{"id":133650,"date":"2022-08-21T05:12:48","date_gmt":"2022-08-21T05:12:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.similarweb.com\/corp\/?p=133650"},"modified":"2026-05-12T14:19:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T14:19:56","slug":"marketplace-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.similarweb.com\/blog\/ecommerce\/retail-insights\/marketplace-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"Clicks to Sales: How to Nail Marketplace SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most of the time when we hear SEO<\/a>, our minds jump to popular search engines like Google. And if you already have a presence online, there\u2019s no doubt that you understand the importance of keyword rankings and SERP positions and features<\/a> to drive high-quality and high-quantity traffic to your website.<\/p>\n

But traffic isn\u2019t the only way to get more eyes on your product, brand, or business. Most ecommerce sales today are conducted on popular marketplaces and Big Box retailers like Amazon, Target, Walmart, and eBay, where traditional SEO just doesn\u2019t cut it.<\/p>\n

Marketplace SEO is a different game with a new set of rules. Yes, the idea behind it is similar to traditional SEO, but there are subtle nuances that will help you rank higher and get more clicks on your products.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in the ecommerce business and looking to up your marketplace SEO strategy, keep reading for our tips on getting more clicks to sales.<\/p>\n

What is marketplace SEO?<\/h2>\n

Marketplace SEO is the process of optimizing your product listings to boost organic clicks and in turn produce higher ecommerce conversions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most marketplaces have their own internal algorithms that decide which pages to showcase depending on digital consumer behavior<\/a>. However, unlike traditional SEO content<\/a> which emphasizes answering probable search queries, SEO for marketplaces focuses on what someone is likely to buy.<\/p>\n

For example, if you ask Google What are the best women\u2019s running shoes?<\/i> you\u2019ll see the first few hits are articles that answer that query exactly.<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

However, visitors to an online marketplace are already further down the funnel and more likely to make a purchase than those doing initial research on a search engine. They won\u2019t type in a question but a specific keyword for the product they\u2019re hoping to buy.<\/p>\n

In the example below, we see that Amazon ranks ASICS and Brooks shoes high, with multiple products appearing in the top results for women\u2019s running shoes.<\/p>\n

\"Amazon<\/p>\n

Assume that any content listed will affect your SEO ranking within a marketplace depending on the keywords you include. Title and description are important, as well as product information, reviews, pricing, and more. A higher ranking in a marketplace\u2019s search results will undoubtedly lead to more clicks and sales.<\/p>\n

Why is marketplace SEO important?<\/h2>\n

No matter what you\u2019re listing, your main goal is to drive sales and outperform your competitors. SEO for marketplaces is one of the easiest ways to do it organically.<\/p>\n

Marketplace shoppers have transactional search intent<\/a> and are generally ready to make a purchase. If your content is tailored to their specific needs and matches their intention, you\u2019ll drive more sales.<\/p>\n

Five key benefits of marketplace SEO<\/h3>\n

More clicks to your product pages lead to more sales. This in and of itself is a reason to hop on the marketplace SEO bandwagon if you\u2019re not already doing it. But in case you needed a few more reasons to kickstart your marketplace strategy<\/a>, here are five additional benefits for any ecommerce brand hoping to make an impact:<\/p>\n

1. You can discover new ways to improve your traditional SEO<\/b><\/p>\n

Just because a marketplace prioritizes content differently from search engines, the keywords you\u2019ll use to optimize your listings are probably similar to those that could help your website rise in SERP rankings. In some instances, it’s 2-for-1 keyword research<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read more: 9 Keyword Research Advantages You Only Get with Similarweb<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Strong marketplace SEO builds trust and credibility<\/b><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re showing up on the first results, you can assume that buyers will trust that you\u2019re a reliable brand. Once you\u2019ve established credibility, you\u2019ll build a loyal customer base<\/a> that will keep returning to you and even purchase directly from your brand website next time.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

