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The level of sophistication of Amazon sellers has never been higher. Add in the revolution to artificial intelligence and you have a scenario in which entrepreneurs are racing to gain every edge they can. 

That’s why optimizing for Amazon SEO is more important than ever. 

This post focuses on strategies you can use to get ahead of your competition, and details a 9-step checklist that covers everything you need to know about SEO in the age of AI-augmented competition.

But first . . .

What is Amazon SEO?

Amazon search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of making carefully considered improvements to product listings to rank higher in product searches on Amazon.com. 

A well crafted Amazon SEO strategy helps you improve your Amazon listings for product search, boosts sales, and makes it easier for Amazon shoppers to find your listings and brand store.

Why Do So Many Amazon Search Results Look the Same? 

Amazon’s ecosystem is packed full with cookie-cutter courses offering easy-to-follow directions that promise to get new ecommerce sellers onto Amazon’s first page. 

Unfortunately, those Amazon cookie-cutter courses lead to cookie-cutter products.

There are a lot of Amazon sellers doing a pretty good job with their ecommerce business. That leaves a lot of room at the top for those few Amazon sellers that want to take their digital marketing to another level, and do a great job. 

How to Get Your Product Found on Amazon

Amazon shoppers conduct product searches by typing a term or phrase (the keywords) into the search box located at the top of the Amazon.com homepage. 

Then, Amazon’s algorithm goes to work and spits out the relevant organic search results for the word or phrase. At that point, the shopper has the opportunity to look more closely at an individual listing or continue to search using additional highly-descriptive keywords.

That’s where Amazon listing optimization comes in.

In today’s digital marketplace, Amazon listing optimization has become pivotal for sellers aiming to capture a larger market share and ensure their ASINs are prominently showcased in their product category. At the heart of this process are Amazon product listings.

Essentially, they’re your digital storefront for products on Amazon. A well-optimized product listing not only catches the eye of a potential online shopper, it also significantly improves product ranking on Amazon’s search pages, ultimately resulting in enhanced visibility and more sales.

Here’s how to get started:

9-Step Amazon SEO Checklist

1. Keyword Research 
2. High-Quality Product Images
3. Evocative Product Titles
4. Bullet Points That Tell Your Product’s Story
5. Product Descriptions to Describe and Explain
6. Backend Search Terms Help Fill In the Gaps 
7. Competitive Pricing Strategy 
8. Amazon PPC Advertising to Increase Visibility
9. Sales Velocity

Step 1 – Amazon Keyword Research

Good SEO strategy begins with Amazon keyword research. 

Keywords (also known as “SEO keywords,” “keyphrases,” “search terms,” or “search queries”) are words and phrases users type into search engines to find information on a particular topic. They are the “trigger” for Amazon’s search results. 

Front-facing keywords show up in product titles, descriptions, and bullet points. These are the keywords most likely to bring your product to your target audience’s attention in the form of a search result.

Backend keywords are not visible to prospective buyers, but they are a great way to become searchable in Amazon’s database. The backend is a good place to include foreign language translations of your keywords. 

There are four opportunities to use the best keywords to optimize your Amazon listing:

• Product Title
• Key Product Features
• Product Description
• Backend Search Terms

Step 2 – High-Quality Amazon Product Images Stop the Scroll

After users search on Amazon, the first thing they’ll look at are the images of a product. 

High quality images enable customers to quickly decide if a product is worth taking a closer look at. They’re a big part of why Amazon shoppers might actually read the title, bullet points, and the description. 

Amazon Image Guidelines

• Six images and one video is ideal
• Images should be clear, informative, and attractive
• Images should have a white background and fill at least 85% of the image space.
• Use 500 x 500 or 1000 x 1,000 pixels to increase listing quality.
• Make sure to show the entire product
• Include only what the customer will receive 

Canopy Pro Tip:

• Be sure that your images include lifestyle, infographics, and video. Not only will they help stop the scroll, they will help eliminate a majority of your returns and customer service issues. 
• Take full advantage of Amazon A+ Content featuring ultra-high quality images

Step 3 – Evocative Product Titles Help Form the Right First Impression

It only takes 5-10 seconds after meeting someone new to form a first impression. The same is true of your product title.

While you have a limit of up to 200 characters, only the first 5-10 words in your product title are what appear as a search result, making these 5-10 words the most important piece of copy for your listing. 

• Your product title should match what would be on the product package itself
• Amazon recommends an efficiently descriptive title of between 60 and 80 characters
• Make your title clear, but keep it short! 

Canopy Pro Tip:

• Don’t forget about Amazon shoppers using their smartphones. There’s limited room, so your title will be truncated. Make sure to place your main keywords at the very front of your titles.
• While you want to be sure to include three or four of your top keywords, be careful to not “keyword stuff.” 
• Include your band name in the title. It’s important to begin to instill brand confidence and recognition.

Step 4 – Bullet Points That Tell Your Brand Story

Trying to get your entire product description and targeted keywords into the tight 200 characters of the product title can be challenging. With a 1000-character limit, Amazon’s product features section gives you a bit more room to help Amazon shoppers really appreciate the unique features of your product. 

A good list of key features starts each point with a key benefit that directly appeals to what your customer needs.

Canopy Pro Tip:

• Lead off with a summarization of each bullet point with bolded and/or capital letters. By doing this, you’re making it much easier for the large numbers of customers that prefer to quickly skim the listing. 
• You want to include most of your medium and high search volume long-tail keywords in the copy of your bullet points.
• Take the time to expand on your product’s features. Put yourself in the shopper’s shoes and anticipate questions that they might have.  
• Use customer reviews for similar products to identify the questions that prospective customers have had. They will also give you a clearer idea of the product features that they loved. That way you can highlight similar features in your own listings.

