Seller Sessions Amazon FBA and Private Label

China’s Slow Meltdown For Amazon Sellers Welcome to another enlightening episode of Seller Sessions, where host Danny McMillan engages with the ever-insightful Steve Simonson. This session dives deep into the evolving dynamics of global logistics, supply chain intricacies, and the strategic foresight needed in today’s unpredictable market landscape. Unpacking the Logistics Landscape: A 2024 Outlook Current Climate Overview: Steve Simonson shares his expertise on the logistical challenges and changes as businesses transition into 2024, emphasising the importance of adaptive strategies in the face of unforeseen global shifts. Supply Chain Insights: Discussion revolves around the post-COVID supply chain recovery, unexpected hurdles, and the criticality of staying agile amidst fluctuating container costs and transit times. Strategic Foresight and Adaptive Planning Forecasting Faux Pas: Simonson reflects on past predictions, highlighting the unpredictable nature of supply chain disruptions and the necessity of resilient planning. Real-time Adjustments: He shares anecdotes of swift strategic shifts his team made in response to the dynamic global trade environment, underscoring the essence of flexibility in business operations. China’s Economic Conundrum: Impact on Global Sellers China’s Slow Meltdown: A deep dive into the economic and industrial challenges within China, including liquidity crises and the effects on manufacturing sectors and global sellers. Navigating Manufacturing Uncertainties: Simonson offers valuable advice on mitigating risks associated with factory closures and capital constraints, advocating for strategic negotiations and the importance of securing favourable terms. Diversification and Global Manufacturing Shifts Beyond China: Exploring the strategic shift of manufacturing bases to countries like Vietnam and India, considering their proximity advantages, labor dynamics, and industrial capacities. India’s Potential Unpacked: A nuanced look at India’s burgeoning role in the global manufacturing landscape, balancing its skilled workforce against the backdrop of technological and infrastructural development. Leadership and Organisational Growth Blueprint for Effective Leadership: Simonson is set to lead a workshop focusing on foundational leadership qualities, strategic decision-making, and cultivating a culture that aligns team satisfaction with customer happiness. Future-Proofing Through Learning: Emphasising the importance of continuous learning, embracing mistakes, and the relentless pursuit of improvement in leadership and organisational success. Summary / Round-Up This episode with Steve Simonson offers a treasure trove of insights, from the intricacies of global logistics to the strategic nuances of leadership in uncertain times. As businesses navigate the unpredictable waters of 2024, Simonson’s advice stands as a beacon for adaptable, forward-thinking strategies that can help steer companies towards sustained growth and resilience. Stay tuned for more enriching discussions on Seller Sessions, your go-to podcast for expert insights into the e-commerce world. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Get £50 off using Discount code: 202450 Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK, Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify, Intellivy, and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!” Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable.”

The Challenge of Amazon's New Fee Host Danny McMillan and guest James McConnel Jr. delved into the complexities of Amazon's newly introduced fee structure. James, with over 40 hours dedicated to dissecting this topic, shared his profound understanding, emphasizing not just the increased workload for sellers but the nuanced challenges it presents. This conversation is crucial for Amazon sellers looking to navigate the murky waters of Amazon's fee adjustments with strategic foresight. Understanding the Fee's Complexity James McConnel Jr.'s analysis begins with acknowledging the inherent complexity of the new fee. Unlike straightforward increases in FBA or referral fees, this fee intricately ties into a seller's operational workflow, significantly affecting cash flow and demanding a higher level of strategic inventory management. It's not just about adjusting prices to cover increased costs but understanding the mathematical and logistical implications behind the fee structure. The fee's complexity lies in its basis on historical stock levels and its application to future orders, compelling sellers to meticulously plan their inventory levels to avoid penalties. Strategic Inventory Management and Planning One of the standout insights from James revolves around the strategic management of inventory levels. The fee calculation, relying on historical data, places immense pressure on sellers to maintain adequate stock levels. This approach by Amazon, while aiming to streamline inventory management, introduces a layer of unpredictability for sellers. It necessitates a shift from reactive inventory management to a more predictive and strategic model. Sellers are advised to not only monitor their current stock levels closely but also to analyze sales trends and forecast future stock needs more accurately. Navigating Amazon's Calculation Methods James pointed out the opacity of Amazon's calculation methods for this fee as a significant hurdle for sellers. The fee is computed weekly, with its roots in past inventory levels but does not account for inbound shipments until they're officially checked in. This discrepancy creates a blind spot for sellers, making it challenging to align their inventory strategy with Amazon's fee calculation timeline. It underscores the necessity for sellers to adopt a conservative approach to inventory