Cracking the Amazon FBA keyword ranking code can sometimes feel like finding a crowded track. But guess what? There’s a fun way to boost your ranking, and it involves getting your product into the hands of real humans!
Yes, we’re talking about product testing campaigns—a smart way to get genuine feedback, build trust, and have the Amazon FBA algorithm fall head over heels for your product (well, sort of).
Think of it as a date between your product and Amazon FBA’s ranking system: if your product makes a good impression, your keyword ranking skyrockets, and before you know it, you’re dancing at the top of search results.
Let’s dive into how product testing campaigns can be your secret trick in winning Amazon FBA’s competitive keyword game while having a little fun along the way!
How Do Products Get Ranked On Amazon FBA?
Imagine Amazon FBA’s A9 Search Algorithm as the ultimate detective, sifting through countless product listings to find the perfect match for every shopper. It’s like having a savvy friend who knows everything about what’s trending but is a bit skeptical—only convinced when a crowd of people backs it up.
When you create an Amazon FBA product listing, you’re essentially saying, “Hey, Amazon FBA, this is what my product is all about.” But it’s not just about making a claim.
When customers click on your listing and make a purchase, they give a thumbs-up to Amazon FBA, saying, “Yes, this is exactly what I was looking for, and it matches the description perfectly.”
In the world of Amazon FBA SEO, the A9 algorithm operates with a blend of expertise and caution. It may seem like a genius, but it needs validation from the masses to trust its judgments. So, the more your product resonates with buyers and meets their expectations, the more the A9 algorithm will believe in its worth.
Keyword Research and Product Testing
Executing product tests on Amazon FBA can offer valuable insight, access to reviews, and build initial momentum for your product. However, if you fail to optimize for the right keywords early in the process, you may be dissatisfied with the results of your test campaign.
To understand why keyword research is important, let’s reflect on the prior note. Whenever you begin a product test campaign with a new product, identifying the Amazon FBA keywords upfront that directly align with what you are trying to attract in users is critical.
- Those keywords have to align and complement what your potential consumer is searching against to gauge the real market fit for your product.
- Failing to perform keyword trend analysis as a prerequisite to running a campaign that might attract users who are not interested in what you want to sell could result in comparatively fewer sales.
- Take for example such a test campaign for a new organic skincare product. You might logically consider “organic skincare” to be the most relevant keyword.
- However, by selecting trigger words, you can dig into the trends in keywords and learn that “natural face cream” and “chemical-free moisturizer” would resonate better with target consumers.
- Using those keywords in the testing campaign will enhance the value of your testing campaign by making sure you’re only bringing in the right users who produce advantageous feedback and reviews.
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How Keyword Research Optimizes Your Product Testing Results
Once you have conducted your keyword research, you can improve your chances of ranking for those search terms exponentially by using those high-ranking keywords in your product title, bullet points, and product description.
The potential for your product testers to find your product organically will increase if your keyword optimization is done correctly, rather than simply finding your product through the campaign itself.
For instance, you test a new kitchen gadget, and through keyword research, you find the search term “easy to use kitchen tools” has a high-ranking keyword. You would incorporate that keyword into your listing.
Therefore, when a user on the Amazon FBA platform searches for something like “easy to use kitchen tool” even though they are not part of your product testing group, they are still able to find your product organically from the Amazon FBA search results.
In addition, through the process of thinking through your listing with targeted keywords, you’ll find it also helps with the chances of testers leaving keyword-rich reviews.
When products are tested, customers will organically use your keywords specifically because of your hinting through the criteria, and the act of observing the user and their behavior allows them to participate.
Still, if you are an “easy-to-use tool” someone might and probably will say “I loved using this easy-to-use kitchen tool” and be more specific.
Generating Momentum with Long-Tail Keywords
While popular keywords will bring in the most traffic, they are also the most competitive. This poses the problem of long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords can be specific search terms that have lower competition but are extremely resourceful in a product test campaign.
For example, don’t just go after the keyword “yoga mat,” which is extremely competitive. Instead, go for a long-tail key term like “extra thick yoga mat for back support.”
- Long-tail keywords typically carry more intent, in the sense that these terms represent someone who is further along in their purchase consideration. Testing products based on long-tail keywords allows you to navigate and build momentum within lower competitive niches and products and makes it easier to rank for a broader keyword than a popular one.
- Through this process of momentum, when you have accumulated reviews and or traction with product consideration you can gradually pivot to broader keywords.
Real-World Example
Let’s say you start selling a new product on Amazon FBA-some sort of waterproof Bluetooth speaker. You do keyword research and feel that very competitive keywords, such as “Bluetooth speaker,” are too hard to start ranking for.
