Amazon Organic Ranking: How to Improve it

Amazon is all about visibility, discoverability, and Amazon organic ranking.

Everyone understands the power of advertising and how much it can influence a brand’s performance. However, real success happens when you get first search page visibility without needing to pay (high organic ranking).

So, how can you improve your Amazon organic ranking? In this post, I will focus on five main drivers that shouldn’t be overlooked.

External Traffic

The first tip and most controversial.

Working with e-commerce brands, I know that driving traffic to Amazon listings can be seen as cannibalising DTC sales. However, Amazon’s A10 algorithm loves this type of traffic and rewards brands if they incorporate it into their Amazon strategy.

How to drive external traffic to Amazon listings:

• Include Amazon in your social media (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook) strategy
• Utilise TikTok content for Youtube video ads
• Create affiliate links for Pinterest pins
• Add Amazon product links to newsletters and blog posts
• No surprise – use bloggers, and influencers to promote products

I also recommend using the ‘Manage promotion’ tool on Amazon and creating an exclusive discount for potential customers. This way you can create discounts for external customers and spike your sales which will consequently improve your rank. 

Optimised Listings

There are so many tips and tricks on this topic (I’ll create a separate blog post on ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ when it comes to Amazon listing copywriting) but the main message:

Amazon’s algorithm spots strong and professional listings.

If you want a strong organic ranking on Amazon, your listings need to be best in class, meet Amazon’s requirements and utilise the main content features (such as bullet points, A+ content and etc).

Titles, bullet points, descriptions, backend keywords – these need to be used and highlighted with relevant keywords and customer search terms (use long tail phrases and don’t be repetitive).

A+ or A+ Premium content also has an impact on your organic ranking. Make sure you use these features. Plus, A+ content potentially increases conversion rates by 7%, which also impacts your ranking.

Product images – sometimes images are overlooked by sellers. After sellers launch a product, they tend to forget about image updates. However, Amazon’s environment is constantly changing, and new trends emerge. This is why product images need to be reviewed at least once a year to meet new needs and requirements.

High Conversion Rate (CR)

Like any other selling channel, Amazon wants to generate sales and grow. Consequently, listings that have more potential to convert sales are listed higher.

This aligns very closely with the previous point – content is everything.

Providing high-quality listings with accurate information (for example if you’re selling food products clearly, list the product size, ingredients, and nutritional facts). Customers need to come to your listing – find all the answers they require and press the Buy Box button.

To improve the conversion rate, make sure that customers can easily find information. Instead of putting all the info under bullet points, include the details in the product images and infographics (most of us consume visuals easier than written info). This can drive a potential +16% CR increase.

Competitive Pricing

The truth is, it will be very hard to succeed on Amazon if your pricing is way off the average category price.

In one of his interviews (Invent, 2012), Jeff Bezos said:

‘In our retail business, we know that customers want low prices and I know that’s going to be true 10 years from now. They want fast delivery, they want vast selection. It’s impossible to imagine a future 10 years from now where a customer comes up and says, ‘Jeff I love Amazon, I just wish the prices were a little higher [or] I love Amazon, I just wish you’d deliver a little more slowly.’

Jeff Bezos, 2012

And this prediction is built into the A10 algorithm. Overpriced products aren’t ranked high on the platform. That’s the bottom line.

Keep Your Products in Stock

Amazon’s algorithm relies on seller authority and trust. After you run out of stock, Amazon labels you an untrusted partner. So, what is the result of this?

Your listing will lose organic ranking.

You would hope that the moment your products are back in stock, you would get your previous spot back. Unfortunately… this is not the case. A10 factors in your sales, impressions, click-through rate, conversion rate, and others. In fact, one of the biggest weight factors is – sales for the past 180 days.

So, even once your products are back in stock. A10 will think about your previous performance for the next 6 months.

Key Learning? Do everything you can to not run out of stock. Slow down sales if you have to, but keep trading!

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of different components that can influence your ranking. Don’t try to do everything at once. Remember, selling on Amazon is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time and step by step you’ll nail it.

If you need any help or advice, K-Commerce is here for you. Just get in touch and we’ll find the best strategy for you.