Amazon A10: Scanning The Latest Updates in Amazon’s Algorithm
When it comes to e-commerce and online retailing, Amazon leads the way ahead by many miles. During September 2020 alone, the platform had garnered more than 2.44 billion combined desktop and mobile visits. Amazon has become increasingly popular for its accuracy and personalization in terms of product search results. And with the Amazon A10 algorithm, the e-commerce giant is leaning towards a more consumer-centric search engine.
Although Amazon has not officially revealed the name, it certainly added critical updates to its original A9 search algorithm. The newly launched A10 algorithm is quite similar to the former, except for the fact that the platform has shifted its focus from profitability to consumer search relevance. Amazon has acknowledged that the buyers’ intent and needs often go beyond the seller-promoted products. Accordingly, the A10 algorithm prioritizes search results that are most relevant to the buyers.
In this blog, we will break down each of the factors influencing the Amazon A10 algorithm to help your Amazon SEO strategy adjust quickly to the latest updates.
A Quick Look Back At The Amazon A9 Algorithm
Essentially, Amazon is a search engine for products and it uses its own search algorithm to rank product listings.
The Amazon A9 algorithm was very much similar to Google's ranking algorithm. However, it was a sales-focused search engine and promoted listings that guaranteed higher sales conversion and profitability for Amazon.
Accordingly, the product ranking algorithm prioritized 4 main factors namely: (a) Sales Velocity (b) Keyword Relevancy (c) Price (d) Stock Availability. Additionally, A9 involved other indirect factors such as fulfillment method, reviews, and advertising campaigns, particularly Amazon PPC.
Check out this blog post to learn about the A9 algorithm and Amazon SEO from the scratch
In a nutshell, Amazon relied on a product listing's conversion rate and ability to generate revenue as the key ranking determinants.
Understanding The Amazon A10 Algorithm Update
The A10 algorithm is broadly similar to the previous version; the key point of difference is the weightage of certain ranking parameters.
While A9 ranked product listings based on profitability, the A10 search algorithm is more interested in displaying the most accurate and relevant results to the buyers. In this way, consumer search relevancy is at the forefront of Amazon's new product ranking algorithm.
The update strongly suggests that Amazon is keen on making the platform more customer-friendly and promoting smoother buying experiences.
Pushing for increased conversions will no longer do the trick for Amazon sellers. Your product listings need to be highly relevant and enticing to grab the attention of buyers as well as keep them engaged with your brand. Sponsored campaigns such as Amazon PPC are now weighted lower since these ads aren't always the optimal solution to a buyer's search query.
It is, thus, extremely important for the brands and sellers to get a stronghold of the Amazon A10 ranking factors if they want to stay relevant in the marketplace. That said, let’s take a closer look at the major factors that affect Amazon’s updated search algorithm.
Factors Influencing The Amazon A10 Algorithm
1. Seller Authority
Seller Authority involves certain crucial seller metrics that are regulated by Amazon itself, such as product listings and the 'Buy Box'. Diving deep, it includes factors such as how long a seller has been active on the marketplace, their feedback and ratings, product ratings as well as product range.
Although it is impossible for you to go back in the past and change your date of joining, you surely have more control over other factors.
Opting for FBA and showcasing the product's features as clearly as possible can positively impact your seller feedback and product return metrics. Moreover, having a vast product catalog certainly adds to your reputation as an Amazon seller. If you manage to serve a wider and more diverse customer base, all the while garnering positive reviews then your seller authority can top the charts.
2. Sales History
Much like Amazon A9, the A10 algorithm also takes sales history into consideration for ranking product listings. This implies that your organic search rankings are directly proportional to how frequently your products sell and your total level of sales.
The most essential way of improving your sales history is implementing an actionable Amazon SEO strategy. You can further leverage the benefits of promotional campaigns to boost your sales. More importantly, proper inventory management also plays a vital role. If you want to increase sales on Amazon, you need to avoid an out-of-stock listing at all costs
3. Organic Sales
Organic sales refer to the purchases made by buyers that don't involve any special marketing or promotional activity. For instance: If someone enters a search query "sports shoes for men", clicks on your listing from the search results, and ultimately buys the product, it is considered as an organic sale. Amazon A10 algorithm regards organic sales as a critical factor for ranking.
