How Does the Amazon Search Engine Work? – A9, A10, and COSMO Explained
Amazon is the world’s largest product search engine. Its ranking algorithm – A9, then A10, now enhanced by COSMO AI decides which products buyers see first. This guide explains exactly how it works, and what you can do about it.
⏱ 12 min read·📅 Updated Guide·Amazon Algorithm · Amazon SEO · A9 · A10 · COSMO
Quick Answer
Is Amazon a search engine? What is Amazon’s search engine called?
Yes, Amazon is a product search engine. It is the largest product-focused search engine in the world. Amazon’s search engine is called the A9 algorithm, named after A9.com, the Amazon subsidiary that built it. The system has since evolved into the A10 algorithm, and is now enhanced by an AI layer called COSMO (Common Sense Knowledge for eCommerce). All three systems currently run together to determine which products appear in Amazon search results.
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61%
Of US shoppers start product searches on Amazon – not Google
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A9 → A10 → COSMO
Three algorithms now run simultaneously in Amazon’s ranking system
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Sales First
Sales velocity is the dominant ranking signal in every algorithm version
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Amazon’s search engine name is A9 – but A10 and COSMO now power the rankings
The A9 algorithm was Amazon’s original product ranking system. The current Amazon ranking algorithm is commonly called A10, with COSMO as the newest AI layer on top. Together, they rank products by one rule: show the product most likely to result in a sale.
Key Point 1
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Sales drive rank – not keywords alone
Keywords get your product indexed into Amazon search results. Sales velocity on those keywords determines where you rank. Both are required – in that order.
Key Point 2
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A9 evolved into A10, then COSMO
The A9 algorithm was keyword and sales driven. A10 added external traffic and conversion weight. COSMO adds AI-powered buyer intent understanding on top.
Key Point 3
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External traffic now boosts A10 ranking
Unlike A9, the A10 algorithm rewards products that receive traffic from outside Amazon – social, email, Google. Off-platform traffic is now a direct ranking signal.
When a buyer types something into Amazon’s search bar, the Amazon search engine returns thousands of results in a specific order – in under a second. That order is determined by the Amazon ranking algorithm: originally the A9 algorithm, now evolved into A10 with a COSMO AI layer on top. Understanding how the Amazon search engine works is not optional for sellers. Over 70% of Amazon shoppers never scroll past page one. If your product is not in the top results for the searches that matter, you are invisible. This guide explains the Amazon A9 algorithm, how it became A10, what COSMO adds, and exactly which factors the Amazon product ranking algorithm weighs when deciding where your product appears.
61%Of US shoppers start on Amazon – not Google
70%Of Amazon shoppers never click past page one
35%Of all clicks go to the top 3 organic results
3 AlgosA9, A10, COSMO run simultaneously today
🛒 Is Amazon a Search Engine?
Featured Answer – “Is Amazon a search engine?”
Is Amazon a search engine?
Yes. Amazon is a product search engine – the largest in the world for physical and digital products. Over 61% of US online shoppers begin their product searches directly on Amazon, bypassing Google entirely. Unlike Google, which returns a mix of informational, navigational, and transactional results, Amazon’s search engine returns only products for sale. Every result is something you can buy, which makes Amazon a purely transactional search engine.
Amazon’s search engine name has evolved over time. The original system was the A9 search engine – built by A9.com, an Amazon subsidiary founded in Palo Alto in 2003. The A9 algorithm was Amazon’s primary ranking system for over a decade. Today the system is commonly referred to as the A10 algorithm, which represents a significant evolution from A9. The newest layer is called COSMO – Amazon’s AI-powered semantic search enhancement.
The key difference between the Amazon search engine and Google is purpose. Google’s algorithm optimises for relevance to a query. The Amazon search algorithm optimises for revenue – specifically, showing the product most likely to result in a completed purchase. This single distinction explains why Amazon SEO is fundamentally different from Google SEO, and why traditional SEO tactics often fail when applied to Amazon listings.
