Why Most Amazon Sellers Fail at SEO (And How to Fix It)

Dec 18

If you’re an Amazon seller struggling to grow your business, chances are your SEO strategy isn’t working as well as it could. The truth is, mastering Amazon SEO requires more than just stuffing keywords into your product title. It’s about understanding Amazon’s A9 algorithm and leveraging every opportunity to optimize your listings.

In this blog, we’ll uncover the most common Amazon SEO mistakes and actionable steps to fix them. Plus, we’ve created a free Advanced Amazon SEO Checklist to guide you every step of the way.

1. Mistake: Overlooking Backend Keywords

What’s Happening:
Many sellers focus solely on the visible parts of their listing, like titles and bullet points, and completely ignore the backend search terms.

How to Fix It:

Use all 250 bytes of the backend keyword field.
Avoid repeating keywords already in your title or bullet points.
Include relevant synonyms, misspellings, and long-tail keywords.

2. Mistake: Ignoring Product Images in SEO

What’s Happening:
While images don’t directly affect keywords, they play a massive role in conversions—and conversions influence rankings.

How to Fix It:

Use high-resolution images that meet Amazon’s guidelines.
Include alt text (used by external traffic tools) for optimized discoverability.
Add infographics to highlight features and benefits.

3. Mistake: Failing to Optimize Product Titles

What’s Happening:
A poorly written product title can tank your rankings. Many sellers either overstuff their titles or fail to include key terms.

How to Fix It:

Start with the most important keyword at the beginning of your title.
Use a clear, benefit-driven format: [Brand Name] + [Product] + [Key Features] + [Use Case].
Stay within Amazon’s title character limits to avoid truncation.

4. Mistake: Not Updating Keywords Regularly

What’s Happening:
SEO isn’t a one-and-done task. Market trends and search behaviors change, but many sellers don’t revisit their listings to reflect this.

How to Fix It:

Use tools like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout to monitor keyword performance.
Regularly review Amazon Brand Analytics for new high-performing terms.
Update listings every 2–3 months based on search term data.

5. Mistake: Poorly Written Bullet Points

What’s Happening:
Many sellers waste this valuable space with generic, unstructured text that doesn’t highlight the product’s benefits.

How to Fix It:

Write 5 bullet points with one benefit per bullet.
Incorporate primary and secondary keywords naturally.
Use bolded feature highlights followed by clear explanations (e.g., “High Capacity Battery: Powers up to 10 hours on a single charge”).

Bonus Tip: Get Your Free Advanced Amazon SEO Checklist

Want to ensure your listings are fully optimized? Get our free Advanced Amazon SEO Checklist today and take the guesswork out of your strategy. Contact us to get yours free!

Conclusion

Amazon SEO is one of the most powerful tools for driving organic traffic and increasing sales, but it’s also one of the most misunderstood. By addressing these common mistakes and implementing the right strategies, you can dramatically improve your rankings and conversions.