How to Improve Your Amazon Ranking in 2025

To improve your product's ranking on Amazon, you need to understand the A10 algorithm. Today, ranking well is about proving your product delivers a great customer experience that, most importantly, leads to sales.

The algorithm rewards listings that excel in three core areas: sales history for relevant keywords, conversion rates, and your operational reliability.

What Actually Drives Amazon Rankings Today

Amazon’s main goal is to sell products, so its A10 algorithm is built to find and promote the listings most likely to turn a search into a sale. It's that simple.

Think about it from Amazon's perspective: if a customer searches for "black yoga mat" and buys your product, the algorithm takes note. It sees your listing as a solid solution for that specific search. The more times that happens, the higher you'll rank for that keyword. We call this sales velocity for a keyword, and it's a huge piece of the puzzle.

But it’s not just about the raw number of sales. Amazon looks at your Unit Session Percentage, your conversion rate. A high conversion rate is a massive signal to the algorithm that your listing is persuasive and effective.

This is why a product with 100 sales from 500 visits will almost always outrank one with 100 sales from 2,000 visits. The first one is a much more efficient selling machine.

To get a handle on what drives rankings, you need to understand the most critical factors.

The Core Pillars of Organic Ranking

Here's a breakdown of what the A10 algorithm cares about and what you can do to align with its priorities.

Focusing on these performance-based metrics is the only sustainable way to climb the ranks. You're building a listing that genuinely attracts, convinces, and satisfies customers.

Staying Current

The shift from the old A9 algorithm to the current A10 model was significant. A9 was heavily keyword-focused, but A10 brought in a wider set of metrics, including profitability, off-site traffic, and overall customer satisfaction. To keep up, roughly 34% of Amazon sellers started using AI tools in early 2024 to fine-tune their listings, which shows how critical it is to adapt.

Thinking strategically about the bigger picture is key. For example, understanding how to use major sales events is vital. You can find strategic tips for Amazon Prime Day to see how you can maximize your visibility when it matters most.

Optimizing Listings for CTR and Conversion Rate

Every element of listing, from the title a shopper first sees to the images they scroll through, directly impacts their decision to click and buy.

Optimized listing increases your conversion rate, which is one of the most powerful signals you can send to Amazon’s A10 algorithm. Amazon wants to put products in front of customers that they’ll actually purchase. When your listing converts visitors into buyers at a high rate, you're proving to Amazon that your product is a perfect match for those shoppers. This boosts your sales velocity and is a foundation of how to rank organically on Amazon.

Let's break down how to make each piece of your listing work for you.

1. Title the First Handshake

The product title is the most important piece of text on your listing. It has to do two jobs: grab a human shopper’s attention with clear, useful information and signal your main keywords to the A10 algorithm. Get this wrong, and you'll struggle to get clicks.

A classic mistake is jamming the title with a nonsensical string of keywords. While that might have worked in the past, the algorithm is smarter now, and shoppers will scroll right past a title that looks like spam. The real goal is to write a title that’s both keyword-rich and easy to read.

Here’s a simple formula that works for most products:

• Main Keyword: Start with your most important, high-volume search term.

• Key Feature/Benefit: What's the biggest selling point? (e.g., "Fast-Absorbing," "100% Organic Cotton")

• Secondary Keyword/Use Case: Weave in another relevant term or how the product is used.

• Key Details: Add critical info like size, quantity, or color.

• Brand Name: End with your brand to build recognition.

For example, a title like "Pillow Cases Blue Set of 2" is weak. A much better, optimized version would be: "Breathable Microfiber Pillowcases, Set of 2 (Queen, Navy Blue) – Wrinkle and Fade Resistant Bedding – by SleepWell"

The first 80 characters of tiltle are gold. That's what most shoppers see on mobile. Make sure your primary keyword and most compelling benefit are right at the front.

2. Bullet Points That Sell the Solution

Once a shopper clicks, your bullet points are your chance to sell them on the benefits. Many sellers just list features. A feature is what your product is (e.g., "Made with stainless steel"), while a benefit is what your product does for the customer (e.g., "Stays rust-free for years, so you don't have to buy a new one").

Your bullet points should anticipate a customer's questions and address potential objections. Use each of your five bullet points to highlight a distinct advantage.

• Solve a Problem: Start by addressing a common pain point.

• Highlight a Key Benefit: Connect a feature to a real-world outcome.

• Build Trust: Mention quality materials, warranties, or certifications.

• Explain the Use Case: Describe who the product is perfect for and why.

