Amazon Search Engine Optimization: Understanding Amazon’s A9 Algorithm
Amazon’s search algorithm works under the same fundamental functions as all search engines whether that be Google, Facebook, or searching for products on Amazon. The role of a search engine is to discover, understand and organize data in order most relevant to the search queries being asked. Like everything else on Amazon, there are some nuances that differentiate Amazon’s Search algorithm from other search engines.
First, A9. What is Amazon A9?
A9 is not actually the search algorithm. A major misconception in the industry, however commonly referred to as the search algorithm. A9 is a subsidiary of Amazon and is responsible for Amazon product searches, AWS Cloud Search, and Visual Search. The A9 group mission is;
A9.com, an Amazon company, solves some of the biggest challenges in search and advertising. We focus on helping people find the things they want.
Great search can seem to customers like it is reading their minds. We start the search experience by giving customers suggestions on how to formulate their queries as soon as they start typing. Once we determine which items are good matches to the customer’s query, our ranking algorithms score them to present the most relevant results to the user. We index millions of documents worldwide and deploy them on highly scalable massive fleets of servers. We reflect millions of price and inventory changes in real-time, and we return relevant results in milliseconds.
The reality is that a great search equals a great user experience. Amazon’s mission statement is to be the most customer-centric brand on earth. As opposed to other search engines, Amazon’s search’s primary function is to show products that are most likely to lead to a sale. To give you some additional perspective, according to a recent feed advisor survey 66% of consumers go to start their search. 55% of US consumers are Prime members and 89% of consumers are more likely to buy products from Amazon than other sites.
What we have here is a trusted brand that understands what their customers want, how to present it, and how to ensure the end-to-end user experience aligns with their mission statement.
What factors influence Amazon SEO?
Keyword Relevancy in the listing
Having relevant keywords sprinkled into the title, bullets, description, backend search terms and inside the structured data will help with Amazon’s search algorithm in indexing your product correctly. We can dive into using Search Terms effectively in your listing (INSERT URL), but for now, let’s just keep it high level.
Availability
Obviously not having inventory will lead to a poor customer experience. Therefore, ensuring your products always have inventory will help with maintaining a strong presence in search results. Depending on how long you’re out of inventory will affect your ability to earn back Best Seller Rank (BSR).
Price
It’s important to be priced competitively on Amazon in order to drive ranking and sales. This does not mean you need to be the cheapest product available. There are a lot of factors that can influence a purchase outside of price. If you are overpriced compared to your competitors, factors like reviews, quality of product, and your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) will help influence a purchase.
Power Move: I like to use promotions to test price points and bundling opportunities. This is one of the strategies I use for my Vendor Central Management Services as well as Seller Central Management Services. At the end of the day, your margins need to be able to support building the product, advertising spend, and logistical cost.
Sales Velocity
This is the most important factor. If your product is not selling for particular keywords, Amazon is going to deem it irrelevant. But sales velocity is a broad factor that is comprised of the following indirect factors that help improve the customer experience.
A simple breakdown of the above:
– Fulfillment Method – Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) is a must
– Reviews – currency on Amazon
– Images – High quality only
– EBC or A+ content – helps differentiate your products from competitors
– Advertising – get your products in front of customers searching for it
– Promotions – everyone loves to get a deal, helps to influence customers who are looking for a deal.
While the goal is to run a successful Amazon business, the larger your inventory gets, the harder it becomes to monitor and reach on time for every issue it might arise. We at Bellavix are dedicated to helping you monitor your account, address any issues, solve any problems and make sure you’re growing in sales and ranking. We have the experience and knowledge to make your account reach that next step.
If you have additional questions or want us to help you on your Amazon journey, don’t hesitate to contact the BellaVix Team.
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