With how saturated the Amazon marketplace has become, selling on Amazon can feel like an uphill battle—especially when your products aren’t ranking high. The sheer number of Amazon sellers and competitive products can make it anxiety-inducing for even the most seasoned sellers to stand out.
Achieving a strong position on Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR) is not only a valuable status symbol but a critical factor in driving consistent sales and visibility. But how do you actually improve your BSR?
What steps can you take to make sure your products rank high and capture customer attention? In this guide, we’ll dive into the essentials of Amazon’s A10 algorithm, how it influences BSR, and—most importantly—the proven strategies that can help you climb the ranks.
Table of Contents
Understanding the A10 Algorithm
Understanding Amazon’s ranking system is essential for success, and it all comes down to the A10 algorithm. This powerful algorithm determines which products appear at the top of search results, making it a crucial factor in boosting your Best Sellers Rank and driving sales.
What is the A10 Algorithm
The A10 algorithm is Amazon’s powerful ranking system that decides how products are displayed in search results. As a critical element of the Amazon e-commerce platform, the A10 algorithm analyzes factors like sales performance, customer satisfaction, and relevance to position products effectively.
Understanding the A10 algorithm is essential for sellers, as it can directly impact both visibility and Best Sellers Rank.
Key Factors in A10 Algorithm
The A10 algorithm ranks products based on several core factors:
- Buyer Intent and Relevance: Prioritizes products that closely match customers’ search terms.
- External Traffic: Values traffic from sources like social media or blogs, which signals demand and boosts ranking.
- Seller Authority: Builds credibility through positive feedback, strong sales history, and low return rates, improving rankings.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): Higher CTR shows customer interest, helping to elevate product rankings.
- Conversion Rate: Indicates that shoppers are purchasing after viewing your listing, which the algorithm favors.
- Sales History: A strong, consistent sales history positively impacts ranking as A10 rewards products with solid sales performance.
How the A10 Algorithm Impacts Amazon BSR
The A10 algorithm directly influences a product’s Amazon Best Sellers Rank by prioritizing factors that drive sales and customer engagement. Products that rank higher in Amazon search results—thanks to strong buyer intent, high conversion rates, and positive seller feedback—tend to generate more organic sales.
This increased sales volume boosts BSR, as Amazon rewards products with strong, consistent sales by ranking them higher. By aligning your product listings with A10’s key factors, you can improve visibility, drive more sales, and ultimately achieve a better BSR.
Understanding Amazon Best Sellers Rank
Amazon Best Sellers Rank is vital for sellers, as it reflects a product’s popularity and sales performance. A low BSR boosts visibility and signals to customers that the product is a top choice, making it essential for driving sales and long-term success.
What is the Amazon Best Sellers Rank
The Amazon Best Sellers Rank is a measure of a product’s performance against competitors in its category, providing sellers with insights into sales success. BSR reflects not just the volume of sales but also factors like conversion rates, click-through rates, and the revenue generated, making it a comprehensive indicator of a product’s competitiveness.
BSR is updated hourly, and a lower rank (closer to 1) indicates a higher sales volume and demand. Because it allows sellers to see how their products compare within specific categories, BSR is especially useful during product research to identify top-performing products and gauge market competitiveness.
The difference in BSR between ranks can be exponential, meaning that moving from a rank of 100,000 to 50,000 may represent a significant increase in sales volume. However, BSR is relative to each category—an item ranked 100,000 in Home and Kitchen could be selling far more than an Amazon product with the same rank in Grocery.
What Influences the Amazon Best Sellers Rank
Although Amazon doesn’t reveal the exact formula for calculating BSR, recent sales trends are the most influential factor, with BSR updating hourly to reflect changes. Historical sales volume also plays a role, so a product with strong long-term sales won’t lose its rank quickly if sales temporarily dip.
Other factors, such as product price changes and promotions, can also impact BSR by affecting short-term sales spikes. Additionally, competition within the same category influences BSR, as shifts in competitors’ sales can affect a product’s ranking.
Unlike other metrics, BSR is driven purely by sales volume and does not consider page views, reviews, or customer ratings. A product can also have multiple BSRs if it’s listed in different categories, with each category’s ranking potentially differing.
What is the Amazon Best Seller Badge
The Amazon Best Seller Badge is a coveted orange ribbon displayed at the top-left corner of a product’s detail page, awarded to products with the highest sales in their category. This badge signifies that the product is a top seller, making it a standout choice among similar items in its category.
Having the Best Seller Badge can greatly enhance a product’s visibility by positioning it higher in search results and sometimes even appearing for loosely related search terms. This visibility boost often leads to higher click-through and conversion rates, as shoppers are drawn to products recognized as best-sellers.
