February 2025 Newsletter: The Art of Amazon Optimization

There are different elements to an Amazon listing, many of which have their own priorities or restrictions for optimization that may affect how the Amazon algorithm chooses to rank listings to potential customers. Strategizing the way you choose to optimize content with creative changes, SEO research, or A/B testing initiatives may make all the difference.  

Amazon’s Search algorithm, A10, considers factors like product titles, descriptions, images, keywords, and customer reviews when it determines which products to show first during a customer’s search. Customer behavior is also a key factor in determining metrics for performance and relevance, so finding the right listing formula to encourage click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and sales is key to influencing your overall product visibility. However, when it comes to aligning your optimization tactics with Amazon’s ranking factors, where do you start?

Amazon Optimization Tips to Keep in Mind

One of the most common mistakes brands and sellers make when optimizing their Amazon listings is underestimating the importance of comprehensive keyword research, the ideal layout of their visuals, and the overall user experience for the customers in their product category.

• Amazon A+ Content: This type of content is easily viewed on mobile and desktop listing layouts and provides engaging visuals and comparison charts that help educate consumers on a more confident purchasing decision. Utilized correctly, enhanced brand content improves conversion rates and overall product visibility.
• Mobile Optimization: In 2022, mobile shopping on Amazon saw a notable increase as a majority of shoppers, regardless of age, opted to reach for their hand-held devices. As mobile shopping continues to rise, a listing that’s not optimized for mobile viewing of the brand’s target audience will likely result in a poor user experience, reducing CTR and conversions.
• Listing Visuals: According to the 2021 Amazon Consumer Behavior Report, images were identified as the second most important factor, after price, when consumers browse Amazon search results. This highlights the influence high-quality, engaging images play in capturing shopper attention and influencing purchasing decisions.
• Keyword Research: Often relying on incomplete or generic keyword strategies. This can lead to keyword stuffing, misalignment between the title and the backend search terms, or simply using the wrong keywords that don’t match consumer search behavior. Certain categories may even contain keyword restrictions that can leave a listing flagged without proper documentation.  

Key Priorities for Optimizing Amazon Content

When deciding on the priorities and strategies for Amazon optimizations, the first step is to conduct a comprehensive account audit. This should involve reviewing key areas like listing composition, customer service metrics, policy compliance, shipping performance, and sales data. By examining these factors, it is possible to identify critical optimization opportunities that will yield the best results and gain insights into areas that require immediate attention.  

In addition to the audit, a product strategy should be developed that aligns with market demand and competition. Assessing whether your product targets high-search volume keywords or if it caters to a niche market will help in setting realistic expectations for demand while guiding content creation.  Inventory management is another key factor that can directly impact account optimization by influencing advertising spend, budget allocation, product prioritization, pricing strategies, and promotional decisions. Finally, evaluating Click-Through Rate (CTR) against the industry benchmark of 0.3% is crucial, as a low CTR may signal that your product images, pricing, or overall listing quality are underperforming.  

After sorting account audit details and selecting a product ASINs, the following listing elements should be prioritized from top to bottom for a proper optimization to-do list. Copy should be prioritized first, as Amazon uses it to determine where to display the listing in search results, while images come second because they are typically the first thing customers see and play a major role in their shopping experience.

Copy Prioritization

1. Title: The title should list the brand, product name, and unique factors in a clear and precise order with top-performing keywords from previous SEO research. This is the first element the customer reads and offers them the most information while browsing to coax them further down the Consideration stage of the market funnel.
2. Bullet Points: List item information in order of importance to the target audience, and answer questions before the customer has a chance to ask them in a product review. This section should also contain well-researched and placed keywords, written within the Amazon recommended character counts for the category, in order to speak to customers with the language they are already searching for.
3. Product Description: This section should highlight additional product benefits and features that may have been too detailed for the bullet points or exceeded Amazon recommended character limits. It’s also important to include additional relevant key phrases to enhance the listing’s indexing by the Amazon algorithm, helping to improve its visibility and relevance.
4. Back-End Search Terms: The focus for these search terms should be non-customer-facing keywords that are loosely related to the product and should not be included in the title, bullet points, or product description. This may include alternate terms or names for the product, foreign language variations, and non-branded lifestyle terms associated with the product.

