Imagine you’ve listed a bunch of products in the Amazon store. You’ve spent hours taking great photos, writing informative descriptions, and preparing to fulfill orders. But days go by, and you haven’t made many sales. You wonder what could’ve gone wrong.
One possible reason for low sales could be that shoppers aren’t seeing your products in their searches. Researching Amazon keywords can help you figure out what words people search for when looking for products like yours, so you can improve your listings and, ultimately, help boost sales.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- How to conduct effective Amazon keyword research to ensure customers can easily find your products
- Methods for using various tools to discover and select the best keywords for your products
- Practical strategies for incorporating keywords into product listings to improve search results
What is Amazon keyword research?
Amazon keyword research involves discovering the search terms customers look for when shopping in the Amazon store. It’s about understanding what words and phrases people use to find products like yours.
Completing this research helps you optimize your product listings so they’re more visible and attractive to potential buyers. Think of it as tuning into what shoppers are thinking and aligning your product descriptions and titles with those insights.
Why Amazon keywords are important
Keywords act as a bridge between shoppers searching for products and sellers listing products in the Amazon store. When a customer enters a word or phrase into Amazon’s search field, the search engine uses those words to match with relevant products. If a product listing includes those keywords, then there’s a higher chance it will appear to shoppers.
Without proper keyword research, products might not appear in relevant search results. In that case, shoppers won’t see the offerings and could end up purchasing from someone else.
Who benefits from Amazon keyword research?
- Customers: Customers benefit when keywords are optimized to help them easily find products that meet their needs.
- Individual sellers and small businesses: Sellers can use keyword research to identify niche markets and optimize their product listings to stand out from competitors. By targeting specific, less competitive keywords, they can improve their visibility and attract more customers.
- Large brands: Established brands can use keyword research to maintain their competitive edge by ensuring their products appear prominently in relevant search results. They can also identify trending keywords to adapt their marketing strategies and product listings.
- Resellers: Sellers who sell products from other brands and businesses can use keyword research to optimize their listings and differentiate themselves by focusing on unique selling points and customer needs.
Types of Amazon keywords and when to use them
Now that you know why keyword research matters, let’s look at the types of keywords you can use to make products easier to find.
Short-tail keywords
Short-tail keywords are basic, one- or two-word phrases. Think of words like “shoes” or “laptop.” These broad keywords are frequently searched for.
But there’s a downside to short-tail keywords—they’re competitive. Many sellers use these keywords, making it harder for your products to stand out.
While competitive, short-tail keywords play a vital role in creating broad visibility. Use them primarily for top-level categories or overarching themes for your product line.
Long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords are more specific phrases that have three or more words. For example, “comfortable running shoes for kids” or “lightweight laptop for college students.”
These keywords might not get as many searches, but they’re less competitive, so it’s easier to rank higher in search results. People searching for these terms often know exactly what they want, so they’re more likely to buy.
Long-tail keywords should likely be at the forefront of your strategy. Use long-tail keywords in both the product title and description. Add thorough, informative product details that naturally incorporate these phrases to help improve a product’s rankings for relevant searches.
Branded keywords
Branded keywords include brand names or specific product names. For example, “Nike running shoes” or “Apple MacBook Air.”
If your brand is well-known, use branded keywords to help attract loyal customers specifically looking for your products.
Non-branded keywords
Non-branded keywords are generic terms that describe a product without using any brand names. They help attract new customers who aren’t necessarily looking for a specific brand but are interested in a type of product. For example, “wireless headphones” or “ergonomic office chair.”
Use non-branded keywords strategically in product descriptions and backend keywords to capture a broader audience and introduce new customers to your products.
You can update backend search terms for Amazon in Seller Central by editing the Generic Keyword field under a listing’s Product Details tab.
Tools for researching Amazon keywords
Now that you know why keyword research matters, the keyword types, and when to use them, let’s look at some tools that can help you find the right keywords for your products.
Amazon search bar
The search bar on the Amazon store’s own homepage can be a simple but powerful tool for keyword research. Start typing a keyword related to your product, and Amazon will show you auto-complete suggestions. These suggestions are based on what customers often search for, giving you insight into popular keywords.
Amazon Product Opportunity Explorer
Product Opportunity Explorer is an ecommerce research tool that provides up-to-date data on trends in customer searches for product categories. You can explore various niches and see how different keywords perform over time, allowing you to effectively gauge interest and competition levels.
Amazon Search Query Performance dashboard
The Search Query Performance dashboard is part of the Amazon Brand Analytics tool available to brands enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry. It offers deep insights into the top search terms associated with your brand that customers use in the Amazon store. You can use the data on customer search behavior, impressions, clicks, add-to-cart, and buys to help hone your keyword strategy and drive traffic to your products. Consider which terms most effectively connect customers with your offerings and note them for your listings.
Amazon Top Search Terms dashboard
The Top Search Terms report is another dashboard within Amazon Brand Analytics. The report shows the most popular search terms in the Amazon store during a given timeframe, along with the top three products that customers clicked on after searching that term.