management, ensuring they have a buffer to account for any delays or inaccuracies in Amazon's stock level calculations. The Complexity of Parentage and Variation Management For sellers with products that come in multiple variations, the new fee introduces additional layers of complexity. James emphasized how the fee calculations take into account the entire parent SKU, affecting inventory management decisions for individual child SKUs. This scenario presents a double-edged sword; on one hand, it offers an opportunity to balance stock levels across variations to mitigate fees, while on the other, it risks penalizing sellers for underperformance in just one of the variations. Sellers must meticulously manage their product variations, potentially reorganizing their product listings to optimize for fee efficiency. James's Inventory Management Calculator In response to the challenges posed by this new fee, James McConnel Jr. developed a calculator designed to aid sellers in estimating the optimal inventory levels to minimize fees. This tool is a testament to the need for precise and informed decision-making in inventory management. By inputting product dimensions and weight, sellers can receive tailored recommendations on stock levels that balance the risk of incurring the new fee against the costs associated with holding excess inventory. This calculator represents a significant step towards empowering sellers with the data-driven insights needed to navigate Amazon's evolving fee landscape strategically. Conclusion and Strategic Recommendations The conversation between Danny McMillan and James McConnel Jr. sheds light on the critical aspects of Amazon's new fee structure, emphasizing the need for sellers to adopt a more analytical and strategic approach to inventory management. The insights shared by James, from the importance of understanding the fee's complexity to strategic inventory planning and the utilization of specialized tools like his calculator, are invaluable for sellers aiming to navigate this new challenge effectively. Sellers are encouraged to not only digest these insights but to actively engage with tools and strategies that can help them optimize their inventory levels. The key to success in this new fee environment is a combination of vigilant inventory management, strategic planning, and leveraging available resources to make informed decisions. As the Amazon marketplace continues to evolve, staying informed and adaptable will be crucial for sellers aiming to maintain profitability and operational efficiency.   Referenced Article: https://marketplaceprep.com/low-inventory-fee Seller Sessions Live Announcement: - Event Date: May 11, 2024 - Ticket Information: Available at Seller Sessions Live 2024 - Organizer: Databrill - Exhibitors: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK, Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify, Ecomcy, and more. - Sponsorship Opportunities: For those interested in sponsoring, please get in touch. Praise for Seller Sessions Live: - Michele Venton heralds the event as "The first of its kind!" - Steve Consalvi calls it the "Best seller event so far!" - James Cissel describes it as "Insightful and actionable."

Unlocking Amazon's Algorithm with Colin Raja: A Deep Dive into Ranking, Indexing, and Keyword Strategies In this insightful episode of the podcast, host Danny McMillan welcomes back Colin Raja, a New York-based brand builder who skyrocketed his startup from a modest investment to a million-dollar enterprise within 18 months. The duo embarks on a detailed exploration of Amazon's ranking mechanics, discussing indexing, keyword linking, and the future of Q&A features. Indexing Insights: Amazon's Evolving Indexing Strategy: Colin demystifies Amazon's indexing process, highlighting the transition from simplistic category-based indexing to a more nuanced approach involving product type, item type, and gender ledger. This evolution underscores Amazon's commitment to refining its categorisation to improve product discoverability and relevance. The Importance of Relevancy: As the conversation unfolds, Colin emphasises that relevancy and conversion rates are pivotal in achieving better rankings. He shares groundbreaking tactics, including leveraging Amazon's AI for semantic matching, which allows products to rank for related keywords without explicit indexing. Keyword Linking Mastery: Colin unveils his advanced keyword linking strategy, distinguishing between browse keywords and purchase keywords. By identifying and exploiting the intricacies of keyword relevancy and conversion metrics, Colin outlines how to optimise PPC campaigns and achieve significant ranking improvements. The discussion further delves into the use of bigrams and trigrams in creating a scoring system that enhances keyword relevancy and ranking potential. This sophisticated approach enables sellers to strategically position their products in highly competitive niches. Sunsetting of Q&A and its Implications: Highlighting an imminent shift in Amazon's platform, Colin predicts the phasing out of the Q&A feature. He advises sellers to capitalise on the current functionalities to enhance product visibility and keyword relevancy, underscoring the dynamic nature of Amazon's algorithm and the need for sellers to stay informed and adaptable. Summary: This episode is a treasure trove of strategies for sellers looking to navigate Amazon's complex algorithm. From the nuances of indexing and the power of keyword linking to adapting to platform changes, Colin Raja and Danny McMillan offer invaluable insights into achieving eCommerce success. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK, Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify, and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!" Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable."

