Amazon Backend Keywords: Everything You Need to Know in 2024

Are you looking to enhance your Amazon listing with invisible SEO juice?

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? “Invisible SEO”. Well, that’s precisely what Amazon backend keywords are: invisible. And they do a fantastic job making your product more discoverable for customers. 

In this blog post, we will cover the best practices when adding backend keywords to your product listings. Armed with this Amazon keyword know-how, your product will shoot up in relevant searches, attracting a wave of curious shoppers ready to click your product’s “Buy Now” button.

First, let’s check we’re clear on Amazon backend keywords, aka “search terms”. 

What are Amazon Backend Keywords?

Search Terms are backend keywords that allow you to create engaging and readable content on your product page without keyword stuffing. Any words or phrases that describe your product that you couldn’t include in your product page belong in your “search terms” section. When you add keywords to your “search terms”, you ensure Amazon indexes all keywords relevant to the product. Customers do not see these keywords on your listing. The result? Adding keywords on the “backend” of your product listings further enhances the discoverability of products within the Amazon algorithm!

Do I have to Include Backend Keywords for My Product Type? 

While it isn’t compulsory for many categories to fill out backend keywords, this is no longer an option for some categories. As of December 6th, 2023, the following 23 product types require Amazon sellers to fill out the “Generic Keyword” (backend keyword) field in their product listing:

• Artificial tree
• Art and craft supply
• Bath toy
• Body paint
• Bath pillow
• Bath safety seating
• Bar tool set
• Bathroom container set
• Bathtub shower mat
• Broom
• Bookend
• Bed skirt
• Body positioner
• Bedding set
• Body deodorant
• Balloon
• Bed linen
• Board game
• Bed linen set
• Blanket
• Body care product
• Beauty
• Party favor

How Do I Add Amazon Backend Keywords to My Amazon Listing?

Don’t worry – you don’t need to be tech-savvy to navigate your way to the backend keyword section of your listing.

Follow these five steps, and you’ll be ready to begin entering your backend keywords in minutes: 

• Log in to your Amazon Seller Central account.
• Under the ‘Inventory’ drop-down menu, click “Manage Inventory.”
• Find the listing where you want to add backend keywords. Click the ‘Edit’ button.
• It opens the seller backend, where you’ll arrive at the “Offer” tab.
• Click on the “Keywords” tab. Here, you will find the search terms section.

How Many Backend Keywords Can I Add to My Amazon Listing? 

You’re limited to 250 bytes when adding backend keywords to your listing. 

Here’s a quick distinction between bytes and how they relate to different characters.

One byte: Letters from A to Z and numbers.

Two bytes: A letter such as “â” is two bytes. 

Three bytes: A symbol such as a euro sign “€” is three bytes. 

Amazon will show you an error message if you exceed the 250-byte limit, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally exceeding this amount. 

Quick Tip: Here’s a byte counter tool we use to ensure no disappointment when we upload our backend keywords.

Where Do I Find Relevant Backend Keywords for My Amazon Listing?

Thankfully, adding backend keywords doesn’t have to be a guessing game. There are plenty of handy tools and techniques to make conducting backend keyword research for your listing a breeze. 

Let’s begin with the basics:

Amazon Search Bar

Straightforward. Free. To the point. Head over to your Amazon marketplace and begin typing a relevant keyword related to your product into the search bar. Amazon will suggest auto-fill options connected to your keyword.

For example, I’m selling a bird feeder on the Amazon US marketplace. I type the keyword “Bird feeder” into my Amazon search box. Here’s what I see: 

Interesting! These are long-tail keyword search terms customers are searching on Amazon related to the keyword “Bird Feeder.”

Now, let’s say in my bird feeder listing, I haven’t mentioned the bird feeder is “Squirrel proof.” What would I do? Add “Squirrel proof” to my backend keywords. I mentioned my bird feeder is intended for outdoor use several times in my list, but I didn’t use the synonym “outside” – another powerful backend keyword added to my list! Do you see how this method can help you locate some valuable Amazon backend keywords? While this method will take some time, it does work. 

Once you’ve exhausted the Amazon search bar technique, begin to look at your competitor listing titles. Do they have any words that you’re not using in your listing? Great! Add them to your backend. And to take it one step further, scroll down and read through customer reviews. You might find customers who use alternative ways to name the product you’re selling. 

Keyword Research Tools

Are you a more data-driven individual? While using the Amazon search bar and collecting data from your competitor listings are handy, there’s a downside: it’s not data-directed. That’s where Amazon research tools step in. 

Some of our favorite tools for Amazon keyword research are Helium 10, Jungle Scout, and Merchant Words.

These keyword tools allow you to analyze specific keywords and close alternatives, view your competitor keywords, analyze keyword trends, and view search volume metrics. 

Amazon Search Term Reports

Good news: If you’re running Amazon PPC campaigns, you’ve got a treasure trove of keyword data at your fingertips! When you use PPC, Amazon tracks the conversion and click-through data in a search terms report, enabling you to figure out exactly what people searched for when they bought your product.