💡 What this means for sellers: Because the Amazon search engine is 100% purchase-intent, the rules of optimisation are different from Google. Backlinks and domain authority do not exist on Amazon. Sales velocity, conversion rate, and keyword-to-purchase alignment are everything. Understanding the full Amazon ranking system is the starting point for any effective seller strategy.
⚙️ How Amazon’s Search Engine Works – Step by Step
When a buyer types a search query into Amazon’s search bar, the Amazon search algorithm performs two tasks simultaneously in milliseconds. First, it identifies every product in Amazon’s catalogue that is relevant to that search query. Then it ranks those results in order of which product is most likely to result in a sale.
📊 How Amazon’s search ranking algorithm works in under a second
amazon.com – search results – powered by A9/A10/COSMO
The Amazon search algorithm evaluates three broad signal categories: Relevance signals (does your listing match the buyer’s search?), Performance signals (does your product convert those searches into sales?), and Behavioural signals (how do buyers interact with your listing?). Two listings with identical keyword optimisation can rank completely differently because performance signals carry more weight than keyword placement alone under both the A10 algorithm and COSMO.
This two-step process – indexing first, then ranking by performance – is the most important concept for any Amazon seller to understand. Getting indexed means you can appear in results. Getting ranked means appearing high enough in results to be seen by buyers. You need both, and they require different actions to achieve.
🔵 Amazon A9 Algorithm – The Original Ranking System
Featured Answer – “What is the Amazon A9 algorithm?”
What is the Amazon A9 algorithm and how does it work?
The Amazon A9 algorithm is the original product ranking system built by A9.com, an Amazon subsidiary. The A9 algorithm ranks products in Amazon search results primarily by keyword relevance and sales history. A product with the right keywords in the right places – especially the title – combined with strong historical sales data was ranked higher. The A9 algorithm was keyword-heavy and sales-focused, with relatively simple ranking signals compared to the A10 algorithm that followed.
The A9 search engine was Amazon’s primary ranking algorithm from the early days of the Amazon marketplace. A9.com Inc was founded in 2003 as an Amazon subsidiary specifically to develop search and advertising technology. The A9 algorithm they built became the foundation of how Amazon search works – and despite significant evolution, its core logic still runs underneath the A10 and COSMO layers today.
📋 How the A9 Amazon Ranking Algorithm Works
The A9 algorithm evaluates product listings against a search query using two primary factors: relevance (does this listing match what the buyer searched?) and performance (does this product historically sell when shown for this type of search?).
Keyword placement was the dominant relevance signal under A9. Products with the primary keyword in the title – especially the first five words – ranked higher than identical products without it. Backend search terms provided additional indexing coverage. Sales history for each keyword was the primary performance signal.
Under the pure A9 algorithm, keyword stuffing in titles was partially effective – more keywords meant more relevance signals. This is why Amazon product titles from early marketplace years often read like lists of keywords with no natural language structure.
A9 algorithm ranking factors (in order of weight)
A9
Amazon A9 Algorithm – Primary Ranking Factors
Original System · Still partially active
The A9 search algorithm ranked products based on these factors – listed roughly in order of how much weight each carried under the original system.
Title keyword relevance – primary keyword in title, especially the first 5 words
Sales history – total sales velocity on the specific keyword
Price competitiveness – price relative to other products in the same search result
Bullet point keywords – secondary keywords in the five bullet points
Backend search terms – hidden keywords in Seller Central (250 bytes)
Product description keywords – lowest weight keyword field
Customer reviews – star rating and review count as a trust signal
FBA and Prime status – Amazon-fulfilled products had a structural advantage
⚠️ The A9 algorithm alone is no longer sufficient. The A9 algorithm SEO approach – focusing purely on keyword density and title optimisation – is outdated. The Amazon A10 algorithm update added significant new signals that A9-only strategies miss entirely. Modern Amazon SEO must satisfy both A9 relevance signals and A10 performance signals simultaneously.
🟠 Amazon A10 Algorithm – What Changed and Why It Matters
Featured Answer – “What is the Amazon A10 algorithm?”
What is the Amazon A10 algorithm and how is it different from A9?