- You find that “waterproof Bluetooth speaker for outdoor use” is a less competitive, long-tail keyword with a reasonable search volume.
- You will be targeting an even more specific audience that is looking for a waterproof Bluetooth speaker outdoors by anchoring your product testing campaigns around this long-tail keyword.
- This would increase the likelihood not only of testers providing relevant reviews but also possibly mentioning features that concern your targeted keyword.
- As these start mentioning the keyword “waterproof Bluetooth speaker”, Amazon FBA’s algorithm begins to take notice of your product regarding this term. Your product will start to rank higher with time, not just for long-tail keywords but even for longer terms.
How Amazon FBA Reviews Influence Organic Keyword Ranking
Quantity and Quality of Reviews Matter
It matters how many and how good the reviews are. The more reviews there are, the more likely it is that the product is sold a lot and that people trust and believe in it. In reviews, quality is very important.
Customers who read detailed, positive reviews feel like they can trust the business, which again increases sales and Amazon FBA keyword results.
Take any cooking tool that you can find on Amazon FBA as an example. One listing for a similar tool has more than 500 reviews with an average rating of 4.7 stars, while another listing only has 50 reviews with an average rating of 3.5 stars.
Even if the second product is keyword-optimized, the first product with more reviews and an average rate that is very high will usually rank higher because it shows that customers are happier with the first product.
The average review affects both the number of people who buy the product and its position in search engine results for related keywords. That’s because the algorithm knows that customers are happy with products that have a lot of good reviews, so it keeps those products high in the search results.
However, even if they’re optimized for the same terms, the lower-rated goods may not show up as well in searches.
Also, a product with 4.8 stars will show up higher in the search results and get more clicks, which will boost sales and term ranking. However, a product with a rating of 2.8 stars will be further down in the search results because buyers won’t believe it. This means that the product won’t get many clicks or sales.
The Role of Verified Reviews
If you want to be more specific, Amazon FBA values verified reviews—those that are linked to a real buy. If a product has more of these verified reviews, it will rank higher for relevant keywords because they show that real customers are using and buying the product.
For example, if you’re selling a fitness tracker and it has 200 verified positive reviews, it will rank higher than any other related product with fewer or no verified reviews. Potential buyers and Amazon FBA’s ranking system can both trust that these are real people.
The Effect Of Reviews On Sales Velocity
Some less well-known ways that reviews can change keyword rankings are through ripple effects that speed up sales.
As soon as a product starts getting good reviews, it usually starts selling more often. When the speed of sales goes up in this way, it tells Amazon FBA that what is selling is popular, which helps the organic keyword ranking.
Let us say you’re selling a skin care product that gets great reviews. There will be more sales if more people read those reviews and then buy the goods. That will show Amazon FBA’s algorithm that there is more desire for your product, so it will move up in the relevant keyword rankings.
There is a kind of self-feeding cycle going on here: better reviews lead to higher rankings, more sales, and more people seeing the goods.
How Product Testing Improves CTR and Affects Keyword Ranking
When it comes to increasing CTR, testing a product has one big extra benefit: the compounding effect. Your search rank goes up as your CTR goes up.
As you can see, a better ranking means more visibility, which in turn means more clicks and, finally, sales. Knowing what customers want is the first step in making your product page better for them.
So, if you have a kitchen gadget that ranks on the second or third page for the keyword “multi-use kitchen tool,” you will need to test the product to make your listing better.
The more reviews and hits your product gets over time, the higher it may rise until it’s on page one. Once it’s number one, it gets a lot more attention, and so on.
Common Mistakes in Amazon FBA Product Testing Campaigns
After getting useful feedback from customers, Amazon FBA product testing efforts are a great way to move a product up in the rankings and make more sales overall. But even though these kinds of efforts can get great results, some common mistakes could make them less useful.
So, in this blog, we’ll talk about the most common mistakes people make when trying products on Amazon FBA and how you can avoid them. You’ll learn from these mistakes and be able to run successful ad campaigns that will help your keyword rank and maybe even bring in more sales.
Not following Amazon FBA’s Terms of Service (TOS)
People who run product testing efforts often break Amazon FBA’s Terms of Service, which is one of their biggest mistakes. Amazon FBA has very strict rules about writing reviews of products and doing any other kind of advertising.
It is against the rules to give away free items in exchange for good reviews, to try to get testers to leave positive feedback, or to do anything else that is meant to trick people into giving good reviews.
For example, a seller might offer free items to customers in exchange for straight requests to leave 5-star reviews. If you do this, your account could be suspended and you could even be kicked off the site.
Do not try to get positive reviews; instead, ask for honest, unbiased comments all the time. Customers will trust you more if you follow Amazon FBA’s rules, which will protect your selling account.