Unlocking Amazon Success in 2024 with Kevin King Kevin King returns, a name synonymous with cutting-edge strategies in the world of Amazon. This deep dive explores Kevin's top picks for the year, offering listeners a blend of forecasting, strategic advice, and actionable insights aimed at navigating the evolving landscape of our community. Strategic Highlights and Expert Insights: Product Selection and Sourcing: Kevin emphasizes the critical importance of product selection and sourcing, advising sellers to focus their efforts on these areas for maximum profitability. The discussion delves into the necessity of looking beyond traditional sourcing markets, such as China, to avoid potential geopolitical and supply chain disruptions. Leveraging AI and Technology: The conversation shifts to the utilization of AI, with Kevin sharing his approach to employing AI for analysis and brainstorming rather than content creation. He underscores the role of AI in enhancing operational efficiency and sparking creativity in product development and marketing strategies. Navigating Changes in Amazon's Ranking Algorithm: Kevin predicts significant changes in Amazon's ranking algorithm, urging sellers and tool developers like Helium 10 and Jungle Scout to adapt. He forecasts a shift towards AI-driven search mechanisms, which will transform traditional SEO practices and keyword optimization on Amazon. The Power of Imagery and AI in E-Commerce: Kevin discusses the increasing importance of images in e-commerce, suggesting that AI's role in analyzing and interpreting product images will play a pivotal role in search relevance and customer engagement. This segment highlights the need for high-quality, contextually appropriate images to enhance product visibility and appeal. Building a Robust Brand Presence Beyond Amazon: The dialogue encourages sellers to explore platforms like TikTok and to cultivate a brand presence across multiple channels. Kevin stresses the importance of building a direct relationship with customers through effective use of social media, newsletters, and other digital marketing tools. Embracing Change and Preparing for the Future: Throughout the episode, Kevin and Danny McMillan discuss the necessity for sellers to stay agile, embrace new technologies, and prepare for the inevitable shifts in consumer behavior and platform algorithms. The focus is on building a sustainable brand that can thrive amidst the fast-paced changes in the e-commerce ecosystem. Summary and Takeaways: This episode of Seller Sessions with Kevin King is a treasure trove of insights for e-commerce sellers aiming to stay ahead in 2024. From strategic product sourcing to the adept use of AI and the importance of multi-channel branding, Kevin offers a roadmap for success in an increasingly competitive online marketplace. Listeners are encouraged to embrace change, leverage technology, and focus on building meaningful connections with their customers to achieve long-term success. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: - Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK, Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!” Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable.”