• State Your Differentiator: What makes your product a better choice than the competition?

This approach turns a boring list of specs into a persuasive sales pitch. It’s also the perfect place to naturally work in secondary keywords. For more details, our guide on full Amazon listing optimization is a great next step.

3. Backend Keywords

Backend search terms are your secret weapon. They are keywords you add to your listing that are invisible to shoppers but are indexed by Amazon's search algorithm. This is prime real estate for including keywords you couldn’t fit into your title or bullets.

Think about synonyms, common misspellings, and related terms your customers might use. For a yoga mat, you might add terms like "exercise pad," "workout mat," or "pilates floor mat."

What to keep out of your backend keywords:

• Repetition: Don’t waste space repeating keywords already in your title or bullets.

• Competitor Brands: Using competitor names is against Amazon's policy and can get your listing suppressed.

• Punctuation: Just use single spaces to separate keywords. No commas or semicolons.

Using this space effectively is a simple way to improve your Amazon ranking for a wider range of searches without cluttering your listing copy.

4. Images, Video, and A+ Content Tell the Story

Visuals are a massive conversion driver. High-quality images and video can communicate your product's value far more effectively than text. Your main image must be on a pure white background, but your secondary images are where you can get creative.

Use your image slots to tell a visual story:

• Infographics: Call out key features and dimensions.

• Lifestyle Shots: Show your product being used in a real-life setting.

• Comparison Charts: Visually demonstrate why your product is superior to competitors.

• Before-and-After: Show the results your product delivers.

Adding a product video can significantly increase your conversion rate, as it lets you show your product in action. For brand-registered sellers, A+ Content is essential. It replaces the plain-text description with a visually rich layout of images and formatted text, letting you tell your brand story and reinforce product benefits.

Amazon PPC to Drive Sales Velocity

Many sellers treat Amazon Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and organic ranking as separate things. In reality, they're deeply connected. A smart PPC strategy is one of the fastest ways to start sales for the keywords you care about most.

Every sale from a paid ad tells Amazon's algorithm that your product is a great choice for that specific search term. Think of it as giving the algorithm a nudge. You’re paying to get in front of shoppers who are ready to buy, and each conversion acts as a vote of confidence, helping you climb the organic ranks.

1. Building Ranking Campaigns

A PPC campaign built for ranking looks very different from one designed for pure profitability. When you’re chasing rank, your main goal isn't a super-low Advertising Cost of Sale (ACoS). It's about driving consistent sales on high-intent keywords to build your sales history.

This means you need to be precise. Focus your budget on exact match campaigns that target the top 5-10 keywords you need to own. Why exact match? It sends the clearest possible signal to Amazon. When a shopper searches for "waterproof hiking socks" and buys your product from an ad targeting that exact term, you're directly proving your product's relevance.

Here's a simple playbook to get started:

• Identify Core Keywords: Pick a handful of high-volume, high-relevance keywords. These are the terms a customer would type in if they were ready to buy.

• Isolate Them: Create a dedicated "ranking campaign" specifically for these keywords. Don't mix them into your broader, research-focused automatic campaigns.

• Bid Aggressively: You have to be seen. This often means bidding for top-of-search placement, even if it feels expensive at first. The goal here is sales velocity, not immediate ad profit.

This approach requires a shift in mindset. You may need to break even or take a small loss on your ad spend in the short term. The prize you're fighting for is a page-one organic spot, which pays off for years.

2. ACoS vs. TACOS: What Really Matters

Focusing only on ACoS is a common mistake. ACoS just shows how efficient your ads are. It doesn't tell you how your advertising is impacting your total business. The metric that gives you the complete picture is Total Advertising Cost of Sale (TACOS).

TACOS is your total ad spend divided by your total revenue (from both ads and organic sales). A healthy, decreasing TACOS over time is the ultimate sign that your ad spend is successfully lifting your organic sales. As your organic rank improves, you'll naturally rely less on ads to make sales for those keywords, and your TACOS will drop.

For a new product launch, a TACOS of 20-30% might be acceptable as you invest to gain traction. For a mature product, you'd want to see that number closer to 5-10%, which indicates a strong organic foundation.

3. Common PPC Mistakes

Running PPC without a clear ranking strategy is like throwing money away. I see sellers make the same preventable mistakes over and over.

Avoid these common pitfalls:

• Spreading Your Budget Too Thin: Don't run dozens of campaigns with tiny daily budgets. You’re better off funding a few highly-targeted ranking campaigns than underfunding many of them.

