How Changing a Product Listing on Merch by Amazon Affects Ranking – Detailed Explanation with Examples
Amazon’s A9 algorithm determines product ranking based on various factors such as sales history, keyword relevance, price, click-through rate (CTR), and conversion rate (CR). Any modification to your listing can influence these factors. Below is a comprehensive analysis with examples of how different types of changes impact ranking.
1. Title, Brand Name, and Bullet Points Changes
Impact on Ranking:
- Titles and bullet points are heavily indexed by Amazon’s search algorithm.
- Adding or removing keywords affects how customers discover your product.
- Drastic changes can cause Amazon to re-evaluate your listing, leading to a temporary drop in ranking.
Example 1: Removing Keywords from the Title
Before:
📌 "Funny Fishing T-Shirt for Men – Bass Fisherman Gift – Fishing Lover Tee"
After:
📌 "Cool Fishing T-Shirt – Fisherman Gift Idea"
🔹 Effect:
- By removing "Bass," "Men," and "Lover," the listing loses relevancy for customers searching for those terms.
- The product may drop in search results for users specifically looking for "Bass Fishing" or "Fishing Lover."
Example 2: Adding Relevant Keywords to Bullet Points
Before:
✅ "Perfect gift for anyone who loves fishing."
After:
✅ "Great gift for bass fishing lovers, kayak fishermen, and deep-sea anglers."
🔹 Effect:
- The product can now rank for searches like "kayak fishing shirt" or "deep-sea angler gift."
- This can increase impressions, clicks, and sales, which boosts ranking over time.
2. Price Changes
Impact on Ranking:
- Lower prices increase conversions, leading to better ranking.
- Higher prices can decrease conversions, lowering rank if fewer sales occur.
- Frequent price changes may reset Amazon’s internal ranking data temporarily.
Example 3: Increasing Price Too High
Before:
💲 $19.99 → (Selling 10 units/day)
After:
💲 $25.99 → (Selling 3 units/day)
🔹 Effect:
- Sales dropped by 70%, leading to a lower BSR (Best Seller Rank) and reduced visibility.
- Amazon’s algorithm prioritizes products with consistent high sales velocity; a drop in sales hurts ranking.
Example 4: Lowering Price to Boost Sales
Before:
💲 $21.99 → (Selling 2 units/day)
After:
💲 $17.99 → (Selling 8 units/day)
🔹 Effect:
- Lowering the price increased conversions, pushing the product higher in search results.
- Over time, the ranking improves, and you can gradually increase the price again.
3. Design Updates
Impact on Ranking:
- Minor design changes (color adjustments, small tweaks) do not affect ranking.
- Major design changes (completely different artwork) can impact conversions if customers do not like the new version.
Example 5: Changing a Design with a Different Theme
Before:
🖼️ Funny Cat Lover T-Shirt – Cartoon Cat Wearing Sunglasses
After:
🖼️ Serious Cat Art – Minimalist Black & White Sketch
🔹 Effect:
- If customers liked the funny version, the serious version might not appeal to them.
- The new design could lead to fewer purchases, which hurts ranking.
4. Product Deletion & Re-upload
Impact on Ranking:
- Deleting a product removes its ASIN, losing ranking, reviews, and sales history.
- A re-uploaded product starts from zero ranking and zero reviews, making it harder to rank again.
Example 6: Deleting a Best-Selling Product
✅ Product Sold 500+ Copies, Ranking in Top 5 for "Dog Dad Shirt"
❌ Deleted and Re-uploaded
🚨 Now Starts at Page 10 with 0 Sales and 0 Reviews
🔹 Effect:
- The product loses all its previous ranking signals, making it hard to regain visibility.
- It would have been better to edit the listing instead.
5. Category and Marketplace Changes
Impact on Ranking:
- Changing categories can improve visibility if the new category has less competition.
- Expanding to new marketplaces gives additional sales opportunities but does not affect the original marketplace ranking.
Example 7: Changing to a Less Competitive Category
Before:
📂 Category: Novelty T-Shirts → High competition (1M+ listings)
After:
📂 Category: Outdoor Sports Shirts → Lower competition (150K listings)
🔹 Effect:
- The product now ranks better in a less crowded category, increasing visibility and sales.
6. Description Changes
Impact on Ranking:
- Descriptions have minimal impact on ranking but can improve conversion rates if written well.
Example 8: Improving Product Description
Before:
📝 "Great t-shirt for cat lovers."
After:
📝 "This funny cat lover t-shirt features a cute kitten wearing sunglasses. Perfect for birthdays, Christmas, or any cat enthusiast!"
🔹 Effect:
- The new description includes keywords like "kitten," "sunglasses," "birthday gift," and "Christmas."
- While it won’t directly improve ranking, it can increase conversions, which boosts rank indirectly.
Final Summary – Do’s and Don’ts
| Change Type | Effect on Ranking |
|---|---|
| Title & Bullet Point Changes | ✅ Can improve ranking with the right keywords. 🚨 Removing keywords may hurt ranking. |
| Price Adjustments | ✅ Lower prices increase conversions & ranking. 🚨 High prices can reduce sales & drop ranking. |
| Design Updates | ✅ Minor changes have no effect. 🚨 Major redesigns can hurt ranking if they don’t appeal to buyers. |
| Deleting & Re-uploading | 🚨 Completely resets ranking & reviews. |
| Category Changes | ✅ Can improve visibility if moved to a lower-competition category. |
| Description Changes | ✅ Helps conversion but has little impact on search ranking. |
Best Practices for Listing Changes Without Hurting Ranking
✔ Optimize Keywords Gradually – Avoid removing strong keywords, but add missing ones.
✔ Monitor Sales After Price Changes – Adjust prices in small increments to avoid sales drops.
✔ Test New Designs Before Replacing Old Ones – If necessary, launch a new ASIN instead.
✔ Avoid Deleting Products with Good Ranking – Edit instead of re-uploading.
✔ Use a Lower-Competition Category When Possible – This helps rank higher with less effort.