Image Prioritization

1. Main Image: The image should be clear, high-quality photography that focuses on the product. Graphics, illustrations, and mockups are not allowed in this space.
2. Infographics 2 and 3: The second and third infographics should be designed as if the bullet copy doesn’t exist, and the most prominent product features are shown to the customer at a glance.
3. Lifestyles: The remaining infographics should showcase the product in use, highlight additional benefits, and feature vibrant lifestyle photos to help potential buyers visualize the product in their own lives, ultimately persuading them to make a purchase.

After following this order for the listing copy and image optimizations, you can repeat the same priority to conduct A/B testing on individual listing elements. This will help refine the data to identify the most effective optimizations, allowing you to apply similar strategies across your entire product catalog for improved conversions.

How Agencies Can Elevate Your Optimization Strategy

After defining a list of priorities, what should you expect from team members or a trusted Amazon agency that is tasked with executing this strategy effectively?

• Keyword Research Expertise: The backbone of any Amazon optimization strategy is keyword research. Your agency should use advanced tools to identify high-volume, relevant keywords for your products, ensuring they are strategically placed in the title, bullets, and backend search terms.
• Image Optimization & Content Creation: Access to a team that understands high-quality images and visual content creation is a must. They should be able to design infographics, lifestyle images, and Enhanced Brand Content that can become part of the strategy to increase consumer trust and drive higher sales.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Optimization is a continual process. A good agency will use data-driven insights to inform decisions. They should be familiar with tools that track Click-Through Rates (CTR), conversion rates, sales performance, and even competitor performance. This data will guide ongoing tweaks and adjustments to your listings.
• Ecommerce Technology: An Amazon marketing agency should have deep expertise in the latest eCommerce technology, including advanced analytics tools to assess Seller Central performance, advertising management software for optimizing ad campaigns, and market research software for uncovering consumer trends and competitive insights. They should be proficient in leveraging Amazon-specific tools like Marketplace Product Guidance, Brand Analytics, and Product Opportunity Explorer to optimize product listings, identify growth areas, and uncover emerging product opportunities. Expertise in tracking software and promotional tools like Creator Connections and Deals is also essential for driving visibility, fostering influencer partnerships, and executing targeted sales strategies.

In conclusion, optimizing your Amazon listings is far from a one-size-fits-all process—it requires a strategic, data-driven approach that addresses multiple elements, from keyword research and image quality to inventory management and A/B testing. By prioritizing the right factors, continuously refining your content, and leveraging the most relevant tools, you can significantly improve your product visibility, drive higher conversions, and ultimately boost your sales. Partnering with a skilled Amazon agency or team that understands the nuances of the platform and has access to cutting-edge tools is crucial to ensuring your optimization efforts are both effective and sustainable. With the right strategy in place, you can be well on your way to mastering Amazon’s algorithm and achieving long-term success.

Amazon CES 2025 Announcements

Team Members from Spreetail and Buy Box Experts made the rounds at the 2025 Amazon Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to meet current industry thought leaders and pick up on the latest innovation announcements from Amazon. Here are two of the need-to-know product releases to watch out for:

SQL Generator for AMC with AI Product Release: Amazon Ads introduced a new SQL (Structured Query Language) generator, which is the standard language used to interact with databases and retrieve or manipulate data, for Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) at CES 2025. Powered by generative AI, this generator will help advertisers quickly create SQL queries using natural language, reducing query development time from hours to minutes.  

This tool allows advertisers to build custom audiences for full-funnel campaigns across streaming TV, audio, and digital channels, making it easier to execute retargeting and other strategies. The SQL generator simplifies audience creation, boosts productivity, and fosters innovation, enabling advertisers to leverage data more efficiently and optimize their media spend.

AMC 5yr Stores Lookback: Amazon’s new 5-year Stores lookback feature in AMC helps brands understand customer growth over time by tracking purchasing behavior across their entire product portfolio, enabling them to create targeted audiences for sustained growth.  

Celebrating Our Buy Box Experts

Julia Resseque , Enterprise Growth Strategist

Nominated for her ability to drive value, sales, and confidence for her brands, which have been with BBE for over 2 years. 

Bridget Callahan, Creative Strategy Manager

Nominated for her ownership, adaptability, and empathy as a manager who puts humans first and seeks to look for growth and improvement opportunities anywhere. 

Asad Waheed , Advertising Manager

Nominated for his continuous emphasis on BBE core values and his goal-driving support on the marketing team that supports its morale, collaborations, and accomplishments. 

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