Short and concise titles sound best on the Amazon Echo, but will they hurt your Amazon search ranking?
As customers embrace voice-powered digital assistants like the Echo, companies may begin to wonder whether the new technology warrants a new approach to search engine optimization.
The answer is no. The same advice holds true for the traditional screen-based Amazon and the new realm of voice: good writing always wins.
Organic search rankings will continue to drop if brands focus on short-term tactics like keyword stuffing over providing long-term value. Good content that provides a good shopper experience is always the best SEO choice – and this holds true for Alexa SEO.
Best practice for writing titles
Keep in mind that titles should describe what a product is, not what it does. They should not be packed with keywords, rebate offers, claims, or sales messaging.
Amazon provides guidance for writing screen titles in all categories, with many following this convention:
Brand name + series name + model name + form factor + unique identifier (color, capacity, size, etc.)
Those thinking about optimizing titles for voice will be well-served to follow these rules. It does make sense, though, to err on the side of writing titles succinctly.
Amazon’s Seller Support has described the optimal title length to be around 80 characters, and on the Echo, we’ve found that Amazon has shortened many best-selling product titles even further.
Reworked titles tend to top out at around 50 characters, and Amazon has usually dropped all but the essential details.
Here is an example of a title that lasts 171 words, is crammed with keywords and tricky abbreviations, and would be virtually unintelligible when read by Alexa.
We’ve reworked the light bulb title to 85 characters, an exercise that yields a title optimized for screen and for voice. It has all the essential information and would be clear when read aloud by Alexa.
LOHAS Multicolored Smart LED Bulb, A19 LED Dimmable 60W Equivalent, Works with Amazon Alexa (3 Pack)
If Amazon reworked this title for the Echo, we would expect a 50-character version that might read as follows.
LOHAS Multicolored Smart LED bulb, 3 pack, works with Alexa
As voice shopping gains in popularity, it is easy to imagine Amazon allowing brands to create this type of refined voice title for their products.
Other Alexa SEO tips
While titles remain the most important factor for getting a product to rank in organic search, there are a few additional factors at play in Amazon Alexa SEO.
Because Alexa suggests products based on users’ order history, companies interested in voice sales should focus on driving customers to their Amazon storefronts over independent ecommerce websites.
Also, Alexa will prioritize products that bear the Amazon’s Choice’s badge. To qualify for this designation, products must be a part of the Prime program, maintain competitive prices and be highly-rated by customers.
The Takeaway
Though voice commerce may feel like a brave new world, good writing is always the best strategy for achieving SEO success when selling on Amazon.