Exploring Google Business Profiles with Norm Farrar Introduction to Google Business Profile In this insightful episode of Seller Sessions, host Danny McMillan welcomes Norm Farrar, a seasoned entrepreneur and host of Lunch with Norm, to delve into the world of Google Business Profiles (GBP). Farrar shares his vast experience and knowledge, offering valuable insights for businesses looking to leverage GBP for enhanced visibility and growth. Key Insights from Norm Farrar Understanding Google Business Profile: GBP, previously known as Google My Business, is a platform for managing online presence. It's not just for local SEO or brick-and-mortar businesses; brands can benefit significantly. Only a tiny fraction of eligible businesses utilize GBP effectively. Utilizing GBP for Brand Visibility: Businesses can geo-target regions, cities, or even countries. Instant indexing on Google when using GBP. Key strategy: Regularly update GBP with relevant information and promotions. Integration with Other Google Services: GBP integrates seamlessly with Google Analytics, offering detailed insights. Utilizing Google Sheets for daily updates can significantly boost SEO rankings. Encouraging user reviews through GBP can enhance credibility and visibility. Maximizing the Impact of GBP: Consistent updates are crucial; a stagnant profile is ineffective. Use of Google Sheets for dynamic content changes. Incorporating various types of content (images, offers, events) for engagement. The Importance of Reviews and User-Generated Content: Aim for at least 20-25 reviews for credibility. Encourage user-generated content for authenticity and engagement. Utilize contests and promotions to generate interest and participation. Leveraging GBP for E-commerce: Link GBP with e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify. Use GBP for promoting specific products, offers, and events. Strategic Updates and Content Posting: Regular updates are essential; however, avoid over-posting to maintain authenticity. Balance between informative posts and promotional content. Event-Based Marketing Through GBP: Creating events on GBP can drive more traffic and engagement. Use events for product launches, special promotions, and seasonal sales. Real-world Examples and Success Stories: Farrar shares examples of businesses that have significantly benefited from using GBP strategically. Tips for Effective GBP Management: Ensure all relevant fields are filled with updated information. Regularly update hours, especially during holidays, to avoid showing as closed. Summary and Round-Up Norm Farrar's discussion with Danny McMillan on Seller Sessions provides invaluable insights into the effective use of Google Business Profiles for enhancing brand visibility and engagement. The strategic use of GBP, integrating with Google's array of tools, and focusing on user-generated content and reviews can significantly impact a brand's online presence and SEO performance. This episode is a must-listen for businesses and entrepreneurs looking to leverage GBP for their growth and online marketing strategies. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK. Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify, and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!” Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable.”

The Broad Match Show with Adam Heist Amazon Selling: Navigating the 2024 Landscape Adam Heist's Insights: Predicts a shift in Amazon strategy from keyword focus to more nuanced approaches. Emphasizes the increasing importance of product quality, differentiation, and visual representation. Highlights the need for constant A/B testing and creative innovation in product listings and marketing. Danny McMillan's Perspective: Stresses the importance of understanding and adapting to the changing landscape of Amazon selling. Discusses the need for rigorous testing and the significance of sentiment analysis in product marketing. Conversion Rate Optimization: The New Frontier The Shift from Technical to Creative: Both Heist and McMillan agree that conversion rate optimization will be key. This includes a stronger focus on visual identity, product presentation, and customer experience rather than just technical aspects like keywords and PPC. Test Everything: McMillan emphasizes extreme testing, especially for underperforming products. Heist agrees, noting the importance of constantly innovating and adapting to stay ahead in the market. Personal Identity in Business Navigating Ups and Downs: Both hosts discuss the psychological challenges of running a business. They delve into the importance of not tying one's identity too closely to business success or failure. Ego and Business: Heist shares his experience of ego death and the realization that business achievements do not define personal worth. McMillan echoes this sentiment, discussing the importance of maintaining perspective and focusing on meaningful work over status. Looking Ahead: 2024 and Beyond Embracing Uncertainty: Both hosts emphasize the importance of being comfortable with the unknown and adapting to changes in the Amazon landscape. Personal Growth and Business Strategy: Heist discusses how personal growth has informed his business strategy, advocating for a more holistic approach to business and life. Key Takeaways for Amazon Sellers: The discussion concludes with key strategies for Amazon sellers in 2024, focusing on adaptation, customer experience, and personal well-being. Summary/Round-Up Adapting to Change: In 2024, Amazon sellers will need to adapt to a more nuanced and customer-focused approach. This includes less reliance on keywords and more emphasis on product quality, differentiation, and customer experience. Conversion Rate Optimization: This will be crucial, with a shift towards creative and visually appealing product presentations. Emotional Resilience: Sellers should focus on their personal growth and not solely define their worth by their business achievements. Future Outlook: Embracing the unknown and being adaptable will be key to succeeding in the evolving landscape of Amazon selling. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK. Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!” Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable.”

