Mastering Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank: 6 Effective Strategies to Grow Your Business

Amazon is the most trusted brand for American consumers, and selling on Amazon provides untapped potential for your business. However, listing your products on Amazon is not enough. Achieving success on the app demands a strategic understanding of how the platform operates and how to leverage its algorithms. One crucial metric is Amazon’s Best Seller Rank (BSR). BSR is a barometer of a product’s popularity and sales performance within its category.

This article will explain BSR and how it works. We’ll also uncover six effective strategies for enhancing BSR and boosting your product’s visibility and sales on Amazon.

What Is Best Sellers Rank in Amazon?

BSR stands for Best Sellers Rank on Amazon. Amazon uses this ranking system to indicate product popularity and sales performance within specific categories. Each product listed on Amazon is assigned a BSR within its respective category. BSR is updated hourly and is based on recent and historical sales data. It also includes factors like product availability, pricing, and promotions. A lower BSR means a product is selling well compared to others in its category. A higher BSR indicates lower sales than competitors.

The BSR can be a valuable metric for sellers and buyers alike. Sellers can use it to track the performance of their products and adjust their marketing strategies accordingly. Buyers can use it to gauge a product’s popularity and perceived value.

Amazon determines BSR based on sales volume data collected over time. Both recent and all-time sales contribute to BSR, with greater weight given to recent sales than older ones.

How Do You Find a Product’s BSR on Amazon?

Here’s how you can find the BSR of a product on Amazon:

• Search for the product: Go to the Amazon website and search for the product you’re interested in. (In the image example below, we searched for “on-ear headphones.”)
• Product listing: Click on the product to view its listing page.
• Product details section: Scroll down on the product listing page until you find the “Product Details” section.
• Find BSR: In the Product Details section, you should see a line that says “Best Sellers Rank” or “Amazon Best Sellers Rank.” The BSR will be listed next to it. It’s usually right beneath the product’s rating.

Remember that the lower the number, the better the product sells in its category. For instance, the headphones in the example are the eighth best-selling product in its category (“on-ear headphones”). Conversely, headphones with a BSR of #100,000 are not selling as frequently. Remember that BSR is updated hourly and will fluctuate based on an item’s sales performance.

What Is a Good Best Sellers Rank on Amazon?

A “good” BSR on Amazon can vary depending on the category and competitiveness of the product. A lower BSR indicates higher sales volume and better performance than other products in the same category. However, what constitutes a good BSR is subjective and relative to your niche. In highly competitive categories such as electronics or clothing, achieving a BSR of 10,000 or lower might be considered excellent, indicating that the product is among the top-selling items in that category. On the other hand, in less competitive or niche categories, the same BSR may mean your product is struggling.

The quality of your BSR relies on the number of products within a specific category and your ranking within that category’s top percentages (e.g., top 0.5%, 1%, 3%, etc.). Product categories experience significantly higher demand, resulting in varying daily sales figures even if you have a product with a 1,000 BSR in two categories.

Benchmarking BSR within the specific category is essential to gauge performance accurately. Seasonality, promotions, and external marketing efforts can also influence BSR fluctuations. Rather than focusing solely on achieving a specific BSR number, you should aim to maintain consistent sales momentum and track trends within their category to assess performance effectively.

What’s the Difference Between Best Sellers Rank and Google Search Ranking?

If you aren’t familiar with BSR, it might sound like Amazon’s version of a Google search ranking. But that’s not the case. While BSR and Google search ranking indicate a product’s or website’s performance, they operate within distinct ecosystems and consider varying factors in their algorithms. As we’ve discussed, BSR is a tool on Amazon that shows how well a product is performing. Search rankings on Google, however, determine a website’s visibility based on ranking factors like content relevance, backlink quality, and user experience. It caters to a broader audience searching for information or products across the internet.

Here are three critical differences between the two:

• Scope and audience: BSR targets users within Amazon, while Google Search Ranking addresses a broader audience across the internet.
  For example, Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers may rank on the first page of Google for “personal injury attorneys in New York City.”
  However, since it doesn’t sell products on Amazon, the firm won’t have any BSR score.
• Algorithmic factors: BSR focuses on sales metrics, whereas Google Search Ranking considers keywords, content quality, and backlinks.
• Short-term vs. Long-term impact: Improving BSR boosts visibility and sales within Amazon while achieving higher Google Search Rankings requires sustained efforts for long-term organic traffic growth.

While both metrics are crucial for online success, understanding their differences is essential for implementing effective optimization strategies tailored to each platform’s unique requirements.

Six Effective Ways to Improve Best Sellers Rank

Thankfully, BSR is a short-term metric that can change quickly as sales increase. Here are six ways to improve your BSR:

1. Carefully Select Product Categories

Selecting the proper product categories on Amazon is crucial for effectively increasing your BSR. Before choosing a category, research the dynamics that can impact your score. This includes analyzing each category’s competition level, demand, seasonality, and pricing trends. You want to choose categories that are relevant to your product. Then, make sure those categories have a lower level of competition. Niche categories often present less competition, making it easier for your product to stand out and achieve a higher BSR.

