amazonseoWhoever wants to sell on the Internet can’t ignore Amazon, as it has long overtaken Google when it comes to product search. The huge shop-in-shop-portal is simply known and used by almost everyone.

For instance, a study from personalization platform company BloomReach found that 55% of consumers turn to Amazon first when searching for products online and the e-commerce giant managed to steadily increase its product-search lead throughout the years. Furthermore, the study revealed that Amazon is involved in almost all online shopping activities, impressively stating that ‘approximately 9 in 10 consumers will check Amazon even if they find a product they want on another retailer's site’. So, it seems, on Amazon there is simply nothing that can’t be bought.

Therefore, the rumor some time ago that Amazon is adapting its search engine algorithm to that of the Google search engine stirred up the SEO industry enormously, as it not only means that SEO can increase traffic to websites but also directly affect one of the world's largest sales portals.

Amazon has invested heavily in and touted its advanced algorithmic recommendation capabilities, with the result that today 75% of consumers feel that no other online retailer can personalize experiences better.

So, let’s summarize the basics for Amazon SEO to play it right and get a piece of the action:

Tip 1: Keyword

Amazon works with algorithms that search the Amazon Standard Identification Numbers (ASINs) for strings - similar to what Google does. Keywords are primarily not the only and most important criterion for a good ranking, but a well-thought-out placement of keywords with high search volumes contributes significantly to successful Amazon sales.

Keywords can be researched conventionally by using Google's Keyword Planner, and to map all relevant short-, mid- and long-tail keywords, using the service of Keywordtool.io is a useful tool as well. Even the order of placement is simple: the most important keywords or phrases should be placed in the title, followed by keywords in the product description, and the remaining keywords placed in the bullet points. Maybe you want to consider looking for niche keywords, so that your chances are higher of getting a good Amazon ranking, due to less competition. And last but not least, pay attention to user-friendly, readable content.

Tip 2: Product description

The product description should not only contain important content and keywords, but resonate with the structure as well. Keep an eye on providing a clear structure by using subheads, paragraphs and short sentences. In the Amazon app, customers see the product description first, while the bullet points are visible further below. Therefore, all relevant information must be found condensed in the product description and the content of the bullet points recapped to give customers value in every content area. While bullet points are about the facts, product descriptions can address "good" feelings.

Tip 3: Bullet points

Bullet points have a great effect on user friendliness, giving you the opportunity to present your sales arguments in 5 points - short and crisp. Use the space in the bullet points, for instance, to introduce your product with facts that are worth to know – be it about benefits or features - presented in one or two meaningful sentences.

Tip 4: General keywords

Amazon offers you 5000 characters for your keywords so use them well, just make sure that you do not enter any protected names and brands. Besides that, the 5 fields provided by Amazon should be filled with keywords: If you have 150 keywords for your product, you should spread 30 in reach of the 5 fields. In addition, only keywords that really fit your product should be considered for the general keywords. Because, if you place keywords that do not meet the intention of your customers, you will not only NOT sell your product but get down in ranking. So, choose your keywords carefully and research down to the smallest detail – especially since you know that synonyms and phrases play a decisive role in the keyword setting!

Tip 5: Images

Products purchased online cannot be assessed or haptically examined. For this reason, customers should receive as much information as possible from the product images. Use at least 6 pictures that are high-resolution (at least 1000 px width) and show the product from as many different angles as possible and in use. The more the product is presented by means of images, the faster is the customer's purchase decision. Keep in mind that product images are one of the most important factors for online shoppers, making a good visual impression crucial. Just as the saying goes – a picture says more than 1000 words.

By Daniela La Marca