Make sure that your Amazon listing optimization is up to the mark and robust enough to penetrate the top rankings. Pay special attention to keywords that match the users' queries and use attractive product titles. You can also take advantage of the A+ content to differentiate your product from the competitors.
However, setting just the right price is of paramount importance. It cannot be too high or you'll lose customers. At the same time, it cannot be too low or you'll miss out on profits. Always be cautious while incorporating discounts and coupons because an underpriced product will raise as many eyebrows as an overpriced one. You can improve your organic sales by using various repricing software to offer consumers the best price in real-time.
4. Internal Sales
Internal sales refer to the purchases made by buyers that don't involve search queries. These include sales generated from the 'recommended', 'similar products', and 'frequently bought together' product categories. As such, internal sales contribute greatly to boosting your product rankings in the Amazon A10 algorithm.
It is strongly advised to use a really high-quality and enticing photo as your main product image to capture the attention of buyers to these areas.
5. Impressions
Impressions are defined as the number of times a product listing is seen on the Amazon marketplace as well as on the affiliate and partner sites. Since the A10 algorithm gives more weightage to them, you need to work on growing your impressions to rank higher in the SERP.
The most efficient practice for increasing impressions is by incorporating convertible keywords that place your product under the right category. This will make it easier for the customers to spot your listing. You can also resort to implementing external campaigns to generate more views but make sure that you're targeting the right audience to drive your conversion rates.
6. Conversion Rate
It is the ratio of the total number of customers viewing your product to the number of customers who go ahead and actually buy your products. A higher conversion rate is rewarded by the A10 algorithm in the form of boosted rankings.
You can raise your conversion ratio by including as many high-quality product images in your listing as possible. But be sure that images duly comply with the Amazon product photography guidelines. Make the buyers understand how your product solves their pain points. Include lifestyle images and tutorials to gain their trust and confidence.
7. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Click-Through Rate (CTR) refers to the number of times your listing appears in search queries to the total number of customers clicking to enter your product listing page. CTR metric can be incredibly useful in measuring the performance and success of your ads. Additionally, a higher CTR also ensures a better organic ranking in the A10 algorithm.
The most effective way to get customers clicking on your listings is to add a compelling product photo and an attention-grabbing title to your product listing.
8. Off-Site Sales
Unlike A9, the Amazon A10 algorithm values off-site sales more as a factor for ranking product listings. The reason behind this is quite simple. Off-site sales will not only benefit you as a seller but also the Amazon marketplace. Naturally, the company wants to expand its user base and hence, will prioritize brands and sellers who lure in external traffic to the platform.
Incidentally, driving external to your Amazon listings might just prove to be more useful than PPC campaigns in the updated algorithm. Off-site sales can have a huge impact on your organic rankings as those can help you drive keyword ranking and garner additional reviews.
Growing off-site sales is fairly simple. You just need to post links to your Amazon product listings on your website blogs, social media, guest blogs and potentially any digital channel that allows you to reach your target audience. You can even get your products reviewed by micro-influencers or popular bloggers and have them linked to your product listing on Amazon.
9. Amazon PPC Sales
Although the Amazon A10 algorithm is not very fond of PPC sales, it can still be useful for fulfilling your long-term goals. Even though PPC sales do not directly account for improved rankings, the campaigns can be utilized for new products or underperforming listings and can be a part of organic sales-driven SEO strategy.
In this case, a valuable practice can be diversifying the ad budget for a dedicated Amazon PPC campaign and focusing on different channels such as off-Amazon advertising to rake in external traffic.
Are You Ready To Embrace The Amazon A10 Algorithm?
The crux of the Amazon A10 algorithm is a smoother and more convenient customer experience. Sellers must remember that Amazon has ditched the sales-focused A9 algorithm to make way for the more user-friendly A10 algorithm. Accordingly, they must adopt a buyer-first approach for optimizing their listings rather than the obsolete sales-first approach.
At YourSeller, we keep ourselves up-to-date with all the latest updates and dynamics of Amazon. Our seasoned team of Amazon experts can help you transition from A9 to the A10 algorithm with utmost accuracy and swiftness.
