How To Optimize Amazon Product Listing | 9 Steps To Increase Visibility & Sales

How to optimize Amazon product listing?

1. Conduct Amazon keyword research
2. Create an Amazon SEO optimized product title
3. Use high-resolution product images and videos
4. Write bullet points that showcase product features and benefits
5. Write an Amazon SEO optimized product description
6. Optimize the backend of the Amazon product listing
7. Set competitive pricing
8. Attract positive ratings and reviews
9. Use Amazon PPC advertising to increase sales velocity

70% of Amazon customers report that price is the most important factor when deciding to purchase an Amazon product. This is followed by shipping cost at 60% and product reviews at 57%, according to Amazon software suite SellerApp. These are just a few of the factors that influence the success of a product on the Amazon Marketplace. You can increase your revenue potential on Amazon by using Amazon product listing optimization. 

Amazon product listing optimization is optimizing an Amazon product listing to improve its visibility on Amazon and increase sales conversions. Amazon product listing optimization combines the use of Amazon SEO and sales concepts like competitive pricing to create a product listing that shows up more often in Amazon SERPs and does a better job of convincing Amazon customers to buy. For example, Amazon YouTube influencer Dan Rodgers helped one of his subscribers increase their click-through rate (CTR) by 0.025% and conversion rate (CVR) by 0.07% by using the Amazon listing optimization service Amazon One Step. By enhancing product listing aspects like product copy, images, and videos, the seller was able to realize a 7% increase in product sales.

1. Conduct Amazon keyword research

Amazon keyword research entails finding the right keywords to include in your Amazon product listing to better ensure that Amazon shows your listing to your target customer. Amazon keyword research enables you to know which keywords to include in your product listing to optimize for Amazon SEO.

How to do Amazon keyword research?

1. Use the Amazon search bar for keyword suggestions

You can use the Amazon search bar to do keyword research for free. Type in a variety of words and phrases related to your product and look at the drop-down suggestions. These suggestions are other keyword phrases that Amazon customers type into the search bar that might be relevant for your product listing.

2. Analyze competitor product listings

If there are competitors selling a similar product on Amazon, you can analyze their product listing to see what kind of Amazon keywords they include related to the product. If you see a competitor ranking well for a variety of relevant search terms related to the product you’re selling, you know that the keywords incorporated in their product listing are probably important and should be included in your product listing as well. 

3. Leverage a keyword research tool 

Keyword research tools make the keyword research process much more efficient. For example, AMZScout is one of the keyword research tools available for Amazon. With AMZScout’s Keyword Search tool, you can type in the keyword ideas you found by analyzing Amazon search suggestions and competitors and the keyword tool returns matching terms with their estimated monthly search volume on Amazon. Some Amazon keyword research tools, like AMZScout, also come with a reverse ASIN lookup feature. Reverse ASIN look up allows you to take a competitor's product listing and quickly see all the keywords that they are ranking for on Amazon. 

2. Create an Amazon SEO optimized product title

Creating an Amazon SEO optimize product title is essential for a few reasons. Not only is it the first thing potential customers read when searching for your product, it’s also influential for Amazon SEO. Amazon’s A10 algorithm uses the title data for indexing. It’s used in determining if your product is relevant enough to appear as a search result for a potential customer. Therefore, Amazon product title optimization is extremely important for the success of your product.

For most product categories, Amazon allows a maximum of 200 characters in the product title. Many people recommend using as many characters in the title as possible. However, a recent experiment by Amazon solutions provider Amify tested three different Amazon titles, finding that a shorter title performed better for 2 out of the 3 titles. 

It’s important to note that some Amazon categories have specific title requirements. Always refer to your category specific style guide to ensure compliance. 

How to create an Amazon SEO optimized product title? 

1. Use at least 80 characters, with an optimal range of 100 - 150
2. Incorporate relevant keywords you're trying to rank for
3. Include product descriptors, like: 
   • Important product features
   • Who or what the product is for
   • Size of product
   • Quantity of product included
   • Color, model number, and series
4. Capitalize the first letter of each word
5. Use numeric values instead of writing out numbers
6. Spell out measurements (Ex: pounds, inch, etc.)

Here are some examples of successful products.

• Contains keywords: “Tactical Dog Collar” and "Military Dog Collar”
• Product size: Adjustable
• Key feature of the product: Nylon, Heavy Duty, Metal Buckle, Handle
• For what: Dog Training

• Contains keyword: “AC Furnace Air Filter”
• Provides exact dimensions
• Key features of the product: MPR 1000, Micro Allergen Defense
• For what: Is contained in keyword phrase “AC Furnace”
• Quantity: 4-Pack

Notice that the furnace filter product title includes the brand name at the beginning, “Filtrete”. This title format with the brand name in front is common because Amazon forcibly recommends it. Amazon has a system in place that automatically pulls the information from your brand name field and place it there if they find you haven’t.

