Amazon Europe: Tailoring Your Listings for the Next Biggest Market

It’s no secret Amazon has become the largest digital platform for commerce in the world. After only recently establishing a market in Europe (Amazon Europe) it has already become the LARGEST online retailer in that continent.

Amazon’s rapid growth is a unique opportunity to list and sell your products in new markets all across the world (you can now also sell on Amazon Australia). Becoming an Amazon Europe seller and taking your product global means more sales in untapped markets.

However, to be successful, you need to make sure you are accounting for the new challenges in a global market. A new market means new buying behaviour, different cultural norms, different languages and much more…

With that in mind, in this post you’ll be shown:

The Basics of the Algorithm
Understanding the Target Market
How to Make Sure You Are Using the Right Keywords
And Placing Those Keywords in Optimal Places Relevant To Your New Market

The top tips on what you should be doing to make sure your product is ready for Amazon success in Europe.

So with that, let’s dig in!

Table of Contents

Understand The Amazon Algorithm

For every Amazon seller, the goal is always to be on the glorious Page 1 of the top Amazon search results. However, Amazon has kept (and continues to keep) the exact metrics it uses to rank product listings shrouded in secrecy.

While they’ve kept it under wraps, however, there are a things we do know.

Veteran sellers are well aware of the difference. If that’s you, skip to the next point.

If Amazon Europe is your first foray into Amazon, make sure to note the following.

It’s important you understand the clear distinction between search engines such as Google being an advertising platform, while Amazon is a buying platform.

If you take that into account, it’s easier to remember that traditional search engines are more concerned about click-through rates while Amazon is focused more on conversion rates. Of the people that visit, what percentage of those people buy?

As we’ve covered in our Amazon SEO guide and listing optimization guide, your sales play as much a part for your rankings, if not the most important part, as the keywords used in your titles and description.

For your product to appear at the top of the search results, the sales history matters more than the number of your visitors. Thus making conversions the number one part of your optimization goals.

So it’s not just about visitors, but visitors that buy. How do you control that?

Well that’s what we’ll answer in the next section.

Who Is Your Target Market?

In ANY business, it’s important to know your target market. Amazon is no different.

So the first thing you need to ask yourself is: which country/countries in Europe are you targeting?

The majority of the buying population is actually concentrated in five big marketplaces, with the top Amazon Europe sites being:

UK
Germany
France
Italy
Spain

Though English is an international language, your target population may not actually speak or understand it very well.

Even in the UK they use different words to describe the same things.

For example:

Flashlight vs Torch
Cell Phone vs Mobile Phone
French Fries vs Chips
Trash Can vs Bin

The list goes on, but I’m sure you get my point.

You don’t want to be selling a ‘cell phone case’ if everyone in your market is searching for a ‘mobile phone case’.

Are you making sure you are using the correct keywords?

Targeting The Correct Keywords

As you know, when people purchase on Amazon, they do so by searching for the products they desire. As shown in the previous section, choosing the right ones are important.

For veteran users that have already sold to the US or elsewhere, keywords that worked in the previous markets will not necessarily translate to the new market.

So it’s important you do the correct keyword research. Some sellers will assume it’s the same; don’t make their mistake.

To avoid that, here’s what you can do.

First, create your product listings in the English language.

Select the most relevant keywords which describe your product. How do you do that?

Research
- What are competitors in the new market currently using in their titles?
- Are they the same?
- If in another language: Is the keyword translation the most commonly used name for that product?
Verify
- If you already have a listing.
  - What keywords are working for you currently?
  - Double check you are seeing similar volumes in the new market.
  - Make sure you are doing an extensive keyword search in the local language.

Once you’ve identified the keywords, an accurate translation from English does not guarantee content that creates an impact to the users.

After you’ve found the words that will people will use to search for your product, you now need to make sure you are creating a persuasive listing that convinces them to buy.

To do so, the best way would be to hire professional translators. But don’t just hire any translator.

Be sure to select translators who…

Speak the native language of your target market.
- Fluency doesn’t mean they will understand the nuances of a native speaker. By selecting a native speaker you can be sure that you have someone that can confirm your keywords as well as sound natural when writing the listing.
Have a good command of English for accurate translation.
Have experience in copywriting.
- The ability to write doesn’t always translate to the ability to copy write. You want to be sure they know how to utilize your keywords to show how your product meets the needs of the customer.

Take Advantage of Amazon’s Listing Structure

So now that you know the keywords your market is using and have the copy to convince them to buy, this next section will help you make sure you are getting the most out of that hard work.

As you know, when making a listing on Amazon, you provide the product information by filling in text fields in different categories with their corresponding character limits.

With this data, remember that Amazon prioritizes keywords in certain fields over others (see below).

Create A Detailed Product Title

Include important details like the product brand name but put ONLY the most relevant keywords.

The rest of other related keywords should be placed in the other sections of the product listing.

You have limited space so use it wisely.

Compelling Bullet Points and Descriptions With Keywords

In regards to how Amazon prioritizes keywords relative to structure, the way it’s ranked is:

Title
Bullet Points
Description

Your copywriter will handle the compelling part, but make sure you are helping them prioritize where to put what keywords, to ensure you get the best results.

Here are some guidelines which you may follow:

Most important keywords go in your title (saying twice because it’s that important)
Avoid using the same keywords for different fields
Avoid using variations of the same word (except for spelling variations)
Arrange the words in your search terms in the proper order

Beyond that, the same tried and true Amazon listing strategies will apply:

Gain positive reviews
- These will serve as social proof to build trust in your product.
- Here’s our guide to encouraging reviews while abiding by Amazon’s rules.
Offer Competitive Prices (and discounts whenever possible)
- Offering discounts also convinces people that they are getting a good deal.
- Product sales ultimately get you ranking and more sales means more opportunities for building reviews.
Have Reliable Shipping Services (fast, cheap as possible, etc.)
- Are you fulfilled by Amazon? Prime members filter for products shipping through prime for fast cheap shipping.

The Wrap Up

While entering a new market provides you a new potential source for more sales, it doesn’t come without its challengers.

By using the strategies we’ve listed to understand your demographic and effectively target them, you can better position yourself for Amazon Europe and ultimately any other rapidly growing new Amazon marketplaces.

So get to it and get those sales!