Sending Products to the Wrong Audience
Targeting the wrong people is another mistake that ads for product testing make. When testing a product made for a specific niche or group of people, giving it to a group that has nothing to do with that niche or group may give you feedback that isn’t useful or insightful.
Sending a high-end skin care product to people who aren’t interested in skincare or even high-end products will result in negative reviews or results that aren’t very exciting.
Before you choose your testers, make sure they look like the people you want to sell to. This way, the feedback you get will be more useful for people who might buy from you in the future.
Failing to Track Campaign Metrics
Another common mistake people make when running Amazon FBA product testing programs is forgetting to keep track of and look at key metrics. You won’t know how your campaigns are doing on keyword rankings, sales, and your brand’s overall exposure if you don’t keep a close eye on them.
For instance, if you don’t keep track of things like customer reviews, changes in conversion rates, or how quickly sales of goods have changed during the campaign, you won’t know if your work has paid off.
By using tools like Amazon FBA Seller Central and third-party analytics platforms, you can find out how well the campaign worked, what needs to be changed, and which goods to test next.
Poor Timing of Product Testing Campaigns
Just like in marketing, timing is very important for product testing efforts. An inconveniently timed campaign is much less successful. When testing a seasonal product like winter coats in the middle of summer, for example, testers won’t have the right information to give you useful feedback.
For the best results from your product testing programs, plan them around important selling times, holidays, or events like Prime Day. The reviews will show up more quickly and more accurately, and your product will be fresh in the minds of both testers and buyers who might be willing to give it a try.
Overloading Testers with Too Many Products
When you send testers more than one product at once, you may also be failing to make your promotion more effective. If you test a lot of goods at once, you might think you’re being efficient, but testers find it hard to keep track of everything, which means they give less informed feedback.
This tester gets three items at once, such as a fitness tracker, a water bottle, and a phone charger. This could mean that the tester doesn’t spend enough time or focus on each product, which means that they send in feedback that is fast or missing important details.
So that testers can give each product a full review, you might want to limit the number of goods you test to one or two at a time.
Influencers for Amazon FBA Product Testing and Keyword Ranking
A9 is Amazon FBA’s ranking algorithm. It has a few rating factors that decide where a product will appear in the results. Keywords in the title, description, and bullet points of a product are important, but not as important as reviews, sales speed, and customer involvement. People who have a lot of power come in here.
Influencers who try out an Amazon FBA product and talk about their experiences usually get their fans to buy it, which speeds up sales. Plus, more fans will leave reviews after buying. When a product has more reviews, it’s more likely to be trustworthy.
Having a lot of reviews for a product makes it more likely to rank for certain keywords. This means that influencer campaigns will lead to straight sales and reviews, which are two of the most important things that are needed to improve keyword ranking on Amazon FBA.
Example 1: Fitness Brand and Influencer Work Together
Assume there is an Amazon FBA store that sells resistance bands. The marketing team finds several fitness-related influencers who have more than 500,000 followers on social media. They will be given resistance bands to inspect and try out.
Their fans can see what they’re doing by watching videos of themselves working out with the band and then posting those videos online.
Following the influencers’ positive reviews of the product, their fans start buying the resistance bands on Amazon FBA. Sellers start selling a lot of the product at once, which tells Amazon FBA’s system that this is a popular item. To add to the product’s credibility, many buyers leave good reviews.
Within a month, keywords like “best fitness bands for beginners” and “resistance bands for home workouts” will start to rank for resistance bands. Influencer-generated sales and reviews do a lot to help an Amazon FBA product’s rank.
Example 2: A Skincare Brand’s Journey to Better Keyword Ranking
A business that makes skin care products and sells a new facial serum on Amazon FBA works with beauty influencers to sell the product. For the product, the influencers have to talk about how the facial serum made their skin feel and look better and promote their beauty routine.
Influencers write reviews that are very detailed and sometimes even give discount codes to people who follow them.
Skincare gurus’ fans rushed to Amazon FBA to buy this serum after seeing amazing before-and-after pictures and reading great reviews. More units sold means the product moves up in the rankings for important skin care keywords like “best anti-aging serum” and “skincare serum for glowing skin.”
The reputation of this product is also strengthened by the fact that customers who bought the serum after reading the reviews left by these influencers are now also leaving positive reviews on Amazon FBA.
The skincare brand will rank higher for very competitive keywords and be seen by more people in its target group thanks to this partnership.
- It’s important to choose the right influencers for your product testing strategy because not all of them are so good. To get the best results, they should be in the same niche as your goods and have the same audience as yours. Let’s say you sell workout gear and want to work with professionals in the field of training. Similarly, if you sell tech goods and want to work with tech reviewers, you will do better.
Of course, micro-influencers on a smaller scale can sometimes be the most useful. They often have more time to talk to their fans, which helps them get more involved and earn their trust.
