Amazon's ranking system (historically A9, evolved into A10) weighs two broad things: relevance and performance. Relevance comes from the title, bullet points, description, backend search terms and structured attributes — this is where keyword research maps onto the listing. Performance comes from conversion rate, sales velocity, reviews, price competitiveness, images and availability.
Because Amazon optimises for revenue per search, conversion signals matter more than on Google. A listing with a strong main image, clear benefit-led bullets, competitive price and many positive reviews will outrank a keyword-stuffed listing that doesn't convert. Fast, in-stock fulfilment (including FBA) further supports ranking.
The practical playbook: research the terms buyers actually use, place the most important ones in the title and bullets naturally, fill backend keywords, invest in high-quality images and A+ content, and manage reviews and price. For sellers this is a core part of marketplace SEO, and it increasingly connects to AI shopping assistants like Amazon Rufus.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
No. Google ranks pages to answer information needs; Amazon ranks products to maximise sales. Amazon leans much harder on conversion, sales velocity, reviews and price, so optimising a listing is as much about merchandising as keywords.