A huge part of making sales on Amazon is ranking high in search results. After all, if buyers see your products on the first page, they’re likelier to buy because they just don’t have the patience to sift through 10 pages until they come across your listing. But to get there, you need to stay on top of Amazon’s algorithms, so Repricer.com brings you all the information you need to know about Amazon’s A10 algorithm to help you rank higher with products.
What is the Amazon A10 Algorithm?
Amazon has its own propriety search algorithm that determines what products rise to the top of search results. Previously, the algorithm was called Amazon A9; Amazon A10 works pretty much the same way, but with a few key differences.
- Amazon A10 weighs buyer searches more strongly and with more relevance than it did with Amazon A9. With Amazon A9, the algorithm pushed users to more profitable products, while A10 has shifted the focus to giving users more accurate findings, even if the end result isn’t as profitable.
- Sponsored links don’t generate as much importance or success with A10 as they did with A9, so things like using pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns will be tougher to pull off successfully. That’s not to say PPC campaigns are irrelevant, as they still hold a great deal of value. It’s just that you have to be more strategic and sophisticated in your approach to them.
- Seller authority is one of the most important factors, which means that hustling after (positive) feedback matters more than with A9. It also means that your tenure on Amazon makes a difference (longer is better than newer), as do having a low return rate and handling returns efficiently.
- Another aspect of seller authority is the depth and breadth of your inventory. Having a broad array of products tells Amazon you can appeal to more users because you can meet more needs.
- A different way of looking at a varied inventory is how many categories your products can fit into. This doesn’t mean you should be putting toothpaste in Electronics, but rather seeing how many uses or commonalities your product has. For example, items that can be bundled together, like laundry detergent and fabric softener, can help you rank higher with A10.
- Use your Amazon link for products to drive traffic to your listings to capitalize on A10, as it’s far more effective than PPC campaigns (but again, don’t ignore PPC campaigns entirely either). Amazon has placed increased value on users learning about your products elsewhere and coming to the marketplace, so add Amazon links to your website, blog, message boards and any other platforms you use.
- Don’t ignore slow-moving stock or a dip in sales. Your goal is to maintain a strong sales history because A10 views that as a key factor in higher search rankings. However, organic sales are also important, as Amazon sees that as you doing strong work without the aid of marketing and promotions and tends to reward those efforts.
- Another area to focus on is click-through rate (CTR), which is impacted by things like enticing photos and strong copy. The higher your CTR, the higher you tend to rank in searches. But don’t just stop at CTR, as conversion rate also matters. If buyers are clicking on your products but not converting, identify what the roadblock is and fix it so you can rank higher.
Tips to Rank Higher with Amazon A10 Search Algorithm
Here are the top tips you should be using to take the most advantage of A10.
- Take professional photos that meet Amazon’s image requirements. Having great photos will help users stop and take a second look and click on your listing, with CTR being one of the main factors in A10 for elevating search rankings.
- Refine your copy so it reads well and clearly, but also contains relevant keywords.
- Speaking of keywords, use them well, widely and wisely. Your goal is to provide as much (relevant) information in your listings as possible to help A10 match your products accurately to buyers’ searches.
- Think twice about using discounts and promotions as a way of ranking higher and increasing traffic. That’s an A9 thing, and not nearly as important with A10. Instead, focus on off-site traffic and good organic Google rankings. A good way of doing this is by having influencers or bloggers link to your Amazon products on their page to create a diverse source of external traffic.
- Get good pricing rules in place to present the most competitive and attractive prices. You don’t want to engage in a race to the bottom and nor do you want to offer too-good-to-be-true deals (something that’s 75% off will more so look suspicious than alluring).
- Be dogged in your approach of getting reviews. It can be frustrating going after buyers and having them leave a review, but it strongly affects the buying process. Amazon wants to direct buyers to products they think most relevantly match their searches and having a product that implies trust with tons of positive reviews means it’ll usually rank higher than a product with fewer reviews.
Final Thoughts
As with anything new, mastering Amazon A10 when you’ve been so used to A9 will take a bit of time. But you’ll be there before you know it and the new version of their algorithm will become muscle memory. One of the key factors in getting the most out of A10 is having quality, competitive pricing, which Repricer.com is built for.
Using an automated repricer ensures your pricing rules are always in effect so you can compete for higher search rankings — and the Buy Box! — all the time, as well as taking into account the other factors A10 is comprised of. To gain that competitive edge, sign up today for your free trial.