Even though they don’t have a huge following, their audience may be in a certain niche. This can help them get more targeted reviews and sales.
Example 3: A Tech Company Works With Micro-Influencers
A new company that sells wireless earbuds on Amazon FBA plans to work with tech micro-influencers who have between 20,000 and 50,000 followers. These influential people wear earbuds and then write in-depth YouTube reviews that compare them to other wireless earbuds on the market.
Because these tech influencers write for their followers, those followers believe what they say about how well the product works and sounds.
As YouTube videos get more and more views, more and more people buy and review wireless earbuds on Amazon FBA. Over time, the earbuds started to rank for broad terms like “best budget wireless earbuds” and “high-quality Bluetooth earbuds,” which lets their brand go up against bigger and more established brands.
- Building long-term relationships with influential people can turn the success of a single product launch into chances that last for a long time. If they keep working together, they can use their power in future product launches, seasonal sales, and even sales events like Amazon FBA Prime Day. Influencers who are loyal to your brand are more likely to tell their followers about new products. This keeps your brand fresh in people’s minds over time.
Tracking Keyword Performance After Product Testing
Watching your rank go up or down isn’t the only thing important about tracking keyword success. It means looking into what measures may have helped the ranking move up. Regarding the example, did organic sales go up during the test campaign?
Got more reviews of your product? Or did measures like click-through rates (CTRs) or rates of conversions that engage customers get better?
Here’s another example of wireless headphones. As a result of your testing effort, the keyword ranking for your product got better, but your Amazon FBA CTR went from 1.5% to 3% and your conversion rate went from 10% to 15%.
As Amazon FBA’s algorithm rewards goods with high levels of engagement and conversion rates, these must be affecting how well your keywords are doing.
Adjusting Your Keyword Strategy Post-Testing
After the product testing program is over and you’ve looked at the keyword performance data, it’s time to make changes to your keyword strategy. If some keywords showed huge growth, that’s a good sign of how well your product will match with that phrase.
You might want to focus even more on making your product page better for those keywords to boost your ranking even more.
Assuming that “noise-canceling headphones” was one of the keywords that helped your product rank higher, you would probably want to add that phrase more clearly to the title, bullet points, and description of your product.
On the other hand, you can choose to start more Amazon FBA PPC ads that target that keyword to get more sales and responses.
However, if some of these keywords didn’t make a big difference for the better, you might want to think again about how relevant they are to your goods. It’s possible that the keyword “wireless earbuds” didn’t work as well as “Bluetooth headphones.” You could then focus on keywords that do work.
Using Product Testing to Improve Conversion Rates on Amazon FBA
Addressing Customer Pain Points Before the Product Launch
One of the significant benefits of product testing is that it allows you to address customer pain points before your product is fully launched to the market. By identifying issues early on, you can make necessary adjustments that enhance the user experience and prevent negative reviews that could harm your conversion rates.
Consider the example of a seller launching a new skincare line. Through product testing, they discovered that some users find the product too greasy. This feedback allows the seller to adjust the formula before launching to a wider audience.
By fine-tuning the product to meet customer preferences, the seller can launch with confidence, knowing that the product is more likely to convert users into buyers.
Creating a Buzz with Product Testing
Product testing isn’t just about gathering feedback; it’s also a powerful marketing tool that can create buzz and excitement around your product.
By inviting influencers or dedicated customers to participate in your product testing campaign, you create an opportunity for word-of-mouth marketing that can drive traffic to your Amazon FBA listing.
For example, let’s say you’re launching a line of eco-friendly reusable water bottles. You partner with influencers who test the product and share their reviews on social media. Their followers are intrigued, visit your Amazon FBA product page, and are convinced by the positive reviews to make a purchase.
This combination of external traffic and authentic reviews from product testing can greatly improve your conversion rates and increase your overall sales.
Testing Multiple Product Variants to Maximize Conversions
Another advantage of product testing is the ability to test multiple variants of your product to see which one converts best.
You can test different colors, sizes, or even packaging options to determine which version resonates most with your audience. This method allows you to make data-driven decisions and choose the best-performing variant to sell on Amazon FBA.
For instance, if you’re selling phone cases, you could test different designs and materials with your product testers. Maybe the testers love the sleek, matte finish over the glossy one.
By using this insight, you can focus on producing the version that customers are most likely to purchase, thereby improving your conversion rates.
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Conclusion
Through practical examples, we’ve seen how product testing can positively impact Amazon FBA conversion rates, from building credibility through reviews to optimizing listings based on feedback.
As you refine your product and listing with the help of product testing, you set the stage for higher conversion rates, improved keyword rankings, and greater success on Amazon FBA.
