Keyword Research

 

You can think about optimizing for the Amazon buy box in the same way you think about optimizing content for the organic search results. Both situations involve algorithms designed to deliver shoppers (or searchers) the best experiences possible.

The crossover between e-commerce and organic search doesn’t stop there. When it comes to the Amazon keyword strategy, you can once again think along the lines of SEO.

 


This isn’t surprising once you take a step back and recognize that—wait a minute—Amazon is a search engine. True, with a relatively low number of ranking signals, its algorithm is simpler than those of Google and Bing. Nonetheless, Amazon indexes information and uses an array of factors to determine who lands wherein the product search results. Sounds like a search engine to me.

 



In this guide, I’ll explain why keywords are important for your success as an Amazon seller. Then I’ll share four Amazon keyword tips you can use to conduct better Amazon keyword research.


 

What’s the deal with Amazon’s search algorithm?

 

Amazon wants to sell stuff.

 

I share this obvious information because it’s the driving factor behind A9. Amazon organizes the product search results to sell as much stuff as possible.

Given that, it comes as no surprise that the most relevant, high-converting products are the ones that win the top spots. A high-converting product, as you know, is one that convinces prospects to buy after they’ve clicked through to the product details page.

There are reasons Amazon doesn’t show you nineteenth-century porcelain dolls when you search for dog food: one, dolls are vessels for demonic spirits; two, dolls have nothing to do with dog food. Nobody wants to use a search engine that populates the results with irrelevant products.

 

Amazon knows this, and A9 operates accordingly.

 

How are Amazon keywords related to product relevance?

 

Amazon keywords, like s’mores Pop-Tarts, are foundational. They’re essential. Without strong keyword practices, the products you sell on Amazon are irrelevant.

Optimizing an Amazon product listing is no different.

 

Amazon keywords and your product title as you may have already intuited, the title of your product is pretty important to its success in the Amazon search results.

 

In fact, from a keyword perspective, it’s probably the most important part of your listing.

 




Think about your behavior as an Amazon consumer for a moment. When you search for a product, do you click on each result and carefully inspect the ins and outs of each product details page?

Normal people look for shortcuts all the time. When shopping on Amazon, that means scanning product titles—often only the first part of product titles—in search of the one most relevant to the consumer’s needs.


 

Would you read the entire title?

 

Put your most important keywords in your product title, and put your very most important keywords at the beginning of your product title.

 

Brand name. Product type. Key Features. Size. Color. Quantity.

 

These are what consumers scan for. Make their lives easy.

Of course, you’re trying to appease the algorithm, too. Regardless of how you look at it, Amazon keywords are essential to your product titles.

 

One last thing: keep screen size in mind. Your product titles are going to look different depending on the device your prospect is using to browse Amazon. This is yet another reason to put your most crucial keywords first.

 

Amazon keywords and your product details

 

The product details page is your opportunity to outline all the best features and benefits of your product in a series of concise bullet points.

 

It’s also the place to use the keywords you couldn’t fit in the product title.

Product details optimization is important for a couple of reasons. Primarily, this is a great chance to nudge the prospect closer to clicking “Add to Cart.” Your outstanding product title brought her here, and now your highly informative bullet points will secure the conversion.

 

Remember that the product conversion rate has a huge influence on the order of Amazon search results. If you slack on your product details page, your bounce rate will go through the roof, and you’ll fall down the search results into e-commerce oblivion.

You also need to optimize your product details page because A9 will index your keywords and use them to inform the ordering of the search results. The logic here is no different from the logic behind your product title—you’re using keywords that make your product relevant to the queries prospective customers are searching for.

 

Amazon keywords and your seller account

 

Perhaps you’ve heard of “hidden keywords.” Maybe you’ve stumbled across something called “search terms.” Each is a reference to the keywords you’re permitted to enter at the backend of your Amazon seller account.

 

Hidden keywords are your opportunity to give Amazon more information about your product—information that consumers won’t see. To draw a parallel to content creation, alt text allows you to give Google more information about an image to help with indexation.

 

Let’s say you’re selling homemade bumper stickers that advocate for Sen. Bernie Sanders. Through your keyword research, you find that a good number of Amazon users search the query “bumper stickers for liberals.” You’ve dedicated your product title to your brand name, the materials you use, the dimensions of the stickers, and the quantity.

 

So, now what?

 

You enter the keyword “bumper stickers for liberals” into the backend of your seller account!

 

Keep in mind that—you only have 250 characters for backend keywords per product. Avoid repeating information conveyed in your product title and bullet points, as doing so will only waste this highly valuable real estate.

 

To that same end: don’t use commas, semicolons, or any other punctuation to separate your backend keywords. This, like repeated information, is an unnecessary waste of characters.

 

By reducing the character limit to 250, Amazon has indicated that it’s taking backend keywords more seriously. The company doesn’t want sellers stuffing the character fields with irrelevant information and competitors’ brand names. As such, if you master your backend keywords across your product catalog, you can expect a considerable boost in the search rankings!

 

How do I conduct Amazon keyword research?

 

If you want to succeed on Amazon, you need to play by the book. And that means conducting keyword research.

 

The goal? To compile a comprehensive list of keywords for each product, thus maximizing the number of search queries that trigger your product listings and making your inventory as visible as possible in the Amazon search results.

 

Here’s how.

 

1. Target products that compliment your product.

2. Type into the Amazon search bar and look at the keyword suggestions.

3. Look at what you’re ranking for on Google.

4. Use a keyword research tool.

 

With the right Amazon keyword research strategy and the right Amazon keyword tool, you’ll make your products visible to more relevant, high-value prospects than ever before. Plus, thanks to well-optimized product titles and product details pages, you’ll turn that boosted visibility into clicks and conversions at an impressive rate.

 

What are you waiting for? Get that magical loop of e-commerce success going today!

 

 

Ask Me In Comments If You Have Any Queries.