Amazon is a search engine — just one that sells products instead of showing web pages. Understanding how Amazon's search algorithm works is fundamental to getting your products in front of shoppers.
How Amazon Search Differs from Google
Google's job is to answer questions. Amazon's job is to sell products. This difference fundamentally shapes how each algorithm works. Amazon wants to show the products most likely to generate a purchase. Every ranking factor ultimately ties back to this goal — will showing this product to this shopper result in a sale?
The Key Ranking Factors
Relevance is the foundation. Your product must be relevant to the search query. Amazon determines relevance primarily through your product title, bullet points, backend search terms, and product description. If a shopper searches for "stainless steel water bottle" and those words do not appear in your listing, Amazon will not show your product.
Sales velocity is arguably the most powerful ranking factor. Products that sell more units rank higher. This creates a virtuous cycle — higher ranking leads to more visibility, which leads to more sales, which leads to higher ranking. It also means that new products face a chicken-and-egg challenge that often requires advertising to overcome.
Conversion rate matters alongside raw sales volume. A product that converts 15% of visitors into buyers signals to Amazon that it satisfies shopper intent. Products with strong images, competitive pricing, and good reviews tend to convert better and rank higher.
Price competitiveness influences ranking. Amazon does not always rank the cheapest product highest, but products priced significantly above market rate may see reduced visibility.
Optimising Your Listing for Search
Start with keyword research. Identify the terms shoppers use to find products like yours. Tools like Helium 10's Cerebro (which shows what keywords competitor products rank for) and Amazon's own search bar (which auto-suggests popular searches) are useful starting points.
Place your most important keywords in your title, as title keywords carry the most weight. Include additional relevant keywords naturally throughout your bullet points and product description. Use backend search terms for keywords that do not fit naturally in your visible listing content.
Backend Search Terms
Amazon gives you a backend keywords field (under "Search Terms" in your listing) that is invisible to shoppers but indexed by the algorithm. Use this space for synonyms, alternate spellings, and related terms that you could not fit in your title or bullets.
Do not repeat keywords that are already in your title or bullets — Amazon indexes them only once. Do not include brand names of other products. And do not use subjective terms like "best" or "cheapest" — they are not search terms people actually use.
The Role of Reviews and Ratings
Products with more reviews and higher star ratings tend to rank better. This is partly because Amazon factors reviews into ranking and partly because higher-rated products have better conversion rates (which feed back into rankings). Getting early reviews on new products is important for establishing search visibility.
Advertising and Organic Ranking
Amazon PPC advertising does not directly boost your organic ranking. However, the sales generated by advertising contribute to your sales velocity, which does improve organic ranking. Many sellers use advertising strategically to jumpstart sales velocity on new products, which then improves organic ranking over time.
Ongoing Optimisation
Amazon SEO is not a set-and-forget exercise. Monitor your search ranking for key terms, track your conversion rate in Business Reports, and refine your listing based on what you learn. Small improvements to your title, images, or price can meaningfully shift your ranking and sales.