Effectively managing our Amazon Accounts is crucial for success. The best way to begin is to optimize our online product listings.
The list below outlines 8 ways for Amazon product listing optimization to benefit our future product sales.
Amazon Listing Optimization
1 – Optimize the Title
There are different specs or technical requirements in Amazon, needed for each category in which we are selling. We need to be aware of the character length of titles in the categories we are listing. For example, in the food category, the title can have up to 50 characters. However, if we are selling in a supplement category, the limit increases to 80 characters. Some categories go up to 200 characters.
Whether or not the title is more important for SEO than the bullet points or description of the products is the source of much debate. However, it is safe to say, that the title plays a major role.
In other words, the title should be viewed as an extremely important element for Amazon listing management and as such, it should contain the most valuable keyword phrases. Stick to the character limits and try to be descriptive enough in the title to draw interest.
2 – Optimize the Bullet Points
There is space following the title where five bullet points can be listed. Each bullet of 500 characters maximum, is a statement about the product, its details, benefits and the company. We should put a great deal of thought into creating these, highlighting the things that make this product desirable and/or unique.
Remember, searching in Amazon is different than in Google. When someone searches in Google, they are typically asking questions like:
“How to tie my shoe?” or “How do I fly a drone?” In Amazon, they search in a more direct manner. The query would be more like these phrases:
- Blue and white sneakers
- Swimming pool accessories
This means, the bullet points can be excellent places to incorporate keyword phrases, just don’t stuff them in. If we are intentional about wanting those keywords to rank, we will construct effective bullet points.
The more descriptive the bullet points are, the longer someone will stay on the listing page.
3 – Optimize the Description
Another area where Amazon product listing optimization will benefit the seller is in the description of each of their products.
There is a decent size limit available (2,000 characters) so with simple HTML, the copy can be made easier to read. (Tools are available.) This is the 3rd place where new keywords can create additional significant activity.
Most Brand Registered listings can replaced the description with an enhanced brand content (EBC) page. This is a good thing, but we should remember that for Google rankings, we should still include a solid description with keywords. Infographic pages that sometimes accompany an EBC will still rank on Google, but our background keyword-rich description will assist with that ranking.
4- Optimize the Back-End Search Terms
In the back tab of the listing is something called search terms. (Hidden in Amazon) There are some variables to the character size limit (249) but just remember to focus on unused keywords. What makes the search terms section so valuable in Amazon listing management, is that it is the location where we can use variable spellings and any other relevant keywords that we wouldn’t ordinarily use.
5 – Optimize Images
This is one of the most important parts of any online product listing and it ranks up there on Amazon as well. To be a successful Amazon seller, photos must stand out. This often means HD and professional looking pictures.
It’s a hard one to implement for many sellers who would rather pull-down stock photos or other lesser quality images. But if we have put in the effort to optimize all other aspects of our product listing, why wouldn’t we put the same concentration into the images?
"75% of Online Shoppers Rely on Product Photos When Deciding on a Potential Purchase "
The first thing anyone sees on an Amazon search is the photography. If the photos are done right, it says so much about the product. The pictures confirm or contradict the product description. Great photos will produce purchase results and that is why we need to focus on making ours stand out.
6 – Choose the Right Category
Every specific product on Amazon is listed in a category. Choosing ‘best fit’ for each item is not always easy, as many products may fall under more than one main category. Being in the correct category makes our item more discoverable.
There is an easy way to figure this out. Just turn to our product competitors and find out which categories (and subcategories) they are listed in. We can then decide which of these optional relative categories to use. We should choose the category/subcategories that we feel will have the most impact on our sales.
We may have to decide between a category that we could easily rank high in, versus the precise category that our product fits in. The idea here is to ensure that the category we choose is one that makes sense and is relevant to the product. We should keep tabs on our competitors. Maybe we can find a better category/subcategory niche that makes more economic sense for our product.
Also, we shouldn’t be afraid to switch categories if we do not see the activity we had hoped for. Sometimes a small tweak is all we need to bring more attention to our product.
7 – Optimize the Price
This is another factor that can make or break our optimizing listing process. We should know the price we need for our product that will cover the incurred cost and provides the profits required to be successful.
We also must stay aware of our competitors prices including: sellers with near exact and only similar products.
If we understand our break-even price point, as well as the landscape around us in the same product line, that will definitely help us succeed. If we must adjust our pricing, we can do so confidently because we have learned our market.
One way that Amazon truly exceeds all other eCommerce platforms is that the pricing can be adjusted on the fly. It can even be dynamic pricing with numbers not set anywhere else. But we need to be aware that smaller adjustments in pricing are better than giant cuts because we always want to be priced within 10-15% of the previous price. Incremental adjustments are the best way to avoid problems with Amazon.
8 – Optimize our Fulfillment Method
There are several ways to fulfill (get product to the customer) on Amazon.
- Fulfill by Merchant (FBM) – an order comes in and we ship the product directly from our warehouse. When we use this method, we have the option to charge or not charge for shipping. Prime shipping is available via “Seller Fulfilled Prime”, but we will have to ship the product ourselves. This Prime shipping is very expensive.
"88% of Prime members said that free shipping has factored into their purchase decisions in the past 6 months"
- Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) – we send our products to Amazon and they warehouse them, then ship to the customer when an order is placed. Amazon’s popular Prime Membership two-day shipping is via FBA.
- Or, we can sell completely through Amazon which is called Vendor Central. This is a wholesale option.
PRIME Shipping
We need to get our products and account eligible for Prime Shipping because there is a huge difference between items that are Prime eligible and those that are not. This difference is often determined by Amazon user’s search habits. It is common for a customer to start a search by selecting, “just show me the Prime only option.” If our product is not Prime eligible, it will be dropped out of this type of search and will be invisible.
This shipping search option makes sense for the buyer, especially if they frequently purchase. If they need an item immediately, but don’t want to pay for extra fast shipping, then seeing only the Prime eligible items is the way to shop.
In Conclusion
Amazon listing optimization is something every seller can do. By following these practical tips suggested in the list above, we can make the needed changes and enhance our existing product listings and any new listing that we make.