1. Which fields Amazon actually searches

Not every field carries the same weight. On the listings we manage, this is what we have measured:

The practical rule: spread your best search terms across title, highlights and backend, without repeating the same word in all three. Use bullets and description to persuade the buyer (and for Google, which does read them).

2. The title (75 characters)

Amazon's title requirements now cap titles at 75 characters including spaces in nearly every category (media excepted). A title over the limit, or one with banned characters, can be replaced by an Amazon-generated title or hidden from search.

• Order: brand, product type, the key attribute, then size, pack count or colour. Put the phrase shoppers actually search near the front.
• No word more than twice, no promotional words (best seller, sale, deal), no price, no ALL CAPS beyond a registered brand.
• Allowed punctuation: hyphen, slash, comma, full stop. No ! $ ? _ { } ^ and no en dash.
• Variation parents do not carry size or colour in the title - those go on the child listings.
• Check your Brand Registry brand name is the customer-facing brand, not "XYZ Private Limited" - Amazon copies it into every title it rewrites.

3. Item Highlights

Item Highlights is a newer field shown beside the title in search results and on the detail page, prominently on mobile - but only when the title is under 75 characters. It is indexed like the title, so title plus highlights gives you about 200 characters of search space. Use short comma-separated phrases: materials, use cases, secondary product names. Most listings still leave it empty, which makes it one of the cheapest wins available.

4. Bullets that convert

A mobile shopper sees the image, part of the title and two bullets, while comparing three tabs. The bullets must answer "why this one and not the cheaper one below it?"

1. Bullet 1 - the strongest reason to buy. A specific benefit, not an adjective.
2. Bullet 2 - what makes it different from the obvious competitor.
3. Bullet 3 - specifications or compatibility (size, fit, what it works with).
4. Bullet 4 - how to use or care for it.
5. Bullet 5 - the biggest objection, answered. Read your return reasons: lots of "not compatible" means fit is unclear; lots of "not as described" means the images oversell.

Specific beats superlative. "40 hours on one charge" sells; "long-lasting battery" does not, and words like "best quality" or "guaranteed" can get a listing flagged.

5. Description

Aim for 1,000-2,000 characters. Open with the buyer's problem in one sentence that stands alone (it becomes Google's snippet), present the product as the answer, back it with specifics, answer the second objection, and finish with what is in the box. No contact details, no prices, no promotions. If your brand is registered, A+ content replaces the description on the page - but the description text still counts for indexing, so keep it filled.

6. Backend search terms

The backend is invisible to buyers and indexed immediately. Fill it close to the limit - and never one byte over, because an over-limit backend can be ignored entirely. Note that the limit is in bytes: Hindi or accented characters take more than one byte each.

• Include synonyms, common misspellings, regional and Hinglish spellings, use cases and occasions.
• Do not repeat words already in the title or highlights while a new term still fits.
• Never competitor brand names, ASINs, punctuation, or claims.

7. Images and A+

• Main image: pure white background, product filling most of the frame, no text or badges. It decides the click more than any keyword.
• Images 2-7: the benefit in use, size against a hand or common object, what is in the box, the key feature close up, and one image answering the top objection.
• A+ content (brand-registered sellers): comparison charts between your own products lift conversion and keep shoppers inside your range.
• Write the listing for phones first - most Amazon traffic in India is mobile.

8. Where the keywords come from

Do not start from your current listing - it is the version that is underperforming. In order of trust:

1. Brand Analytics - Search Query Performance (brand-registered sellers): what shoppers searched, how often, and how many bought from you.
2. Your advertising search term report: the exact phrases that produced orders.
3. Amazon's search autocomplete and the vocabulary in top-selling listings in your category (never their brand names).

Rank terms by orders first and volume second. A phrase with high volume where you get impressions but no clicks is not a keyword problem - it is the image, price or title readability.

9. Mistakes that get listings suppressed

• Titles over 75 characters, en dashes, ALL CAPS or promotional words.
• Medical or health claims: cure, treat, prevent, heal, antibacterial, clinically proven - unless you hold the registration.
• "Certified", "approved", "tested" with no certificate behind them.
• Competitor brands anywhere in the listing, including the backend.
• Two listings sharing the same title or part number - Amazon can merge them into one ASIN.
• Editing a listing in a way that drops its images - always check images after any bulk update.

Frequently asked questions