When it comes to selling on Amazon, the major piece of the puzzle is finding ways to get your product in front of the right audience. 

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You want to make sure that when customers type certain words or phrases relating to your product, your product is seen on search results. After all, how can you increase company sales and grow revenue with Amazon if customers are unable to find you? 

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This article provides an Amazon keyword research guide to help you find the right keywords and pull in the right audience for your business. 

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Amazon’s search algorithm (A10)

Amazon's search algorithm (the A10 version) is the latest iteration of Amazon's search engine that enhances a customer’s shopping experience by providing highly relevant search results. When a customer searches for an item on the Amazon marketplace, its search algorithm decides how search results are ordered, showing the most relevant at the top of search results. 

This algorithm is built upon several key principles and technologies, including machine learning, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing, to deliver personalized search outcomes.

Amazon's A10 Algorithm prioritizes relevance and sales history. It determines product placements based on the presence of relevant keywords in the product listing and the product's suitability for the user's search query. 

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The A10 algorithm is the newest and most advanced version of Amazon's search engine, offering new improvements. Let's look at a few features of Amazon’s latest search algorithm: 

• Behavior-driven: Amazon’s A10 search algorithm goes beyond simple keyword matching by considering customer behavior, such as click-through rates and conversion rates, to determine product rankings. This means that products that are frequently interacted with and purchased are ranked higher.
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning: The algorithm utilizes machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to adapt and improve search results over time. This helps the algorithm learn from past interactions and adjust its algorithms to provide more accurate and relevant matches for future searches. 
• Personalization: A10 puts a strong emphasis on personalizing search results for each customer, aiming to show them products they are more likely to buy. This is achieved by tailoring search results based on individual customer behaviors and preferences.
• Broader data set: A10 considers a broader range of data, including historical customer interactions and product attributes, to provide more relevant search results. This comprehensive approach helps in delivering a more tailored shopping experience

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Now here are the key factors that influence product ranking according to the A10 algorithm:

• Keywords: Using relevant keywords in product titles, descriptions, and backend keywords plays a crucial role in how well a product ranks for specific search terms. Products that match the searcher's intent more closely will rank higher on search results. 
• Conversion rates: The percentage of visitors who make a purchase after visiting a product page is another critical metric for Amazon’s search algorithm. Higher conversion rates indicate that a product meets customers’ needs effectively. 
• Sales history: Products with a solid track record of sales perform better in the algorithm. Consistent sales over time show that a product is reliable and in high demand.
• Positive reviews: Getting lots of positive customer reviews with little or no negative reviews contributes to a product's credibility and trustworthiness, improving its ranking on search results. 

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What are Amazon keywords?

Amazon keywords refer to the words and phrases that describe a product and are used to help customers find it during their search on Amazon. These keywords help determine how visible a product is in Amazon's search results and affect a product’s ranking and overall discoverability.

As an Amazon seller, you need to strategically choose and incorporate keywords into various aspects of your product listings, including the title, description, and backend fields, to improve product visibility and attract customers to your Amazon store. 

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What is Amazon Keyword Research?

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Amazon is one of the largest search engines in the world. Users on the platform know what they want and are looking for the best products to fit their needs. Amazon keyword research is the SEO process that involves sellers finding the right search terms (which include words and phrases) that will help them achieve a higher ranking on search engine results. 

When conducting Amazon Keyword research, the main goal is to use the right words or phrases that help online shoppers discover your product. 

Searching for Amazon keywords not only drives traffic to your product listing but also provides valuable insights to help you understand consumer behavior and trends. 

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Amazon also has an advertising system that allows sellers to place bids to rank on search results. Conducting proper Amazon ads keyword research will also help you run successful ads on the platform. 

How does Amazon keyword research affect your product relevance?