12 Proven Strategies to Improve Your Amazon Best Sellers Rank
Improving your Amazon Best Sellers Rank is all about enhancing visibility and driving consistent sales. The following strategies are designed to help you optimize your listings, attract more customers, and ultimately secure a stronger position in your category.
1. Conduct Keyword Research
Effective keyword research is essential for increasing your product’s visibility, which directly impacts your BSR. Using tools like Helium 10’s Cerebro, identify high-search-volume keywords that align closely with your product’s category and competitive landscape.
In the product title, place your top five keywords that define your product’s key attributes and target audience. This positioning helps capture customer attention quickly, driving clicks and improving sales, which are vital for boosting BSR.
For the product description and bullet points, incorporate supporting keywords naturally to enhance visibility without compromising readability. This detailed content supports conversions by addressing common questions and clarifying product benefits, ultimately helping sustain strong sales.
Finally, use the backend search term field—now expanded to 500 characters—for relevant keywords that don’t fit in the visible listing. Regularly updating backend keywords allows you to capture seasonal trends, adjust for “strike zone” keywords (ranking between 20-50), and improve overall product visibility, supporting long-term BSR growth.
2. Master Inventory Management
One of the most critical strategies for maintaining and improving your BSR is to avoid going out of stock. Stockouts lead to lost sales and can drastically impact your rankings, as you’ll need to spend significantly more on advertising to recover any lost visibility and SEO momentum.
Plan for a year’s supply in advance, as “just-in-time” inventory practices are risky on Amazon to prevent stockouts. Unexpected delays in shipping, customs, or production can disrupt your supply chain, so a strong inventory buffer ensures that you’re always ready to meet demand.
3. Use PPC Advertising
Implementing effective PPC advertising is key to increasing visibility and driving sales, both of which are crucial for improving your BSR. PPC campaigns help you reach more customers and can elevate your product’s rank by capturing competitive search placements.
To optimize your BSR, use PPC strategies that balance growth and cost-effectiveness, such as focusing on high-converting keywords and adjusting bid strategies. Consider setting campaigns to “down only” bidding to maintain lower ACOS while ensuring visibility and test ad performance to target peak shopping times for better click-through rates.
4. Strategize External Advertising
Using external advertising can significantly improve your BSR by driving more traffic to your Amazon listings. During product launches or to overcome stagnant rankings, external traffic can give your product the momentum it needs.
Focus on platforms that match your audience, such as Instagram for lifestyle products or TikTok for younger demographics. Established brands can experiment by directing part of their off-Amazon traffic to Amazon to measure the effect on BSR.
This approach helps attract new shoppers while taking advantage of Amazon’s strong conversion environment. When done strategically, external ads create a surge in visibility and conversions that can lift your product’s ranking.
5. Optimize Pricing Strategies
Strategic pricing adjustments can help push your product up in the BSR by attracting more buyers and generating momentum. Starting with a lower price during launch or slow sales periods can stimulate purchases and improve your listing’s rank.
Amazon’s BSR is sensitive to sales velocity, so temporary price drops can help revive lagging products. Once sales increase and your BSR improves, you can gradually raise the price without losing momentum.
For new products, consider launching with a discount to capture early interest, then raising the price as the product gains traction. Regular price updates every 90 days can also prevent your product from becoming stagnant, helping maintain a steady BSR.
6. Use High-Quality Images
Optimizing images for mobile devices is essential to improving your product’s BSR, as the majority of Amazon traffic now comes from mobile users. By using tall, vertical images that fill more screen space on mobile, your product appears larger and more attention-grabbing, increasing the CTR and conversions.
Adding keywords directly on the main image, such as on the packaging, can also boost visibility by targeting specific search terms. When combined with the right image format and quality, these optimizations help your product stand out from competitors and drive sales.
Avoid cluttered backgrounds, as these can appear unprofessional and reduce CTR, especially on mobile. Clean, engaging images make it easier for shoppers to understand the product’s purpose and value at a glance.
7. Perform A/B Testing and Use A+ Content
A/B testing different layouts, images, and text in A+ Content is key to increasing clicks and conversions, which helps boost BSR. Use Amazon’s Brand Story, Standard, and Premium modules strategically to showcase more products, increase engagement, and maximize SEO with keyword-rich alt text.
Premium A+ Content provides broader visuals, ideal for mobile and desktop, while the product comparison grid enables cross-selling, boosting order value. For an in-depth walkthrough of these strategies, watch our video below.
