Up to 63% of all customers start their product search directly on Amazon, as opposed to other search engines (like Google.) What’s more, nearly two-thirds of Amazon users do not go beyond the first page.
Under these circumstances, making sure your product pages are properly optimized is crucial. You want to be on the first page because it is the best, most cost-efficient, and most effective way to drive sales on Amazon. And the key to achieving this is through Amazon SEO.
If you want to learn more about Amazon SEO and how you too can rank #1 in your category in Amazon’s search, keep reading, because we have just the guide for you.

What is the A9 Algorithm in Amazon SEO?
The A9 algorithm is the latest ranking algorithm Amazon uses to decide how products are ranked in search results. Think of it as Amazon’s search brain — the Modus Operandi of how Amazon’s website gets you from entering your search terms to showing you the different results/ products to match said search.
A9’s main goal is to show customers the products they are most likely to buy. It works by analyzing several factors, such as product relevance, sales history, pricing, and customer reviews — all to assess the relevance of your listing (i.e., how well your product matches the keywords a customer types in.) By optimizing your product’s title, description, and keywords, you can help the A9 algorithm make your listing more visible to potential buyers.
As a note, your sales history also helps the algorithm understand which products are popular and trusted (and that’s why it’s included among the A9 search algorithm factors.)
What makes a product rank on Amazon?
Although nobody knows the exact way Amazon’s algorithm works, we do have a very good idea of what are the main elements that influence how your product pages rank on Amazon search. Here’s what you need to know about this:
Relevance-related Amazon ranking factors
Relevance-related factors determine how closely your product aligns with a customer’s search query. These factors ensure shoppers are shown items that best match what they are looking for.
Your product’s title
The product title is one of the most critical elements for determining relevance on Amazon. It provides a snapshot of essential details about the product, helping customers quickly identify if it meets their needs.
To optimize your product title, make sure to:
- Include the most relevant keywords
- Avoid keyword stuffing or unnecessary words
- Use proper capitalization and formatting
- Clearly state the product’s key features like brand or size
- Keep the title easy to read and accurate
Your seller name
Your seller name is also an important component of your presence on Amazon as it helps build trust and brand recognition among customers. To do it right, you should choose a name that is unique, professional, and aligns with your brand’s identity.
Here are some further tips to help you optimize your seller name:
- Use a name that is memorable and easy to spell
- Avoid using generic or overly descriptive names
- Ensure the name complies with Amazon’s guidelines
- Check that the name is not already in use by another seller
- Reflect the values and tone of your business
Your Amazon backend keywords
Backend keywords on Amazon are hidden search terms that do not appear on the product listing but help improve its discoverability in search results. To add backend keywords, you should navigate to your product listing in the Amazon Seller Central, go to the “Keywords” tab under the “Edit” section, and input relevant search terms in the “Search Terms” field, ensuring they are concise, unique, and avoid repetition or prohibited terms.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when using backend keywords on Amazon:
- Use synonyms and alternative spellings
- Avoid keyword stuffing or irrelevant terms
- Include commonly misspelled words related to your product
- Separate keywords with spaces, not commas
- Do not use brand names or trademarked terms unless explicitly relevant
- Focus on long-tail keywords to capture specific customer searches
- Regularly review and update your keywords based on performance data and trends
Your brand field
The brand field on Amazon is an important element used to showcase your brand identity and help customers associate your products with your business. To do it right, ensure consistency and accuracy while adhering to Amazon’s policies to build trust and visibility.
Here are some more tips for your Amazon brand field:
- Keep the brand name consistent across all listings
- Use the registered brand name if enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry
- Avoid using symbols, special characters, or unnecessary capitalization
- Ensure the brand name matches the one visible on your product and packaging
- Leverage this field to establish brand credibility and drive recognition
Your product description and bullet pointsfeed
An informative product description and bullet points aim to provide essential information to potential customers. They play a crucial role in influencing purchasing decisions — it is an opportunity for you to showcase your product features, include some effective keywords (in a natural way), and win your potential customer’s trust.
To do this right, focus on clarity, relevance, and highlighting the most important features and benefits of your product.
Here’s how to craft compelling and concise statements that convey value while addressing customer needs effectively:
- Write with your audience in mind and avoid overly technical language
- Focus on benefits that solve customer problems rather than just features
- Use action-oriented language to guide buyers toward their decision
- Structure information logically to enhance readability
- Prioritize high-impact information in the first couple of points
- Incorporate testimonials or case studies to build trust and credibility
- Highlight unique selling points that differentiate your product from competitors
- Use clear and concise language to maintain the reader’s interest
Performance-related Amazon ranking factors
Amazon’s performance-related ranking factors play a crucial role in determining how products are displayed and discovered on the platform. Here’s what you need to know about each of them:
Your product’s price
A competitive price is essential for attracting customers and increasing conversion rates on Amazon. Products with prices that balance affordability and perceived value are more likely to perform well in search rankings.
To maximize your product’s pricing strategy, be sure to:
- Regularly monitor competitor prices to stay competitive
- Experiment with pricing tiers to find the sweet spot for sales
- Consider seasonal or promotional discounts to boost visibility
- Evaluate your pricing impact on customer reviews and satisfaction
Your Amazon conversion rate
Your Amazon conversion rate reflects how effectively your product listings turn visitors into buyers, making it a critical factor in your success. By optimizing your pricing and understanding customer behavior, you can improve your performance in search rankings and sales.
While conversion rate optimization on Amazon is a whole topic in its own right, there are some quick, low-hanging fruit actions you can take to optimize your conversion rate:
- Use high-quality images that showcase your product clearly
- Write clear, concise, and engaging product descriptions
- Include positive reviews in product descriptions to build trust and credibility before the potential customer gets to scroll down to the “Reviews” section on Amazon
- Ensure your product title contains relevant keywords
- Offer fast and reliable shipping options
- Provide excellent customer service and make support easily accessible
- Use urgency tactics, such as limited-time offers or low-stock notifications, to encourage purchases
- Implement a clean and intuitive checkout process to minimize cart abandonment

