August 7th, 2023
It can be perplexing for sellers to identify their place in Amazon’s vast market. Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR) provides insight into a seller's product performance in comparison to competitors. This valuable data can be seen on the product detail page, indicating the amount of sales your product generates hourly.
Amazon Best Sellers Rank is a great indicator of your product’s popularity, providing a real-time overview of your sales volume. Your Best Sellers Rank is calculated based on recent and cumulative sales data, with greater emphasis on recent purchases. This ranking does not incorporate customer feedback or page view information or necessarily reflect product quality or consumer satisfaction.
For Amazon sellers, tracking and using this information to your advantage can help boost performance, visibility, and sales. Learning to interpret your Best Sellers Rank and adapting your tactics accordingly can give you the competitive advantage you need to succeed in the world’s largest marketplace.
What is Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank?
Your Amazon BSR is an approximate estimation of your product’s sales volume. Amazon creates category and subcategory best-seller lists, highlighting products with the best rankings. It shows how well your product is selling compared to other similar products in your category and can be used to gauge your recent and overall performance.
The Best Sellers Rank for your product(s) is public information that can be viewed on your product detail page below customer reviews. Shoppers can also search for Amazon best sellers by category to locate popular products relevant to their search. The higher the sales of a product, the lower its BSR will be. That means, the closer you get to #1, the better.
How Is My Amazon Best Sellers Rank Calculated?
Similar to Amazon’s search algorithm, the Best Sellers Rank is a sales-based reflection of your product’s success. Based on hourly sales and overall sales history, this algorithm ranks and estimates the current and predicted sales of your product.
The Amazon Best Sellers Rank refreshes every hour for the highest 10,000 items in each category, and on a daily basis for those ranked between 10,000 and 100,000. For items with a higher ranking of over 100,000, their rankings are recalculated monthly. Although it may fluctuate by category, an Amazon BSR of 1-10,000 is generally what you want to shoot for.
Your Amazon BSR is calculated based on:
- Current sales
- Overall sales history
- Promotions
- Price changes
- Competitor sales
To understand your Best Sellers Rank, it’s important to also understand its limitations. This metric does not factor in your organic ranking, customer reviews, and product ratings, which can also play a crucial role in your overall performance.
How Do I Check My Amazon Best Seller Rank?
To locate an item's Best Sellers Rank, navigate to the "Product Details" section on your product page. There, you will be able to view your product's ranking. If the product has not had any sales, the rank will be labeled as "None".
For new sellers, you can use your Amazon BSR to pinpoint the best product, category, and niche for your brand. Reviewing best sellers can help you identify potential opportunities and choose a product category that will sell and rank well.
How Do I Improve My Amazon Best Seller Rank?
Knowledge is power. Once you’ve located your Amazon BSR, there are a variety of ways to improve it and boost your overall performance. Use your ranking as a tool to develop a strong sales strategy.
Consider Your Product Category and Niche
Selecting a profitable product category is one of the most effective ways to succeed on Amazon. Reviewing Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank can help you select a category with room for growth. If there’s too much competition in your product category, it can be difficult to improve your Amazon BSR and overall performance.
Your niche refers to your subcategory on Amazon. A profitable niche can help you infiltrate smaller, less competitive markets. With millions of products being sold on Amazon, finding a niche with high demand, low competition, and a healthy profit margin is an effective strategy to boost your Best Seller Rank and attract customers who are more likely to complete a purchase.
Optimize Product Listings
Optimizing your product listing is a great way to improve performance and increase your Amazon BSR. Your product detail page should be engaging and informative, providing shoppers with the information they need to make an informed purchase.
Let’s review the elements of an optimized listing:
- SEO
To improve your ranking, relevant keywords should be infused throughout your product listing. For best results, start by conducting keyword research to identify long-tail and short-tail keywords.
- Images
High-quality images and videos can engage shoppers and boost sales. Use all of your available image slots and incorporate informative graphics, professional-quality product shots on a white background, and lifestyle images to represent your product.
- Title
Use the first five words on your title to clearly describe what your product is and what it does. Your title should include relevant keywords and follow Amazon’s recommended title formula:
Brand + Product Name + Product Type + Color/Size/Quantity
- Bullet Points
Your bullet points should highlight your product’s most important features and benefits. Keep this section short and concise. Keep in mind, mobile shoppers may only be able to view the top three, so prioritize the most important information first.
- A+ Content
Replacing your product description with striking A+ Content can help you stand out from your competitors. When well-executed, A+ content can boost sales by up to 10%. Use this space to add high-quality visuals and expand on product features and benefits with concise copy.
- A/B Testing
You can enhance your performance by modifying and split-testing elements of your product listing. By using A/B testing, you have the opportunity to create a second version of your title, description, and bullet points and experiment with pricing.
