Amazon SEO is fundamentally different from Google SEO. While Google ranks information, Amazon wants to sell. This distinction is the key to understanding the Amazon algorithm.

The A10 Algorithm

Amazon uses the "A10" algorithm (the evolution of A9) for ranking. Unlike Google, the most important factors are heavily revenue-driven:

Sales History 35%

Absolute sales figures and velocity (sales per time)

Relevance (Keywords) 25%

Keyword placement in title, bullets, backend

Conversion Rate 20%

Ratio of clicks to purchases

Reviews 12%

Number and average of reviews

Other Factors 8%

FBA, Price, A+ Content, external traffic

Important: These weightings are estimates based on market observations. Amazon does not publish official figures.

Keyword Research for Amazon

Unlike Google, on Amazon you search for purchase-intent keywords:

Tools for Amazon Keyword Research

Keyword Types

Head Keywords

Short, high volume, high competition

"Bluetooth headphones"

Long-Tail Keywords

Specific, lower volume, better conversion

"Bluetooth headphones sport waterproof"

Title Optimization

The title is the most important place for your keywords:

Title Formula
[Brand] + [Main Keyword] + [Most Important Feature] + [Secondary Keyword] + [Variant/Colour/Size]

Example

Before (poor):
"SoundPro Headphones Model X500 - Buy now!"
After (optimized):
"SoundPro Bluetooth Headphones Wireless Over-Ear, Active Noise Cancelling, 40h Battery, Foldable, Black"
Length limit: Amazon truncates titles after around 200 characters (varies by category). Place the most important keywords at the front!

Optimizing Bullet Points

The 5 bullet points are your sales copy and keyword reservoir:

1
Main benefit + primary keyword
The first bullet is the most important – this is where your USP belongs
2
Feature + benefit combination
Not just what, but why it helps the customer
3
Technical details + keywords
Specifications that buyers look for
4
Use case / target audience
"Perfect for..." – incorporate long-tail keywords
5
Trust / warranty
Customer service, returns, quality promise

Backend Keywords

The hidden keywords that only Amazon sees:

Backend Keywords Example
earphones earbuds in-ear headset music sport jogging training gym fitness waterproof ipx7 sweat-resistant long battery life

Conversion Factors

A good ranking is useless without conversions. These factors influence your conversion rate:

Images

Price

Reviews

External Traffic (New Ranking Factor)

In 2025, Amazon weights external traffic more heavily than ever before. These are traffic sources from outside Amazon:

Social Media
  • • Instagram Shopping
  • • TikTok Shop
  • • Pinterest Pins
Google
  • • Google Shopping
  • • SEO (blog articles)
  • • Google Ads
Influencer
  • • Amazon Influencer Program
  • • YouTube Reviews
  • • Podcast sponsoring
Amazon Tools
  • • Amazon Attribution
  • • Brand Referral Bonus
  • • Amazon Posts
Pro tip: With Amazon Attribution, you can track the success of external traffic sources and receive up to 10% of sales back as a bonus.

Conclusion

Amazon SEO 2025 is a mix of keywords and performance. The most important takeaways:

  1. Sales are the #1 ranking factor – optimise for conversions, not just keywords
  2. Title = most important keyword position – place main keywords at the front
  3. Backend keywords for synonyms – no repetitions, no competitor brands
  4. External traffic is becoming more important – use Attribution for tracking
  5. Images and reviews for conversion – without conversion there's no sustainable ranking

Track Rankings with Sellercore

Track your keyword rankings and optimize based on data.

Try for free

Optimise your Amazon listings

Sellercore gives Amazon sellers the tools to grow: repricing, ads optimisation, inventory and profit analytics in one place. Try it free today.

Get started free