Beyond the Listing: Your Guide to the Amazon Algorithm

Article Information Updated April 2025.

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Beginning with ‘Archie,’ in 1990, then ‘Ask Jeeves’, ‘Yahoo’, and finally ‘Google’, internet search engines have continuously refined the art of organizing and understanding the vast expanse of the internet. As a result, searchers (like you) can now find exactly what they need, precisely when they need it.  

It’s no surprise that retail giants like Amazon pay close attention to how customers navigate their marketplace, and over the years they’ve adopted this ‘search engine’ mindset to optimize for the searching customer:  

• 70% of Amazon customers never click past the first page of Amazon SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages)
  
• 35% of Amazon shoppers click on the first product on a search page

If you want your listings to attract the right audience and drive conversions, landing on the first page is essential: that starts with strong Amazon store optimization. But to get there, you need to understand how the algorithm works.

In this article, we’ll break down what it takes to capture attention on Amazon, including how buy box optimization plays a critical role beyond the simple ‘more views = more sales’ equation. You'll gain a deeper understanding of optimization and how it truly impacts success.

Understanding the Importance of Optimization

Amazon’s algorithm works to accomplish one thing – to find, rank, and return the most relevant product listings for a search query. Amazon differentiates itself from other search platforms through its obsession with ‘user intent’ and how it adjusts its algorithm to fit the audience's needs. Rather than casting a large net to capture anything related to the query, Amazon focuses on products, benefits, and features to find specific items that the customer is ready to buy.  

The Amazon algorithm focuses on two areas: performance and relevance. Both of which directly influence your ability to win the Buy Box. This means that a product with a strong sales history will rank higher. In the same manner, a product listing incorporating appropriate keywords and expansive content will also appear higher on the SERPs.  

A notable example of the role this content piece plays in the overall ranking and performance of products is Amazon’s premium A+ content. Pushing premium content can positively impact sales velocity. According to Amazon, this results in over a 5% increase in sales due to increased traffic and conversion.

Here are other, more detailed, factors that Amazon takes into consideration:

• Sales velocity: As it stands, increasing sales velocity is the most effective way to rank higher. This is your sales and conversions in relation to your competitors who fall under the same search term.
• Text relevancy: Like the premium content we mentioned earlier, the keywords you use within titles and descriptions carry weight in how relevant your item will appear. Gain a clear understanding of what your audience is searching for and include those phrases in your listings.
• Price: Along with predicting what items users are going to like more, Amazon can predict your conversion rate based on your pricing. If your prices fall above most competitors it assumes your conversion rate will be lower, giving you a lower rank down the page(s). Alternatively, if your pricing is lower or comparable to your competitors then you’ll likely rank much higher.
• Availability: In-stock history plays a huge impact on how high Amazon places your ranking. If you have frequent times of limited or OOS (out-of-stock) products then your ranking is going to suffer.  
• Fulfillment method: Amazon offers FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) services, but brands using omnichannel ecommerce fulfillment strategies often see more consistent performance across marketplaces. Meaning, Amazon itself stores, ships, and handles products on behalf of brands. Given this is their own service, it’s no wonder that Amazon has been known to favor those brands who happen to utilize FBA, increasing their chances of ranking higher.  
• Reviews: The number of reviews a product or brand has isn’t a ranking factor itself, but learning how to get reviews on Amazon can significantly improve conversion rates. It all comes down to how those reviews affect conversion rates. A product that is reviewed better is more likely to convert at a higher rate than a product that has fewer reviews. This relates to the sales velocity we mentioned earlier and impacts overall ranking.  
• Advertising: Want to increase sales? Advertising is the way to go. Not only does this influence overall sales velocity allowing for an overall ranking boost, but the ad itself lets you bypass ranking all together to get in front of a very specific audience.

One thing to note is that although these are the current ranking factors algorithms are in a constant state of flux and always adjusting to improve the user experience. One of our in-house experts, Content Optimization, Manager Debra Bettinger, had this to say about Amazon’s constant work to evolve its algorithm to better suit the customer:

“Amazon's algorithm has evolved to improve customer shopping experiences and search result relevance. Enhancements in natural language processing have sharpened relevance matching. The algorithm now offers more personalized search outcomes by analyzing users' past behaviors, preferences, and search history, ensuring a tailored shopping experience. Moreover, advancements in machine learning and AI, along with mobile optimization, have made the algorithm more adaptable and efficient, significantly enhancing both the user interface and seller opportunities on Amazon. By focusing on these areas, Amazon has continuously refined the algorithm, making it more efficient, user-friendly, and effective at connecting customers with the products they're looking for.”