The image below is for a pair of women’s Under Armour sweatpants. The “Clothing, Shoes, and Jewelry” category is among the most competitive. Dive deeper into subcategories within broader categories to find the most suitable niche for your product. This allows you to target specific customer segments. It will increase visibility among potential buyers.

Check your category performance often and be prepared to adjust strategies accordingly. Stay updated on changes in Amazon’s category structure, policies, and algorithms to ensure your products remain competitive and easy to find.

2. Optimize Your Listing Copy

Optimizing your listing copy is essential for improving your product’s visibility and increasing sales on Amazon. Focus on creating compelling titles, bullet points, and product descriptions makes your listing appealing to consumers. Here are several ways to easily optimize your listing:

• Title your listing to identify the item; keep titles between 60-80 characters
• State key features clearly; also share the benefits of the product
• Incorporate relevant keywords throughout your copy to improve search visibility
• Use high-quality images (no blurry photos; see #4 below)
• If possible, provide video (see #5 below)

By optimizing your listing copy effectively, you can maximize your product’s visibility, attract more customers, and ultimately boost your Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR).

3. Price Your Items Competitively

Competitive pricing plays a pivotal role in boosting your BSR. Conduct thorough market research to understand pricing trends within your product category. Set your prices competitively by offering customers value while maximizing your profit margins.

Product quality, features, and customer service should determine your pricing point. Don’t be afraid to watch competitor prices regularly and adjust your prices as necessary. Use Amazon’s dynamic pricing tools to automate price adjustments based on market conditions and competitor activity. (Note: it’s $39.99 a month + selling fees to use Amazon’s automated pricing tool.)

Competitively pricing your items can attract more customers, increase sales, and improve your BSR position on Amazon’s marketplace.

4. Use High-quality Images

How often do you find a blurry photo on an Amazon listing? Too frequently, right? Enhancing your listing images is crucial for improving your product’s appeal. Invest in professional-quality product photography to showcase your items. Also, include images from multiple angles and in various contexts.

Ensure images are high-resolution, well-lit, and accurately represent your product’s features and benefits. Incorporate lifestyle images that show how your product can be used or its size. This dog leash listing photo is large and clear. Even better, one photo displays several product features.

Follow Amazon’s image guidelines to optimize image size, format, and placement for maximum visibility and impact.

5. Add a Video to Your Listing

Incorporating a video into your listing can significantly enhance your product’s appeal and drive engagement on Amazon. Over 73% of consumers are more likely to purchase after viewing a product video. What does that mean for you? Create a high-quality video that showcases your product in action, highlighting its features, benefits, and unique selling points.

Keep the video concise, engaging, and informative, focusing on critical aspects that resonate with your target audience. Videos that explain how to use the product are beneficial, like this explanation of how to install gutter guards (watch the video):

Follow Amazon’s video guidelines to ensure compatibility and optimal device viewing experience. Here are the video specifications:

• 480p or higher is recommended
• Use a 16:9 aspect ratio
• Must be under 5GB in file size
• Must be in .mp4 or .mov file format
• The video title should be 60 characters or less

Check your view count and engagement rate to ensure your video produces the desired results. Adding a compelling video to your listing can capture attention, build trust, and increase sales.

6. Encourage reviews and ratings

Encouraging reviews and ratings can make all the difference in your BSR. Products with higher ratings and positive reviews rank higher in Amazon’s search results. Amazon’s algorithm prioritizes products that are more likely to satisfy customers, increasing visibility for well-reviewed items. You’ll get positive reviews when you sell quality products and have excellent customer service.

This tactic is used in any industry for any service or product. Attorneys of Chicago highlight their reviews on their website for a good reason. It is what convinces potential clients to contact them. 77% of shoppers specifically seek out websites with ratings and reviews.

Use follow-up emails to request reviews from satisfied customers after their purchase politely. Respond promptly and courteously to customer inquiries and concerns to show your commitment to customer satisfaction. Avoid incentivizing or manipulating reviews. This violates Amazon’s policies and can result in penalties.

You can also consider including an image that displays your results for potential customers. Norden Leacox Lawyers does this by giving potential clients clear numbers on how much they have saved for clients.

Let us translate that idea into what it could look like for a product:

Getting that coveted Amazon Best Seller Badge may take some time. However, if you stick to these six tactics, you will climb the Amazon BSR charts over time.

Improving Your Amazon Best Sellers Rank – Wrapping It up

Understanding and improving your Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR) is crucial for maximizing your sales potential and overall success on the platform. By carefully selecting product categories, optimizing your listing copy, pricing items competitively, enhancing listing images, adding engaging videos, and encouraging reviews and ratings, you can significantly boost your BSR and increase visibility, credibility, and sales.