Advanced Level Landing Page Optimization (Walkthrough) for 2024 In the constantly evolving digital landscape of 2024, landing page optimization remains a pivotal element for online marketing success, especially for Amazon sellers with their own websites. This In-Depth podcast we walk you through the anatomy of an effective landing page, essential design strategies, and the critical nuances that distinguish high-converting pages in 2024. The Anatomy of a Landing Page Essential Elements: Headline: This is your primary attention grabber. It should be compelling and succinct, clearly stating what you offer. Sub-headline: It supports and expands on the headline, adding more context or details. Single Call to Action/Form: A clear, focused action for users is crucial. This could be a sign-up form, download button, sales inquiry, or product purchase. Conversion Button Colour: The button should stand out, unique and distinct, not replicated elsewhere on your site. Minimize Distractions: The page should be free of unnecessary navigational elements, except for a back button, to keep the user focused on the conversion goal. User Eye Movement: Understanding that users typically scan from left to right in a zigzag pattern is essential. Positioning conversion elements, like forms or buttons, is often more effective on the right-hand side to align with this natural eye movement. Design and Copywriting Strategies: Experiment with Layouts and Copy: Using a mix of paragraphs and bullet points can make the information more digestible. Capturing Zigzag Eye Movement: Align content to match the typical scanning patterns observed in heat maps. Adhere to the 10 Second Rule: Engage users within the first 10 seconds, including page load time, to prevent them from leaving the site. Example - Amazon's Product Detail Page (PDP): Amazon's PDP showcases effective button placement and color, aligning with typical user eye movement patterns. While it deviates from the single conversion goal norm, Amazon successfully employs multiple conversion opportunities, though this strategy may not suit all brands. Not All Landing Pages are Created Equal Long landing pages with flashy, hypnotic text might work for certain products like diet pills, but this approach can be detrimental for premium brands like Apple. Good design equates to trust. Lean copy, high-quality images, and concise language are generally more effective. For more technical products, a combination of video and copy with specialized language may be necessary. The "Keep It Stupid Simple" (KISS) principle often applies here. Issues with Mobile Mobile optimization is challenging due to limited screen space. The message and design must work together to create a better user experience. This means being concise and ensuring that the design is mobile-friendly. Check out the Seller Sessions Youtube Channel to follow along. Key Questions for Landing Page Strategy Target Audience: Are they warm, hot, or cold customers? Variations Needed: How many versions of a landing page are required, and for whom? Testing Long and Short Forms: Determining the effectiveness of each in engaging different audience segments. Targeting Example For Seller Sessions Live Landing Page For paid ads targeting ages 30-55 on desktops, this approach considers that the core audience is likely to engage more deeply with content on a larger screen, especially for higher-priced items. The convenience of switching between tabs for additional research is crucial, less so on mobile. However, a separate mobile campaign can be developed later, targeting users by device. Conversely, for those entrenched in the Amazon FBA community, landing pages are constructed with an inherent warmth, considering the audience's familiarity with the brand and speakers. For email campaigns, mobile optimization is crucial as the platform on which customers open emails is less predictable. Subscribers have already shown interest, so the approach is tailored accordingly. Leveraging Technology for Optimization Browser compatibility is a significant factor in conversion rates. Tools like Browser Stack, which costs about $60 per month, are invaluable. They allow you to test every browser and operating system configuration, identify bugs, and ensure compatibility. The tool’s page tester provides screen grabs across browsers, helping to quickly identify and address issues, a common use for this technology. Conclusion Don’t let your landing page be a leaky bucket and waste precious time and ad dollars on lazy quick pages, the wins are in the details and the payoff is higher conversion rates. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: - Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK. Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, Zignify and Ecomcy. Cheers Danny P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!” Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable.”

Amazon’s AI Listing Writer with Brandon Young Reconciliation Score Amazon uses a reconciliation score on listings to determine which changes to a listing are accepted. This score works like a pyramid, with different levels of authority. Hierarchy: At the bottom are individual sellers, moving up through professional, gold, platinum, and higher levels including seller support, brand registry, data augmenters, retail, G fix, and FC at the top. Functionality The entity with the highest reconciliation score on an attribute level (not listing level) gets its changes accepted. If Amazon changes the title, for instance, it doesn't affect the bullet points unless Amazon also has a higher reconciliation score for bullet points. Seller Strategies: If Amazon changes a listing, and a seller wants to revert or modify it, they need to have a higher reconciliation score. This often involves interacting with the brand registry and sometimes escalating cases to regain control over listing attributes or deleting and rebooting with flat files. AI Listing Writer Amazon's Use of AI and GPT: Amazon employs AI and GPT like algorithms to rewrite listings, aiming to improve titles or listings. However, there are unintended consequences, such as inadequate keyword research and indexing, which can hurt seller rankings. Seller's Use of AI Tools: Brandon Young discusses how they use AI (like GPT) to write listings, but also emphasizes the need for manual intervention. The AI helps in creating listings that sound good, but it often misses including critical keywords for indexing and ranking. Balance Between AI and Manual Work: While AI tools can do a significant portion of the listing creation, sellers must review and adjust the content to ensure it includes all relevant keywords and complies with Amazon's best practices for listing optimization. Strategies for Amazon Sellers Importance of Brand Registry: Having brand registry is crucial as it provides more control over listings and helps in regaining authority from Amazon when it changes listing details. Keyword Research and Semantic Matching: Deep keyword research and understanding semantic matching are vital. It's not just about having relevant keywords but also about understanding how customers search and the different ways products can be indexed. This episode provides valuable insights for Amazon sellers, especially regarding navigating the challenges posed by Amazon's AI-driven listing changes and maintaining control over their product listings. It also underscores the importance of a balanced approach, combining AI tools with manual oversight for optimal listing creation and maintenance.