The Amazon A10 algorithm is the current primary product ranking system, representing a significant evolution from the original A9 algorithm. The key difference is that A10 places significantly more weight on conversion rate quality, external traffic signals, and seller authority – factors the A9 algorithm largely ignored. Under A10, a product that receives traffic from outside Amazon and converts that traffic at a high rate ranks better than a product with identical keywords but lower conversion rate. A10 also penalises keyword stuffing that reduces click-through rate, which A9 rewarded.
A10
Amazon A10 Algorithm – Ranking Factors and What Changed
Current Primary System · Active Now
The A10 algorithm update introduced major changes to how Amazon search ranking works. These are the primary A10 ranking factors – including the new signals A9 did not consider.
Conversion rate (CVR) – weighted more heavily than raw sales volume. A product converting 15% of sessions beats one converting 8%, even with more absolute sales.
External traffic – NEW in A10. Products receiving traffic and sales from Meta Ads, Google, TikTok, and email receive an additional ranking boost under A10.
Seller authority – NEW in A10. Account health metrics (Order Defect Rate, cancellation rate, late shipment rate) now influence product ranking directly.
Sales velocity – still the dominant signal, but now weighted by quality (conversion rate) rather than raw volume alone.
Click-through rate (CTR) – the percentage of buyers who click your product in search results. Low CTR from poor images or keyword-stuffed titles now actively hurts ranking.
Keyword relevance – same as A9, but COSMO’s semantic layer means exact keyword matching is less critical than intent alignment.
Reviews and star rating – stronger weight than A9. Products below 4.0 stars see significantly reduced ranking across most categories.
Inventory availability – stockouts remove products from ranking consideration within 3 to 5 days. Recovery takes 21 to 28 days of consistent sales.
Brand Registry signals – A+ Content and Brand Store engagement data contribute to relevance and trust signals under A10.
💡 The biggest A10 change for sellers: External traffic from social media, email, and Google now carries bonus ranking weight. A product that drives traffic from outside Amazon and converts it signals genuine market demand to the A10 algorithm. Use Amazon Attribution links to track external traffic sources and qualify for the Brand Referral Bonus – approximately 10% of referral fees returned on externally-driven sales.
🚀 Amazon Product Launch
Launching a product and want the A10 algorithm working for you from day one?
Our Amazon product launch service builds keyword strategy, listing copy, and PPC structure designed to satisfy A10’s conversion and external traffic signals – and COSMO’s intent layer – simultaneously, from the first sale.
Featured Answer – “What is the Amazon COSMO algorithm?”
What is COSMO and how does it affect Amazon search results?
COSMO stands for Common Sense Knowledge for eCommerce. It is Amazon’s AI-powered search enhancement layer that works on top of the A10 algorithm. Unlike A9 and A10, which match keywords and score performance data, COSMO reads the semantic meaning and intent behind a buyer’s search query. It understands that “camping water bottle” and “hiking hydration flask” likely describe the same buyer need, even though the exact keywords differ. COSMO allows Amazon’s search engine to match products to buyer intent rather than just keyword strings.
AI
COSMO – Common Sense Knowledge for eCommerce
Active and Expanding · AI-Powered
COSMO represents the most significant shift in how Amazon’s search engine works since the A9 algorithm was first built. It moves Amazon’s ranking system from keyword matching toward true buyer intent understanding.
Identifies product relationships: what items go together, what buyers need alongside a product
Natural, benefit-led listing copy satisfies COSMO better than keyword-dense text
Amazon’s Rufus AI shopping assistant uses COSMO to answer buyer questions before purchase
A+ Content is now read by COSMO/Rufus – structuring it to answer buyer questions directly improves relevance
Category context matters – COSMO understands product use cases and audiences, not just specifications
✅ What COSMO means for your listing copy: Write titles, bullets, and A+ Content for real buyers first. COSMO’s AI relevance layer rewards natural, benefit-led copy that answers what buyers actually want to know. Keyword stuffing that reduces readability now satisfies neither COSMO’s AI nor human buyers – meaning it hurts both rankings and conversion rate simultaneously.
📊 Amazon Ranking Algorithm Factors – Complete List
The Amazon product ranking algorithm evaluates products across multiple signal categories every time a buyer searches. These are the specific factors that the A9, A10, and COSMO systems weigh – grouped by how much impact each one has on where your product appears in Amazon search results.