Looking Towards the Future: Algorithm Updates

New algorithm updates are continuing to happen as Amazon wants to ensure that they stay ahead of the game. The only way to do that? Figure out innovative technologies to help cater to buyers and improve customer service.

A9 Algorithm Soft Update

Amazon has done just that by implementing a soft update of the Amazon A9 algorithm. Here’s what’s different:

• Organic sales: Sales generated on Amazon from the organic results is one of the strongest factors now influencing the algorithm. This occurs when a user searches for a product and purchases your product from the search page results. This is where understanding keywords and utilizing content comes into play.
• Seller authority: Seller authority deals with seller metrics like listings, making it essential to understand how to win the Buy Box on Amazon consistently. Factors such as seller’s feedback rating, Amazon tenure, product returns, and others influence seller authority resulting in either a positive or negative ranking.  
• Impressions: Impressions deal with how often your product is seen on the results page, including Amazon affiliate sites. This makes things like keywords and having a large variety catalog more important. The more people see of your product (where it’s relevant of course), the more impact it has on your ranking.  
• Click-through-rate: The click-through rate is the ratio of customers visiting your product listing compared to the total number of impressions generated. Using compelling images and optimized titles are important aspects to focus on to increase your CTR (click-through rate).

A10 Algorithm Update

Amazon’s latest algorithm update, A10, shifts away from A9’s heavy emphasis on sales velocity and PPC ads, instead prioritizing customer engagement, seller authority, and external traffic. The focus is no longer just on big brands with large advertising budgets—it’s on delivering value and relevance. As Amazon continues evolving, sellers who prioritize authenticity, customer experience, and multi-channel engagement will have the best chance of success.

• Organic Engagement: A10 rewards products with strong organic sales, high click-through rates, and meaningful user engagement, including time on page and high-quality reviews.
• External Traffic: Traffic from outside Amazon: driven by a strong ecommerce growth strategy across social media, blogs, and Google, is now a key ranking factor, signaling strong product demand and credibility.
• Seller Authority: Reputation matters more than ever, with seller feedback scores, low order defect rates (ODR), and responsive customer service influencing rankings.
• High-Quality Content: A10 favors well-optimized listings with compelling titles, detailed descriptions, and rich media like A+ Content, videos, and FAQs.

These new adjustments to their ranking factors aren’t all Amazon is doing to take customer experience to the next level. They’re a company built from innovation, and they continue to seek out ways to both connect and enhance.

“Amazon is continuously refining its algorithm, focusing on enhanced personalization, voice search optimization, and mobile experience improvements. By leveraging AI, Amazon aims to deliver more tailored shopping experiences, showing customers the most relevant products.  

With the rise of smart speakers and voice assistants, Amazon is likely to optimize for natural language searches, making it easier for shoppers to find products through voice commands. Additionally, as mobile shopping grows, the algorithm will adapt to users' browsing habits, ensuring a seamless experience across devices.” - Debra Bettinger, Content Optimization Manager

Optimizing Product Listings

Understanding optimization and doing optimization don’t always go hand in hand. It can be difficult to know where to find buyer trends and to know what content your buyers need while packaging it in a way Amazon can use.

“To effectively optimize for Amazon, begin by researching and incorporating relevant keywords in your listing copy and titles, enhancing discoverability. Don't overlook the power of backend search terms; although invisible to customers, they are crucial for boosting your product's visibility.

Ensure your listings feature informative and compelling product titles, high - quality images, and detailed, persuasive descriptions as part of a broader ecommerce strategy and bullet points to attract and inform potential buyers.  

Additionally, leverage optimizable and visually engaging content options like A+, Premium A+, Brand Stories, and Amazon Stores to strengthen your branded ecommerce presence to significantly improve conversion rates by offering a more immersive shopping experience.” - Debra Bettinger, Content Optimization Manager

The reality is technology is ever-expanding. Machines are doing more to connect with and understand the humans around them. As brands, you need to do the work to allow these machines to represent you and get in front of potential buyers. As an ecommerce omni-channel accelerator it’s our job to do the hard stuff – create optimized listings that machines can translate, and buyers can resonate with.

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