Congratulations, you’re now up and running on Amazon. After all, with over 300 million users, this largest e-commerce platform is the place to be!
You spent a lot of time and money getting thus far. Now you can simply sit back and watch as sales trickle in. You are in the game!
Are you really?
Well…not quite.
It is simply not enough to get done Amazon product listing. You need to optimize your listing for the Amazon search engine so as to make your products searchable amongst thousands of others online.
Sounds tough?
Well…it certainly isn’t easy but don’t lose heart. I have compiled a list of actionable tips to simplify the process so you can enjoy better sales and returns which you rightly deserve since you worked hard for it.
Actionable Tips to Optimize Amazon Product Listing
1# Amazon’s Algorithm
First things first, you cannot optimize your Amazon listings without understanding how Amazon’s search ranking algorithm works.
Every search engine bet it Google or e-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay have different search engines and they work differently given their different algorithms.
Amazon product ranking algorithm matches user’s search queries to products. It is focused on presenting options buyers are likely to buy rather than presenting them options closely matching the user’s search query. Amazon users have higher purchase intent than Google.
So what are the factors that influence Amazon’s Ranking Algorithm?
2# Keyword Research
Keywords form the basis of your listing. Keywords are simply terms users use to search for products they want to buy on Amazon. Sure, you can come up with many keywords for a particular product but you cannot use them all in your listing.
So how do you filter the most powerful keywords?
Search volume, Relevance and Competition level are important parameters that go into keyword selection. There are different tools available to help with this important task.
You don’t want a keyword with good search volume but very high competition for you’ll have a tough time competing against them. Choose ones with decent search volume and medium competition.
Sellics, Merchant Word, Jungle Scout are particularly useful ones for Amazon. Not to forget our very own Google Keyword Planner. These are then to be entered to the backend of your product page through Amazon Seller Central in the keyword field.
This will give an indication to Amazon that you wish to be indexed for these keywords.
Product Title
This one’s simple…write an amazing product title. Amazon allows 250 characters for titles. Craft an attractive title using the most important keyword. Make sure you use only 1-2 keywords here.
Include brand name, product quantity/quality and a unique feature that distinguishes your product. For instance the wooden Barbeque stick can be 100% Biodegradable or a face cream can be 100% organic with no chemicals.
Try to stay within 250-character limit or your titles might get cut off when displaying results to the user.
Product Features/Bullet Points
Utilize this section to highlight key features and benefits of your product. However keep in mind that users are not interested in generic features of your product rather what they want to know is how these translate into benefits for them.
For instance you are selling a Day Cream for Oily Skin made from Aloe Vera and Sea Water. Now the bullet points for them can be written in two ways:-
Way 1
- Oil-free Day Cream
- Made from fresh Aloe Vera and Sea Water
- 100% natural with no added chemicals
Way 2
- Say goodbye to oily skin with this 100% natural day cream.
- Containing plant-based Aloe Vera, this cream keeps your skin soft and supple.
- Mineral Water content prevents excess sebum secretion thereby reducing acne and breakouts.
While the 1st one simply states the product features, the second does a good job of explaining how each of the features would benefit the user. Use at least one keyword per bullet point.
Product Description
This field allows around 2000 characters or 300 words. Make use of these 300 words to dive into deepest details about your product, the value it adds to the market and why it’s better than other similar products in the market.
Don’t write in a boring monotonous tone. Make it interesting. Keep the tone direct and personal as if speaking directly to the buyer.
Remember an online buyer has a short attention span. Write in such a way so as to capture the attention of the reader in such a way that he is convinced about your product and wants to buy it.
Product Images
Online users love visual content. So do Amazon buyers. Make sure the images are high-definition and professional. Images should represent the product accurately. Amazon currently allows 9 images and it is recommended you use all of them.
Include images in different styles for instance:-
- Just the product
- Show the product in use – for instance if it’s a Coat, show a human figure wearing a coat or if it is furniture, show the image of a house with the furniture in it.
- Product packaging
- Highlight any special feature of a product if possible.
Product Bundling
Ever noticed the section at the bottom of the product page which says “Frequently bought together”? These are bundled products. The bundle comprises of products that complement each other and something that the buyer would consider buying.
For instance a Mobile Phone with mobile phone cover, an Apple I-phone with Apple Watch etc.
This feature is worth experimenting with as it saves the buyer the trouble of looking for those products separately. After all, all Amazon wants is to ensure a seamless, hassle-free shopping experience for its buyers.
Pricing
n order to be able to sell a product it is important that price is right. It is an important ranking factor that determines your organic search position. Product pricing requires some research. I’d recommend doing a survey of top sellers of similar product, competition etc. Of course you can edit it later on as per the buyer response.
Fulfilled by Amazon or Fulfillment by Merchant
Amazon gives you options when it comes to shipping your items. It’s basically a choice where you decide to pack and ship the product yourself or let amazon handle complete responsibility of packaging and shipping the product from its own warehouse.
Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) means complete packaging and shipping responsibility including returns rests with Amazon. This saves you the trouble of shipments, handling complaints etc. It also gives you access to Amazon Prime members. This obviously comes at a cost.
Fulfilled by Merchant means that complete shipping responsibility including returns and complaints are to be handle by the merchant. This saves you money but costs you time.
It’s up to you to decide what’s best for your business.
Selling to Amazon Prime
Studies show that Amazon Prime members spend more than non-prime members. What does it mean for you as a seller?
Your best shot at sales is with a Prime member. Of course not all sellers are eligible to sell to Prime members. There are two basic criteria that need to be met:-
- Use Fulfilled by Amazon
- Have a solid sales record.
Enhanced Content
Amazon gives sellers the option to enhance their content with the help of additional copy, images, comparison charts etc. Sellers have the option to supply the content, images etc to Amazon and let Amazon do the designing and arranging of content etc.
Or else they can create and upload the content themselves. The former obviously comes with a price tag but gives you competitive edge in the market.
Product Reviews
Customer Reviews affect your rankings big time. Higher the number of reviews you have, greater will be the confidence of buyers in your product.
Work on getting as many reviews as you possibly can. Also try to have mixed bag of reviews. It looks more real. Only 5 star ratings and excellent reviews appear fake. Try to have one or two not so great reviews as well.
Conclusion
Optimizing Amazon listing is an overtime task rather than an overnight thing. You have to work on it consistently and regularly utilizing the tips above and gradually you will see an increase in your sales and ranking.
Author Bio: Anupam Rajey is a seasoned marketer and sales expert. He is the CEO of Acelerar Tech, a leading KPO that offers virtual assistants for social media, Internet research, email & chat support, and more.
