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Your Guide to the A9 Algorithm

If you run your business primarily through e-commerce platform Amazon.com, this article is for you. In the marketing world, SEO is, like, kind of a big deal. But the primary focus of SEO is getting ranked on search engines like Google. The A9 Ranking Algorithm is the Amazon version of this process. Stay tuned and we’ll give you the rundown of everything you need to know about this algorithm and how to use it to rank on the first page of Amazon’s search function.

Wait… what the heck is A9?

Put simply, the A9 Algorithm for Amazon’s purpose is to sort through the millions of items that are listed on the site to pick out the ones that the algorithm decides best align with the customer’s search query (and by default, will then sell the best). Despite how revolutionary and dare we say “cool” Amazon’s A9 algorithm is, it doesn’t get a ton of credit. This is mostly due to Amazon itself kind of underplaying the sheer power of A9. No wonder no one has heard of it! Despite this however, A9 can’t really hold a candle to Google’s insane prowess over search engine result generation. 

So… how does it work?

The moment you list a product on the Amazon site, A9 will begin crawling the listing and analyze the content to figure out what exactly you’re selling. And the one-page content is only the beginning. Like other search engine algorithms, A9 uses multiple signals and data points to come up with a score that helps Amazon list products and web pages based on relevancy. This follows, then, that the higher your item’s score, the higher in the page rankings it will be displayed. 

How to Use It

Make no mistake — A9 is a whole different beast than your run-of-the-mill SEO algorithm. A9 is a lot less complex than Google. Google needs to have an extremely sophisticated algorithm, because it essentially has to do automated detective work to figure out how to properly address queries. On the other hand, A9 only really has to match product names with one or two word search queries. There are no questions that need to be answered, thoughts that need to be pondered, just a word or a few words followed by results that match those words. Here’s how to get started:

Develop a Strategy

Before diving into your plan, you’ll want to have a set strategy with goals outlined. In order to do this, you’ll have to do some research. Here are some of the things you should look into:

Demand. Do some research into the demand for the kind of product you want to sell. You’ll perform best with a product that is in high demand but low stock on Amazon. If the demand is high but the market is oversaturated with those kinds of products, then you’ll have a tougher time using the algorithm to stand out. 

Competition. Take some time to really scope out your competition in the market. Take some notes on things that you feel they did right, and then those that could perhaps use some improvement. 

Keywords. It’s imperative that you become familiar with what exact terms people are using when they search for products that are the same or related to yours. You’ll want to be specific when it’s a keyword that can apply to a large range of items. For example, if you’re selling footballs, simply using the keyword ‘ball’ isn’t going to help you, because that search term could come up with results like volleyballs, baseballs, tennis balls, etc.

One-Page Optimization.

This is the second step in the process of optimization for the A9 algorithm. This is where you will put the plan you developed in the first step into action. 

These are the main components you’ll need to flesh out:

 

  • Product listing title. Keep it simple but be clear about the product you’re selling. Also, it pays off to include your brand name. 
  • Bullet points in description. This form of description is concise and easy to read, and breaks things up in an easily digestible way so customers know exactly what they’re getting. 
  • Category. Ensure that your product is listed in the most accurate and relevant category. 
  • Benefit Driven Imagery. You want to make sure that the images you choose to represent your product are clear and display the most interesting/unique/exciting features. 

In conclusion…

We hope you enjoyed this guide to the basics of the A9 algorithm for Amazon. Of course, this is just a basic guide. If you want a more in-depth look, there are tons of articles and help guides on Amazon’s website. Good luck!