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Sales Velocity
Critical – A9 + A10
How fast your product sells on a specific keyword. This is the most powerful Amazon ranking factor in both A9 and A10. Every PPC-driven sale on an exact match keyword feeds the organic ranking signal for that term – which is why structured PPC campaigns directly build organic rank over time.
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Conversion Rate (CVR)
Critical – A10 upgrade
Under A10, conversion rate carries more weight than raw sales volume. A product converting 15% of sessions outranks one converting 8%, even with fewer absolute sales. Better images, benefit-led bullets, A+ Content, competitive pricing, and strong reviews all directly improve CVR – which directly improves ranking.
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Keyword Relevance
Critical – A9 foundation
Primary keyword in the first 5 words of your title. Secondary keywords in bullets naturally. Backend search terms (250-byte limit) for misspellings, synonyms, and alternate names. Under COSMO, semantic relevance – does your listing match buyer intent? – now supplements exact keyword matching as an additional relevance signal.
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Reviews and Rating
Critical – both A9 + A10
Products with higher review counts and better average ratings convert at significantly higher rates – which feeds ranking. A product below 4.0 stars sees dramatically reduced conversion across most categories. The recency and velocity of new reviews also matter – Amazon weights fresh reviews more heavily than old ones.
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Click-Through Rate (CTR)
High – A10 signal
The percentage of buyers who see your product in search results and click it. Your main image is the primary CTR driver – a weak image means low CTR regardless of ranking position. Low CTR signals to Amazon that buyers are not interested in your product for that search, which causes ranking drops over time.
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External Traffic
High – A10 new signal
Products receiving traffic and purchases from outside Amazon – social media, email, Google Shopping, TikTok – receive additional ranking weight under A10. Use Amazon Attribution links on all external campaigns so Amazon can measure the source. The Brand Referral Bonus also returns ~10% of referral fees on externally-driven sales.
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Seller Authority
High – A10 new signal
A10 introduced seller authority as a direct ranking signal. Sellers with strong account health – Order Defect Rate below 1%, Late Shipment Rate below 4%, positive feedback history – rank better than equivalent sellers with weaker metrics. FBA sellers have a structural seller authority advantage because Amazon controls fulfilment quality.
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Price Competitiveness
Medium – A9 + A10
Competitive pricing affects conversion rate directly and ranking indirectly. Pricing significantly above comparable competitors reduces CVR, which reduces ranking. Under A10’s conversion-weighted scoring, a pricing misalignment has more ranking impact than under A9’s volume-weighted system.
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Inventory Availability
Protective
A stockout removes a product from Buy Box consideration within 3 to 5 days and destroys ranking momentum built over months. Recovery after restocking requires 21 to 28 days of consistent sales. Inventory management is an Amazon ranking strategy, not just an operations function.
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A+ Content and Brand Signals
Indirect – COSMO layer
A+ Content improves conversion rate (which feeds ranking) and is now read by Amazon’s Rufus AI and COSMO to answer buyer questions before purchase. Brand Store engagement and Brand Registry enrolment contribute to seller authority and trust signals under A10.
⚙️ Amazon Account Management
Want someone tracking your Amazon ranking and acting on the algorithm data every week?
Our Amazon account management service monitors keyword rankings, CVR, Buy Box percentage, and TACoS across your full catalogue – with weekly reporting and optimisation actions based on what the A9, A10, and COSMO signals actually show.
There are four ways to check where your product ranks in Amazon search results – from free manual methods to automated tracking tools. For Amazon sellers managing multiple products, a combination of native Amazon tools and third-party rank trackers gives the most complete picture.
Method 1 – Manual keyword search
Type your target keyword into Amazon’s search bar and scroll through results to find your product. Clear your browser cookies and history first – Amazon personalises results based on your browsing and purchase history, so a logged-in search may show your own product artificially higher than a real buyer would see it. Use an incognito window for an uninfluenced result.
