How to Find Good Keywords for Amazon: 6 Practical Tips for 2025

All Amazon sellers are aware of the importance of keyword research. A product can only appear within the Amazon search results if keywords that a customer may use to find the product are included somewhere in the product title, the backend keyword list, or the bullet point copy of a listing (How to write Amazon Bullet Point Copy that Converts).

Therefore, finding relevant keywords and putting them in listings is the crucial first step for Amazon SEO. One question many sellers face is: How to find good keywords for Amazon. 

What are “Good Keywords” to Target?

Let’s get started with the basics. Finding actual keywords to target is not hard. There are plenty of Amazon SEO tools available that will provide you with arm-long lists, often even free of charge. 

What most sellers actually struggle with is picking THE RIGHT keywords to target. 

This is where you have to be realistic. If you are selling inflatable mattresses, the keyword “inflatable mattress” may simply not be a realistic target. Unless you are already in a dominating position in your niche, breaking into the top of the Amazon search results spots for such highly competitive “short-tail” keywords may not be feasible. 

Established players with more reviews and a better sales track record basically “own” these keywords and a truth that to swallow is that that may never change. 

However, no need to be disheartened. Amazon is a huge marktplace and to succeed you need to target keywords that:

• Less competitive
• Have a slightly lower search volume
• Are easier to rank for

Finding such keywords will get you into that sweetspot where your listings get impressions, drive clicks and eventually start generating sales and accumulating reviews. 

This in turn will kick-off the famous Amazon flywheel and you stand a chance to grow your business on Amazon!

Types of Keywords

There are two types of keywords – short-tail keywords and long-tail keywords. To become successful on Amazon, sellers need to target both of these types in their listings. This will ensure maximum visibility and higher chances of landing conversions. However, especially for sellers starting out, long-tail keywords are often more important.

Short-Tail Keywords

These keywords are also referred to as “generic keywords”. They consist of 1-3 words, have a high search volume and are typically hyper-competitive.  A lot of shoppers look for products by typing in a generic query and then filtering through the results to make their pick. They are not sure of what they want to buy, or even if they are going to buy. Since you want them to look at your listing as well, you add these generic queries in your description and titles.

For instance, Chris wants to buy running shoes, but he isn’t sure which brand or quality to buy. Therefore, he will go to Amazon type in ‘running shoes’ and then make his selection from the search results.

Long-tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, have low competition and low search volume. These queries usually have three or more words and typically imply a high intent of making a purchase. Therefore, the odds of getting conversions with long-tail queries are much more than its generic counterpart.

Considering our previous example of running shoes, assume that Chris’ friend, John, knows exactly the kind of running shoes he needs. So, he will go to Amazon, search for ‘Nike blue running shoes for men’ and voila! John is closer to making a purchase than Chris since he knows precisely what he wants. The minute he finds a listing that matches his query, he will be on his way to run in his fancy blue shoes!

As an Amazon seller, you should be on the lookout for these long-tail queries. If you can meet the requirements that these types of queries generate, then you can be rest assured of landing a sale.

Understanding Amazon’s A9 Algorithm: How It Impacts Keyword Research

Amazon SEO is driven by its in-house algorithm, commonly known as Amazon’s A9 algorithm. Just like all leading search engines, Amazon too has kept it a secret as to how it ranks a particular product on its marketplace. However, through the years, many analysts, marketers, and sellers have narrowed it all down to a few deciding factors:

• Relevance: Your chosen keywords must closely match the queries customers use to find products like yours.
• Conversion Rate: Listings that convert clicks into sales rank higher, emphasizing the importance of accurate, high-quality keywords.
• Sales Velocity: The frequency of sales greatly influences your product’s rank. Consistent sales boost your visibility for targeted keywords.
• Customer Satisfaction/ Positive Review Count: Positive customer feedback and lower return rates further solidify your ranking.

Among these, sales velocity and reviews are highly influential. Be aware that sales velocity is massively impacted by your sales price. According to Statista, more than 80% of buyers on Amazon consider the price of a product as a deciding factor while for 57%, positive product reviews matter a lot when it comes to shopping on the site.

Now, let us look at another interesting fact: according to Jumpshot, more than 75% of the product clicks happen on the first page of search results. What does this mean? Even if you have a product that is priced well and has a couple of positive reviews, it will not matter much unless you bring it to the first couple of pages in the Amazon search results.

This is where keyword research comes in.

Remember the part where we spoke about text relevancy? It essentially means that the content of your product listing – your product title, description, bullet points, features, and images – need to match the search terms or keywords entered by the customers on Amazon (more about this: Amazon Listing Title Optimization).

How to get started with Keyword Research for Amazon SEO: 4-Step Framework

Now that you know the type of keywords you need to target, let us take a look at how you can go about finding these queries.

Step 1: Make a list of Basic Keywords

Let’s face it – you have to start somewhere. What better way to find keywords than to sit and brainstorm the top, potential keywords for your products. Granted that you may not find a comprehensive set of queries but they will come in handy for the next step.

