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How to Find the Keywords that Amazon Thinks Are Most Relevant
If you sell on Amazon, keyword research is one of the most important parts of your listing optimization strategy. You can use Helium 10’s Cerebro to find high-ranking keywords, and within Cerebro there's an often-overlooked data point that is really important: if Amazon itself doesn’t recognize your product as relevant for a keyword, you might struggle to get indexed or gain PPC impressions for it.
Understanding how Amazon interprets what keywords are relevant to your product is just as crucial as choosing strong keywords. Let’s explore one of the most valuable metrics which is Amazon Recommended Rank and how you can apply it to improve visibility and sales.
What is Amazon Recommended Rank?
Amazon Recommended Rank is an important metric that comes directly from Amazon, not Helium 10 or any other third-party tool. This rank indicates how relevant Amazon believes a specific keyword is for your product.
- If a keyword has a Recommended Rank of 1, Amazon considers it the most relevant for your product, particularly in advertising.
- If the rank is high, Amazon does not see that keyword as strongly connected to your listing.
- If there’s no rank at all, Amazon does not associate that keyword with your product.
This matters because even if you add a keyword to your listing, it doesn’t guarantee that Amazon will treat it as a priority. Without recognition from Amazon, your chances of ranking or winning PPC impressions for that keyword are lower.
How to Use Amazon Recommended Rank for Your Product
Here’s a simple way to assess your product’s keyword relevance:
Run a Cerebro Search – Analyze your ASIN in Helium 10’s Cerebro.
Sort by Amazon Recommended Rank – Identify which keywords Amazon considers the most relevant.
Evaluate the Results – Compare Amazon’s top-ranked keywords to your own expectations.
Example: Coffin Shelf Product
Let’s say you’re selling a coffin shelf on Amazon. You run a Cerebro search and sort by Amazon Recommended Rank. The top-ranked keywords are:
- Manny’s Mysterious Oddities Coffin Shelf
- Small Coffin Shelf
This tells you that Amazon accurately understands what your product is. But what if you expected “Coffin Shelf” to be your number one keyword, only to find it ranked at #26? That signals a problem. If Amazon doesn’t consider your main keyword highly relevant, you may struggle to rank or get impressions for it.
Ways to Improve Keyword Relevance
If an important and very relevant keyword ranks lower than expected, you’ll need to investigate why. Consider the following:
- Low Conversion Rate – If your product isn’t converting well for that keyword, Amazon may not prioritize it.
- Listing Content – Make sure that your title, bullet points, and backend search terms emphasize the keyword naturally.
- PPC Performance – If your ads aren’t performing well on that keyword, Amazon may view it as less relevant.
Why This Matters for New Product Launches
Amazon often struggles to categorize new products, making this strategy especially valuable when launching. By checking which keywords Amazon associates with your product, you can adjust your listing and PPC strategy for better results from the start.
Want to learn more? Tune in to Serious Sellers Podcast, Episode 500, where Bradley Sutton goes in-depth on how Amazon Recommended Rank can help when launching a product.
Amazon Recommended Rank gives sellers a unique way to check whether they’re focusing on the right keywords in Amazon’s eyes. With Helium 10’s Cerebro, you can uncover these insights and adjust your strategy based on real data. Don’t leave keyword relevance to guesswork—use Amazon’s own ranking system to improve your visibility and sales!
Have you used Amazon Recommended Rank to refine your listings? Share your experiences in the comments!