Method 2 – Best Sellers Rank (BSR)
Every Amazon product displays a Best Sellers Rank in the product details section. BSR shows your product’s position within its category based on recent sales velocity. It updates hourly and reflects overall category performance – not keyword-specific ranking. A falling BSR indicates improving sales velocity. A rising BSR means you are losing ground relative to category competitors.
Brand Registry sellers can access Search Query Performance in Brand Analytics – the most accurate keyword-level ranking data available, because it comes directly from Amazon’s own systems. It shows your click share and conversion share for each keyword compared to competitors, updated weekly. This is first-party data that no third-party tool can replicate with the same accuracy.
Method 4 – Third-party keyword rank trackers
Tools like Helium 10 Keyword Tracker, Jungle Scout, and SellerSprite track daily keyword rankings across your full catalogue automatically. They show ranking position changes over time – which is essential for measuring whether listing optimisations, PPC adjustments, or external traffic campaigns are improving your Amazon search algorithm position.
🚀 How to Increase Visibility on Amazon Search
Increasing visibility in Amazon search results requires satisfying all three algorithm layers simultaneously – A9 relevance signals, A10 performance signals, and COSMO intent signals. The sellers who rank and stay ranked are the ones who work all three layers at once.
Satisfying the A9 keyword layer
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Primary keyword in the first 5 words of your title. The A9 algorithm weights the title opening most heavily. Lead with your top keyword naturally – the product category term buyers actually search for first.
✓
Use all 250 backend search term bytes. Add misspellings (15–20% of searches contain typos), Spanish translations for the US market, abbreviations, and alternate product names. Never repeat title keywords – Amazon ignores duplicates and you waste the byte allowance.
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Integrate secondary keywords naturally in bullets. Each bullet should include a secondary keyword while leading with a genuine buyer benefit. Write for the buyer first – the keyword fits naturally into benefit-led copy without forcing it.
Satisfying the A10 performance layer
✓
Drive sales velocity with PPC exact match campaigns. Every sale from a PPC campaign on an exact match keyword feeds that keyword’s organic ranking signal in the A10 algorithm. Use auto campaigns to discover converting search terms, then move them to manual exact match campaigns to build rank. Our Amazon PPC management service structures campaigns around this ranking flywheel.
✓
Build conversion rate through better images and copy. Your main image is the biggest single conversion lever – it determines CTR from search results, which A10 weights directly. Gallery images handle objections. Benefit-led bullets convert browsers into buyers. Every percentage point of CVR improvement feeds ranking.
✓
Drive external traffic with Amazon Attribution links. A10 rewards external traffic with bonus ranking weight. Drive traffic from Meta Ads, TikTok, Google, and email using Attribution links so Amazon measures the external source and credits your ranking. Collect the Brand Referral Bonus simultaneously.
✓
Build review velocity consistently. Use the Request a Review button on every order between 5 and 20 days post-delivery. Enrol in Amazon Vine for new product launches. Respond publicly to every review. Target and maintain 4.0 stars minimum – below this threshold, A10 ranking and conversion both drop significantly.
Satisfying COSMO’s AI intent layer
✓
Write A+ Content that answers real buyer questions. COSMO and Amazon’s Rufus AI assistant read A+ Content to answer buyer questions before purchase. Structure your A+ Content to directly answer the specific questions buyers in your category ask most – not just to describe your product’s features.
✓
Use natural, benefit-led copy throughout. COSMO’s semantic AI rewards listings written for real buyers over listings written to maximise keyword density. Natural language that clearly explains what the product does, who it is for, and when to use it satisfies COSMO’s intent matching better than keyword-heavy text.
🆚 Amazon Search Engine vs Google Search Engine
Amazon and Google are both search engines – but they serve completely different purposes and use completely different ranking signals. Understanding the difference is critical for any seller managing both channels.
🛒 Amazon Search Engine (A9/A10/COSMO)
A
Purpose: Find products to buy. Every result is a purchasable product – purely transactional.
A
Algorithm name: A9 (original), A10 (current), COSMO (AI layer). All run simultaneously.
Ads: Search ads, Shopping ads, display – text and visual across varied content types.
G
User intent: Ranges from early awareness through research to purchase-ready. Varies significantly by query.
