By switching to this tab, you’re showing Google your intent is commercial: you’re looking to buy something! Searchers on Google may have many different intents, but on Amazon, searchers are only there to shop. They may be at different stages within the sales funnel, but Amazon’s algorithm knows whatever they search for, the answer will be products.
Because of this, searchers do not ask Amazon questions. Instead, they will search for:
- Name of a product Ex: Loaf pan
- Brand name Ex: Acme pans
- What they think the product is called Ex: bread tin
- What competitors call their products Ex: Meatloaf-O-Matic
This is why you must use keyword research tools that harvest search results from Amazon as opposed to researching what is queried in a search engine. SEO for Google educates; SEO for Amazon converts.
Free Tools vs Paid Tools
Search volume and keyword popularity shift every day, which means Listings must be reoptimized every quarter at minimum. Regularly introducing new products is another reason to have a robust keyword tool at your fingertips.
Which tool you choose is up to your preferences, your budget, and your expertise level. Here are a few examples of Amazon keyword research tools available:
Many of these tools offer a free version to help you decide what you’re most comfortable using. Whichever tool you choose, the research strategy will be similar. You’ll also need to combine paid tools with free resources that are already at your fingertips:
- Google Ads Keyword Planner
- The SERP
- Competitor’s listings
- Customer reviews
I will explain how to utilize each of these free tools within your keyword research process.
How to Execute Amazon Keyword Research
You’ve built your keyword toolbox, but how do you utilize those tools to execute efficient and meaningful research to set your listing apart? Let’s walk through the process, using dog beds as an example.
Step 1 – Initial Brainstorm
Brainstorm terms you associate with your product. Start simple. Most keyword tools will have a list feature to collect words for later. In our case, your original list might start with:
- Dog bed
- Dog cushion
- Large breed dog bed
- Medium breed dog bed
- Small breed dog bed
- Pet beds
Input each of these into your keyword tool and see how successful these terms are likely to be. Assess them based on:
- Search volume – How many eyes the term has the potential to reach. Remember that lower volumed keywords still have value if they bring in more specifically qualified traffic.
- Difficulty to rank – Very popular terms become highly competitive. Focusing on terms with a high difficulty to rank can be just as fruitless as keywords with little to no search volume. That’s not to say you can’t include them, but don’t rely on their presumed traffic.
- Trending – Many tools show if keyword popularity is waxing or waning. This can indicate seasonality or a shift in terminology.
Searching your seed keywords will also give you a list of related words you might not have thought of. Evaluate search volume, difficulty to rank, trending and other provided metrics and add them to your list. Add as many potentially useful keywords to your list as you find. We will weed through them later.