Amazon Listing Optimization in Q4: Fact or Fiction

Q4 is the most bountiful time of year for sellers — but it’s also the season of peak competition. Everyone’s fighting for top ranking in their category. Everyone’s trying to take advantage of the holiday rush. And everyone's thinking about Amazon listing optimization to drive conversions. Despite the fact that everyone knows listing optimization is crucial to making the most of the mad Q4 dash, there are misconceptions about the best ways to go about it. Here are some facts and fictions to help you find the sweet spot between minimum effort and absolute overkill.

Fact

Some level of Amazon listing optimization is essential.

When the busy holiday season rolls around, it’s critical that sellers optimize their listings to some degree by filling in bullet points, using product description options, and ensuring title spaces are informative and ready for search. As a general rule, always fill blank space with valuable keywords and product information. 

Keywords are mission critical.

Using high-volume keywords in your listings will ensure your products get in front of more people — and garner more sales. But this time of year is too important to guess which keywords are the real winners. 

Our solution?

Investing in software like SellerTools, which automatically pulls and ranks competitor keywords. As an added bonus, SellerTools also includes a Listing Quality Score that shows what your listings are lacking and how to better optimize them. Your total LQS comes from several factors, including social proof in your listing, page interactions, and utilizing all available real estate with high-quality media.

People shop with their eyes.

Online shoppers are more likely to purchase a product when they can see it, envision using it, and engage with it as they would in person, so now’s the time to review your listing photos. Do your images show the product from all sides? Do they include crucial details, such as dimensions or specifications? Do they show the product in use? 

Many people scroll through product listings until an image catches their eye. So while product descriptions help build awareness and seal the deal, photos do much of the converting.

We suggest including social proof in your listings to improve conversions. Consider photos or videos 

Fiction

Doing something different is always best.

Sometimes staying the course is the right way to go. Changing your listing optimization strategy, especially at the last minute or during the busiest season of the year, runs the risk of lowering your ranking. Avoid updating language with less-effective keywords or adding brand-misaligned product images. Instead, do the research needed to understand which optimization steps are the right ones to take.

After all, the only surefire thing is that constantly changing your listing tactics will constantly change your results. 

Amazon listing optimization is all that matters.

Yes, listing optimization is critical. And it’s something that every seller has the opportunity to improve — even if they don’t always take that opportunity.

But it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Organic traffic, PPC campaigns, remarketing, and positive product reviews all contribute to Q4 success. Heading into Q4, ensure that you’re applying a holistic selling strategy that includes all marketing areas.

“I can do it all on my own”

This mentality might’ve been true years ago, but the industry is so advanced today that no one person can manage every position, solve every problem, and singularly grow their business to new levels. Successful Amazon sellers utilize tools that save them countless hours — and headaches — by automating a wide variety of tasks, including inventory management and PPC automation‍

Take Advantage of the Moment

Everyone needs listings to sell on Amazon. But doing it better than others has a compound effect — more views yield more sales, which yields higher ranking, which yields more views. And the cycle continues.

As Amazon increasingly shifts into more of a social media platform — with posts, images, videos, interactive content, and more — there are more opportunities for Amazon listing optimization and getting ahead of the competition.

To take advantage of this shift, especially during the Q4 busy season, use the right tools to automate these processes and be sure that you’re getting the most out of the quarter. 

Just listen to SellerTools founder Troy Johnston: “With Q4, everything is elevated, including new-to-brand traffic. This is your one shot to get listing optimization right to maximize revenue and put your best foot forward in the compare and contrast reality that is Amazon.”