Jason Roussos, vice president of strategy, Adlucent
It’s no secret that nearly half of all consumers now begin their product searches on Amazon. And, one of the many reasons Amazon has dominated is because its algorithm ensures that shoppers are shown a comprehensive list of highly relevant products from their search queries, leading to increased purchase rates and stronger sales.
There is a massive opportunity for growth on Amazon as it continues to take over the online retail space. SEO can make or break a seller in the marketplace. Tighter margins on Amazon mean that a paid search strategy alone will not suffice. As consumers are challenged by a “paradox of choice,” you, the seller, must quickly figure out the right game plan in order to break through the noise organically.
Amazon displays products with the strongest SEO according to its algorithm. If your product is not seeing the rankings you anticipated, you might need to amend your approach to your listings. In order to do so successfully, consider the following best practices
Amazon SEO Play #1: Keywords are Key
One of the most important features of strong SEO is a straightforward title with important keywords placed up front. Your product’s title should describe exactly what it is, who made it and important key features in order of importance. For example, a title for a 16-fluid ounce bottle of organic shampoo by the Natural Shampoo Brand would look something like this:
Natural Hair Brand – Organic Shampoo, 16 fl oz, argan oil, sulfate-free, moisturizing
One of the most important features of strong SEO is a straightforward title with important keywords placed up front.
When crafting your title, it is critical to remember that shoppers are humans. As such, the title should include the keywords needed to catch the algorithm but should also make sense to the person reading it. Since including a lot of information in one title can get messy, it is perfectly acceptable to use punctuation like dashes and commas for easier readability.
In the event not all of your desired keywords fit into one title or description, you can put them in the back-end of your product listing. Just log into your Seller Central account and insert keywords into the five different sections, including target audience, subject matter and search terms. Your customers won’t see it, but the algorithm will be more likely to pick up your product. This is a good place to enter keywords that might be associated with your product but aren’t high-volume enough for the description on the front end.
Also, remember that some products have multiple uses. For example, baby powder can be used to get grease stains out of clothes, so you might use keywords like “degreaser” or “stain remover” in the back-end. Each keyword section in your Seller Central account can take up to 200 words, so take advantage of it. One crucial point to keep in mind when you’re threading keywords throughout your product listing is not to misrepresent your product. Not only could this leave you with bad reviews, but you could also be banned from selling on Amazon. If you list your product as “giant inflatable pool toy,” it better be huge.
Amazon SEO Play #2: A Good Description Goes a Long Way
When filling in your product’s description, make sure to do so in order of importance. The most crucial information should come first, and it should have strong keywords right at the beginning. A description with strong keywords is more likely to be picked up by the algorithm, but remember the human element. Make sure the description is well-written and makes sense. Describe how the product can be used, how it feels and how it works. This is especially important for apparel items, linens and other products shoppers traditionally like to view in stores.
Another pivotal section of the product listing is key features. This is your chance to get the main idea or purpose of your product out in a few concise sentences. Like the description, you will want to prioritize in order of importance. Put keywords in each bullet point and keep sentences short. You don’t need to worry about proper punctuation—but make sure sentences are still easily readable.
Considering more Amazon shoppers are moving to mobile, you will want your description and bullet points to cater to a mobile setting. Long descriptions and bullet points are often cut off on mobile, so make sure to put the most important information at the top of each section.
Amazon SEO Play #3: The Visual is Pivotal
We live in a visual world and your product listings should be no different. Amazon requires you to have at least one picture to display your product. The main product picture must also meet Amazon’s standards, including a pure white background and a minimum of 1000 pixels.
While one image is the minimum to post a listing, providing several other pictures for customers to look through helps them get a better understanding of your product and helps you stand out from the competition. Close-up images that show the details of the product and the product in the context of its intended use are both encouraged—the product should take up 80-85% of the space in the image. Including a video of the product in use is also a good way to connect with audiences.
When it comes to selling on Amazon, standing above the noise can be attainable by adding a few new plays to your SEO game plan.Crafting the perfect keywords without misleading your customers and making your descriptions informative, readable and optimized for mobile experiences will go a long way in helping your products become big winners in the world of Amazon.
Adlucent is a digital marketing agency.