Step 2: Use an Amazon Keyword Research Tools

The Amazon Auto-Suggestion Feature

You must have observed that when you type something on Amazon, it automatically gives you a list of suggestions to consider. This is, in fact, an excellent way to generate additional keywords for your products. Take those search queries you picked up in the previous step and paste it in the Amazon search box, one by one. You will get a list of suggested keywords for your main query.

Take those suggested keywords and repeat this step once again, like this:

As you can see, you are likely to find a new set of suggestions for each variation. While this step may be time-consuming, it is certainly worth the effort. The trick here is to approach it neatly and systematically to ensure that you don’t miss out on anything.

Use Google Keyword Planner Tool for Amazon Search Query Research

Google Keyword Planner is among the most popular keyword tools out there in the market. While this doesn’t necessarily target Amazon, it is still an excellent place to gather the potential keywords for your products. For every query, you will get search volume and cost per click to help you understand its popularity and how its search trends have varied in the past.

Use an Advanced Amazon Keyword Research Tool

Although basic keyword research tools can get you started, employing advanced tools provides deeper insights and precision. Here’s how you can leverage popular advanced tools:

Helium 10: Helium 10 offers a suite of keyword research tools, notably Magnet and Cerebro. “Magnet” is Helium 10’s basic keyword research engine. Begin by entering your primary keyword into Magnet to uncover relevant high-volume variations. This is basically standard and not too different from using some of the other keyword tools described above. Helium 10 provides another tool that can help you fast-track the process: Cerebro.

Step 3: Analyse Competitors’ Keywords on Amazon

With Cerebro, you can enter competitors’ ASINs and essential lookup which keywords they rank for (Amazon reverse keyword research). All you have to do is input your competitors’ listing URL and Cerebro will show you which keywords it ranks for and in which position.

This is tactically useful, because it allows you to differentiate your competing listing by highlighting keywords that have a decent search volume, but that are less competitive than keywords that are already owned by your competitors. 

In addition to that, Helium 10, but also other platforms such as Jungle Scout who offer similar tools also provide more insights, such as the competitiveness of a keyword by listing out how many sellers compete for it in relation to the average monthly search volume and so on.

Top Tip: Get the Best ROI with SellerSprite’s Amazon SEO Keyword Tools

Whether you use Helium 10, Jungle Scout or another tool really doesn’t make a huge difference from a keyword research point of view. One tool that we really like is SellerSprite. In terms of Amazon keyword research it’s comparable to all the other players, but as of the time this blog post is written, costs a lot less. Bottom line is: Using any of these tools allows you to create a robust keyword strategy tailored to your market, enhancing your product’s visibility and sales potential.

Step 4: Evaluate the Search Volume of Amazon Keywords

A question that we get a lot is around figuring out the search volume of different search queries. Most keyword research tools, including the native tool included within the Amazon Marketing platform will provide reliable keyword search volume data. One platform to be careful with is Google Ads. If you do use Google Ads data as a proxy to infer the likely search volume and the relative popularity of searches on Amazon you need to be aware that Google Ads does only provide accurate search volume data for accounts that are actively running Google ads.

Balance of Keyword Relevance & Engaging Copy

The listing needs to be such that it is optimized correctly with the right keywords, and at the same time, it is visually appealing and mesmerizing enough to make the customer hit the ‘Buy’ button. It needs to be a harmonious blend of keywords and creativity. More about this in our blog post on: Amazon Listing Title Optimization
Otherwise, you will either have a listing stuffed with keywords, that doesn’t look engaging or appealing at all, or a listing that looks good, but lacks the keywords to be picked up by Amazon’s algorithm.

Importance of Backend Search Terms in Amazon Listings

Backend search terms, found in Seller Central, play a crucial yet hidden role in Amazon SEO. These invisible keywords significantly influence product discoverability. Here’s how to optimize them:

• Include synonyms, common misspellings, abbreviations, and relevant phrases that customers might use but aren’t present in visible content.
• Avoid repetition and unnecessary punctuation to make full use of available character limits.

Effective backend keyword optimization complements visible keywords, maximizing your product’s discoverability without compromising readability or professionalism.

Tracking and Iterating Your Keyword Strategy

Keyword research and optimization should be ongoing, as market trends and customer behavior evolve continuously. Establish regular keyword tracking and analysis routines:

• Monitor keyword performance regularly using Amazon Seller Central or advanced analytics tools to assess their effectiveness.
• Adjust your keyword strategy in response to changes in search trends, market competition, or product performance metrics.

Consistent monitoring and adjustment ensure your keyword strategy remains effective, responsive, and ahead of the competition.

Final Thoughts: How to Find Good Keywords for Amazon

When you start your business on Amazon, keyword research should be right there on the top of your list with product research and validation. Without finding the relevant search queries for your product, driving traffic (let alone sales) to your listings will be difficult. Once you do find the keywords, you need to include them in your listings, backend queries, and your advertising campaigns. For inspiration, you can always look at your competitors to see the type of keywords they are using for their listings.

FAQ: Keyword Research for Amazon