Amazon keywords form the foundation for your product’s relevancy throughout your product listing. Let’s look at three major areas where Amazon keyword research affects your product relevance:

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• Product titles: Your product title is essential, as it determines your success on Amazon search results. If you look at this from the perspective of an Amazon shopper, when you search for a product, you will first consider the few words of the product title to narrow your choices. Knowing this, it is important to fit in the most relevant keywords in your product titles. 
• Product details: The product details on your Amazon listing give potential customers an insight into what your product offers through key features and informative bullet points. You can fit in relevant long-tail keywords customers may be searching for.
• Amazon seller account: You may have heard of what is called hidden keywords. These are keywords you can fit at the backend of your Amazon seller central account. What this does is allow you to give Amazon more information about your product. This is similar to the Alt text feature used for Google search rankings. This, however, comes with a 250-character limit, so you want to ensure you fit in important keywords. 

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How to conduct Amazon keyword research 

Here’s a quick guide to help you conduct a winning Amazon keyword research:

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1. Research seed keywords
2. Generate keyword ideas
3. Look out for keyword metrics 
4. Analyze competitor listings 
5. Group and prioritize keywords 
6. Insert these keywords throughout your Amazon listing 
7. Keep researching new keywords

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Research seed keywords

For search engines like Google, the first stage of carrying out keyword research is creating a seed keyword list. This is the same when carrying out Amazon keyword research. 

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To create a list of seed keywords, start by thinking about your product. Can you describe your product to a customer in two or three words? How will your customers search for your products? 

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Let’s look at a simple example. If you sell phone chargers, the seed keyword will be “Phone charger”. You can also include keywords like “USB phone charger” or “USB phone cable”. 

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Take note of these keywords and add them to your list. Next, research the top five best products with your primary seed keyword on Amazon. You may want to use tools like AMZDataStudio to check for relevancy, Compare these keywords, and ensure your list of seed keywords is relevant and can pull in the right customer. 

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Generate keyword ideas

After getting your list of seed keywords, the next step will be to dive deeper into generating a broad list of keyword ideas. To generate these keyword ideas, you will need to consider what customers in your niche are likely to search for. You can begin your research using Amazon-suggested searches. Simply type in your seed keyword in the search tab and note the ideas Amazon suggests. These keywords are relevant to your seed keywords. However, you will need to obtain data for each keyword idea to know which has the right search traffic and will be most relevant to your product. This is where keyword research tools come in. You can use tools like Ahrefs to get a database on your list of keyword ideas. Take note of keywords with:

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• High traffic and high competition
• High traffic and moderate or low competition
• Medium traffic and low competition 

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Consider adding these keywords to your Amazon listing. Also, take note of misspelled keywords with high traffic. You can add those misspelled keywords to your backend keywords where your customers won’t see them. 

Look out for keyword metrics 

A few keyword metrics will guide you as you draw out your list of keyword ideas. Here are a few keyword metrics you should keep in mind:

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• Keyword search volume: This metric shows the number of people who have searched for a particular keyword within a given country, location, or people all over the world. 
• Traffic potential: With this metric, you can know how much traffic top-ranking keywords have in total.
• Clicks: This metric will help you understand how popular each keyword is. 
• Keyword difficulty: You want to make sure you analyze the difficulty of each keyword and choose the easiest keywords you can rank for. 

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It is important to balance your keywords considering factors like business value. You want to make sure your customers are searching for the keywords you are ranking for. 

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Analyze competitor listings 

Studying your competitors' listings is a goldmine for keyword discovery. Look for products that are similar to yours in terms of category, price range, and target audience. Look at the keywords they're using in their titles, descriptions, and backend fields. Tools like Jungle Scout or Helium 10 can help you find competitors by analyzing product listings and sales data. 

You can identify competitor keywords through reverse ASIN searches. This technique involves entering the ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) of a competitor's product into a keyword research tool to see which keywords that product is currently ranking for. 

Another strategic approach is to analyze customer reviews for competitor products. Look for recurring phrases or keywords that customers use to describe the product, its features, and its benefits. These phrases can unveil long-tail keywords that resonate with your target audience. 

Group and prioritize keywords 

Now that you have a detailed list of relevant keywords, to ensure continuity and establish a structure, it is important to group your keywords. This will also help you identify which keywords achieve certain objectives. You can group your keywords by factors like parent topic, search intent, and business sales. You will most likely want to identify keywords that drive sales. Group your keywords and ensure you stick to keywords that bring you the most results. 

