The Amazon SEO Playbook: Optimize Product Listings for 2024

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the modern-day equivalent of being listed in a phone book or having a sign out front of your store. Without SEO, customers may not even know you exist. However, SEO is also a much more powerful promotional tool than any that came before it.

SEO puts your products in front of consumers when they are already searching. Amazon SEO narrows that audience further, targeting those who are already shopping inside the Amazon ecosystem.

As an Amazon FBA seller, mastering SEO tools and tricks can help ensure satisfied customers, strong sales, and a good return on the time and effort you invest in your strategy.

‍Read on if you are ready to take your SEO game to the next level in 2024.

Setting the SEO Foundation: Keywords

Tying your products to relevant search terms lets you answer questions customers didn't even know to ask. Future customers don't have to know what your product is, how it works, or even that it exists for them to find your product if you use SEO correctly. They can simply describe the shape of their problem, and keywords show them solutions.

Getting Started With Keyword Research

Amazon keyword research starts with a list of three to four different words or phrases that describe your product. You don't need to create a page of potential keywords. You just need seeds to grow from.

Once you have those, you can use Amazon SEO tools like Brand Analytics, to discover the related terms that are used most frequently by customers. You should also do competitor analysis to help you identify keywords. Don't just look for the keywords they use, but also pay attention to words and phrases they don't, as these may reveal niches you can target with less competition.

Keep in mind long-tail keywords. These are entire phrases that target more specific users and use cases. Not only are they going to have less competition from other sellers, but long-tail keywords can help you to zero-in on a subsection of shoppers and make your product listings stand out to them.

Fine-tuning with Negative Keywords and Backend Strategies

Getting the best results isn't just about asking for what you want, but also specifying what you don't want. Negative keywords are the often under-appreciated other side of the keyword coin. They put fences around your keywords, limiting how they will be interpreted to ensure your products won’t appear where they are not relevant.

For instance, if you are selling high-end watches, you might use the negative keywords "cheap" and "discount." If you sell fishing gear, you might include tool-related negative keywords so your tackle boxes don't appear for customers looking for something to keep their nails in.

On the other side of things, backend keywords expand the possible ways the Amazon algorithm can interpret your listing. These keywords are attached to your listing, but invisible to customers. They can include synonyms, variations, misspellings, or colloquial terms. Since they are hidden, they don't crowd your product description or title.

Dialing in Your Product Listings

Creating an attractive storefront full of SEO-optimized product listings is an important part of thriving in the Amazon marketplace. Optimizing your product listings for SEO is about more than just inserting keywords. First, you need to get the customer to click your listing out of all the choices they are presented. That means clear, quality product photos and product titles that speak to what customers want. 

Relevant and Real Product Listings

Once you get them to click, the next challenge is getting them to buy. Product listing optimization is about more than keywords in titles and pictures that entice shoppers. Product titles and descriptions need to be compelling, but also precise, accurate, and meet all Amazon guidelines. Keep titles under 80 characters and try to incorporate your primary keyword as naturally as possible. 

You can also improve your conversion rate by ensuring your product is listed in the most appropriate category and subcategory. Again, there are lots of storage boxes with hinged lids, but if yours has special features desired for fishing gear, they aren't going to appeal to someone who needs to store sewing thread.

Highlight the features

Create short, concise bullet points for your Amazon product descriptions. Customers should be able to quickly scan the list and know the most important details about your product. Don't bury important numbers inside run-on sentences.

If the current product is an improved or new version, let shoppers know. This can be particularly important if there are bad reviews of an older version. One of the best ways to improve your reviews on Amazon is to highlight how you fixed the problem in the product description.

Beyond your cover photo, your Amazon product photography and videos should give customers more than just a slightly different angle. If there are important physical details, they should be readily visible. Customers are likely less interested in pictures of people sitting with a laptop at a desk than they are in confirming whether the USB ports are on the left or the right.

Monitor and Adapt to Stay Ahead

SEO never ends. Throughout the life of a product listing, you must continuously monitor how keywords are performing and adapt your strategy. Detailed records and analysis take work, but ensure your efforts aren't wasted. Continue monitoring competitors' product listings that rank above yours for ideas, and keep an eye out for any changes to search and product pages that Amazon makes from time to time.

The job of an FBA seller is never done. As a partner with former Amazon sellers who have been in your shoes, Mayan understands your challenges. Our cutting-edge tools and strategies help you to develop PPC campaigns that deliver results. From keyword research and competitor analysis to ad automation and bid optimization, we offer a comprehensive suite of services designed to maximize your visibility and drive sales.

Sign up today to discover how Mayan's data-driven approach and can elevate your SEO strategy and take your FBA business to new heights.