3. You\u2019ll get better reviews<\/b><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re using the right keywords, your product will match search intent. As long as your product meets customers\u2019 expectations, you\u2019ll get better reviews which will only enhance your listings further. Use our Amazon Keyword tool<\/a> to get real search data from within Amazon and make sure your keyword choices are accurate.<\/p>\n

4. It\u2019s incredibly cost-effective<\/b><\/p>\n

Once you know which keywords to target, it\u2019s free to add them to your listing. As with any organic marketing tactic, results may come in time, but when they do the ROI will be exponential.<\/p>\n

5. You\u2019ll get a much-needed competitive edge<\/b><\/p>\n

Online marketplaces<\/a> have revolutionized the ecommerce world. Take Amazon for example, which made $9.1 billion a week in 2021<\/a>, the equivalent of $903,300 per minute and $15,100 per second. If you want to get a piece of that pie, it means competing with the nearly 10 million sellers on Amazon offering different products.<\/p>\n

A good marketplace SEO strategy is your first starting point to stand out from the competition and increase your chances of success and customer acquisition.<\/p>\n

\"Amazon<\/p>\n

How is marketplace SEO different from ecommerce SEO<\/h3>\n

Marketplace SEO shouldn\u2019t be confused with the ecommerce SEO<\/a> strategy that you\u2019ll implement on your own website.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re optimizing your site for ecommerce SEO, you have total control over the content, technical aspects, and keywords you choose to target. Your main goal is to drive traffic to your products and convert visitors into customers. While as a seller your goal is the same in a marketplace, you\u2019re competing with hundreds, if not thousands, of similar products all vying for the same keywords, meaning you have to be much more strategic and data-driven<\/a>. In addition, you\u2019re limited to what you can control based on the marketplace\u2019s specific set of rules.<\/p>\n

Marketplaces themselves have to appeal to both sellers and buyers, making SEO more complicated. While a marketplace is ranking your listings based on keywords vis-a-vis your main competitors, it\u2019s also ranking you according to your relevance to buyers.<\/p>\n

Nine tips to ace marketplace SEO<\/h2>\n

No matter where you choose to list your products, you should follow these nine ways to nail your marketplace SEO and convert more clicks to sales.<\/p>\n

1. Start with data-driven keyword research<\/b><\/p>\n

You probably already have a website SEO strategy<\/a>, but that doesn\u2019t mean you can skip keyword research for your marketplace. Google ranks articles higher that answer probable search queries. If we go back to our women\u2019s shoe examples, this could be what are the best women\u2019s running shoes <\/i>or just best women\u2019s running shoes.<\/i><\/p>\n

Visitors to Amazon<\/a>, eBay, Walmart, and other marketplaces hoping to buy a new pair of sneakers won\u2019t ask a question. They\u2019ll search for Nike women’s<\/i> running shoes<\/i> or women\u2019s running shoes with arch support<\/i>. In fact, many marketplaces disregard subjective keywords like \u201cbest\u201d or \u201ctop\u201d when ranking products, so having those in your listings could harm your product placement.<\/p>\n

Similarweb\u2019s On-Site Search Optimization<\/a> tool can help you identify the right keywords for marketplace SEO, such as high-performing Amazon keywords<\/a> with potential for organic and paid strategies.<\/p>\n

\"Amazon<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to do some manual keyword research. Although a bit more time-consuming, a quick way to see in real-time what users are searching for is to just use the autofill feature in the marketplace’s search bar. Go to the search bar and start typing in a keyword to see the suggestions displayed \u2013 these are good long-tail keywords<\/a> that are frequently searched.<\/p>\n

\"Longtail<\/p>\n

2. Optimize all aspects of your product listing<\/b><\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve determined the keywords that are most likely to satisfy consumer demand<\/a>, include them in all aspects of your product listings (more on this below). If you have a well-known brand, especially among loyal customers, include it as part of the keywords you weave throughout your listing.<\/p>\n

Here are a few tips on how to do it on Amazon:<\/p>\n