
If you look closely at your listings on Amazon, you may have noticed that your product has an Amazon BSR or more commonly referred to as “ bestseller ranking ”. You will find this information in the "Product Description" section.
Although it says "Best Seller Rank", your product doesn't really have to be an "Amazon Best Seller" to achieve this ranking. In fact, it only takes one sale for your product to be ranked among the best sellers.
Before jumping to the ceiling, I prefer to tell you that this ranking does not mean that your product is selling much better than the others. Strange, isn't it?
The Amazon algorithm (A10) is quite complex, and it is important to understand how it works broadly, to improve your ranking on Amazon
What is the Amazon BSR?
The Best Sellers Rank is a number assigned by Amazon to a product when a sale is made. This indicator is very valuable since it shows you the quality of sales of a product on the platform.
This is because products with low sales have high SSB while products with high sales have low SSB . Thus, the lower the BSR, the greater the sales.
For example, a product that ranks seventh may have more sales than a product that ranks second. It is therefore essential to understand that just because a product's bestseller ranking is low, it does not mean that it is selling more than others. The general classification and the second level classification must be taken into account .
As you can see above, a product can have multiple best seller rankings on Amazon. This means that the product is present in several categories. Thus, a product can have an Amazon BSR of 2,500 in the “Garden” category and an Amazon BSR of 15,000 in the “Animal Supplies” category.
What is important to know is that the Amazon BSR fluctuates every hour . This is the reason why a product that just made a sale may be better positioned than a product that did not make a sale.
You are lost ? It's normal. It sounds complicated but ultimately it's quite simple. Amazon's goal is to make money . Thus, the company will highlight the products that sell the most , in order to earn as many commissions as possible . The best positions are at the top of page 1, in the first 12 results of a search. Your objective is therefore to be present in these 12 results, and if possible, to be No. 1.
How is the Amazon BSR calculated?
It's a pretty tightly kept secret by Amazon that all sellers want to know. However, it is known that several factors influence and contribute to the ranking of the best-selling products. One of the most important factors is the number of sales .
In theory, the Amazon BSR is calculated as follows:
- Sales, current and historical
- Price change and promotions appliedCompetition from similar products Amazon updates BSR values based on current and past sales. So if your product sold 10 units in an hour and your competitor sold 5 units, your SSB would be lower than theirs (the lower the better).
If in the next hour, you only sell one piece and your competitor sells 5 units, your BSR will always be lower because past sales are taken into account in the calculation. So you won't lose a position, but neither will you. The algorithm therefore examines the sales of your product as a whole and assigns it a position .
This is the reason why your position will not move even if you experience a sharp rise and then a sudden drop in sales. On the other hand, if you run out of stock for a long time, you will drop down the rankings.
What is a good BSR?
Tricky question because Amazon BSRs are different depending on the category . Indeed, a BSR of 1000 in the “Animal Supplies” category may be good while a BSR of 1000 in the “DIY” category may seem average. It depends on the speed of the market and the competition.
In a very competitive market, a BSR 1000 is a good thing while that same BSR is not good in a niche market. Logically, in a niche market, there are fewer competitors, in fact, it is quite easy to position yourself well and therefore to have a small BSR.
Generally speaking, an Amazon BSR of less than 2000 shows that the product is in high demand.
What is the difference between the Best Sellers Rank and the Organic Rank?
Increase sales for a good Amazon BSR
It's critical to understand that a low Amazon bestseller ranking doesn't mean your product ranks well organically, matching your search terms.
Keywords determine your organic ranking. In other words, they determine how well your product ranks in Amazon search results for a particular keyword. The organic classification does not influence the BSR . The search terms (or keywords) used in the title, bullet points, and description are essential for getting good organic rankings on Amazon.
Who says good organic ranking means increased sales. So the more sales you have, the better your BSR will improve.
As you can see, SSB and Organic Rank are different but are related . It's entirely possible to have a product that sells better organically without having a good SSB. This is because Amazon gives more importance to relevant products by keyword than to ranking the best sellers.