8. Create Effective Parent-Child Listings
Using flat file uploads rather than the Variation Wizard is the best method for setting up parent-child listings, as it avoids common errors and allows precise control over product details. Grouping new products can enhance visibility, but for top-performing listings, separating them can boost clicks and sales.
For established listings, avoid combining high performers with weaker ones, as this may dilute their visibility. Changes to parentage should be strategic, as missteps can impact search rankings and even Google indexing.
9. Boost Customer Reviews Through Engagement
To enhance customer reviews, shift the focus from simply gaining reviews to building meaningful customer engagement. Begin by ensuring a seamless, immersive shopping experience, which includes responding promptly to questions and providing a helpful pre- and post-purchase journey. This approach fosters trust and leads to more positive feedback.
Encourage customers to share photos of themselves using your product, which not only strengthens brand loyalty but also creates authentic engagement that resonates with other potential buyers. Consistent follow-ups after purchase, along with a personalized approach, can lead to an increase in five-star reviews and repeat purchases.
Ultimately, prioritize building a relationship with each customer rather than focusing solely on reviews, as genuine engagement often results in organic, positive reviews and loyal customers.
10. Perform Competitor Research
Identify your top competitors and analyze their strategies, strengths, and weaknesses. Use tools like Jungle Scout to track best-selling items and spot market gaps you can fill. Implement offensive and defensive ad strategies—promote your products alongside competitors’ listings and protect your own pages from their ads.
Observe their keywords and SEO tactics to optimize your own campaigns. Apply insights from similar brands to enhance your strategies and outpace rivals, setting your brand apart with targeted data-driven improvements.
11. Utilize Analytics Tools
Analytics tools like Brand Analytics can refine your Amazon marketing approach. By analyzing click-through and conversion rates for key phrases, you can optimize main images and keywords effectively.
For example, adding a high-demand keyword to a product’s main image tripled its click-through rate, highlighting the power of data-driven adjustments. Access Brand Analytics in Seller Central under “Brands” to reveal impactful keywords, and use the ICAP framework (Impressions, Clicks, Add to Cart, Purchases) to improve every stage of your sales funnel.
12. Hire an Amazon Agency
Achieving a high Best Sellers Rank on Amazon isn’t easy. Sellers face challenges like optimizing listings, managing ad costs, and battling price wars—all of which can impact BSR and profitability.
As the leading full-service Amazon agency, My Amazon Guy offers expert support in SEO, keyword optimization, and ad management, helping you improve product visibility, increase sales, and enhance your BSR.
Common Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Amazon BSR
Achieving a strong BSR requires strategic attention to several factors on Amazon. Here are some common mistakes that sellers make, which can lead to decreased visibility and lower BSR:
- Going Out of Stock
Running out of stock is detrimental to your BSR. If you can’t keep up with demand, Amazon will deprioritize your listing, potentially causing ranking drops that are difficult to recover from. It’s essential to monitor inventory closely to avoid this pitfall. - Choosing the Wrong Products
Product selection can make or break success. For instance, niche items or highly competitive categories can struggle to gain traction, especially if similar products are available at lower prices. Prioritizing products that match market demand and resonate with your audience is crucial. - Overloading Variations
Launching too many product variations can dilute SEO rankings and cannibalize sales. When multiple variations exist, only one typically shows up in search results, leading to lower overall rankings and decreased BSR. - Relying Too Heavily on Trends
Jumping on trending products without strong differentiation can be risky. Trends can disappear as quickly as they emerge, leaving unsold inventory and declining BSR. Sticking with products that fit your expertise or have longer-term demand is often safer. - Ignoring Main Image Optimization
A weak main image impacts click-through rates, which in turn affects BSR. The main image should be clear, and attractive, and convey product benefits at a glance. Using tools for A/B testing and CTR optimization can significantly improve this. - Neglecting SEO and Keyword Strategy
Poor keyword targeting limits visibility, leading to lower BSR. It’s essential to use high-performing keywords in your title and description, leveraging tools and data to refine your SEO strategy regularly.
Everything You Need to Know to Boost Your Amazon BSR
Improving your Amazon Best Sellers Rank requires a strategic and data-focused approach. By optimizing listings, managing inventory effectively, and engaging customers, you can elevate your product on Amazon and gain a competitive edge.
Each of the 12 strategies covered here targets a specific aspect of the Amazon ecosystem, from keyword optimization to managing customer engagement, ensuring you have everything you need to know to maximize your success. Implement these insights to strengthen your BSR and stay competitive in the Amazon marketplace.
Need help improving your Amazon BSR? Contact our Amazon agency to get expert support in driving more traffic, increasing conversions, and boosting your Amazon product ranking.
