Why Your Listings Don't Rank In The UK
Category
Amazon
Published by
Tom Emmanuel
Read Time
6 Minutes
A listing that performs in the US will frequently stall in the UK, and the cause is rarely advertising budget. It is usually that the listing was never built for this market in the first place.
Tom Emmanuel
Founder, Furnace Commerce
The indexation problems
You are not indexed for the terms you assume
UK shoppers use different words. Trainers, not sneakers. Nappies, not diapers. If the term is not in your title, bullets or backend, you do not appear for it at any bid.
Backend keywords are wasted
Most accounts either leave backend search terms empty or repeat the title. It is 249 bytes of free indexation, and it should hold synonyms, misspellings and British spellings that do not fit the visible copy.
Sizing and units confuse the match
US sizing, imperial measurements and non-UK conventions make it harder for Amazon to match your product to a query. Convert properly rather than listing both and hoping.
Category and attributes are half-filled
Browse node placement and structured attributes drive a large share of filtered discovery. Listings imported from another marketplace usually arrive with the minimum populated.
Indexation comes first and conversion second. There is no point optimising imagery for a term you do not appear for, and no point ranking for a term that does not convert.
The conversion problems
The first image is doing too little
On mobile the main image is most of the decision. It needs to communicate the product and its size at thumbnail scale, which is a different brief from the hero image on your own site.
Bullets written for the brand, not the buyer
Bullets should answer objections in order of importance and repeat the terms you want to rank for. Brand storytelling belongs in A+ content, not in the five lines that decide the sale.
A+ content that says nothing
A+ is where most brands put a lifestyle image and a mission statement. It converts better when it handles sizing, materials, care and comparison against the alternatives.
Reviews are a ranking input
Velocity and rating both feed rank. A UK listing starting from zero reviews will not perform like an established US ASIN, and the plan has to account for that rather than assume parity.
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