Your product images
Product images are one of the most critical elements of your listing, as they directly impact a customer’s purchasing decision. High-quality visuals can effectively showcase your product’s features and benefits, building trust and attracting buyers to your listing. The main goal of the product images is to showcase valuable features and help your customers make informed decisions.
To make your product images stand out
- Use high-quality photos with clear lighting
- Show the product from multiple angles, including zoomed-in details
- Include lifestyle images to demonstrate real-world usage (you need to make people imagine themselves already using the product)
- Ensure the background is clean and free of distractions
- Highlight any unique features or benefits visually
- Add a short video showcasing the product in action
- Use consistent editing and branding for a professional look
- Include size references to give a clear sense of scale
- Optimize image file sizes for faster website loading without losing quality
- Use captions or text overlays to highlight key features
Your Amazon reviews
More than 70% of US consumers said they read reviews before making a purchase on Amazon.
Clearly, Amazon reviews play a pivotal role in the success of any product listed on the platform. They serve as social proof, providing potential buyers with insights into the quality, performance, and reliability of a product. Positive reviews help to build trust and credibility, influencing purchasing decisions and boosting sales.
Furthermore, reviews offer valuable customer feedback for you, the seller, as they help you identify areas for improvement and ensure customer satisfaction. A strong collection of authentic reviews can significantly enhance a product’s visibility and product ranking on Amazon, making it a critical factor in achieving long-term success on the platform.
To encourage more reviews, consider these tips:
- Follow up with customers by sending a polite and friendly email after purchase, thanking them and inviting feedback
- Use packaging inserts with a note in your shipments encouraging buyers to leave a review
- Offer excellent customer service to create a positive purchasing experience that makes customers more likely to write favorable reviews
- Make the review process simple by providing clear instructions on how customers can leave a review to avoid confusion
- Respond to feedback by engaging with customers, thanking them for their reviews, or addressing concern
Bonus tips: 5 (extra) ways to Increase your rank on Amazon
If you want to go even further with optimizing your product listings for Amazon SEO (and you do), here are some in-depth tactics we’ve tried and tested over decades’ worth of experience in Amazon marketing (and which we know work because we apply them for clients every day.)
Work on your sales velocity during your honeymoon
The honeymoon period is the initial phase after your product is launched on Amazon, typically lasting around a couple of weeks During this critical time, Amazon places extra emphasis on your listing’s performance, allowing it to rank higher and be exposed to more customers.
Your goal during this period is to maximize sales velocity, ideally achieving 5-10 sales per day. This signals to Amazon’s algorithm that your product is in demand, helping to secure better rankings for your listing in the long run.
One effective way to boost sales during this period is by offering coupons. Coupons attract budget-conscious buyers and make your listing stand out visually in search results thanks to the bright green “Save” tag.
This added visibility can make customers more likely to click on your product, increasing your chances of converting views into purchases. By strategically using coupons, you can drive consistent sales during the honeymoon period and significantly improve your product’s overall ranking.

