings.

Backend Keywords

Backend keywords are another factor in Amazon SEO optimization. They also have an effect on Amazon ranking. In contrast to frontend keywords found on the product detail page in the title, bullet points, or description, backend keywords, as the name suggests, are located in the backend.

They can be stored in the seller or vendor central under the product details category. A byte limit of 249 bytes is available. This raises the question of why keywords can be stored at this point when there are already enough ways to play keywords prominently in the frontend.

Backend keywords are different in calibration compared to frontend keywords. For frontend keywords, it is important to ensure that these keywords are as related as possible to the actual product. These keywords should have high relevance. Backend keywords, on the other hand, are not directly connected to the product.

Backend keywords are also indexed by Amazon's algorithm and therefore play a role in Amazon ranking. To utilize them, it is advisable to include keyword variations such as common typos, old spellings, materials, or abbreviations.
This way, possible typos users make during the search are captured, guiding them to the right product anyway.

In short: By using backend keywords, you are thinking ahead on behalf of your potential customers.

The internetwarriors Support You with Your Amazon SEO Optimization

Amazon SEO is a topic area that offers a lot of potential but also presents some challenges. Indirect and direct optimization factors significantly contribute to increasing the ranking of Amazon products. Better visibility on the platform also goes hand in hand with an increase in the conversion rate.

In practice, successful Amazon SEO optimization requires quite a bit of effort. As a 360° full-service online marketing agency, we are, of course, happy to support you in this sprint. Please feel free to contact us so that you can soon stand above everyone else in the Amazon ranking.

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