Is Amazon better than Google for sellers?
Amazon and Google serve different roles in an eCommerce brand’s strategy – they are not alternatives. Amazon delivers high-intent buyers ready to purchase, with a search engine optimised entirely for purchase decisions. Google drives top-of-funnel discovery and research traffic, which converts more slowly but builds brand awareness beyond Amazon. The most profitable brands use both. Our digital marketing service drives external Google and social traffic to Amazon listings using Amazon Attribution – combining both channels into one compounding strategy.
🛠️ Tools for Amazon Visibility and Ranking Growth
Amazon provides powerful native tools through Brand Registry that give direct insight into how the Amazon search algorithm is responding to your listings. Third-party tools add daily rank tracking and competitive intelligence on top.
Amazon’s native tools – available with Brand Registry
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Brand Analytics
Amazon Native
Search Query Performance shows your click share and conversion share per keyword vs competitors. Market Basket Analysis reveals cross-sell patterns. First-party Amazon data – most accurate available.
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Product Opportunity Explorer
Amazon Native
Identifies keyword clusters with growing search demand, low click concentration, and high conversion potential. Invaluable for finding search terms the Amazon ranking algorithm considers underserved.
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Manage Your Experiments
Amazon Native
Amazon’s A/B testing tool for titles, main images, bullets, and A+ Content. Tests run with real buyer traffic – the most reliable way to improve CTR and CVR to satisfy A10 ranking signals.
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Amazon Ads – Search Term Report
Amazon Native
Reveals exact search terms buyers type that trigger your ads and convert into sales. This is the most reliable keyword data for both A9 SEO optimisation and A10 ranking signal building.
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A+ Content Manager
Amazon Native
Builds visual listing modules read by COSMO and Rufus AI. Basic A+ lifts CVR by 3 to 10%. Premium A+ by up to 20%. Both contribute to the conversion signals that A10 weights most heavily.
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Helium 10 / Jungle Scout
Third-Party
Keyword research, Reverse ASIN lookup (discover what competitors rank for in Amazon search), and daily rank tracking. Add daily visibility into how the Amazon ranking algorithm responds to your changes.
📢 Amazon PPC Management
PPC and Amazon search algorithm ranking working together – that is how you win
Our Amazon PPC management service runs campaigns specifically structured to satisfy A10’s sales velocity and conversion signals – building organic ranking progressively so PPC spend decreases as organic rank improves.
Amazon’s search engine is called the A9 algorithm – named after A9.com, the Amazon subsidiary that built the original system. The current version is commonly called the A10 algorithm, which represents a significant evolution from A9 with new signals including external traffic, conversion rate weighting, and seller authority. The newest AI layer is called COSMO (Common Sense Knowledge for eCommerce). All three – A9, A10, and COSMO – currently run together as Amazon’s product ranking system.
How does the Amazon A9 algorithm work?
The Amazon A9 algorithm ranks products in search results by evaluating two factors: keyword relevance (does the listing match the search query?) and sales performance (does this product historically sell when shown for this search?). The A9 algorithm places the most keyword weight on the product title – especially the first five words – followed by bullet points, product description, and backend search terms. Sales history for each specific keyword is the primary performance signal. The A9 algorithm is still partially active as the foundation of Amazon’s ranking system, with A10 and COSMO built on top of it.
What is the difference between the Amazon A9 and A10 algorithm?
The Amazon A9 algorithm was primarily keyword and sales volume driven. The A10 algorithm added several major new ranking signals that A9 largely ignored: external traffic (sales from outside Amazon now carry bonus ranking weight), conversion rate quality (a product converting 15% of sessions ranks better than one converting 8%, even with fewer absolute sales), and seller authority (account health metrics like Order Defect Rate now directly influence product ranking). A10 also penalises keyword stuffing that reduces click-through rate – something the A9 algorithm partially rewarded.
Which algorithm does Amazon use to rank products?
Amazon uses the A10 algorithm as the primary product ranking system, enhanced by the COSMO AI layer for semantic search understanding, all built on the original A9 algorithm foundation. The A10 algorithm weighs sales velocity, conversion rate, keyword relevance, external traffic, seller authority, reviews, price, and inventory availability. COSMO adds contextual intelligence that interprets buyer intent beyond literal keyword matching – understanding that different search phrases can represent the same buyer need.
