Everybody with an internet connection knows how important keywords are. They are the grease that keeps the internet wheels turning – or, at, least, it keeps the search engines running. Ranking keywords in content may seem intrinsically unfair, but, since it's impossible for a person to look at every entry across the entire web for 'dog treats', search engines have to find some way to prioritize the results. This is why keywords, and keyword ranking, are so important.
How Keyword Ranking Works
Walmart, like Amazon and YouTube, has its own search engine. Some would even say that all three platforms essentially ARE search engines. When a buyer is looking for dog treats on Walmart, they want to actually find dog treats: that are for sale, that are available, and that maybe have some information about the options.
Ecommerce websites want nothing more than to help the customer find what they want – as quickly and as accurately as possible. That's why Walmart built a powerful search engine. No one outside of Walmart actually knows how that search engine works, but long time Ecommerce sellers have developed a pretty good idea.
Ranking highly on a Walmart search is dependent on a number of factors, such as:
- Item reviews
- Conversion rates
- Item availability
- Merchant reviews
- Keywords
- Search volume
Knowing that a product fits what the customer is searching for is critical to Walmart. The retail giant uses sophisticated algorithms to 'rank' all products on each and every possible keyword, which is why sellers often try to cram every possible keyword into a product title and description.
This practice of keyword cramming can actually be counter-productive. Getting a product in front of a potential client is only the first step to actually making a sale. It's also vitally important for the customer to be able to understand your listing and determine if it's the right item for them.
The Power of Keyword Search Volume
Search volume is perhaps the most critical, yet overlooked aspect of keyword optimization. Simply put, search volume measures how many people are actually searching for a specific term within a given timeframe.
Why does this matter for Walmart sellers?
- Resource Allocation: High-volume keywords represent larger potential audiences, making them worth more of your optimization efforts. Targeting keywords with significant search volume ensures you're not wasting resources on terms nobody uses.
- Competitive Intelligence: Keywords with high search volume tend to be more competitive. Understanding this relationship helps you balance the effort required to rank against the potential traffic gain.
- Seasonal Planning: Search volume fluctuates throughout the year for many products. Tracking these patterns allows you to anticipate demand spikes and adjust your keyword strategy accordingly.
- Category Insights: Analyzing search volume across related keywords provides valuable insights into how customers think about and search for products in your category.
Smart Walmart sellers don't just focus on ranking for any keywords - they prioritize terms with substantial, relevant search volume that matches their product offering and business goals.
Conversions – when the searcher actually makes a purchase - are the most important outcome of any search. For both individual Walmart.com sellers and for Walmart Marketplace itself. The Walmart algorithm is focused totally on helping the customer make the right purchase for them, no matter who the seller is. Walmart became one of the world's largest retailers by focusing first and last on customer satisfaction. Using the right keywords with appropriate search volume can help the algorithm know which customers are looking for your products.
As a 3rd party seller, the main goal is to capture the 'Buy Box'. The sellers who have control of this all-important feature are virtually guaranteed the largest share of the sales of an item. Studies have shown that customers use the 'Buy Box' when making their purchases about 80% of the time.
While there are a number of considerations that go into awarding the Buy Box, having good keyword rank for important search terms relating to items for sale is very important. Having command of the top search terms for any products you are selling is vital to become a top-rated supplier for Walmart Customers.
How to Use Keywords
Step 1: Research for Relevant Keywords with Meaningful Search Volume
Using good keywords for Search Engine Optimization is more than just writing the same phrase a bunch of different ways. And it's more than just finding clever synonyms for the product name and description. Sellers need to know:
- How a BUYER will search
- Which terms have meaningful search volume
- What competitive landscape exists for those terms
There are usually hundreds or thousands of different ways buyers will search. The key is identifying which of these terms have sufficient search volume to be worth targeting. A keyword with high relevance but virtually no search volume will drive minimal traffic, while extremely high-volume general terms may be too competitive.
