In this post, we'd like to provide a brief insight into Amazon backend keywords and how you can use them effectively.
Backend keywords are non-publicly visible keywords that you can enter in Vendor Central or Seller Central to direct the discoverability of your products to keywords that shouldn't be publicly described in titles and bullet points.
How does the Amazon algorithm work?
The Amazon algorithm checks the relevance of a search query based on the entered keywords. On Amazon, relevant keywords can be used in the title, bullet points, product description, and as so-called backend keywords. In addition to evaluating relevant search terms, other factors such as conversions, click-through rate, reviews, etc., also play a role in determining which products are displayed first. Nevertheless, the correct selection and placement of keywords is a central building block.
What are backend keywords and where can they be found?
Backend keywords on Amazon are search terms that are not visible to the end consumer but are stored in the backend. The algorithm accesses these keywords in addition to the keywords in the title and bullet points to always display the most relevant listings. These keywords are stored in Seller or Vendor Central within a product under the General Keywords section.
Why are backend keywords relevant and what should they be filled with?
Many keywords cannot be included in titles and bullet points for various reasons. Above all, the listing should be appealing to the reader and not just an obvious string of strong keywords, as many sellers still do.
Important keywords that are not used in the front-end content can be integrated into the backend keywords. They are perfect for colloquial keywords, outdated spellings, or typical typos (e.g., addidas instead of adidas) that cannot be included in the product text. Keywords from these categories would not only diminish the visual quality of your listing but could also quickly lead to warnings or suspension by Amazon.
How long should backend keywords be and how should they be formatted?
For higher rankings and greater visibility, it's important to optimize backend keywords or perfect them at the start of listing creation.
Amazon is particularly strict about adhering to the maximum length of 249 bytes. If the maximum number of bytes is exceeded, the Amazon algorithm immediately excludes all backend keywords. As a result, not a single search term that is in the backend will be displayed anymore, and the product in question will no longer be considered in the ranking for these keywords.
It's also important to note that character count is not automatically equivalent to byte count, as some letters, such as umlauts, count as more than one byte. For this, we recommend checking the keywords through a byte counter before uploading them.
Punctuation marks only take up bytes and are not necessary. In Amazon backend keywords, search terms are separated by simple spaces. By using hyphens, multiple combinations of words can be covered. To identify a search term consisting of multiple words, connect the terms with hyphens (e.g., "gifts-for-women" or "gift-for-woman").
It's also not necessary to list keywords or search terms in both singular and plural. The algorithm is intelligent enough to recognize this and therefore only needs one of the two versions. Capitalization is irrelevant and can be neglected.
However, Amazon also has some red lines for backend keywords that should be observed. For example, it is prohibited to include ASINs in the backend. Furthermore, no false claims or subjective statements may be made. This includes terms like "beautiful" or "cheap." These are also prohibited, as is the use of offensive or insulting terms.
Where do you get the right keywords?
There are various ways to start keyword research. On the one hand, you can proceed through brainstorming and your own knowledge, thinking about what you would search for as a customer yourself, and then supplement these terms through synonym databases.
In the next step, you can also make use of the "Amazon Auto-Suggest" function. Simply enter the keywords from the first brainstorming into the search field and see what Amazon suggests based on the search terms of other users.
Of course, it also makes sense to take a look at competitors' listings and pick up one or two keywords that you didn't think of yourself.
Manual keyword research sounds time-consuming and it is. There are corresponding Amazon SEO tools that can take work off your hands. The scope of performance depends on the respective keyword tool.
As an Amazon agency, we use multiple tools in parallel for every keyword research to cover the entire spectrum and not miss any SEO-relevant input.
We would be happy to present our working methods as part of a non-binding introductory meeting. You can book an appointment with us through our website.
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