Amazon Backend Keywords: Best Practices

Overhead shot of a businessman’s hands typing on a laptop with a search bar spelling out “best practice”

Last updated on July 5th, 2023

Written by Ken Zhou

Without implementing Amazon backend keywords, your customers will have difficulty finding your product pages. That's why optimizing for Amazon SEO is critical. It directs traffic to your product pages and provides shoppers a seamless experience.

Most sellers are familiar with picking search terms or keywords for their listing copies. While this optimization is crucial and caters to both the potential buyer and Amazon’s algorithm needs, there’s a hidden advantage that a few sellers ever bother doing: putting backend keywords to their product listings. 

Backend keywords are tactical maneuvers in the fierce competition of the largest marketplace. It helps Amazon’s A10 algorithm refine its product evaluation, making it more visible to the right shoppers. It’s time for you to start using it, too. Read this article to know how they work and the tried-and-tested methods you can easily execute to give you a leg up on your SEO game plan.

How Do Backend Keywords Work?

Backend keywords, which you can only use from the backend part of your seller account, are intended to be hidden. Therefore, anyone going through Amazon won't spot them, no matter what or how they search.

Backend keywords primarily help Amazon's algorithm learn more about your listing and determine its rank. They work similarly to HTML tags on websites. The significant difference is backend keywords are exclusive to Amazon.

Most importantly, their impact on boosting a listing's organic ranking is equally important as a listing with a well-structured title and description.

The Dos and Don’ts of Using Amazon Backend Keywords

To maximize the effectiveness of your Amazon backend keywords, here are five essential dos and four don’ts to consider.

An infographic sharing five dos and four don’ts of using Amazon backend keywords

How to Find the Most Relevant Keywords for Your Product’s Backend

Are you a seasoned seller looking to refine your backend keyword strategy or a newcomer trying to navigate the intricacies of Amazon's search algorithm? You can use these methods to unlock the power of backend keywords and enhance your product's visibility on the world's largest online marketplace.

Let's dive in and discover the methods that will help you build your backend keyword list and propel your Amazon product to new heights.

Search Term Report

A search term report is one effective method for finding relevant keywords. It provides insights into actual keywords users entered on Amazon's search bar. These terms triggered your ads or organic marketing efforts in the search results. Analyzing this report will enable you to identify which keywords drive traffic to your website or product listings.

Amazon Seller Central has a paid ads platform wherein you can generate a search term report. If you're looking for backend keywords off the marketplace, Google Ads or Facebook Ads have the same feature.

These platforms provide detailed reports that reveal the specific search terms users entered to discover your content. By identifying the best keywords to use off your product page, you can optimize your content and target them more effectively.

Keyword Research Tools

Amazon offers various keyword research tools designed explicitly for sellers and advertisers. These tools provide valuable insights into the search behavior and popularity of specific keywords on the platform.

Popular tools include Jungle Scout, Helium 10, and MerchantWords. These keyword tools allow you to research extensively, identify trending keywords, and analyze each keyword's search volume and competition.

Utilizing these tools can uncover hidden keyword opportunities, pick the best backend search terms for your listings, and optimize your product off the front page for maximum visibility and indexing.

Amazon Search Engine

Understanding Amazon's search engine algorithm is crucial for finding relevant keywords. The A10 considers various factors when determining the relevance and ranking of product listings in search results. Factors such as organic sales, the velocity of sales, and product reviews are added on top of having relevant keywords inserted in your product listing copies.

To optimize your product listings, it is essential to incorporate relevant keywords in strategic locations, such as titles, descriptions, and bullet points. Using keywords that accurately describe your product and align with the search terms used by potential customers increases the visibility and chances of conversion.

Identifying Backend Keywords

Using keywords from your customers' perspective is easy. Once the search terms they use match those in your listings, they're automatically directed to your page—that's the purpose of basic search engine optimization.

At times, the name of your product already contains the keywords you need. Therefore, it's understandable why you'll no longer include these in your keyword list. This is where backend keywords come into play.

Amazon backend keywords account for the search words you didn't use in your product listing copy. They increase your listings' chance of getting indexed when the shopper triggers the primary keyword on the search bar—your products become more likely to appear on search results. However, upon visiting your page, they won't see them.

Not only are backend keywords helpful in boosting your product listing's visibility, but they also make it more reader-friendly. You no longer have to force incomprehensible keywords in your product listing copies. 

Step-By-Step Guide to Adding Backend Keywords on Amazon Seller Central

Here's a simple guide to help you add backend keywords to your Amazon Seller Central account.

  1. Go to Amazon Seller Central and log in using your credentials. 
  2. Once on your dashboard, go to Inventory > Manage Inventory. Here, you will see all your product listings.
A screenshot of the Amazon Seller Central menu, showing the Inventory and Manage Inventory dropdown options, in red box
  1. Find the product whose backend keywords you want to optimize. Click the corresponding Edit button, and you will be directed to the product detail page.
A screenshot of the Manage Inventory page inside Amazon Seller Central. The corresponding Edit button for the product to be updated is inside a red box.
  1. Go to the Product Details tab on the page’s submenu. Input the backend keywords in the Generic Keyword field.
A screenshot of the Manage Inventory page inside Amazon Seller Central. The corresponding Edit button for the product to be updated is inside a red box.

Amazon has a 250-character limit for backend keywords, so make them count. Enter relevant and specific terms that are related to your product. Consider using synonyms, variations, and related keywords that customers might use when searching for your product. 

  1. After adding the backend keywords, click Save and Finish to save the changes. Amazon will update your product listing with the newly added backend keywords.

Increasing Your Listing’s Organic Ranking With Backend Keywords

Overall, backend keywords make it easier for customers to spot your product pages. Like how HTML or Meta Tags work, they let Amazon's algorithm identify and validate that your listing is pursuing a specific keyword.

They deter keyword stuffing by making your listings more presentable and easier to read. Before using backend keywords was implemented, sellers were prone to using as many keywords as possible in the title and description. This resulted in an awkward copy that broke the flow of the sentence and made it hard to understand.

Because keywords don't always abide by grammatical rules, some are bound to sound awkward. At times, these types of keywords turn out to have a high search volume. To benefit from them without directly impacting your descriptions' overall flow and readability, use them as backend keywords instead.

As a guide, consider these backend keywords' best practices that you can apply on Amazon:

Stick to Keywords Relevant to Your Products Only

Forcing irrelevant keywords in your copy won't increase your pages' ranking. On the contrary, it will reduce conversion rates for the marketplace and grow your business. At best, use terms directly connected to your perfect product and its benefits.

Word Keywords Logically

When considering logical arrangements, think of how people arrange their words when they search. Take the use of colors as an example. It rarely happens that people put the color after another word, as in cargo blue pants. Usually, they enter the color first, so they often type in blue cargo pants.

Steer Clear of Brand Names

Backend keywords with brand names are a big no-no on Amazon. Always focus on those without any brand titles included. These will generate a higher search volume, making it easier for your customers to land on your pages.

Maximize the Potential of Your Backend Keywords With Seller Interactive

The backend is the most underutilized section of product listings, and the seller who knows how to use them has a significant advantage over those who don’t. With the help of Amazon experts, you can push your listing’s potential to its full potential with the best backend keywords strategies.

Find out how you can further use backend keywords to boost your product pages on Amazon. Book a call with us today!

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