Amazon sellers who are just starting their e-commerce journey often overlook one of the most powerful tools at their disposal: backend keywords. These hidden search terms play a crucial role in improving product visibility and driving organic traffic to listings. While frontend optimization focuses on what customers see, backend keywords work silently behind the scenes to enhance a product’s searchability.

For sellers looking to maximize their product’s potential on Amazon’s marketplace, understanding and implementing effective backend keyword strategies is absolutely essential.

Effective Backend Keyword Strategies for Beginners

Backend keywords represent a strategic opportunity for sellers to include relevant search terms that might not fit naturally within their visible product listings. These keywords work in conjunction with Amazon’s A9 algorithm to help determine when and where products appear in search results. Here’s a detailed examination of proven strategies that can help sellers optimize their backend keywords effectively.

Use Relevant Synonyms and Related Terms

Relevant synonyms and related terms are alternative words or phrases that customers might use to search for a product. This strategy involves identifying and incorporating different ways to describe the same product, including regional variations, common misspellings, and alternative names.

Why It’s Important:

• Captures different search behaviors across diverse customer groups
• Accounts for regional language differences (e.g., “trainers” vs. “sneakers”)
• Helps products appear in searches even when customers use non-standard terminology
• Increases the likelihood of appearing in related product searches

Taking running shoes as an example:

Product: “running shoes” Backend Keywords: athletic shoes, running sneakers, gym shoes, workout footwear

Successful sellers organize their backend keywords using this comprehensive structure:

Core Keywords:

• Product Type: [Product Category] – This should encompass all relevant categories the product fits into
• Brand: [Brand Name] – Include both official and common misspellings of the brand
• Material: [Material] – List all materials used in the product’s construction
• Color: [Color] – Include various shades and color descriptions
• Size: [Size] – Incorporate all relevant size variations and measurement systems

Include Specific Product Features

This strategy focuses on incorporating detailed characteristics, specifications, and unique selling points of a product into the backend keywords. It goes beyond basic product descriptions to include technical specifications, materials, and specific use cases.

Why It’s Important:

• Helps match products with specific customer needs
• Improves visibility for feature-based searches
• Allows products to appear in more specific, targeted searches
• Helps differentiate products from competitors

Consider this detailed example:

Product: “waterproof hiking boots” Backend Keywords: waterproof boots, hiking footwear, non-slip soles, breathable mesh

Sellers should structure their long-tail keywords following this pattern:

• [Core Keyword] + [Feature] – Combine main keywords with specific attributes
• [Core Keyword] + [Benefit] – Connect products with customer benefits
• [Core Keyword] + [Use Case] – Associate products with specific usage scenarios

Target Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are more specific, detailed phrases that typically contain three or more words. They target niche searches with more specific intent, often combining multiple product attributes or use cases.

Why It’s Important:

• Generally have higher conversion rates due to specific search intent
• Face less competition compared to broader terms
• Better match customer searches in later stages of the buying process
• Help capture highly qualified traffic

 Here’s a practical example:

Product: “women’s blue jeans, high-waisted, skinny fit” Backend Keywords: women’s high-waisted jeans, skinny jeans for women, blue skinny jeans, high-waisted blue jeans

Utilize Negative Keywords

Negative keywords are terms that help define what a product is NOT. This strategy involves identifying and excluding irrelevant search terms to prevent products from appearing in unrelated searches.

Why It’s Important:

• Reduces irrelevant clicks and improves conversion rates
• Helps maintain a better return on advertising spend (ROAS)
• Prevents product listings from appearing in unrelated searches
• Improves overall campaign efficiency

Consider this example:

Product: “men’s leather wallet” Negative Keywords: women’s wallet, wallet for kids, wallet case

For optimal customer search behavior alignment, sellers should:

• Conduct thorough research on common search queries
• Utilize Amazon’s Keyword Research Tool and other analytical tools
• Monitor and analyze popular keyword trends

The recommended structure for negative keywords includes:

• Competitor Brands – Avoid confusion with other brands
• Incorrect Product Categories – Prevent irrelevant category appearances
• Unrelated Features or Benefits – Exclude non-applicable characteristics

Examples of Amazon Backend Keywords

To better understand these concepts in practice, here are detailed examples across various product categories:

1. Product: Women’s Blue Jeans, High-Waisted, Skinny Fit

• Core Keywords: women’s jeans, high-waisted jeans, skinny jeans, blue jeans
• Long-Tail Keywords: women’s high-waisted skinny jeans, blue skinny jeans, distressed skinny jeans, stretch denim jeans, high-rise jeans
• Negative Keywords: men’s jeans, kids’ jeans, plus-size jeans, maternity jeans

Each keyword combination serves a specific purpose in helping customers find exactly what they’re looking for while maintaining relevance to the product.

2. Product: Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

• Core Keywords: wireless headphones, Bluetooth headphones, over-ear headphones, noise-canceling headphones
• Long-Tail Keywords: wireless Bluetooth headphones, noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones, wireless over-ear headphones, Bluetooth headset, wireless earbuds
• Negative Keywords: wired headphones, wired earbuds, gaming headphones

This example demonstrates how technical products benefit from detailed feature descriptions and precise terminology.

3. Product: Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Core Keywords: olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, organic olive oil, cooking oil
• Long-Tail Keywords: cold-pressed olive oil, extra virgin olive oil for cooking, organic extra virgin olive oil for salad, healthy cooking oil, gourmet olive oil
• Negative Keywords: vegetable oil, canola oil, sunflower oil

Food products require careful attention to descriptive terms and quality indicators in backend keywords.

4. Product: Men’s Running Shoes

• Core Keywords: running shoes, men’s running shoes, athletic shoes, running sneakers
• Long-Tail Keywords: men’s running shoes, breathable running shoes, cushioned running shoes, stability running shoes, trail running shoes
• Negative Keywords: women’s running shoes, kids’ running shoes, basketball shoes, soccer cleats

This example shows how gender-specific products need clear categorization and feature-based descriptions.

Conclusion

The implementation of effective backend keywords represents a crucial step in achieving success on Amazon’s marketplace. Sellers who take the time to properly research and structure their backend keywords often see significant improvements in their product visibility and sales performance.

For those seeking to enhance their Amazon listings, it’s recommended to regularly review and update backend keywords based on performance data and changing market trends. Success in e-commerce requires constant adaptation and optimization of listing elements, including these vital behind-the-scenes components.