Sellegr8's Keywords Discovery: Revealing How Buyers Actually Search
This is where Sellegr8's powerful Keywords Discovery feature becomes invaluable for Walmart sellers. Unlike traditional keyword research tools that rely on generic data, Sellegr8's Keywords Discovery works by systematically scanning the actual Walmart.com catalog to find precisely which keywords are helping products rank in real-time searches.
The feature works by:
- Analyzing product ranking data from across Walmart's marketplace
- Identifying which specific search terms are successfully leading buyers to products like yours
- Measuring the effectiveness of those keywords in driving conversions
- Revealing hidden keyword opportunities that competitors may have missed
What makes Keywords Discovery particularly powerful is that it shows you exactly how real Walmart shoppers are searching for and finding products in your category. This isn't theoretical data - it's a direct window into buyer behavior on the platform where you're selling.
For example, you might discover that while you've been optimizing for "waterproof bluetooth speaker," actual Walmart shoppers are finding similar products through searches like "shower speaker with long battery life" or "pool music speaker" - terms with substantial search volume that you might never have considered otherwise.
By leveraging Sellegr8's Keywords Discovery, you gain access to the actual search language your potential customers are using, allowing you to align your listings with proven search patterns rather than guessing at what might work.
It's important for serious sellers to invest in an excellent resource for actionable keywords to use in every product listing, one that provides accurate search volume data specifically for the Walmart marketplace.
Step 2: Embed Keywords in Product Listing
Once you have a good list of keywords and key phrases that other sellers are using successfully - prioritized by search volume - you can craft a product description, key features and attributes to make optimal use of them.
Make sure your descriptions sound conversational, and make sure they are readable – not just a jumble of possible key phrases. Remember that your product ultimately must appeal to a real human. Observe the descriptions of top selling brands in your niche. NEVER COPY, but use successful listings to get yours started in the right direction.
When embedding keywords, prioritize those with higher search volume in prominent positions like:
- Product titles
- First bullet points
- First paragraph of description
- Backend search terms
This strategy ensures maximum visibility for terms that shoppers are actually using.
Step 3: Track Keywords Ranking & Search Volume Trends
Most sellers stop at Step 2, so you can fast-track your listings to Page 1 by going one step farther. Top sellers know the value of a tool that monitors:
- The effectiveness of both organic and sponsored keywords in real time
- Search volume fluctuations over time
- The relationship between ranking and conversion for specific terms
In addition to tracking the keyword performance of your own listings, Sellegr8 also provides up to the minute information about your competitor listings. You are able to find out instantly if a competitor is ranking higher while using the same keywords, if they are outbidding you on keyword sponsorship, or advertising in other ways. Sellegr8 can also analyze and provide visual data on keywords over time to take into account any seasonality of products and purchasing trends.
By monitoring search volume trends, you can:
- Identify emerging high-potential keywords before competitors
- Spot declining terms that may need less attention
- Recognize seasonal patterns and plan content accordingly
- Allocate advertising budget to terms with optimal volume-to-competition ratios
Better keyword rankings have a snowball effect on your Ecommerce business. The higher your products rank in Walmart searches, the higher the number of customers who will have a chance to view your product. Keeping your listings clean and clear by using only the most strategically powerful key phrases can give a huge boost to your conversions rates. High conversion rates boost your product ranking, and bring your efforts full circle.
Search Volume: The Metric That Separates Amateurs from Professionals
What distinguishes casual sellers from ecommerce professionals is how they approach keywords. While beginners focus only on relevance, professionals understand that the real opportunity lies in finding the perfect balance between:
- Search Volume: How many potential customers use this term
- Relevance: How closely the term matches your product
- Competition: How difficult it will be to rank for this term
By developing a keyword strategy that prioritizes terms with optimal search volume for your specific products, you position your Walmart listings for maximum visibility with the right audience.
Focusing on keyword and key phrase optimization - with particular attention to search volume metrics - is an excellent way to make your good listings even better and can help Walmart.com 3rd party sellers grow their business and speed ahead of the competition.
Go to Sellegr8.com today and check out their fantastic suite of tools focused exclusively on Walmart Marketplace sellers. You can even get access to ALL the features of this powerful application free for 14 days, so take it for a risk-free test drive today.