Large and established reputable brands already have indexed keywords that rank high in the search engine. Also, customers are likely to use the brand name in their search term to find the product. Amazons recommended title format with brand name in front works well for these types of brands. However, for new or small brands, it’s better to include keywords at the beginning for more efficient indexing. To avoid Amazon automatically pulling and inputting your brand name, enter “generic” into the brand name field.

How should you handle Amazon title optimization when the product has size and color variations?

When the product has size and color variations, you should handle Amazon title optimization by omitting that information from the main product title and instead include it in the title for the child ASINs. When the specific child variation is selected from the product detail page, the product’s additional descriptors will appear. That way, Amazon shopper can be certain of which product they are preparing to purchase. 

3. Use high-resolution product images and videos

Using high-resolution product images and videos allows you to portray the Amazon product to customers in a clear manner online. Having high quality images can increase sales by upwards of 10%, according to Amazon's own guidelines. Amazon also notes that including videos alongside product images can boost sales, improve conversions, and decrease product returns. 

The main image is especially important because potential customers use it as the first indication of whether your product can meet their needs and desires. It should be able to influence customers to click into the full product listing. In fact, studies have shown that the main image accounts for approximately 75% of clicks on a product listing, according to Signalytics. 

What are Amazon's requirement for the main product image?

Although the main image is most important, supporting images play an essential role in portraying the product.

What supporting images should you include in an Amazon product listing? 

Best practice for Amazon product images is to have them professionally photographed or digitally rendered. 

Amazon Product Photography

Investing in professional photography is a common recommendation by Amazon gurus and experts alike. They have the best camera gear, lighting and background setup, and knowledge to showcase your Amazon product in the most captivating way. Photography services can also assist you in post-editing to create those infographics and present a full view of your product to Amazon shoppers. 

3D Rendered Images

3D digitally rendered images can highlight minute product details that are difficult to capture with a camera.

With 3D rendering, you also have more control and flexibility in showcasing the product because the laws of physics do not apply to the digital world. Whether you choose the authenticity of traditional photography or embrace modern digital image creation, ensure your images are excellent as they are a major factor in driving conversions. 

What types of videos can you add to your Amazon product listing? 

4. Write bullet points that showcase product features and benefits

Product bullet points are where you introduce the features and benefits of your product to potential customers. Amazon allows up to five bullet points and a maximum character limit of 500 per bullet. However, the recommended length for bullets is 250 or less and under 1,000 in total. Amazons algorithm often indexes bullets alongside titles and backend keywords, but not always. Therefore, including relevant keywords improves a product’s chances of appearing as a search result. However, keywords should appear naturally as readability and clear communication of product details are most important in driving conversions.

It's suggested to start every bullet with a benefit to the potential customer and explain how the features of the product serve those benefits while including keywords in the natural language. This posture corrector listing shows this format in action.

For your fifth bullet, you can follow the same format as the first four or you can do as above and include a risk-free guarantee. A classic sales tactic proven to convert that Amazon FBA sellers are required to offer anyway. 

5. Write an Amazon SEO optimized product description

Writing an Amazon SEO optimized product description means incorporating more relevant keywords that potential customers to see. The standard product description is a text-only field that allows you to elaborate on your product’s benefits and features up to 5,000 characters. You should incorporate relevant keywords that were not included in the title or bullet points while highlighting the best-use applications of your product in this section. 

Previously, it was encouraged to include HTML tags in the Amazon product description to improve readability. However, Amazon banned this practice in 2021. It appears this change was implemented in order to push sellers to join the Amazon Brand Registry. Amazon sellers in the Amazon Brand Registry can increase their sales by between 3-10% by using A+ content in place of the standard product description, according to EcomClips. 

What is Amazon A+ content? 

Amazon A+ content is a tool for sellers in the Amazon Brand Registry that allows an enhanced product description. This was previously known as Amazon Enhanced Brand Content until 2019. 

Amazon A content allows sellers access to: 

The goal of your product listing on Amazon is to provide enough details for a potential customer to make a purchase decision. A+ Content can result in higher conversion rates, sales and traffic because it extends your ability to showcase your product digitally. Customers can make more informed purchase decisions, leading to a better experience and an increased likelihood of satisfaction. 

There is also Premium A+ Content too. However, it is by invite only, with a minimum annual fee of $250,000.

6. Optimize the backend of the Amazon product listing

Optimizing the backend of the Amazon product listing means incorporating additional keywords that potential customers cannot see to rank for more search queries. From the Inventory tab in Amazon Seller Central, you can go to manage inventory and edit your listing to include backend keywords. This indexes your product for relevant keywords that couldn’t fit into the front end listing. 

There are two spots to input keywords that are of extreme importance to your product listing:

• Subject Matter
• Search Term

After only your product title, the Subject Matter and Search Term fields are most important for Amazon SEO. They are even more important than either the product bullet points or the description for indexing your product. Of the two, the Subject Matter field carries the greatest weight. Therefore, input the highest volume, most relevant keywords that have not already been used in the product title in the Subject Matter field first. Subject Matter allows up to five lines of keywords with a maximum of 50 characters per line. 

