Search engine optimization (SEO) is a crucial aspect of any eCommerce business, and it is no different for businesses selling on Amazon. After all, Amazon is the second largest search engine in the world and accounts for 45% of the US eCommerce market. If you run an eCommerce shop, you are leaving money on the table if you aren't listing on Amazon.
But, just listing products on Amazon is only the beginning. You have to make sure your customers can find them. By optimizing your Amazon listings for search, you can increase organic visibility, drive more sales, and ultimately grow your business. Let's take a look at some strategies for optimizing your Amazon listings for search and increasing organic visibility so you can get in on that Amazon eCommerce profit.
Note: Amazon's Quick Start Sellers Style Guide is a great place to get started.
1. Use Relevant Keywords in Amazon Listings
Amazon, at it's core, is a search engine and it operates the same as any other - using keyword indexing. So, keywords are very important.
You'll want to get your top keywords into important places like:
- Product titles
- Key feature bullet points
- Product descriptions
When potential customers search for a product, the keywords in your listing will help them find it. Use tools like Amazon's keyword research tool to identify relevant keywords for your products. There are lot's of keyword research tools on the market, use the one you like the most.
2. Optimize Your Amazon Product Images
Customers are browsing dozens or hundreds of options on Amazon while looking for your product. Your product images have to be competitive to stand a chance.
Use high-quality images that showcase your products in the best possible light. Make sure the images are clear and well-lit, and include images that show the product in use. Also, make sure to add alt tags to your images, which will help them show up in image search results on Amazon.
Source: The Clipping Path Service
What kinds of images should I use for Amazon listings?
You will want to make sure to have clean images of your product from every angle as well as images of it in use. People want to see it in the real world being used to get a sense of quality and scale. Also make sure to get images of all important features of the product. May times shoppers will swipe through the image carousel looking for features rather than open the listing and reading the description.
Here are some best practices for Amazon product images:
- Six images and a video is ideal for each product detail page.
- Images should use a white background and the product should fill at least 85% of the image.
- Images should be high quality and informative of the product.
- Size: 500 x 500 or 1,000 x 1,000 pixel images are recommended.
3. Encourage Customer Reviews
Customer reviews can have a big impact in conversion rates and help SEO by generating organic keyword placement as people naturally talk about your product and its features. According to DataHawk, you should focus on products that have less than 15 reviews as the biggest boost in conversions come in that range:
"The real difference in conversion happens between 1 and 10-20 reviews (6% to 14% conversion rates respectively). As a seller, you should care to push forward your products until they get a minimum of 15 reviews."
Positive reviews can help increase your product's visibility in search results as well as increase conversions. Encourage your customers to leave reviews by including a call to action in your product listing and responding to reviews in a timely manner.
4. Use Amazon's Enhanced Brand Content
Amazon's Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) is a feature that allows Amazon sellers and vendors to create more visually appealing and informative product detail pages. EBC enables sellers to use enhanced images and text to showcase their brand and product features in a more engaging way.
Benefits of using EBC:
- Improved Product Detail Pages: EBC allows sellers to create more engaging and informative product detail pages, which can help increase customer engagement and conversion rates.
- Brand Building: EBC allows sellers to showcase their brand identity and story, which can help build brand loyalty and recognition among customers.
- Differentiation: EBC allows sellers to highlight their product's unique features and benefits, which can help differentiate their products from competitors.
- Cross-Selling: EBC can also be used to cross-sell related products, which can help increase average order value and drive additional sales.
EBC is available to Amazon sellers who have been approved as Brand Owners. Once approved, Brand Owners can use EBC to create a more visually rich product detail page with images, videos, and text that goes beyond the standard product description. This give you more ways to include relevant SEO keywords in more places, which will help your rankings and visibility.
5. Monitor & Improve Your Amazon Sales Rank
Amazon Sales Rank, also known as Best Sellers Rank, is a numerical ranking system that Amazon uses to indicate how well a product is selling in comparison to other products in its category (learn more about it here). The sales rank is updated hourly and is based on recent sales data and historical sales data.
The lower the sales rank number, the better the product is selling on Amazon. For example, a product with a Sales Rank of #1 is the best-selling product in its category.
Improving your Amazon Sales Rank can lead to increased visibility and sales for your products.
How to Improve Sales Rank
Many of the tips listed in this post will help improve Sales Rank: optimizing product listings, getting product reviews, and general optimization. But if you want to really compete in Sales Rank, here are some additional strategies to consider:
- Use Amazon Advertising: Amazon offers various advertising options, such as Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands, which can help increase visibility and sales for your products. These ads can help increase sales velocity, which can improve your sales rank
- Participate in Amazon's Deals and Promotions: Participating in Amazon's Lightning Deals, Prime Day, and other promotions can help drive sales velocity and improve your sales rank
- Monitor Inventory Levels: Keeping your products in stock and available for immediate shipping can help improve your sales rank. If your products are out of stock or have long lead times, your sales rank will suffer.
Overall, improving your Amazon Sales Rank requires a combination of optimizing product listings, encouraging reviews, using advertising and promotions, and monitoring inventory levels. There are no shortcuts, but the benefits are worth it.
6. Use Amazon's A+ Content
Once you register and are approved by the Amazon Brand Registry, you can access Amazon's A+ Content. This gives you access to custom features so you can add additional information and images to your product listing. This can help you stand out from your competition and increase visibility in search results.
Optimizing your Amazon listings for search can help increase organic visibility, drive more sales, and ultimately grow your business. By using relevant keywords, optimizing your product images, encouraging customer reviews, and utilizing Amazon tools, you can increase your chances of showing up in search results and ultimately drive more sales.
