Contributed by Yana Yakovenko for AMZ Scout
Thousands of corporations use AMZ Scout including Disney, Red Bull, Casio, and Dell. AMZ Scout helps Amazon sellers gain a handle on the market with first-rate data so they can minimize product launch risks and grow sustainable income.
Milos Culafic is an Amazon advertising PPC and SEO expert and a contributor at AMZ Scout.
Understanding Amazon’s algorithms can be the difference between a failed digital business and a successful one.
Amazon keyword research shapes the way thousands of sellers and buyers interact. Using commonly searched phrases can attract more traffic to your product page, increase your Amazon ranking, and boost your sales. The right keywords can also improve your rankings on other search engines like Google.
Table of Contents
- Keyword Research Methods
- First, look at search bar suggestions.
- Check Google Trends
- Use Amazon keyword tools
- How To Find Effective Keywords?
- Keep an eye on your competition.
- Explore niche keywords.
- How To Use Keywords In Your Listings
- Product Titles
- Product Descriptions
- Backend Keywords
Keyword Research Methods
First, look at search bar suggestions.
Brainstorm several keyword ideas, then type your keywords into the Amazon search box. Now, take note of the Amazon suggestions that pop up. These suggestions show the keyword searches that other Amazon shoppers are using to search for related products.
Next, explore these variations of your initial base keywords. For example, if you want to list a shelving product, type “shelves” into the search bar. You may notice bathroom shelves, kitchen shelves, and more in the search results. Depending on what is most relevant to your product, you could use some of these keywords as part of your listing.
Repeat this process to find more terms for your seed keywords (short keywords) before you write your product launch page.
Check Google Trends.
Once you know the peak time when consumers look for a products, you can add seasonal keywords and generate more sales.
For example, if you sell decorative items, you can add keywords like “New Years Party Decorations” or “Christmas Decorations” during the winter season.
Use Amazon keyword tools.
There are numerous Amazon keyword research tools to consider. You can use these tools to find:
- relevant product keywords
- keyword search volume, which indicates product demand
- unique keywords that your competitors are not using
- keywords that organically attract buyers, so you can reduce ad spend
AMZ Scout is a leading Amazon keyword research software package. Tools like this offer huge databases filled with all possible keywords that customers are searching for on Amazon.
If you type a word related to your product, these tools will suggest thousands of similar keywords. You can scroll through the suggestions and find ones match your product and target market.
In AMZ Scout, for example, you can see the popularity of any phrase that contains a certain keyword, allowing you to pick the keywords that are relevant to your product. You can also get a list of indexed keywords that any specific competitor is using in their listing with a reverse ASIN search. To make the most of these features, collect the full list of indexed keywords from a few top sellers, then organize the keywords by search volume and relevance to your listing.
How To Find Effective Keywords?
Keep an eye on your competition.
If you know your competitor’s keywords, you may be able to understand their approach, and leverage this to your advantage.
Be wary of copying your competitor’s keywords entirely. You should be aware of their keyword strategies, and use this information to inspire your own unique keywords.
Explore niche keywords.
Your keywords impact your conversion rates. If you use keywords that are overly competitive, you have a lower chance of winning a sale.
If you thoroughly research niche keywords that cater to specific customer needs, you can usually figure out what the low competition and high targeted keywords are.
By a rule of thumb, long-tail keywords containing three or more words tend to have a better conversion rate than “head keywords” that are only one or two words long.
Aim to use highly specific keywords. These will attract people who are interested in your product.
If you’re able to target customers actively hunting for a niche product, your conversion rates will be higher. You will also diminish the number of window shoppers that land on your page, thus giving you more accurate insights into your real target audience.
When you’re searching for niche keywords, pay attention to the “keyword difficulty” – more on this key SEO metric below. Keyword difficulty is a measurement of how tough it is for your listing to achieve a higher ranking for a specific keyword on Amazon’s search results page. This metric helps you evaluate how difficult it is to gain traction by using a particular keyword.
Measured on a scale of 0 to 100, keyword difficulty between 0-9 is the easiest to rank for. Keywords with a difficulty rating of 10-40 may be tougher to rank for. Keywords with a difficulty level of 50 and above are usually classified as hard or impossible – these will require hundreds or even thousands of backlinks and references on other websites.
It would be a waste of effort to target these keywords if the likelihood of your listing ranking highly in the search results is unattainable – so always think realistically and make sure to snag easy keywords early on. Check the keyword difficulty level before you list your products, and start by targeting keywords with a 0-9 rating to make it easier for your target audience to find your listing.
It’s important to incorporate your keywords into your listings in a natural way that doesn’t sound forced. Amazon uses an A9 algorithm to pick up on keyword stuffing. Awkward or incoherent writing can also turn off customers.
How To Use Keywords In Your Listings
Product Titles
Put the most important keywords in the title itself. If you’re selling a washing machine, ensure that you have the term “washing machine” in your title.
Also, remember to include:
- the item’s brand name
- a brief description of the product
- the product’s size and color
Aside from this, keep the title short and sweet to get your basic product details across.
Product Descriptions
This is where Amazon keywords count most.
- Use bullet points, especially in the “Technical Details” section.
- Write concise descriptions, and include keywords and phrases that you skipped in the title.
- Use important keywords but don’t overdo it. Imagine that you’re speaking to someone and telling them about the features of your product to encourage them to purchase it.
- Try highlighting the 5 most important aspects of a product. Each point has room for 500 characters. Put a short sentence that briefly describes a product feature in capital letters. Then describe this point in detail. This way, you can include keywords in the content that customers are less likely to read.
Backend Keywords
Backend keywords are hidden keywords that you can add to your listing. They can include any potential keywords that you missed in your title or product descriptions.
There may be times that users misspell their search terms, or don’t know the exact phrase to search for. You can add misspellings and unusual phrases to the “Backend Keywords” section of your Amazon Seller Account. You only get around 250 characters so use them wisely!
Conclusion
A keyword strategy is essential for an effective Amazon product listing.
- Make sure to use Amazon’s search bar suggestions, Google Trends, and Amazon keyword tools to find the best keywords for your product.
- Get inspiration from the keywords your competitors use, and remember to focus on longer, niche keywords that are easier to rank for.
- Finally, incorporate your keywords into your product title and description. Then address misspellings and unusal phrases using the extra 250 characters of backend keywords that Amazon allows.
With these tips in mind, you’re well positioned to create an impactful, search engine optimized product listing, and to improve the profitability of your existing listings.