There are a variety of metrics you can use to gauge the popularity of a product in the Amazon store, but one of the most useful tools in your seller toolbox is the Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR). This metric shows you how your product ranks against similar products in the same category. You can use the BSR to help make important decisions for your ecommerce business.
Read on to learn more about Amazon BSR and sales rank, including:
- What a BSR is and how to find it
- How a BSR is calculated
- The difference between a BSR and search ranking
- Ways you can improve a product’s BSR
- How to use a BSR to gauge sales performance and decide what to sell
What is the Amazon Best Sellers Rank?
The Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR) is a metric that appears on product detail pages. It indicates a product’s sales rank compared to similar products in the Amazon store. Amazon Best Sellers lists also showcase the top selling products in featured categories based on BSR scores, which are frequently updated.
Amazon BSR scores go up and down based on sales. Typically, the lower the score, the higher the Amazon sales rank. For example, if a satin sheet set ranks #4 in the Home & Kitchen category, it’s the fourth best-selling product among active Home & Kitchen listings.
How to find a Best Seller Rank on Amazon
You can often find a product’s BSR on its product detail page in the “Product information” section. You can also see best sellers for specific categories on Amazon Best Sellers lists.
How is Amazon Best Sellers Rank calculated?
Amazon calculates Best Sellers Ranks using sales volume data. Both recent sales and all-time sales factor into a BSR, though recent sales count more than older sales.
BSRs aren’t influenced by page views or customer reviews. A sales rank doesn’t necessarily indicate product quality or tell you what customers think about a product.
A product can have more than one BSR number if it falls under multiple categories, and the BSR can be different for each. For example, a stainless-steel tumbler might rank #1 in the Tumblers & Water Glasses subcategory and rank #2 in the Kitchen & Dining category.
Rankings can also vary depending on the Amazon store. For example, an item ranked #1 in the US might rank #23 in the Amazon UK or Japan stores.
What’s the difference between BSR and search ranking?
A Best Sellers Rank shows a product’s rank within a category. If the BSR is high enough, the product will appear in relevant Best Sellers lists.
However, when you type a phrase into Amazon search, the products you see appear based on search ranking. You can improve search ranking for a product using SEO strategies.
Importantly, a top BSR doesn’t always equal a high organic search ranking, and a high organic ranking isn’t guaranteed to have a high BSR score. But both rankings relate to sales volume. So an item that’s selling well has a better chance of ranking higher both in organic search and on Amazon Best Sellers lists.
5 ways to improve a product’s BSR
Wondering how to improve a BSR score? A product’s BSR is tied to sales volume, so improving your sales can help improve your BSR.
1. Get specific with your product categories
Amazon sales rank scores rise and fall compared to other products in the same category. That’s why it’s so important to choose your product category carefully and be as specific as possible.
Familiarize yourself with category and subcategory options by exploring the Best Sellers lists. Then choose the most relevant and accurate category based on the products you sell.
If you offer product variations, assign the parent ASIN and all child ASINs to the same category. Learn more about BSR classification and ASINs.
2. Optimize listings to rank in search
Help increase product visibility in organic search by optimizing titles, photos, descriptions, bulleted lists of key features and benefits, and more.
Try these optimization tools and techniques:
- Amazon SEO: Target specific keywords to rank better in organic search.
- A/B testing: Run experiments using the Manage Your Experiments tool to compare different versions of a product title, photo, and other elements to see which option drives the most sales.
- A+ Content: Showcase your products and share your brand’s story by adding videos, enhanced images, customized text placements, shoppable product-comparison charts, and more to your product detail pages.
3. Set competitive prices
Do research and experiment to figure out which pricing techniques results in more sales. Or use the Automate Pricing tool to automatically adjust prices 24/7.
4. Use advertising and marketing solutions
Use ecommerce marketing methods to help increase sales using social media, blogging, affiliate marketing, and more. You can also try cost-per-click (CPC) ads or product bundling to increase sales.
5. Focus on customer engagement
Build strong relationships with customers by offering them a great shopping experience from beginning to end. Answer their questions, follow up after purchases, and use other best practices for selling online to get great reviews and encourage return shoppers.
Amazon sales rank tracking: How to use BSR to drive sales
The Amazon Best Sellers Rank doesn’t drive sales directly. But reviewing BSR scores can be a great way to get product ideas and track sales trends, which you can apply to your selling strategy. Here are three ways you can use the BSR to your advantage:
1. Conduct product research
You can see BSRs in action on both Amazon Best Sellers lists and Movers & Shakers lists, which showcase the biggest gainers in sales rank over the past 24 hours. Explore the rankings for categories that matter to your business, and take note of trends. For example, are certain items gaining popularity—or on the way out?
To dig deeper, look at reviews for high-ranking products. Are customers satisfied, or do they have common complaints? If you notice a theme, can you offer an alternative product that fills a gap?
Check out our product ideas guide for an in-depth look at how to choose products based on sales performance.
2. Track sales metrics
Analyze key performance indicators alongside BSR scores to get an overall view of sales. Numbers you can monitor include:
- Impressions
- Clicks
- Click-through rates
- Purchases
Viewing these metrics along with BSR scores may offer insights to help you source products, manage inventory, and expand your reach. Positive increases can indicate hot products to add to your catalog, while declining numbers might inspire you to make cuts.
3. Use Brand Analytics
What keywords are customers using to find products? Who’s returning again and again to make purchases? The Brand Analytics tool can give you the answer to these and other questions. You can use dashboards that offer insights on audience demographics, search catalog performance, and more. To access Brand Analytics, sign up for a Professional selling plan, then enroll your brand in Brand Registry.
Ready to elevate your BSR?
The Amazon Best Sellers Rank is a powerful tool that helps you understand a product’s sales performance and make decisions about what you want to sell. Combined with data like sales volume and customer satisfaction levels, BSRs can help you build a more effective sales strategy and make money with Amazon.
To get started, become an Amazon seller, and if you have a brand, enroll it in Brand Registry. If you’d like to start a brand, but don’t have an active or pending trademark, check out IP Accelerator as a way to speed up the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
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