Amazon has become a game-changer for ecommerce businesses. More and more investors are starting to take advantage of Amazon’s fast-growing network. Using Amazon services as one of your primary platforms can give your business several advantages. This, however, requires strategic planning and execution to gain leverage against your competitors.
Amazon Continues to Grow Rapidly
Amazon is one of the largest ecommerce platforms today with more than 2.5 million active sellers and 310 million active members. On average, Amazon gets more than 197 million people around the world every month — that’s more than the entire population of Russia. A recent study also shows that 89% of consumers choose to buy from Amazon than other ecommerce sites.
Convenience, reliability and excellent customer service are some of the reasons Amazon is the most preferred online shopping place today. Innovation also plays a big role to Amazon’s success. They keep improving and adding new helpful features for both Amazon sellers and buyers. One of the key features to look out for is the Amazon Best Seller Rank (BSR), which helps consumers see the most popular products available in the marketplace. Many sellers are also taking advantage of Amazon BSR to promote their products and services.
Amazon’s Competitive Marketplace
With Amazon’s growing network, it’s quite surprising only a few businesses have become successful with this platform. This is because of the level of competition as the number of sellers continues to rise, as well. Additionally, most Amazon sellers don’t have an idea how the algorithm works. They usually think integrating your business with Amazon will generate sales right away.
With an 8% increase in overall competition from last year, it is imperative to find more ways to boost your Amazon product listings and brand pages. It is true that using Amazon services can help your business grow your revenue. This, however, doesn’t mean it will give you instant results. Just like any other platform, you need strategic Amazon marketing solutions to outrank your competition.
Work on your marketing strategies. Understand the Amazon BSR metrics to gain more credibility with your target market. Explore other effective solutions, such as implementing Amazon SEO campaigns and product listing optimization.
What is Amazon BSR and How to Earn It?
Amazon allocates every product using different catalogs called the Best Seller Rank, formerly known as Amazon Sales Rank. Amazon BSR indicates where your products and brand pages will list. To get this exposure, the product needs to generate more sales. Basically, the products with more sales will be featured on top of Amazon’s page.
Amazon also considers the historical sales data for a specific product. It is updated hourly and ranks every item within each of their categories and subcategories.
Keep in mind that the BSR of a product may show different results from other Amazon marketplaces. For example, you can be listed among the top 5 of a subcategory page on Amazon.com but rank lower on Amazon.co.uk.
The overall BSR on Amazon should indicate how well it is selling compared to other product listings. But according to Amazon, it doesn’t always show which items are selling more than similar products. This is why they created the category and subcategory bestseller list, which makes it more convenient for both sellers and consumers.
You can find the product’s BSR Amazon score on the details section of the listing. By default, Amazon features a few of the most popular subcategories for items with higher rank related to other products in that subcategory.
Other Effective Ways to Make your Amazon Product Listings More Visible
As mentioned, Amazon calculates the Best Seller Rank based on recent sales and historical sales data. Take note that Amazon’s algorithm for the best sellers list does not include product reviews, sellers’ feedback, pricing, and keywords when computing the BSR. These factors, however, can make your products and brand pages look more credible to consumers and get more potential leads.
While the BSR Amazon weighs heavily on sales, optimizing your Amazon product listings is still an ideal option. In fact, most successful businesses in this platform use Amazon SEO strategies and Amazon PPC campaigns to promote their brand and increase sales.
To give you more ideas, here are some of the most effective ways to optimize your Amazon product listings:
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Understand the Use of Relevant Keywords
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Amazon’s search algorithms aren’t that different from popular search engines, such as Google, Yahoo or Bing. Performing in-depth keyword research is essential to determine which primary and secondary keywords to use for your Amazon marketing campaigns. Just like optimizing a website through white hat SEO practices, relevance and search volumes are some of the key factors to consider.
Following the same principles, you need to be careful with keyword stuffing. Focus on readability and conversion-optimized content. Always check Amazon’s keyword guidelines and search terms to ensure your optimizing strategies are spot on.
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Optimize Product Title and Description
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This is one of the reasons many Amazon sellers are struggling to compete with others. According to research, 90% of product listings do not comply with Amazon’s requirements. Many businesses overlook the importance of optimizing product titles and descriptions.
Just like Google, Amazon makes regular updates with its algorithms. Simple details, such as utilizing the character limits for product titles and descriptions, can make a significant difference on Amazon’s search results.
Here are a few things to consider when creating product titles:
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Make Descriptive Titles
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Amazon users prefer this platform because it’s fast and convenient. If they can’t figure out your products at first glance, you’re losing valuable leads. Be creative with your product titles. Make use of Amazon’s 200-character limit. Provide descriptive titles that give your audience an idea about the product without clicking on the listing.
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Incorporate the Keywords
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Always include relevant keywords in your product titles. Try to use the keywords at the beginning of your title. This is to make sure your product page is indexed for particular keywords. Again, avoid keyword stuffing for better search results.
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Focus on User Intent
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This applies for both product titles and descriptions. Think about your audience when creating the content. Put yourself in their perspective. Do you find the information helpful? Does the title give you an idea about the products you’re selling? Simple details like this can help improve your product listings.
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Follow the Best Practices
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Always follow the best practices or recommended format when creating Amazon product titles. Here’s a few of them:
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- Capitalize the first letter of the primary words.
- Provide exact details (size, volume, color, measurements, etc.).
- Use numerals for numbers.
- Avoid using an ampersand.
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For product descriptions, use bullet points to separate and highlight the key features of the products. Avoid fluff when providing the details, and try to incorporate some of the keywords.
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Optimize Product Images
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The images on your product listings say a lot of things about your business. This is one of the biggest factors Amazon users consider when buying online. Use bright, clear and high-quality photos to maximize the zoom feature. Take photos utilizing different angles synced to Amazon’s A9 algorithms. The recommended image should be at least 1280 pixels on the side. If possible, provide ultra-HD images with 2560 pixels on the longest side.
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Get Customer Reviews
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Customer reviews are crucial for your Amazon business. In general, sellers usually get reviews based on the quality of products and customer service. There are other ways to increase the number of reviews. Using parcel inserts, for instance, can prompt customers to provide feedback about your products and services.
Be proactive to maintain a high product review score. Respond to comments even on negative feedback. Be professional and find ways to resolve their concerns. This reflects good customer service and might persuade the customer to make amendments or remove bad reviews altogether.
Final Words
In general, the best way to improve your Amazon BSR is to get more sales. This, however, shouldn’t limit your strategies and objectives. Focus on other actionable items, such as getting your brand pages and product listings more visible to Amazon’s search results. Take time to understand Amazon’s metrics. Improve your product listing through ethical optimization guidelines. Explore different Amazon SEO approaches. Do your research and reach out to Amazon marketing professionals for expert help.