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Insert these keywords throughout your Amazon listing 

After creating a list of seed keywords and generating keyword ideas that are relevant to your product, it’s time to put those keywords into your Amazon listings. Let’s look at three major areas you should target: 

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• Amazon product titles: The first and one of the most important parts of your listing is your product title. This has a 200-character upper limit. Some product categories may also come with much shorter character limits. Because of this, you need to make sure you include the most relevant keywords. Make sure it provides enough information to get potential customers to click. Include the brand, size of the product, color, material, and any key features. Avoid keyword stuffing and keep it simple and concise. 
• Amazon product description: Next, include your keywords in the bullet point section and product description. Keep in mind that both your bullet point section and description should also provide value and convey your brand message to your audience. Don’t try to force in keywords, instead maintain a balance between adding keywords and passing your message most compellingly. This will ensure increased traffic to your product listing and increase conversion rate. 
• Backend keywords: Backend keywords are not seen by the customers but they have a considerable impact on your search rankings. You can insert backend keywords through the backend of your Amazon Seller Central account. It gives you a space of five lines and 250 characters. Don’t be afraid to add misspelled words that have high traffic. 

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Keep researching new keywords 

Amazon keyword research is a continuous process. Look out for new keywords that customers may be using while searching for your product. To consistently get a good search ranking, keep putting in seed keywords and other keyword ideas using keyword research tools. 

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Look out for keywords with high traffic and pay close attention to how they perform on your listings. You can compare performances every month before making any changes to your keywords. Take note of keywords that perform well. However, don’t be afraid to switch things up. Look out for important keywords you could be missing and add them to your listings. Repeat this process and ensure you keep a high organic search ranking. 

Also, regularly review your keyword strategy to ensure it remains relevant and effective. Keep an eye on seasonal trends and shifts in consumer behavior to adapt your keyword strategy accordingly. 

4 notable Amazon keyword research tools 

Here are some tools that can benefit your Amazon keyword research: 

Helium 10

Helium 10 is a comprehensive suite of Amazon SEO tools designed to help sellers optimize their listings and improve their Amazon search rankings. It includes tools for keyword research, product listing optimization, tracking, and much more. 

Cerebro, Helium 10's keyword research tool, offers a vast database of keywords and phrases and helps you identify high-volume, low-competition keywords.

Magnet, another keyword research tool generates a list of relevant, high-traffic keywords based on a single seed keyword. It is particularly useful for discovering long-tail keywords. 

Ahrefs' Keyword Explorer

Ahrefs' Keyword Explorer is a powerful tool within its suite that utilizes a vast database of millions of keywords. It allows you to compare listings and gain more in-depth data for each search query.

Ahrefs suggests keywords based on the entered product description, helping you discover the most popular related search terms. To use this tool, simply enter a broad description of your product into Ahrefs' Keyword Explorer and check the keyword ideas reports to see the most popular related search terms. You can filter these results by monthly search volume, clicks, and other criteria to refine your keyword selection.

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Jungle Scout

Jungle Scout's Keyword Scout is a powerful tool designed specifically for Amazon sellers to refine their Amazon keyword research strategy. Jungle Scout allows you to reverse-search multiple ASINs (Amazon Standard Identification Numbers) to discover the keywords that competing products are using. The tool provides detailed performance data for keywords, including ad tracking, search volume trends, and PPC (Pay-Per-Click) costs.

Keyword Tool for Amazon

Keyword Tool for Amazon is a versatile tool that taps into Amazon's autocomplete feature to generate hundreds of long-tail keywords. When you type a seed keyword into the Amazon search box, Amazon suggests related terms based on its sophisticated algorithms predicting the best match for the entered keyword. This keyword tool replicates this process, giving you a broad range of relevant long-tail keywords you may have overlooked. 

Conclusion 

Getting your keyword research right drives potential customers to your listings, increasing traffic, conversion rate, and ultimately sales. 

With the right keyword research tools, you can find the most relevant keywords for your products. Remember, keyword research is a continuous process, so don’t be afraid to try out new keywords. Compare performances and ensure you consistently maintain high organic search rankings. 

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