What are the Amazon A10 algorithm ranking factors?
The Amazon A10 algorithm ranking factors include: sales velocity on specific keywords, conversion rate (CVR), click-through rate (CTR) from search results, keyword relevance in title and listing, external traffic from social media and Google, seller authority (account health metrics), review count and average star rating, price competitiveness, inventory availability, and Brand Registry signals like A+ Content engagement. The biggest differences from A9 are the new weight given to external traffic, conversion rate quality (not just volume), and seller authority as a direct ranking factor.
How do I improve my Amazon ranking?
To improve Amazon product ranking, address all three algorithm layers. For A9: place your primary keyword in the first 5 title words, fill all 250 backend search term bytes with unique variants, and include secondary keywords naturally in bullets. For A10: drive sales velocity with exact match PPC campaigns, improve conversion rate with better images and copy, build review velocity, and drive external traffic with Amazon Attribution links. For COSMO: write A+ Content that directly answers buyer questions, and use natural benefit-led language throughout your listing rather than keyword-dense text.
Is Amazon better than Google for finding products?
Amazon and Google serve different purposes and are better at different stages of the buyer journey. Amazon is better for purchase-ready buyers who know what they want – its search engine is optimised purely for product discovery and purchase, and over 61% of US shoppers start product searches on Amazon. Google is better for early-stage research, comparison, and discovering new products through content. Most successful eCommerce brands use both – Amazon for high-intent purchase traffic and Google for top-of-funnel brand discovery.
What is the Amazon A9 algorithm optimisation strategy?
Amazon A9 algorithm optimisation focuses on keyword placement and sales signal strength. For A9: place your primary keyword in the title’s first 5 words, include secondary keywords in bullet points naturally, use all 250 backend search term bytes with unique variants (no duplicates from the title), and drive sales velocity on your target keywords through PPC campaigns. However, A9 optimisation alone is no longer sufficient. Modern Amazon SEO also requires satisfying A10’s conversion and external traffic signals and COSMO’s semantic intent layer – all three must be addressed simultaneously.
Does Amazon have keyword research tools?
Yes. Amazon Brand Registry gives sellers access to Brand Analytics – including Search Query Performance, Top Search Terms, and Search Catalog Performance dashboards. These show which keywords drive traffic and conversions to your products, with first-party Amazon data that no third-party tool can replicate. Product Opportunity Explorer identifies high-opportunity keyword clusters with demand and conversion data. Amazon Ads Search Term Reports reveal exactly which buyer search terms convert – the most reliable keyword data for both listing optimisation and A10 ranking signal building.
How can sellers find competitor keywords on Amazon?
Sellers cannot directly access competitor backend keywords. However, you can identify keywords competitors rank for organically using Reverse ASIN lookup tools in Helium 10 or Jungle Scout – these reveal which search terms any ASIN is indexed and ranking for in Amazon’s search results. Amazon’s Product Opportunity Explorer also reveals high-frequency search terms within a category. Amazon Brand Analytics Search Query Performance shows which keywords drive clicks and conversions across your entire product category – including competitor performance data for each term.
How much does Amazon SEO cost?
Amazon SEO – optimising your listing title, bullets, images, backend keywords, and A+ Content – has no direct fee from Amazon. The investment is either your time or the cost of an agency service. Amazon PPC advertising is a separate paid layer that accelerates the organic ranking process by generating the sales velocity signals that A10 weights heavily – it is technically optional but practically essential for competitive categories. Third-party SEO tools like Helium 10 cost from $29 to $279 per month. Amazon Vine costs from $0 to $200 per parent ASIN depending on existing review count.
Amazon A9, A10, and COSMO Ranking Specialists · sharklabsglobal.com
We help Amazon brands understand and work with the A9, A10, and COSMO ranking system – from keyword architecture and listing optimisation through to PPC structure and external traffic strategy. If your products are not appearing where they should in Amazon search results, book a free ranking audit with our team →