Update Your Pricing Strategy
Having the lowest price can help increase sales and improve your Amazon BSR. Many Amazon shoppers search for the lowest-priced product that meets their search. Lowering your price, offering bundles, and running promotions or deals can help clear excess inventory and attract new customers.
However, this may not be applicable to all product categories. For high-end items, increasing prices could potentially raise the perceived value of your product. To avoid deterring potential customers with excessively high prices, consult an experienced Amazon consultant who specializes in pricing optimization.
Increase Sales with PPC Advertising
Using PPC advertising is a powerful method to improve your Amazon Best Sellers Rank, attract new customers, and boost revenue. One great advantage of utilizing Amazon PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising is that you only pay for the clicks you actually receive on your ads.
Amazon offers a few options for PPC advertising:
- Sponsored Product Ads
These advertisements target specific keywords to increase sales of your product, which can ultimately improve your Amazon Best Sellers Rank. - Sponsored Display Ads
These advertisements target shoppers who have searched for similar products or have visited your product listing without making a purchase. - Video Ads
Found on Amazon's websites, mobile apps, Fire tablet wake screen, and across the web, these ads give you the opportunity to recruit new customers, boost sales, and improve your Amazon BSR.
Use Social Proof to Boost Performance
To make informed purchases, Amazon shoppers heavily rely on social proof. Giving shoppers the opportunity to see and read user-generated content is a great way to improve your Amazon Best Sellers Rank and cultivate customer loyalty.
Social proof is founded on three basic principles: uncertainty, similarity, and expertise. Learning how shoppers like them have used and benefited from your product is one of the most powerful tactics for validating your brand reputation, attracting new customers, and increasing sales. Ultimately, it’s far easier to trust your peers than a seller who is financially invested in the sale.
Let’s review some ways to boost your performance with social proof:
- Reviews and Ratings
95% of shoppers check reviews before making a purchase. Shoppers trust other shoppers to give them honest feedback about products. To improve your brand reputation and Best Sellers Rank, work with your Amazon account manager to acquire a collection of positive reviews.
More than half of shoppers are willing to pay more to a company with good reviews. To attain the social proof you need, quickly address customer questions and feedback and offer discounts and deals. For new products, take advantage of Amazon’s Early Reviewer Program and Amazon Vine.
- Social Media
On social media, customers and followers can comment, share, and like your posts in front of a captivated audience of their peers. When potential customers see others using or endorsing your products, it can boost their confidence in purchasing from you.
Developing a strong social media strategy can distinguish you from your competitors and attract new customers. Crafting compelling posts, responding to comments, and strategically incorporating popular or unique hashtags can help you gain followers and drive sales.
- Influencer Marketing
Influencers are widely trusted for their honest reviews and expert knowledge in various product categories like health and beauty or home decor. Their content gives shoppers the assurance they need to feel confident about making a purchase.
Do your research and search for hashtags that are relevant to your product category. To find the right influencer to promote your products, target existing customers with a large following, followers who actively engage with you on social media, or people who promote similar products.
Best Practices for Maintaining a High Amazon Best Sellers Rank
On Amazon, it’s crucial to stay on top of your accounts and consistently look for ways to improve performance. To outshine your competitors, stay on top of your metrics, competitors, and customer service, and be willing to make adjustments as needed.
Monitor Your Amazon Account Health
While it’s not the only metric you should be tracking, your Best Sellers Ranking can be used as an indicator of your overall performance. To keep a big-picture view, be sure to monitor the three primary factors of your account health:
- Customer Service Performance and Order Defect Rate
Quickly answer customer questions and provide an exceptional customer experience.
- Product Policy Compliance
Abide by Amazon’s policies and stay informed about all policy changes.
- Shipping Performance
Be sure to ship orders out on time and provide valid tracking information.
Conduct Competitor Analysis
Keep tabs on competitor product releases and promotions, and explore ways to set yourself apart by providing exceptional products, bundles, and deals. Identify opportunities for differentiation that would persuade shoppers to select your product over other similar ones.
Turn the Negative into a Positive
You can’t please everyone every time. Addressing problems and concerns promptly and politely is one of the most effective ways to turn an unhappy customer into a repeat buyer. Develop a strategy for managing product issues and returns. With exceptional customer service and communication, you’re more likely to attain a great Best Sellers Rank.
Looking to improve your Amazon Best Sellers Rank? Our Amazon account management team is here to help! We work with you to develop customized strategies that boost sales and improve your metrics on Amazon. From listing optimization to PPC management and customer service, we’re equipped with all the tools you need to grow your brand and meet your goals. Get started today with a free consultation.