Is Amazon hacking its search rankings?

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Have you listened to Taylor Swift’s latest drop of her new album called “The Tortured Poets Department”? Go have a listen to it if you haven’t yet!

For us, though, we’ll be dropping you the latest Amazon and ecommerce news. 👀

• Amazon is hacking its search rankings 🔍
• TikTok ads feature prioritizes brand safety 📱
• Sell on Walmart Marketplace 🛒
• How to produce high-quality photos 📷

HOT TOPIC

Is Amazon ranking its products higher on the search rankings?

Joel Waldfogel, a professor of applied economics at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, thinks so.

In his email to The Register, Waldfogel discloses his study of eight million Amazon search listings across 22 Amazon domains in the US, Europe, and elsewhere, between late June 2023 and March 2024.

Quick recap

In September 2023, the US Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon, alleging biased search results – among other things. 

But Amazon denied these, claiming they do not base the ranking on whether the product is sold by Amazon Retail or a third-party seller.

Europe’s Digital Marketers Act (DMA) called Amazon a gatekeeper. They urged them to comply with new policies.

Waldfogel’s finding

• First,Amazon gave its own products search ranks that were, on average, 24 positions better. These are searches based on criteria like star ratings, prices, and other product characteristics.
• Second, the Amazon rank differential gap is hugecompared to the 142 brands included in the study.
• Third, the rank of Amazon products in Amazon search results changed substantially:the Amazon rank differential fell from a 30, to a 20 rank advantage, while other brands' search ranks did not change. This was after DMA's warning.

What does it mean for sellers?

For now, Amazon has lessened its self-preferencing tendencies. But the competition to rank remains the same. It’s still open for debate if this change will do harm or good to both buyers and sellers alike.

But it all boils down to what you think—is Amazon ranking its product higher on the search results?

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BITES OF THE WEEK

• Facebook Fail: Facebook Marketplace ranked the lowest for anti-scam measures.
• Recommending Success: The Fulfillment Insight Dashboard just got updated with personalized recommendations.
• Unlikely Return: The logistics sector may not return to previous stability.

SOCIAL PULSE

3 New TikTok features for advertisers

3 New TikTok features for advertisers

TikTok has announced 3 innovations to keep their promise of creating a “brand-safe environment for advertisers.”

TikTok Inventory Filter updates

Launched in 2022, the Inventory Filter allowed advertisers to control where the content will appear in the For You feed. Now, it has expanded to include additional controls. Advertisers can choose from three inventory tiers—Expanded, Standard, or Limited—based on sensitivity or risk levels.

• Don’t want your ads to show next to gambling content? Category Exclusion allows you tocontrol ad placement next to non-standard content categories like Gambling & Lotteries, Violent Video Games, Combat Sports, and Youth Content.

• Don’t want your ads to show next to content that doesn’t align with your brand positioning? Vertical Sensitivity enables you to exclude vertical-related content. Say you’re selling sustainable products, this feature will allow your content to be shown with other sustainable UGC-related videos, instead of wasteful ones. This way, the ad won’t feel out of place and its message will resonate longer.

• Want to secure your ad’s safety? TikTok works with third-party measurement partners to make sure the content next to your ads is brand-safe and suitable.

It looks like TikTok’s stepping up its game to safeguard its advertisers. Not advertising on this platform yet? You may want to consider it. After all, it’s gaining more casual viewers every month!

SELLER REFRESHER

How to produce high-quality product photos

How to produce high-quality product photos

Good product listing optimization can take you to the search pages. But high-quality photos can convert into sales.

These can enhance customer satisfaction, maintain brand reputation, and reduce return rates.

Amazon offers 6 tips to help you give customers the best visuals possible.

• Highlight key features. You can achieve this through composition and styling. Try framing your product in different positions and camera angles. Style your photos by experimenting with lighting, colors, textures, and additional elements.
• Use a white background. White creates a clean, focused look that enhances product details. Best practice: Have white background images and consider additional backgrounds.
• Put your product in the best light. Quality lighting accurately represents product colors, textures, and details. Experiment with natural and artificial lighting to find what works best for your product.
• Set up your product shot. Place the product on a chosen background, ensuring it's centered and flat. Set up properly with a tripod and adjust settings for sharp, focused images. Remember to take multiple shots – some for safety and backup.
• Edit and enhance your photos. Don't skimp on retouching to ensure attractive shots. Just make sure to adhere to product image requirements.
• Optimize ecommerce photos. Use JPEG, GIF, and PNG formats for compression and quality. Utilize alternate (alt) text for visually impaired customers and SEO. Also, offer mobile and responsive images for improved user experience across devices.

By following these tips and utilizing available resources, brands can create compelling product photos that attract customers and drive sales in any ecommerce marketplace.