Double down on your conversion rate optimization
As mentioned before, your focus should absolutely be on optimizing your conversion rates. Go beyond basic tactics, though, and aim to optimize for an amazing customer experience from A to Z.
Things like UGC (user-generated content), videos on your product page, images that go into the nitty-gritty of your products — they all contribute to creating an Amazon shopping experience as close to the “real life” as possible. Run competitor analysis to see how other sellers are tackling this and do even better — the more you focus on making customers feel at ease, the more you’ll win them.
This is not to say the sole purpose of your competitor analysis should be “copying” and “one-upping” competitor listings — but taking a peek at what others do can give you a pretty good idea of what the ranking algorithm likes (and most importantly, what customers like.)
Keep in mind that your conversion rate will also influence your PPC ads because Amazon will always favor the most relevant, highest-converting ads (because the algorithm associates them with the most relevant product.) As such, this is an investment you’re making not only for SEO, but for your PPC efforts as well.
Improve your click-through rate
Most shopping journeys on Amazon start in the search bar (or Google) with a search term, then move to a list of results and some analysis (the time in which the customer decides which product listing to click on the results page).
This is critical for your overall SEO success because the more attention you get, the more clicks you get — and it sends a good signal to the algorithm, which means it will decide your product listings are worth pushing further up the search results page.
To make sure you squeeze the most out of your CTR (click-through rate), remember to split test everything and see what works best: from images to product titles, every element can make a world of difference.
Also, keep in mind that when you work on your click-through and conversion rates, you are working for exponential growth: they will feed into each other, creating a virtuous cycle that will further boost your sales.
Get as many reviews as possible
As mentioned before, reviews are paramount when it comes to converting as many people as possible. Yet, as many Amazon sellers know, getting reviews is not as easy as it seems, especially considering Amazon’s Terms of Service.
There are three main paths you can take:
- White hat methods (which are okay, but not always a quick win)
- Black hat methods (which we don’t recommend)
- And gray hat methods (which offer you the best effort-to-yield ratio)
Examples of such methods include connecting a review bot to send an automated reminder email to customers to review your product or giving your product away for free on Instagram and asking people to review it.
PPC, PPC, PPC
You may have heard PPC influences your Amazon SEO, and we’re here to tell you the truth: it does. Specifically, what we’ve noticed to work very well are
- Video ads (make sure you test as many versions as possible, both in terms of style and content and in terms of orientation)
- Single keyword campaigns (which will help you increase your organic rank for that specific keyword; in the long run, this will positively influence a larger set of related keywords as well)

Amazon SEO vs PPC
And since we’ve discussed Amazon SEO and PPC, it is worth running through a quick comparison between the two, as they are often seen as separate tactics (and budgets), yet it’s essential to understand how Amazon SEO and PPC can work together for your benefit.
Here are the key differences between Amazon SEO and PPC:
- Cost: Amazon SEO is essentially free, while PPC can become costly quickly.
- Timeframe: SEO takes more time; you have to wait until Google indexes your page properly (which means your product may not be visible on top of any results page from day one).
But with PPC ads, you’re in complete control of when your product will appear in front of potential customers.
- Credibility: Studies have shown that most people trust organic results (SEO) more than paid ones (PPC).
- Placement: SEO positions your product on the first page of search engines, while PPC ads are always at the top.

Amazon SEO: Like being in your customers’ path
Amazon SEO is like being very specifically in your customers’ path: whenever they need something, search for something, or browse for something, your product listings have a good chance be exactly where your ideal customer needs them (as long as you implement Amazon SEO best practices, of course.)
Not all SEO tactics and keywords are created equal (see, for example, the difference between primary keywords, secondary keywords, and backend search terms).
And SEO takes time, resilience, and patience, like most efforts of improving organic rankings (on Amazon or not.) So while search engine optimization is without doubt the most cost-effective way to sell more on Amazon, it is not easy (nor impossible, for that matter.)
If you want help to learn more about Amazon SEO, Amazon PPC, and, generally, nailing Amazon, Minas Elias at Trivium can provide you with a ton of useful information. And, of course, our agency is here to lend a hand if you need it — contact us and let’s talk about your business and how we can help you grow.
FAQs
Amazon doesn’t publicly disclose how often its search algorithm is updated, but changes can happen frequently to improve search relevance and user experience. Staying up-to-date with best practices is key.
Yes, optimizing your listing is essential. A well-optimized listing improves product visibility, increases conversions, and boosts sales, making it a critical part of any Amazon selling or Amazon SEO strategy.
The Amazon SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is the page where product search results appear after a user enters a query. It’s influenced by factors like keywords, pricing, reviews, and sales performance.