Then, take any remaining keywords that are relevant with high volume and input them into the Search Term field, up to 249 bytes (1 byte usually equals 1 character). Don't repeat keywords already used on the front end. As long as a keyword is used once the product will be indexed for that keyword. Commas are also unnecessary and waste your allowed bytes. 

What type of keywords should you include in the Search Term field for Amazon backend optimization?

7. Set competitive pricing 

Setting competitive pricing on Amazon means setting your Amazon product at a price point that maximizes customer interest and sales conversions. To set a competitive price point, research competitors in your niche to see how they are pricing their product. When setting a competitive price for an Amazon product listing, make sure to consider factors like:

• Profit margin - Jungle Scout recommends a profit margin of 25% to 30% for private label products

• Product quality - Better quality products with enhanced features may be sold at a higher price point than competitors. 

• Competitor review counts - You can attract more customers when your competitors have high review counts by setting your pricing below the competitors’ price point. 

• Amazon’s free shipping minimum - Amazon non-Prime members in the US pay for shipping on all orders below $25 and may elect to buy products that avoid the shipping fee. 

You can also leverage Amazon features like A/B tests and automated pricing to set competitive pricing. A/B tests are enabled through Amazon’s Manage Your Experiments page. With A/B testing, you can set your Amazon listing to show at multiple price points for different consumers and see which one results in better sales over time. Automated pricing is another tool available to Amazon sellers that allows you to automatically adjust prices on SKUs in your catalog in response to events like the current Feature Offer price (Buy Box). 

9. Use Amazon PPC advertising to increase sales velocity

It’s widely acknowledged that sustained sales velocity is a major factor in moving up the rankings towards the first page and Amazon PPC has been shown as an effective way to accomplish that.Therefore, incorporating Amazon advertising into your product listing optimization strategy serves the overall goal of increasing your product’s visibility to achieve more sales. 

Amazon PPC advertising allows you to push your product listing to the top of the search results. This allows more Amazon shoppers to see your product listing page and press the buy box. However, this only works if you maintain an adequate inventory. If you often run out of product, your sales velocity will be hindered and cancel out this strategy. 

Which factors are most important for Amazon's A10 algorithm? 

These are the most important factors for Amazon's A10 algorithm, according to SellerApp. 

How to create a product listing on Amazon? 

Can you optimize your Amazon product listing for Google? 

Yes, you can optimize your Amazon product listing for Google. Although you can’t directly promote your Amazon product listing through Google Shopping, as this can only be done by Amazon, you can use Google SEO techniques to increase the probability that your Amazon product listing will show up for product search queries in Google search. Before using resources to optimize your Amazon product listing for Google, you should first verify whether your product listing has a chance to rank on Google. You can do this by verifying that:

1. Your product listing ranks on the first page of Amazon for your target keyword
2. A competitor already ranks on the first page of Google for the target keyword or an Amazon search results page ranks on the first page of Google

If there is no Amazon product listing or search results page currently ranking on the first page of Google for your target keyword, the likelihood of ranking is low, according to SEO expert Jacky Chou from Indexsy. 

After verifying that your Amazon product listing can rank on the first page of Google, you need to:

1. Fix on-page SEO - For example, putting the target keyword as close to the beginning of the title as possible and creating unique product descriptions for different product variations. 
2. Build backlinks - Reach out to relevant websites to include a link to the Amazon product listening from their website.

By completing these steps, you increase the probability that your product listing will show up on the first page of Google. 

Conclusion: Is Amazon listing optimization worth it? 

Amazon listing optimization is worth it because there are around 350 million products listed on the Amazon marketplace, according to RepricerExpress. Listing optimization enables you a greater chance for success on Amazon’s incredibly saturated platform. Product listings without Amazon listing optimization are likely to never be found by potential customers. Therefore, it’s worth doing listing optimization yourself or paying an agency or freelancer to perform the listing optimization for you. Listing optimization services cost between $99 - $2,000/product, according to WebFX. However, listing optimization does not guarantee success on the Amazon marketplace. Most Amazon sellers use listing optimization these days so performing listing optimization on your product listings won’t give you much of an advantage over other sellers. 

Those looking for a less competitive online business model should consider local lead generation. Unlike Amazon where you compete with sellers from all over the world, with a local lead generation agency you just compete with local communities so it’s much easier to see success. Local lead generation entails using local SEO to rank websites on Google that attract leads for local service businesses. You then partner with an actual local service business who provides the service. The local service business can pay you between $500 and $3,000/month for the leads your website generates. 

You can make passive income with local lead generation because once you get a website to rank, you can automate the maintenance of the website and local business owners are likely to stick with you for the long run as your website provides an efficient marketing channel for their business. The ability to make passive income leaves you with more time to focus on scaling your business with more local lead generation websites. With just a handful of local lead generation websites in operation, you can easily make a 5 figure income per month. You can learn more about local lead generation through this lead gen program.