We’ve all heard content is king. And now–more than ever–it’s what will make your listings stand out amongst the mass of content on Amazon. But not all content is king, as Amazon is making imperatively clear with the recent news of reviews being ranked depending on relevance to consumers. You now actually need to spend time and develop some outstanding copy for your listings. The good news, though, this is something you can control. You can’t control what customers say, or Amazon’s Terms of Conditions.
Here are the four traits to writing great Amazon listings: Be qualitative, legitimate, relevant, and unique, and your content will shine. The crown is heavy for content kings but if done right your listings will rise to the top. Let’s breakdown each trait.
1. Qualitative
Is there actual meat in your listings’ copy? If so, is the cut chuck or porterhouse? Write the absolute best copy you can for your listings. This means doing multiple drafts and have more than just your pair of eyes proofreading it.
You can find people online for a reasonable price to help you.
Tips
- Write better titles. Starting July 15, 2015, Amazon will limit title length to just 200 characters–start shortening those titles now.
- Discover the right keywords by using tools like Amazon Sponsored Products, Merchant Words, Scope, and Google Keyword Planner.
- A shopper should be able to buy your product based on the title and image alone.
2. Legitimate
Don’t just say something because it sounds nice. Is there actual validity to what you’re saying about your product? Do the research on the products you’re selling and make sure what’s being said is factual. Become the thought leader on your product.
Tips
- Use bullet points to display features and benefits of your product. Buyers will often read bullets and then buy the product before reading the full description.
- This is another place to use the right keywords but don’t stuff the listings–this takes away from your product’s legitimacy.
3. Relevant
If there is an update to a product or a new feature, make it known in the listing. Keep your writing to a ninth-grade level. Your listings need to reach people on a level they will understand. This can be subjective though. If you’re selling a highly technical piece of equipment like a microscope, you’ll be using language targeted toward shoppers familiar with scientific language and not consumer-centric copy. However, if you’re selling a popular item, you’re probably fine using ordinary language.
Tips
- Descriptions allow you to provide in-depth detail on your product. This is the place to provide technical information to the shopper.
- Have potential shoppers read your listings’ content and get their opinions. Doing this can help refine your message’s relevance for your target audience.
4. Unique
Make your listings original. It’s OK to be creative. There’s plenty of boring listings on Amazon–don’t let yours be home for content like this. For example, if you’re selling fingernail clippers, don’t give them the same uninspired content typically associated with products like this. Give it some personality and explain the benefits of using them. Be truthful but describe how great your fingernail clippers cut nails and how they will improve the customer’s life by using them.
Tips
- Use Amazon business reports to measure your conversion rates. Once you have your essential content in place, you can look at your statistics in the reports and establish a baseline conversion rate for your product. You can then systemically experiment with one variable at a time to increase your conversion rates. This is where the real creativity comes in.
The Takeaway
These four traits to writing great Amazon product listings are meant to be a starting point. By implementing them into your listings’ content you will make the purchasing decision all that much easier for shoppers. This will take time and effort but make the process enjoyable by tracking your metrics and observing what works.
