Amazon Sales Rank (also called Best Seller Rank) defines a product’s popularity in a specific product category on Amazon.
This is one of the most important metrics for Amazon sellers. All products on Amazon have a sales rank. A good rank makes your product more visible. It also boosts your seller reputation.
Amazon updates this sales rank hourly, which leads to constant fluctuations. You can check Amazon Best Sellers to see which product has the best sales rank.
You can also improve your sales rank to gain popularity on Amazon. This article will tell you how to do it. Let’s start.
What Is the Amazon Sales Rank?
The Amazon Sales Rank ranges from one to over one million. Products with a huge sales volume have a lower Sales Rank than products with poor sales volume.
Here’s an example:
- 10.000 sales/month = ASR: 2,000
- 1.000 sales/month = ASR: 10,000
Of course, these values are just estimations. A product with 10.000 sales/month could also have an Amazon Sales Rank of 15,000 or 5,000. These numbers just give you an idea of how the system works.
Amazon calculates a product’s sales rank using the product’s last sales period. It analyzes the time gap between the present and the last time a product was sold. If your product was last sold a year ago, you will likely have a high Sales Rank.
Amazon sellers should use the sales rank to identify their current market position compared to other products in the same category. However, sellers should understand that the sales rank is based on past sales data and does not necessarily reflect future product sales.
What Is a Good Sales Rank on Amazon?
Your Amazon sales rank reflects your product’s position within its category, influenced by both sales volume and the competitive landscape. This means a rank of one million could indicate excellent performance if there are millions of competing products in that category, but it would suggest poor performance if there are only a million listings in total.
To maximize success, aim for a low sales rank. A lower rank means you’re achieving high sales compared to your competitors, which can lead to greater visibility and growth. Conversely, a high rank implies fewer sales, and that your product is underperforming relative to others in its category.
Attaining a top sales rank can qualify your product for Amazon’s “Best Seller” badge, which significantly boosts credibility and sales potential. However, in highly competitive categories, securing that best-seller position can be challenging. Thus, focusing on improving sales velocity and conversion rates will help drive your product’s rank lower, giving you a better chance to stand out, even in tough markets.
14 factors behind Amazon’s sales rank
Amazon’s search engine works differently than Google’s. Amazon uses the A9 Algorithm to determine rankings. This algorithm measures the relevance of a specific product and the sales volume compared to other products in this category.
Amazon’s algorithm strives to rank the customer’s preferred products higher than those that are not as popular. The main goal is, as always, to make more sales.
Basically, you need to increase your sales volume to improve your Amazon Sales Rank. Here are some ways to achieve this goal:
1. Category
Your product category is a huge factor for your Amazon Sales Rank. When creating your listing, you will have the option to choose from categories like “Books” or “Home and Garden.” Pick a category that suits your products to remain competitive.
You will have a better chance of earning a low sales ranking in a low-competition product category. This is a factor to consider when determining which items you want to sell.
2. Listing Optimization
Listing optimization also affects your Amazon sales rank. Sellers who optimize product listings make it easier for shoppers to find their products. Shoppers can’t buy your products if they can’t find them. These tips will ensure your Amazon listings are optimized:
- Add quality product images
- Advertise product features that benefit buyers
- Include warranty information, care instructions, and dimensions
- Set competitive prices
- Include relevant Amazon keywords
All aspects of your product description should be optimized, but the title is especially important. It is the main feature that attracts buyers to your listing. Your product title should be informative and creative. It should highlight the brand, the product name, and defining features.
3. Sales Velocity
Your Amazon sales rank is also influenced by how recent your sales are. A spike in sales will improve your rank, but maintaining it requires continued or increased sales performance. To keep a strong position, you must generate consistent sales, as Amazon’s ranking system favors products that sustain steady sales momentum.
4. Product Seasonality
If your company sells seasonal products, like holiday decorations or gardening tools, you may expect your sales rank to drop during the off-season. However, it could increase because everyone in your product category is selling less.
You can take advantage of this status by offering off-season discounts or products that may sell during slow seasons. However, once your products are back in season, sales will become competitive again and your sales rank may drop.
5. Sales History
Amazon treats your sales history like a report card, reviewing your past orders and sales frequency, which directly impacts your sales rank. Inconsistent sales can lead to a lower sales rank. To improve and maintain your rank, focus on driving consistent sales by optimizing your product listings.
6. Promotion
Consistency is key to increasing sales rankings but Amazon is a broad market; hence it is hard for a new product to achieve better rankings.
Popular products will always generate more sales than less popular products. Thus, popular products will always be popular. We call this the flywheel effect.
However, with the right promotional strategies, you can increase sales and thus your sales rank. FBA sellers can use headline search ads and sponsored ads to develop a feedback-seeking strategy from customers. With time, their rankings will improve. Also, Amazon PPC can help boost your product rankings.
7. Set competitive prices
Amazon sellers can lower their product prices to make them more competitive. However, you should never offer discounts below profitable levels and increase shipping costs to counter the difference. Amazon may detect this strategy and penalize your product.
8. Listen to Customers
Check customer reviews and queries about your products and use this information to gain a competitive edge. For example, you can provide additional information within your Amazon listing with an FAQ section based on customer queries.
You may also attract sales by finding negative reviews of competitor products and addressing various pain points. Here’s how you can find all negative reviews in seconds:
1. Sign up for a free Helium 10 account.
2. Download Helium 10’s Chrome Extension here.
3. Head over to Amazon and choose one of your competitor’s products (or yours).
4. Start Review Downloader.
5. Set up Only Verified Purchase and choose reviews with a three-star rating or less.
6. Go through these reviews, find all problems, and fix them with your product.
9. Use Google for marketing
Lots of people search for products on Google. Although Google’s and Amazon’s algorithms work differently, sellers should understand that Google is a great platform for advertising their products.
Invest in SEO to get your Amazon product page ranked in Google. Use Google Merchant Center to create a product feed that includes your product details. Optimize your listings to align with SEO standards to increase traffic and boost conversions.
10. Customer Giveaways
Giveaways are effective in attracting buyers. At first, these giveaways will result in slight losses or reduced profits, but they will help increase your sales on Amazon. More customers will buy your product which leads to better sales ranking and more visibility. It’s a worthwhile investment.
11. Differentiate your images
Different product images will break the monotony of your product photos. A seller should upload pictures from different perspectives. Doing so will make your Amazon listing more appealing.
12. Make your products eligible for Prime
Non-Prime members spend between $100 to $500 a year on Amazon. The average Prime member spends $1.4k per year. That’s a lot.
Exploit this by signing up for Amazon Prime. This strategy will help you improve and maintain your ranking.
If you use Fulfillment by Amazon, your products are automatically eligible for Prime. Do some research to find out if this service is right for you.
How To Find A Product’s Sales Rank On Amazon
Head over to the detail page of a product to find the Amazon Sales Rank. If you don’t have the exact name of the product, search for it on Amazon.
After identifying a product, click on it and scroll down the product listing. You will see the sales rank at the bottom of the page next to the product information.
Conclusion
A strong Amazon sales rank can significantly enhance your product’s visibility, increase brand awareness, and improve your reputation as a seller. This visibility often leads to higher click-through rates, more conversions, and ultimately, increased sales.
Several strategies can help boost your sales rank, such as optimizing your product listings to include relevant keywords, enhancing images, and creating compelling descriptions. Additionally, leveraging smart marketing tactics—like Amazon PPC campaigns, external traffic sources, and promotional deals—can drive traffic and increase sales velocity, which further improves your rank.