Step 5 – Product Descriptions to Describe, Explain and Reduce Returns

Your product description section should be the area where you expand on your key product features and benefits. You will also use this area to include the long-tail keywords that you’ve identified in your keyword research.

Amazon allows you the use of 2,000 characters to describe your product and explain its function and uses.

Canopy Pro Tip:

Do:

• Strategically incorporate relevant keywords into your copy in a way that sounds natural.
• Create a buyer persona by considering your ideal customer and what they want. 
• Highlight differentiators between your product and your competitors. Think about what you have to offer that others don’t.
• Tell a story. Everyone loves a good story, and it can help contextualize your product to show how it might fit into your customer’s life.

Don’t:

• Stuff your listing with keywords. Remember, you’re selling to humans, not to algorithms
• Follow the crowd. Focus on what makes your product special

Step 6 – Fill In the Gaps with Amazon Backend Search Terms

Amazon sellers have the opportunity to provide more information about a product in the administrative backend of the product page

Utilizing meta tags in your product page backend helps Amazon recognize the relevance of your product offering. You should never use this section as a way to stuff keywords that aren’t specific to those you targeted on the frontend.

If you wouldn’t use it on the frontend, don’t put it in the backend.

Amazon’s Guidelines:

• Maintain the text length limit of search terms.
• Make use of synonyms.
• Use spelling variations, but don’t include common misspellings.
• Include abbreviations.
• Use all lowercase letters.
• Avoid punctuation marks such as: “;”, “:”, and “-.”
• Separate words with spaces.
• Avoid repetitions.
• Avoid articles, prepositions, or other short words such as “a,” “an,” “and,” “by,” “for,” “of,” “the,” or “with.”
• Use either singular or plural words

Step 7 – A Competitive Pricing Strategy Gives You the Inside Track

Because shoppers navigate to Amazon’s marketplace with the assumption that they’re going to get a very competitive price, it’s critical that you take the time to research the competition and make adjustments to arrive at a price point that’s in sync with the niche you’re selling in.

It’s important to remember that Amazon is very concerned about their shoppers’ overall experience. That’s why your price has such a big influence on your conversion rate and ultimate overall sales growth.

Step 8 – Amazon PPC Advertising to Increase Visibility

Amazon Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is a powerful tool for enhancing your Amazon Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. By bidding on relevant keywords, your products gain increased visibility at the top of search results, potentially leading to higher click-through rates and sales. 

Because they’ve become such a big part of how Amazon sellers launch products, they’ve also a very important way to increase your Amazon SEO. 

Amazon will automatically generate and match ads to shopping queries. Combined with a well-structured keyword research campaign and a fully optimized listing, Amazon advertising has become a necessary ingredient to an optimum Amazon SEO score. 

This increased engagement sends positive signals to Amazon’s algorithm, which can improve your organic search rankings over time. Additionally, the targeted nature of PPC allows you to reach the most relevant audience, increasing the likelihood of conversions and further boosting your product’s performance metrics. 

Step 9 – Sales Velocity

Sales performance plays a pivotal role in Amazon’s SEO strategy, directly influencing a product’s visibility and ranking in search results. It creates a flywheel effect and becomes a driver of SEO and ultimately, overall success on the platform. 

Amazon’s algorithm heavily favors products with strong sales history, interpreting high sales volumes as indicators of popularity and relevance. As sales increase, so does the product’s conversion rate, creating a positive feedback loop that further boosts its ranking. 

At the same time, increased sales often lead to more customer reviews and higher ratings, which are crucial factors in Amazon’s ranking algorithm. These elements collectively enhance a product’s credibility and visibility, potentially leading to better positioning in organic search results. 

 How Canopy Management Can Help You Win the SEO Race

Regardless of your level of ecommerce experience, the introduction of artificial intelligence has changed everything – effectively moving the goal posts and elevating the level of skills required to compete. 

For individual sellers, Amazon SEO has become exponentially more challenging. Partnering with an Amazon agency like Canopy Management offers significant advantages in navigating this complex landscape:

Expert Algorithm Knowledge: Canopy employs specialists who deeply understand Amazon’s ever-changing algorithm, enabling optimal product listing and advertising campaign optimization for maximum visibility and sales.

Tailored Approaches: Canopy’s Amazon experts craft personalized strategies aligned with your specific business goals, target audience, and product range, helping you adapt to market shifts and seize new opportunities.

Cutting-Edge Tools and Analytics: By utilizing advanced analytics and reporting tools, Canopy Management provides real-time campaign performance tracking and optimization. This data-driven methodology supports informed decision-making and continuous strategy refinement.

Up-to-date Insights: Canopy’s Amazon pros stay current with the latest market trends, consumer behaviors, and marketplace policies, ensuring compliance and positioning your business to capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Competitive Advantage: Through comprehensive competitor analysis, Canopy is able to identify ways to outperform rivals and gain market share, providing a crucial edge in the competitive Amazon marketplace.

What would adding 67% more organic sales mean for your brand?

Turns out that when you combine the massive experience of Canopy’s Advertising Experts with smart tools and tech, you get industry-leading results like this:

• 84% Average Year-Over-Year Profit Growth for Our Partners
• 2.7 Billion in Revenue Managed
• 99.1% Partner Retention Rate

Canopy Management is a full-service marketing agency for Amazon and Walmart sellers. Our team consists of former Amazonians, multi-million dollar sellers, and award-winning experts.

When you consider the many ways that Canopy Management can help you grow your business, you’ll see why selling on Amazon is much easier “under the Canopy.”

• Strategic Growth Planning
• Listing Copywriting Optimization
• Listing Photography
• Product Videography
• Advertising Management
• Customer Service
• Demand Side Platform (Amazon DSP)
• Amazon Posts
• Full Service Management
• Amazon Review Aggregation