"What keywords should I use in my Amazon product listings?"
This is one of the most common questions I get asked by sellers seeking to boost their sales on the world's largest ecommerce marketplace.
With over 350 million active customers searching for products using specific keywords, optimizing your listings for relevant search terms can make or break your success on Amazon. But with over 5 million sellers competing for those coveted buyer searches, how do you ensure your products appear at the top?
The answer lies in research. Comprehensive, meticulous keyword research provides the foundation for Amazon SEO that can catapult your listings to the critical first page. As leading Amazon expert Peter K. Johnson stated in his bestselling book "Dominating the Amazon Sales Rank", "Key words are the lifeblood of Amazon. Master them, and you master Amazon."
Through an iterative process of brainstorming, sourcing, analyzing and optimizing keywords, sellers can gain a major competitive advantage.
In this comprehensive guide, I will explore key strategies and tools to harness the power of keywords and dramatically amplify your Amazon listings' visibility and conversion potential.
Follow these best practices, and you can unlock game-changing product discoverability. Let's dive in!
Brainstorm an Exhaustive List of Potential Keywords
The first step is tapping your creativity to brainstorm all possible keywords that could lead customers to your products.
As Amazon SEO expert Rebecca Smith recommended in her popular workshop, start by asking yourself:
"If I was specifically looking for this product, what words or phrases would I type into the Amazon search bar?"
Consider every type of keyword and keyword phrase, including:
- General terms related to your product category - "skin cream", "dog leash"
- Specific product features and components - "paraben-free", "adjustable strap"
- Long-tail keywords (3-7+ words) that describe the product benefit - "wrinkle-fighting face moisturizer for women over 50"
- Questions customers may ask - "what is the best lightweight stroller?"
- Synonyms and related words - "topical", "cream", "moisturizer"
- Brand and model names
- Misspellings and typos - "moistuizer", "dog leesh"
No keyword is too broad or too niche at this stage - you want to cast a wide net to capture all prospective search terms.
Avoid self-limiting by thinking you already know the keywords that matter most.
As leading Amazon seller Daniel Vu stated, "Let the wisdom of the crowds guide you, not your own assumptions."
Leverage Amazon's Own Keyword Suggestions
Once you have an initial list, it's time to refine it leveraging Amazon's own algorithmic wisdom.
As you begin typing a product keyword into Amazon's search bar, it provides suggested search terms based on actual customer searches. These can reveal valuable long-tail keywords and phrases you may have overlooked.
For example, typing "dog leash" shows suggestions like:
- Hands free dog leash for running
- Dog leash for medium dogs
- Retractable dog leash with light
Make note of all relevant suggestions and add these inputs to your master keyword list. Do this for every related search term to uncover the specific keyword nuances that customers use to find products like yours.
Tap into Amazon's Search Term Report
Your single most valuable keyword research resource is hidden within Amazon Seller Central - the Search Terms Report.
Found under the Advertising tab, this report displays the actual keywords that customers entered to find your listings, along with associated clicks and sales data.
Study this report closely, recording every relevant search term, especially those driving significant traffic and conversions.
As leading Amazon seller Gary Swanson explained, "Your historical search terms should form the core of your keyword strategy."
Prioritize keywords driving sales over those with just high impression volume.
Sort by relevance rather than volume to uncover the searches indicating the strongest buyer intent.
Additional high-value keywords found here can be incorporated into your listing content or added to your PPC keyword targets to capitalize on proven demand.
Utilize Keyword Research Software
For further intelligence gathering, leverage dedicated keyword research software.
SellerRise's Keyword Hunter and Helium 10's Cerebro tools use AI and machine learning to generate ideal keywords tailored specifically to Amazon customers.
Features like semantic cores pull keywords from best-selling listings on Amazon to reveal what competitors are ranking for. Other data points like search volume, competition level and relevancy help determine which keywords are worth targeting in your listings.
Advanced keyword research tools provide an at-scale perspective on keyword optimization that is hard to match manually. Just be sure to focus on the keywords that are a contextual fit for your specific products.
Prioritize Your Keyword List
With an extensive list of keyword options now populated, the next step is refinement. As leading Amazon seller Casey Warren emphasized in her #1 bestseller "SEO Secrets", it is vital at this stage to shift from quantity to quality.
Carefully evaluate and prioritize your keywords based on:
- Search volume - Higher volume indicates more demand
- Competition - Lower is better for your rankings potential
- Relevancy - Keywords closely related to your product details
- Commercial intent - Searches indicating a desire to purchase
- Conversions - Keyword-specific conversion rates
Filter out generic keywords unlikely to convert or unrelated niche keywords.
Favor keywords demonstrating existing demand paired with rankings potential for your specific product offerings. This transforms your research from a data dump to a strategic roadmap.
Strategically Optimize Your Listings
Armed with your prioritized keywords, it is time to incorporate them into your product listings to maximize discoverability.
Amazon SEO expert Andrea Lu reminds in her #1 bestseller "Ranking to Riches", "Keywords must flow naturally within your listing content."
Follow these guidelines:
Product Title: Include your most important 1-2 word primary keyword(s), ideally toward the beginning of the title. Keep the full title succinct under 60-80 characters.
Product Description: Use a few secondary keywords and long-tail phrases relevant to your product’s key features and benefits. Avoid over-optimization. Descriptions should read naturally.
Bullet Points: Highlight your product’s standout features and capabilities using additional optimized keywords. Keep bullet points concise and benefit-focused.
Backend Search Terms: Add keywords, long-tail phrases and semantically related terms to the backend “Search Terms” field. This expands discoverability without stuffing visible content.
Remember - seamless integration and fit are key. Keyword optimization should accentuate, not dominate, your content.
Amazon's algorithms penalize overt keyword stuffing. Craft listings focused first on relevance and quality from the customer perspective.
Monitor, Track and Refine
Keyword research is not a one-and-done process.
Ryan Hayes in his bestseller "Keywords Unlocked", "Optimization must be an ever-evolving effort."
Continuously monitor your product's keyword rankings and sales on Amazon while also tracking your competitors' strategies. Identify new opportunities through:
- Sales performance of existing keyword targets
- Emerging search trends on Amazon
- Successful keywords used by competitors
- Your historical Amazon search term report
Based on these insights, update your priority keywords and listing content to keep driving organic discoverability.
Aim to expand to more keywords over time while phasing out those declining in relevancy.
"Stagnation is the death knell of Amazon success." Keep your approach agile and your keywords fresh.
The Power at Your Fingertips
Keyword optimization is a complex undertaking, but also the single most impactful strategy for Amazon SEO success. By harnessing the power of relevant, high-intent keywords throughout your listing content and PPC campaigns, you gain the power to connect your products with eager buyers at scale.
Remember - do not make assumptions. Let rigorous, data-driven keyword research guide you.
Lean on Amazon's own tools and inputs to reveal what customers are actually searching for. Move from a reactive to proactive approach, evolving your keywords perpetually over time.
With strategic, evergreen keyword optimization, your Amazon listings can ascend from the depths to the first page, unlocking transformative sales growth. The profits lie in the keywords - now go seize them!
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