You can also look up a specific term to see which products customers select after searching for that term, or search for a specific product to find out which terms are driving customers to that product.
Amazon Search Catalog Performance dashboard
The Search Catalog Performance dashboard gives you a detailed view of how your products perform at every stage of the sales funnel, especially when it comes to search performance. This dashboard, also available as part of Amazon Brand Analytics, helps you understand which keywords drive impressions, clicks, and conversions. For example, you can see which products get high visibility but may not convert well.
Helium 10
Helium 10 offers a suite of tools to help with keyword research. Their “Cerebro” tool lets you see which keywords top competitors use. The “Magnet” tool provides keyword suggestions based on a seed keyword—a basic, broad term used as a starting point in keyword research to generate more specific, related keywords. These tools help you find both short-tail and long-tail keywords, making it easier to optimize the listings and attract more customers.
Helium 10 offers a free plan for limited access to its tools and access to more advanced features with a subscription.
Jungle Scout
Jungle Scout is another useful software suite available at different levels of subscription plans. It offers Keyword Scout, a tool that shows you search volume, trends, and competition for different keywords. You can also see what keywords competitors use, helping you find gaps you can fill in the market.
Google can also support Amazon keyword research. Enter potential keywords into the search bar. Notice how Google’s auto-complete suggestions highlight popular search terms. These terms often reflect what customers search for online, making them valuable for Amazon listings. Additionally, Google’s related searches at the bottom of the results page provide further keyword ideas.
3 stages to implement an Amazon keyword strategy
To develop a solid Amazon keyword strategy, try completing three simple stages:
- Keyword research: Pinpoint the right keywords that fit your products.
- Keyword placement: Place keywords in product listings effectively.
- Keyword performance monitoring: Track keyword performance and adjust along the way.
Stage 1: Find what people are searching for on Amazon
Use the tools detailed above to find the best keywords for your products. Be sure to consider golden keywords. Golden keywords are keywords that are relevant to your product but have lower competition compared to more popular keywords.
Analyze competitor listings by reviewing the titles, bullet points, and descriptions on product listings for best-selling products like yours in the Amazon store.
Stage 2: Incorporate keywords into product listings
Once you’ve researched relevant keywords, follow these steps to implement them.
Step 1: Add keywords to the product title
- Start with a clear and concise product title.
- Incorporate your main keyword naturally. For example, if the product is a running shoe, a good title might be “Men’s comfortable running shoes.”
- Avoid keyword stuffing. The title should still make sense and be easy to read.
Step 2: Use keywords in bullet points
- Create clear, concise bullet points that describe the product’s key features.
- Include keywords in these bullet points. For example, “Lightweight design for long-distance running” or “Breathable material to keep feet cool.”
- Focus on benefits and features that matter to customers.
Step 3: Optimize the product description
- Write a detailed description of the product.
- Use the main and secondary keywords throughout the description.
- Make sure the description is easy to read and helps customers understand why they should buy the product.
Step 4: Update the backend search terms
- Focus on relevant keywords you couldn’t include in the title, bullet points, or description.
- Avoid duplicating keywords already present in the listing title, bullet points, or description.
- Focus on terms customers use to find the product, including essential elements like product features, attributes, intended uses, and the ideal customer.
- Use all lowercase letters to maximize keyword effectiveness.
- Include abbreviations, alternate names, and latent semantic indexing (LSI) keywords.
Stage 3: Measure keyword effectiveness
Follow these steps to track your how well your keywords are working and make improvements where needed.
Step 1: Monitor your sales and performance metrics
One key performance indicator for effective keyword research and implementation is increased sales. Use your Seller Central business reports to check your sales data. See if there’s an increase since updating the keywords, and look at trends over time to determine if the keywords are helping boost sales.
If your brand is enrolled in Brand Registry, use the Search Catalog Performance dashboard in Brand Analytics to review data on impressions, clicks, and conversions for your products.
Use the Top Search Terms dashboard in Brand Analytics to note which keywords have improved rankings. Focus on listings with keywords that lead to higher conversion rates. Adjust your keywords based on this data to help improve your product’s search rankings.
Step 2: Gather customer feedback
Read customer reviews and questions on product pages to see if customers mention specific keywords or features that attracted them to the products. Use this feedback to refine your keywords and product descriptions.
Step 3: Update your keywords regularly
Keep an eye on trends and seasonality in your niche. Regularly review keyword performance using the tools and methods above, and update your keywords based on new data to keep improving product visibility and sales.
Improve product visibility with Amazon Brand Registry
Selling products in the Amazon store without keyword research can feel like throwing darts in the dark sometimes. You might have great products, but if customers can’t find them, sales won’t happen.
But using Amazon keyword research techniques and tools can help make listings more visible to the right shoppers. That means your products could show up in searches more often, leading to more clicks and purchases.
To access advanced Amazon keyword research tools and more, consider enrolling your brand in Brand Registry.
Ready to take steps to attract more customers and help boost sales?
Enroll your brand in Brand Registry
