5 Steps to Converting Amazon Content

As more than 70% of Amazon shoppers are buying on mobile, and as the Enhanced Brand Content pages have been relocated, less people are reading listing content. However, although product images are the top salesmen, they can’t stand alone. Our research has shown that customers turn to the bullet points when they aren’t convinced by the photos. For more particular customers, the product description answers more specific questions like “What are the dimensions of the product?”, “What is the product made out of?”, etc. Customers need help feeling comfortable about purchasing a product without having it in their hands. By providing detail-rich content, the customer can be confident that you have what they want.

Aside from the final sale, content today holds more searchable weight than it used to. Utilizing the max character limit opens space for crucial keywords and shows the customer that the seller cares about the product. These 5 steps are our proven system to put the right information in the right places

Step 1: Customer Profile

It’s important to have a clear understanding of the target audience before writing content, whether it be soccer moms or bodybuilders. There’s a big difference between writing for a customer and writing for your customer. Generic content is like buying the same greeting card for your mom’s birthday and your boss’ retirement- it fails on all fronts.

Most sellers believe their products are groundbreaking and industry leading, a story buyers have learned to tune out. Content should be focused on solutions, uses, features, and unique facts. Customers are searching for solutions to problems and it’s necessary to present them as such.

For example, a particular shopper’s running shoes have worn down and they want new shoes that can boost their performance. A shoe seller should use this perspective to write content. Here’s an example of typical content:

“Our running shoes are not only stylish, but will also help you run like a pro. These shoes are manufactured for quality and durability – built to last through anything you can put them through. Available colors include blue, green, and black to fit any style.”

Here’s an example of content optimized for the audience:

“PERFORMANCE ENHANCING – Our running shoes are engineered for performance. From the laces to the traction, these shoes will increase your agility, speed, and aerodynamics. With memory foam insoles and impact-absorbing platforms, you can stop chanting “No pain, no gain.”

They both may sound good, but the second one has the customer’s particular needs in mind. The first listing states the shoes will help you “run like a pro.” Better yet, the second listing proves how the shoe will increase performance.

Figuring out the audience’s specific needs takes work. Since Amazon doesn’t provide much buyer insight, extracting data from social media is becoming a must for all Amazon sellers. Additional information lies in customer reviews. If customers are asking, raving, or complaining about a feature, the content should highlight or address those things.

Understanding the who changes the mindset for choosing keywords. The keywords targeting a soccer mom will differ from the keywords targeting a bodybuilder, for obvious reasons. Then, the right keywords guide the voice in the right direction for optimized content. Listings for baby cribs will talk about how your product “keeps your precious little angel safe and comfortable.” Content for an evening gown will talk about how your product will “turn heads and elegantly captivate the room.” For office supplies, your content should focus on the price and quality offered. A tool box listing would highlight functionality, uses, and possibly appeal to males’ pride in utility, and so on.

Step 2: Keywords

After establishing what customers are looking for in a product, it’s important to understand how they will find that product. Keywords are essential to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Searchability comes down to the relevance and performance of your listing. Furthermore, the relevance of your listing is determined by your keywords being indexed. Merely adding content is inconsequential until Amazon recognizes and uses it. This means that keywords are essentially half the battle to get in front of customers.

Keywords come in two forms:

Raw keywords: These are long-tail terms that typically contain multiple words per strand. Raw keywords are great for content and sponsored product campaigns. Most customers typically search using multiple words, so it can be beneficial to capture them in order.

Refined keywords: Refined keywords are single words that hold individual weight. These keywords, like the raw keywords, can be applied to the front end content or title. For the backend, however, it’s important that these refined keywords are unique. They cannot be words that were already used in the front end. Additionally, they cannot be other brand names or unrelated terms. Amazon allows under 250 total characters per product, so careful selection of each term is mandatory.

Numerous platforms claim to have the best keyword search engine. In the end, it takes practice to even know what to search in those queries. Combining the results from several sources helps more prominent words to rise above the others.

Step 3: Product Title

Writing a product title used to consist of packing as many keywords, MPN’s, and terms as possible into the character limit. Now, Amazon is wisely starting to comb out the clutter and encourage sellers to keep it simple. Brand names don’t need to be included in the title unless it’s an important keyword. Generally, brand names are largely a waste of space since the front of the title holds more algorithmic weight. Titles should explain what the product is, what it comes with, and any other major factors that interest customers. If kept simple, the title can improve the conversion from search pages to detail pages.

Step 4: Bullet Points

The bullet points are where most customers turn when they are aren’t convinced visually by the images. Sellers should use all 5 bullet points and as much of the character limit as makes sense. They should be packed with information and keywords without writing irrelevant fluff.

This is where customer profiling really comes into play. The customer cares about a very specific set of details. The possibilities of product details are endless.

Here are some examples:

Unfortunately, there’s no universal list of details that should be should included. For clarity, here’s an example of how relevant information makes a difference:

DON’T: “Our phone case is 5.6 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches.”

DO: “Our phone cases fit the iPhone 6 and are slim enough to slide easily into your pocket.”

In many cases, the customer doesn’t care about the actual measurements. They want to know the relative size for daily use, like whether it will fit on their phone. Including the product dimensions in the listing is can be vital to converting content, or can be a waste of space. Understand customer concerns and reviews to make that distinguishing decision. False claims and keyword stuffing also has negative effects.There are better ways to sell a product that aren’t irritating and irrelevant to the buyer.

After compiling all of the details, features and benefits, the top five should be highlighted. Note the distinction between a feature and a benefit. A feature refers to the quality and function of the product, like extra attachments or abilities. A benefit is what the customer gains from using the features. These five selling points will also coordinate with the top keywords. Starting with the top feature or benefit, bullet points should be in order of importance.

If the bullet points don’t include enough of the top details, customers may wander into competitor’s’ listings while scrolling to the product description. This is where really understanding the audience and putting the right information in the right place makes the deal-closing difference.

Step 5: Product Description

Product descriptions are like a story. They can include the pain points a product solves, the packaging it comes in, and how it’s set up. Customers might want to know how to use, store, dispose of, or return a  product. This is a good place to talk about brand’s values if it’s relevant. Additionally, addressing how to resolve potential issues wins over customers because it shows transparency. Questions in the customer reviews that require longer explanations can also go in the product description. Again, don’t keyword-stuff or mention your competitors.

Finally, when your content is finished, always have a second eye look at it.

Application

The limited content space should not be taken for granted. This space is an asset for searchability. For converting content, the selection and order of product details is something that should be researched carefully. Appealing to the customer is the whole reason any product business is successful. Due to the nature of Amazon, it’s important to stay up to date with character limit changes, location changes, and rules. Sellers should pivot their strategies accordingly.