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Writer's pictureAdrian Gonzalez

Amazon SEO vs. Google SEO: The Key Differences You Need to Know


google seo vs amazon seo: the key differences you need to know

The average web user spends so much of their time on Google and Amazon. There are billions of searches per day on these platforms. Any business owner would wonder: What’s the difference between Amazon SEO and Google SEO?


For consumers, the difference is quite clear. Google gives you answers and Amazon shows you products. In fact, 90% of shoppers check Amazon for a product even if they’ve already seen it elsewhere. There’s a lot of competition on the platform, so it’s important to stand out if you want to succeed.


Google is the most popular search engine in the world. As opposed to Amazon, consumers might not always be searching with the intent to buy. But ranking on Google can mean so much positive brand awareness and lead generation. It’s important to know the differences and similarities between both search engines. You need to know which one to focus on for your business. Not all businesses are the same, and their goals aren’t the same either. Read on to learn about the differences between Amazon SEO and Google SEO to find out which one is best for your business.


Why Is SEO Important?


SEO is important on these platforms for a few reasons. The main one is visibility. You want as many eyes on your business as possible. Getting on top of the search engine results page will get you a lot of attention.


an infographic shows the search engine results page and says that an seo optimized website could be on the top

The more visibility you have on Google or Amazon, the more money you’ll make. Ranking for competitive keywords will also push your competition away from your target audience. You’re competing for their attention and any advantage you can get is worth the effort.


SEO is important, but it’s even more important to decide how to effectively do it. One business might invest in Amazon SEO but not need to invest in Google SEO as much. Or vice versa! It’s essential to know the difference between the two so you can decide which is worth the effort for your business.


Differences Between Amazon SEO and Google SEO


These two search engines are different in many ways. These differences could play a part in helping you decide which one is better for your business.


Difference 1: Keywords


Keywords are a description of what consumers can find on a webpage. Businesses compete to have their product or page show up when consumers type a keyword into a search engine. For example, targeting the “dog toys” keyword on Amazon would make sense if you sell dog toys.


Keyword targeting works differently on both platforms. You should target long-tail keywords on Google. Long-tail keywords are longer keywords, like questions. Shorter keywords perform better on Amazon since consumers just want to find a product so that’s all they type in.


Targeting the right keyword is essential on both platforms, but your business shouldn’t try to use the same keywords for both search engines.


Difference 2: Ranking Factors


This is probably the biggest difference between the two search engines. Ranking factors are things that the search engine takes into account when deciding where to place your page on the results page.


Google’s Ranking Factors


Google considers a lot of different factors when ranking sites. Too many to list here. Here are some of the most prevalent:

  • Page speed. How long does it take your page to load? Too long and your ranking will suffer.

  • Mobile optimization. Is your site optimized for phone use? It should be!

  • Dwell time. The amount of time people spend on your website. This one’s huge! Keep people around for as long as possible.

  • Direct traffic. This is how many people click on your website.

  • On-page optimization. This is stuff like how often the keyword appears and where. It’s good to include your targeted keyword in the title and headings.

Amazon’s Ranking Factors


Amazon takes a different approach to ranking. They’re a lot more focused on sales since they are a marketplace, after all. Let’s look at their ranking factors:

  • Product copy. Amazon takes your title, bullet points, and description into account. They should include relevant keywords.

  • Customer feedback. Good ratings and reviews will give your products a boost on the results page.

  • Conversion rate. The higher your conversion rate, the higher your ranking.

  • Price. Your price should be competitive.

  • Sales rank. This is the rank that your product has in its category.

a chart showing the differences between amazon seo and google seo

Ranking Factors Compared


You can see that Amazon is much more focused on sales, whereas Google is more focused on the experience that consumers have on your webpage.


Not to say that Amazon completely disregards the customer experience. If customers don’t like your product, then your ranking will plummet.


Difference 3: Backlinks


Backlinks are links that link back to your webpage. Google and Amazon both take backlinks into account when ranking your page.


However, getting those links might be different for each platform.


Creating high-quality content on Google and presenting consumers or other businesses with helpful information can get you high-quality backlinks.


Delivering an amazing product on Amazon will get people to share your product with their friends and family on social media.


Backlinks are important, so it’s important that you earn them.


Similarities Between Amazon SEO and Google SEO


While they have many differences, they also share many similarities.


Similarity 1: The Importance of Content


Content is king. Having high-quality content is absolutely essential on both search engines. You need content that looks good, reads well, and benefits the consumer.


Utilizing images is a good way to do this on both platforms. Images are a lot easier to take in than huge chunks of words. They keep attention and deliver a message. The highest-ranking pages on both platforms have great infographics.


On Amazon, you could include more product images and create beautiful A+ content!


Similarity 2: Keyword Relevance


Including relevant keywords is vital to your page’s ranking. Proper research will reveal optimal keywords for your page. Including the right keywords on your page will improve your ranking.


Keyword stuffing is the practice of including targeted keywords as often as possible. This is really bad for SEO and can hurt your ranking.


Similarity 3: Constant Optimization


Both platforms work best for you if you’re constantly going back and reworking things. There’s always something to add or improve on.


Which Is Better for Your Business?


There are a lot of differences and similarities between the two search engines. Consumers are not going to use them for the same purpose, so knowing which one is better for your business might be tricky.


When deciding on which platform to invest in, it’s important to know where your audience is in the buying cycle. The buying cycle is the process that consumers go through when buying products.


There are 5 stages to the buying cycle:


1. Awareness: Consumers start to become aware of their need for a specific product. For example, winter is coming and they don’t want to get cold so they’ll look for a sweater. They start to do light research into options.


2. Consideration: Consumers are curious about your product so they look for information about it. They look at reviews, ratings, and information that you put out.


3. Evaluation: They look at other options and consider them as well.


4. Purchase: Congrats! They loved your product enough to commit and make the purchase.


5. Repurchase: They might buy your product again if they like it enough and need another one. Or they might buy it for a friend or a family member since they loved theirs so much!


Now that you understand the buying cycle, you can start to understand why it plays a part in your SEO strategy.


Google is great for attracting those who are in the awareness or consideration stage. If you’re selling sweaters, you could target a keyword like “do I need a sweater this winter” or “best sweaters for women”.

However, when customers already have an idea of what they want, then they’re just going to look for it. They already have the intention to buy so they’re looking for options.


Knowing your specific goals will help you decide on which consumers you want to focus on.


Do you want to grow brand awareness? Google is the fit for you.


Do you just want to sell as many products as possible? Then you should focus on Amazon.


Do you want to do both? Then working on both platforms at the same time isn’t a bad idea! Using Google SEO and Amazon SEO together can lead to incredible results.


Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, but they are both incredibly helpful in helping businesses grow.


Conclusion


While Amazon SEO and Google SEO are different in many ways, they share a lot of similarities. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of both search engines can help you know which one is the best fit for your business.


If you need help developing content that will help you rank up on either platform, then Rosayo is here to help. We have experience in writing copy, making infographics, and developing other content for multimillion-dollar businesses! Our work has been proven to be successful on both platforms. Contact Rosayo today to give your business the SEO boost it needs.


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