Amazon keywords are a powerful indicator of what hundreds of millions of online customers are shopping for every month. As Amazon accounts for roughly 38% of US e-commerce sales, if you’re a retailer it’s important to paying attention to Amazon shopper search data, even if you don’t sell on the platform.
You can use Amazon search term data for more than just SEO (search engine optimization). Amazon data can help you identify macro and micro shopping trends, niche products and markets, and boost your sales. Keep reading for Amazon keyword tips!
Finding Profitable Opportunities
Gone are the days where you could pick any product, put it on Amazon, and bring in sales. Now, success requires meticulous product research because many categories are oversaturated or dominated by brand names. Entering these markets could prove fatal to a fledgling business. Thankfully, we have Amazon keywords to reveal less competitive products.
Let’s use the Amazon search term “wireless headphones” as an example.
While “wireless headphones” seems like a tempting category, more research is needed before you know if it’s a viable opportunity.
While nearly 7.5 million monthly searches might entice some sellers, search volume should not be the sole rationale for sourcing a product.
In the above example, the following three highest searches all include large brand names. This scenario indicates that it could be overly competitive and difficult to be successful with this product.
To determine if a product is a good fit, look at the number of reviews and star rating averages for the top sellers on the first page of the search results (page 1) for this particular keyword. This information can help you determine the approximate number of sales for a product as well as which listings are attracting customers and converting to sales.
A peek at the page 1 results for “wireless headphones” shows that more than half of the top ten ranked products have over 1,000 reviews and are all highly rated. In this case, it would be very difficult to beat large companies like Bose or Beats in advertising spend or brand recognition. It’s time to do some more research and look elsewhere for product opportunities.
The Page 1 Products tool can help you find keywords and products to target with PPC ads.
When looking to identify a profitable niche, start with a broad, top-of-the-funnel search term like “wireless headphones.” Once you’ve found a keyword of interest, look for to relevant long-tail phrases with lower search volumes.
Consider keywords with mid-range volumes between 30,0000-100,000 and several strong related keywords. Even if only 1% of those searches convert to sales, you’ll still make enough sales to remain profitable! Plus, you’ll encounter less competition for these keywords.
The more research you do, the more complete the picture of your new product will become!
Pro-tip: Keep an eye on the number of sellers in a potential category. Selecting a niche without as many sellers decreases the amount of competition. As an added bonus, you’ll see a lower ACoS for your PPC advertising campaigns!
Identifying Trends
Keywords are the first place we see the introduction of new phrases and the development of shopping trends. Customers often use Amazon as a search engine and browse the site for ideas before buying a product. Searches can resemble phrases one might type into Google, like “cheapest water bottle” or “best dog toy” and “gifts for women.”
You can also determine the qualities and features customers are looking for in a product. Shopper search terms will include popular colors and other features customers desire in the form of adjectives they use (e.g., “waterproof wireless speaker” ).
Identifying trends requires looking at the data over a period of time. Keyword search history can show you how and when customers' searches change throughout the year. This knowledge can help you to plan inventory and PPC campaigns and helps you determine the popularity of a product or a particular feature.
Looking Forward
Keeping abreast of how customer searches evolve keeps you at the top of your game for SEO and PPC, and best of all, ahead of your competition.
If you’re a large brand or agency looking for custom Amazon data trends and insights, reach out to data@merchantwords.com.
Have questions about other ways to use Amazon keywords or need help with your optimization strategy? Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get advice from our team and Amazon experts!
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