• Ignoring Negative Keywords: This is essential. If you're selling premium leather wallets, you don't want to pay for clicks from people searching for "cheap fabric wallets." Use negative keywords to stop wasting money on irrelevant traffic that won't convert.

• Setting It and Forgetting It: PPC isn't a "set it and forget it" tool. You need to be in your ad console at least weekly, adjusting bids, pausing keywords that are wasting money, and moving successful search terms from auto to manual campaigns.

Managing these moving parts can feel like a full-time job. For sellers looking to scale, professional Amazon ads management can provide the expertise needed to turn ad spend into long-term organic growth.

Ultimately, a sharp PPC strategy for ranking is an investment. You're using paid placements to build the sales history and keyword relevance that Amazon's algorithm wants to see.

How Operations Directly Affect Your Ranking

You can have a perfect listing and a great PPC strategy, but if your operations are a mess, your rank will suffer. Amazon’s A10 algorithm isn’t just looking at keywords; it's designed to reward sellers who deliver a fast, reliable experience for customers.

That means your operational health, how you handle inventory, fulfillment, and pricing, is a direct ranking signal.

1. The FBA Advantage

The choice between Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) is one of the biggest you'll make, and it has major implications for your ranking potential. While FBM gives you more control, FBA offers a clear edge.

Using FBA automatically makes your products Prime eligible. That blue badge is a huge trust signal for shoppers and gives you access to Amazon’s most loyal customers. The numbers don't lie: in 2025, a projected 82% of Amazon sellers will rely on FBA. It's tied to higher Buy Box win rates and access to Prime members, who convert at a rate of 74%.

Simply put, FBA plugs your business into the fast, dependable shipping machine that Amazon has built its reputation on. This makes your products more attractive to both shoppers and the ranking algorithm.

2. Why Stockouts Kill Your Rank

Going out of stock is one of the fastest ways to destroy your product's rank. The moment your inventory hits zero, your listing goes dark. All sales stop. Your sales velocity, a key part of Amazon's ranking logic, flatlines.

Think of your ranking momentum like a train at full speed. A stockout is like hitting the emergency brake. All the ground you gained vanishes. When you finally get back in stock, you aren't picking up where you left off; you're trying to get a stationary train moving again.

While you're offline, the algorithm moves on, boosting a competitor who is in stock. You lose your spot.

Seller Scenario: You've fought your way to the #3 spot for "organic dog treats" and you run out of stock for two weeks. By the time you're back online, you could be buried on page two or three. Your competitors have been getting sales for that keyword the entire time, signaling to Amazon that they are now the more reliable option.

Proper inventory management isn't just about preventing lost sales; it's about protecting your organic rank. For tips, check out our guide on inventory management best practices.

3. Strategic Pricing and Promotions

Your price isn't just a number; it's a powerful tool for driving sales velocity. While profitability is always the goal, smart price adjustments and promotions can give you a temporary sales jolt that has a lasting impact on your organic rank.

Running a limited-time deal or a coupon isn't just about tempting a shopper. That quick spike in sales sends a positive signal to the A10 algorithm that your product is in demand.

Here are a few ways to put pricing to work for you:

• Launch Promotions: When you're starting out, pricing a new product slightly below competitors can help you get those crucial first sales and reviews.

• Coupons: A simple 5% or 10% off coupon does more than save a customer money. It adds a bright orange badge to your listing in the search results, which can improve your click-through rate (CTR).

• Prime Exclusive Deals: These are great during high-traffic events like Prime Day. You can get a huge rank boost when millions of shoppers are in a buying frenzy.

These aren't meant to be your permanent strategy, but they are effective tools for injecting momentum when you need it most.

Building Social Proof to Secure Your Rank

High rankings are earned, but social proof helps you keep them. Things like reviews, ratings, and even the questions on your product page are all direct signals to Amazon about customer satisfaction.

From the A10 algorithm's perspective, a product with a 4.6-star rating and 500 reviews is a much safer bet than a competitor with a 3.8-star rating and only 50 reviews.

Building this trust is essential for long-term success. It tells both new shoppers and the algorithm that your product delivers on its promises.

1. How to Generate Reviews Correctly

Getting reviews is a delicate process. You need them to build momentum, but using non-compliant tactics can get your account in trouble. The days of incentivized reviews are over. Today, it’s about encouraging feedback from genuine buyers without breaking Amazon's rules.

One of the simplest and safest ways is with Amazon’s “Request a Review” button. This sends a standardized, policy-compliant email to the buyer asking for both a product review and seller feedback. While you could do this manually, third-party automation tools can send these requests for you at the right time after delivery.

