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, he wants 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 she wants – 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
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.
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 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
Research for Relevant Keywords Step 1. 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. And there are usually hundreds or thousands of different ways buyers will search. It’s important for serious sellers to invest in an excellent resource for actionable keywords to use in every product listing.
Embed Keywords in Product Listing
Step 2. Once you have a good list of keywords and key phrases that other sellers are using successfully, 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.
Track Keywords Ranking
Step 3. Most sellers stop at Step 2, so you can fast-track your listings to Page 1 by going a one step farther. Top sellers know the value of a tool that monitors the effectiveness of both organic and sponsored key words in real time. Ecommerce sellers such as Walmart rank products on just about every possible key word and key phrase combination imaginable. Without a powerful application in place to review and report how well each keyword/key phrase is performing, sellers are in the dark trying to figure out what is working and what needs to be changed. Sellegr8.com is able to do this mission critical monitoring in a way that puts powerful marketing information into your hands.
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.
A keyword dashboard like Sellegr8’s can provide real-time information to help you score, and maintain Page One Ranking for your products. Competition is fierce for top rankings on all Ecommerce sites, and Walmart is no exception. Having round-the-clock access to such finely granulated keyword tracking gives users an incredible tool for adjusting and experimenting with product descriptions, titles and key attributes.
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.
Focusing on keyword and key phrase optimization 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.
About the Author
Alon Saggie is an entrepreneur, Sellegr8's co-founder and a veteran eCommerce seller, who helps other sellers crush it on Walmart.com.