What is Amazon Seller Authority?
Amazon Seller Authority previously referred to the seller currently holding the Buy Box, but the Amazon algorithm iteration from A9 to A10 updated that. Seller authority in Amazon now has more weight added to it beyond having the advantage of owning the Buy Box.
The Amazon A10
When a prospective buyer searches on Amazon, the given list of products presented on the website is the result of an automated computation of a set of factors for which people refer to as an algorithm. Amazon traditionally does not give any transparent information about its algorithm and how it works. That makes sense because Amazon wants to continue being seller agnostic. The e-commerce behemoth does not want any seller in the platform to game the system and get an unfair advantage in a fair marketplace. That being said, changes in product ranking in search results speak volumes in how the A10 upgrade weighs several factors. The changes reflect Amazon’s focus on bringing a better buying experience to customers. The algorithm upgrade results in rankings that lists what the AI thinks the searcher wants to get versus pushing items that bring in more profit.
What this means is that factors like PPC (pay per click) campaigns don’t weigh as much as it did, while a seller’s account health comes to the forefront. The algorithm will push not just relevant products, but will prioritize products offered by sellers who Amazon thinks are better at serving customers, with better feedback ratings, rates of return, a wider array of products offered, and a longer history of selling in the platform. Keywords, titles, product descriptions, images, bullet points, offers, and A+ content still needs to be optimized for a better product listing, of course.
To reiterate, Amazon A10 gives importance to these factors:
- A sellers’ account health
- Feedback ratings
- Returns ratings
- Variety of inventory
- Availability of stocks
- Seller history with Amazon
Amazon Seller Authority
With the push towards a better customer experience, the Amazon marketplace now gives more importance to sellers who can provide a great sales and after-sales service to buyers. Amazon seller authority is now, more than ever, given a lot of weight with the A10. This means that when buyers look for a product in Amazon, the results are tailored for their satisfaction and not for profit. What this means for you as a seller is that you need to give more importance to customer service and the feedback that you get from your buyers.
Feedback Management Matters
Feedback management is much more than disputing the neutral to negative feedback that you get. What you want as a seller is to continuously get feedback all the time, particularly if you’re just starting out. Of course, you want to encourage positive feedback by providing customer service that goes the extra mile. And with more numbers of positive feedback, your seller account health will not be as affected when you do get a less than stellar one. Another thing to consider about feedback management is that you have to pay attention to what the customers say when they do leave a note with it. For example, are they giving you a comment about your shipping? Review the potential pain points of your logistics and see where you can improve. Taking care of your seller rating and account health will contribute to getting your product ranking up with the new Amazon A10 algorithm.
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[…] Amazon seller authority used to refer to sellers who are currently holding the Buy Box, but it means so much more now that Amazon has upgraded the way that it ranks several factors in their algorithm. Seller authority now also refers to your ability to satisfy customers and prov […]