Key Takeaway: Consistency is more important than volume. A steady trickle of authentic reviews week after week sends a healthier signal to Amazon than a sudden, unnatural spike. The algorithm values sustained customer satisfaction.

For more effective strategies, check out our complete guide on how to get reviews on Amazon.

2. Manage Your Q&A Section

The "Customer questions & answers" section is an underutilized asset on a product listing. Shoppers go there to clear up final doubts before they buy. An unanswered question isn't just a potential lost sale; it's a sign that the listing isn't being managed.

Make it a daily habit to check for new questions. Answering them quickly and thoroughly helps that one person and creates a public FAQ for every future visitor.

Here’s how to make your Q&A a conversion tool:

• Be Fast and Accurate: Aim to answer every question within 24 hours.

• Include Keywords: Naturally weave relevant keywords into your answers for a small SEO benefit.

• Upvote Helpful Answers: If another customer leaves a great answer, upvote it to push it to the top.

Staying on top of this section addresses customer concerns, which can reduce returns and prevent misunderstandings that lead to negative reviews. It's also smart to understand how user-generated content can improve rankings to gain a competitive edge.

3. Build Consistent Sales Velocity

To improve your Amazon rank, you have to stand out in a marketplace dominated by third-party sellers. By 2025, independent sellers are expected to make up about 62% of Amazon's total sales.

A great way to build the consistent sales velocity that the ranking algorithm likes is by using programs like Subscribe & Save. While it might only convert at around 1.8%, this service creates a predictable, recurring sales history, which is a powerful signal for maintaining your rank over the long term.

Your Top Amazon Ranking Questions, Answered

Even with a solid plan, it’s natural to have questions when you’re trying to climb the ranks on Amazon. Let's tackle some of the most common questions sellers ask.

1. How long does it take to see ranking improvements?

The honest answer is: it depends. The speed of your rank changes is tied to the actions you take, your spending, and how fierce the competition is for your keywords.

• PPC-driven sales are the fastest lever. You can see an impact on your rank within 3-7 days. When you run an aggressive, exact-match campaign and drive consistent sales for a target keyword, the A10 algorithm gets the message quickly.

• Listing optimizations, like rewriting your title or bullet points, are slower. You're looking at 1-3 weeks to see a noticeable effect. These changes improve your conversion rate over time, which is a powerful but slower signal.

• Building up reviews is a long-term play. A few quick, positive reviews might give you a small bump, but the real ranking power comes from consistently maintaining a high star rating over many months.

It’s not an overnight thing. You have to be patient and consistent.

Expert Insight: Don't get worried if you don't see a huge jump in 48 hours. The algorithm is looking for trends, not just blips. A sudden spike in sales is nice, but sustained sales velocity over a two-week period is a much stronger signal.

2. Should I target one big keyword or many smaller ones?

This is a classic dilemma. Do you pour every dollar into ranking for a massive keyword with 50,000 monthly searches, or spread your efforts across 5 long-tail keywords with 5,000 searches each?

For most sellers, especially those launching something new, the answer is to start with the smaller, long-tail keywords first.

Trying to rank for a super-competitive term like "yoga mat" right away is a recipe for frustration and wasted ad spend. You'd be going head-to-head with established brands who have thousands of reviews and huge budgets.

Instead, go after more specific, high-intent phrases like "non-slip travel yoga mat for women." It's much easier to win these smaller battles. Each sale you make on these terms builds your sales history and proves your product's relevance to Amazon. As you start to dominate these long-tail keywords, you’ll find it’s easier to start creeping up the ranks for bigger, more competitive terms.

3. How much does external traffic actually help?

Driving traffic from outside of Amazon, say, from a TikTok video, your email list, or a Google Ad, can give you a boost, but there's one huge catch: that traffic has to convert.

Amazon loves when you bring new shoppers to their site. They even reward you for it with the Brand Referral Bonus program, which gives back about 10% of the sale price.

But here’s the trap: just sending a ton of unqualified clicks to your listing will wreck your metrics. If you drive 1,000 people from a vague Facebook ad and only one person buys, you’ve just told Amazon that your product has a terrible conversion rate. That's a red flag for the algorithm.

The secret is to send high-intent traffic. A link from a trusted product review blog or an influencer who genuinely uses your product will send shoppers who are already convinced and ready to buy. That kind of targeted, converting external traffic is a powerful way to fuel your on-Amazon ranking strategy.