Mina Elias, an Amazon DSP expert, unpacks the platform's capabilities. He discusses targeting individual customers, varied ad placements, and advanced funnel strategies for brands. The podcast gives insights into maximizing the impact of DSP through precise audience selection and extensive reach.

Ads Versus Authenticity: Does PPC Undermine Organic Search Relevance on Search Results? Episode Summary: In this insightful episode of Seller Sessions, Danny McMillan welcomes Elizabeth Greene, an Amazon advertising expert and co-founder of JUNGLR. They delve into the dynamic world of Amazon advertising, discussing the platform's latest changes and what they mean for sellers looking to scale their businesses. From exploring the nuances of PPC strategies to the evolving role of AI in Amazon's ecosystem, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to stay ahead in the competitive world of Amazon. Danny McMillan's Discussion on Amazon's Search Matching System Danny McMillan expands on this by discussing the evolution of Amazon's search matching system. He explains that Amazon initially used a lexical matching system where single words were indexed. Over time, this evolved into semantic matching, which considers the context of the words, and further advanced with the introduction of BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers). BERT enhances the understanding of language, allowing for more human-like interpretations of search queries. Concerns About Ads in Amazon Search Results Despite these advancements, Danny points out a significant concern: the search results pages on Amazon are increasingly populated with ads. This heavy ad presence pushes down organic search results, potentially conflicting with Amazon's goal of delivering the most relevant search results. Danny questions whether there might be a shift in focus to increase relevance in search results around ads, as Amazon's primary goal is to ensure a great search experience, regardless of whether they come from organic search results or paid ads. Speculations on the Future of Amazon's Search Relevance He also speculates about the future of Amazon's approach to handling the balance between ad-driven and organically relevant search results. He acknowledges that while there are certain limitations on what keywords can be targeted in ads, the control largely lies with advertisers who are paying for ad placements. This creates a dynamic where the relevance of search results could be at odds with paid ads in terms of overall relevance. Danny suggests that this might lead to customer frustration if they don't receive the level of relevant search results and ponders how Amazon will address this issue going forward… If indeed they will, as this is a massive profit center for them. Key Topics Discussed: The Future of PPC on Amazon: Elizabeth shares her thoughts on where PPC is heading in the coming years, including the impact of new tools and features. Challenges and Opportunities with Amazon Ads: Discussion on the complexities and potential of Amazon's advertising platform, including the importance of data access and budget rules. Amazon's Algorithm Evolution: Danny and Elizabeth discuss the progression from lexical to semantic matching and the introduction of BERT, exploring its impact on search results and PPC. Relevance in Amazon Listings: A deep dive into the importance of relevance in product listings and how Amazon's algorithm interprets this. AI's Role in Enhancing User Experience: The conversation turns to how AI is influencing shopping experiences on Amazon, with a focus on listing optimization and the potential future shifts in strategy. Optimising Product Images: Insights on the significance of correctly categorising product images for better alignment with Amazon's search algorithm (image attributes). Recommended Resources: Junglr Website: Explore the services offered by Elizabeth's Amazon ad agency. Elizabeth Greene on LinkedIn: Follow Elizabeth for more insights into Amazon advertising. Conclusion: This episode of Seller Sessions with Elizabeth Greene offers valuable insights into the current trends and future directions of Amazon's advertising landscape. Whether you're a new seller or looking to scale your existing business, understanding these dynamics is crucial for success on the platform.