Search for good keywords
This is why it is essential to research your keywords carefully and only add those that are relevant. The organic ranking is much more important than the ranking of the best sellers. For that, you can use software like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout .
The Amazon BSR (or bestseller ranking) is the best way to estimate the "frequency" of sales rather than popularity.
3 Ways to Use Amazon BSR Information?
Easy product search for beginners
The Amazon BSR allows you to discover products that are selling well . If you go to the "best sellers" page on Amazon, you will see all of the products that are in most demand. Thus, by browsing through the categories, you will be able to identify products with high potential.
To check the BSR you can use software like Helium 10 and its extension below which will let you know if the product is good or not.
Competitor research for experienced sellers
Every Amazon seller should have an eye on the competition. The Amazon BSR allows you to compare your products to those of competitors in each category. If their BSR is better, you may need to check your keywords or the quality of your listing to boost your sales and improve your BSR.
Indeed, the optimization of your file plays an important role in your ranking. You really need to create a powerful listing to improve your conversion rate.
Amazon BSR: To estimate sales
This is a powerful feature of BSR and by far the most useful way to use data.
Suppose your product is ranked among the best sellers on Amazon France (1500). Adding up your own sales, you know that a BSR of 1,500 equals 700 sales per month. Then you can check your SSB history for the previous month. Let's say here it was at 2,500 and you made 500 sales. Historically, your BSR at the same time last year was 500 when you had 1,600 sales.
Using this data, you can easily determine if your ranking was good or not:
# 1500 with 700 sales
# 2,500 with 500 sales
# 500 with 1600 sales
As you can see, your ranking will be lower here than last year. This kind of study will allow you to see the evolution of the market and the evolution of your product compared to the competition.
This is an estimate, it is important to use software to have more precise information.
How to improve your BSR on Amazon?
It's natural to want to see your products achieve a decent SSB . Although this does not affect organic rankings, if your product can achieve a low BSR (between 1 and 100), it may appear on your category's "bestsellers" page, which is visited very often by potential customers. .
I'll be frank with you, you will have to generate more sales on Amazon to decrease your BSR and thus improve your positioning. But you also have to check the sales of your competitors. Indeed, if they also improve their sales, your ranking will not change. So you have to take market share .
To improve your ranking and your sales on Amazon, you have to activate certain levers:
1. Optimize the title of your product
The title of your product must include only the relevant keywords in relation to it, but also the color, size and possibly the name of your brand.
2. Present the benefits on bullets points
It is important to present the benefits of your product directly in the bullet points. Indeed, too many salespeople are content to present the characteristics without adding marketing. By implementing a copy-writting strategy, you can easily set yourself apart from the competition.
3. Position your price well
Price is a very important value for visitors. On the Amazon France and Europe site, I favor a Private Label strategy (brand creation). To be successful on Amazon, you need to offer quality products with possibly an additional product. Thus, by being the only one on the market to offer this, you will be able to offer a higher price.
4. Use good images
Impress your potential buyers and make your product stand out from the competition with high quality images. Indeed, visitors attach a lot of importance to photos, so you have to show your product from different angles and if possible, add emotions. By presenting its benefits, you will be able to stand out easily.
5. Give preference to Amazon FBA
Amazon favors sellers who use its delivery service. Buyers appreciate the speed of delivery and reliability that come with FBA and Prime, giving you a huge opportunity compared to the competition.
Conclusion
While the study of BSR may seem complicated at first glance, it is worth paying attention to . The benefits as an Amazon seller are huge, not only for your Amazon business but also for the evolution of your competitors' sales.
Some sellers may view Amazon's best-selling rankings as a measure of vanity, but that data isn't limited to just knowing what the best- selling product is in a marketplace.
It also allows you to compile other very valuable information to develop your business on the American platform. So I hope this article has allowed you to better understand how it works and that it will help you improve your SEO