One of the most powerful ways to find new keywords your customers are searching to discover (and purchase!) your products is data from automatic PPC campaigns. When you run an automatic campaign, the Amazon algorithm finds relevant keywords related to your product listing. Download the search terms report once your automatic campaign runs for a few weeks. From there, you can analyze what keywords drive the most conversions on your listing. You’re likely to find a whole host of keywords you never thought of that result in sales! Now, add your newly found keyword to your backend keyword. Voila! 

While this method does cost money, you’re still gaining sales while running PPC and collecting valuable keywords for your product. Our advice: don’t skip PPC for your product listings!

5 Proven Tips for Optimising Your Amazon Backend Keywords

1. Avoid Repetition in Your Backend Keywords

This mistake is painfully common. When you place a keyword in the backend of your listing, using it again won’t give you any “hidden SEO boost” or “make you rank quicker” for a particular keyword phrase. Use a keyword once in your backend list (that goes for singular and plurals!) 

Here is a bad and a good example of a backend keyword list for a kitchen caddy:

Bad example:

Kitchen sponge holder for kitchen sink, Soap caddy sink counter holders with drain tray for brushes and sponges, Modern home kitchen storage accessories, Counter top organization  stainless steel holder

Good example:

kitchen sponge holder stainless steel rustproof waterproof divider countertop small dish caddy tray dispenser storage accessories home organization counter vintage decor

Take a look at these two backend keyword list examples above for a kitchen caddy. The bad example is using long-tail keywords and repeating words throughout the list. However, the good example doesn’t repeat words and arranges the list in a logical order. 

And you might have noticed something else. The good example doesn’t contain punctuation. Don’t let this paradox fool you. Forget everything your English teacher ever taught you when writing your Amazon backend keywords – avoid punctuation and uppercase letters (it makes Amazon happy!)

2. Include Synonyms, Abbreviations, and Alternative Names for Your Product

Different regions, ages, genders, and many other factors can influence how we name a product. Let’s take a water bottle, for example (or maybe you know it by something different?)

Anyway, here’s a visual representation so that we’re on the same page:

Here are some alternative names: flask, tumbler, can, thermos, jug, mug, beverage container, waterbottle, and sipper. 

This is where keyword research tools and search term reports come into their own league, helping you identify different names for your product that never crossed your mind. Alternatively, you can use a search engine to find synonyms for your product and include them in your backend keywords. 

3. Do Not Use Other Brand Names or ASINs in Your Amazon Backend Keywords

Are you in a marketplace where a competitor brand name is almost synonymous with your product? Take tissues, for example. People often say, “Pass me a Kleenex” rather than “Pass me a tissue.” If you’re new to the market with your tissue brand, it might be tempting to slip “Kleenex” into your backend keyword and hope no one notices. Hundreds of thousands of people are searching this term every month on Amazon. Unfortunately, using other brand names or ASINs as keywords can result in listing suspensions. And a listing suspension is a nightmare! Play it safe here. 

Here’s the silver lining: when running manual PPC campaigns, you can target your competitor’s ASIN! This strategy is a risk-free way to gain exposure to your product when customers search for a competitor’s well-known brand. 

4. Avoid Articles, Prepositions, Temporary and Subjective Words

Long-tail keyword phrases often contain prepositions. Take the keyword “kitchen caddy for sponges,” for example – a great case of a long-tail keyword you might include in your product title or bullet points if you were selling a kitchen caddy. However, in your backend keywords, you want to avoid using prepositions, articles, and other short words, including “a,” “an,” “and,” “by,” “for,” “of,” “the,” “with,” etc. 

Once you clear out the articles and prepositions from your Amazon backend keywords, it’s time to ensure you’re not using “temporary” or “Subjective” words. Temporary words describe something that is not permanent or lasts only a short time, think of words like “latest”. Subjective words express personal opinions, feelings, or beliefs. Subjective words are not based on facts and can vary from person to person. Take a look at the chart below to help you understand what words to avoid. 

5. Focus on Backend Keyword Quality, Not Quantity

If you don’t reach 250 bytes, don’t worry. This isn’t a “the more, the better” metric. You won’t slip into page 84 obscurity if you only use 180 bytes of relevant Amazon backend keywords. Think quality over quantity. Don’t stuff your way to 250 bytes by including words unrelated to your product or would deceive customers. 

Some sellers will attempt to use popular keywords to get their product in front of the most eyeballs possible. Amazon doesn’t like this because your product listing isn’t relevant to the customer search intent. You’re giving browsers a negative experience of the platform. I don’t want to search for “solar eclipse glasses” and see a food blender pop up. Amazon wants to generate the most accurate product results to encourage conversions. Try choosing your backend keywords with that goal in mind.

Conclusion

While SEO on Amazon has several factors to consider, think of backend keywords as your hidden cheerleaders in the background supporting your listing across Amazon search results. These mighty invisible keywords help get your products in front of more customers, resulting in higher conversion rates for your product. At Seller Frontier, our SEO Amazon services have seen customers propel their listing’s SEO and start attracting sales originally for low-competition keywords that they completely overlooked! Whether you’re testing out the Amazon search bar, using Amazon keyword tools, or working with an expert, it’s worth the time and effort to get your Amazon backend keywords right! 

Something we didn’t cover in this blog post that you want to ask us? We would love to answer your questions. Comment below, and we will reply to you shortly!