Amazon Keyword Research Guide

Launch a new product with a clean keyword workflow that is practical, data informed, and easy to repeat

If you sell on Amazon, keyword research is one of the first skills that pays off quickly. Good keywords make your listing easier to find, help ads spend more efficiently, and give you language your customers already use. This beginner friendly guide walks you through a complete workflow using SellerSprite. We will use a simple scenario to keep things concrete.

Scenario: You are launching a new yoga mat. Your goal is to build a focused keyword set, place those keywords correctly in your listing, and create a small test campaign to validate demand.

What you will use inside SellerSprite

• Keyword Mining to expand seed terms into a large list
• Reverse ASIN to discover keywords that drive competitor visibility
• Filters to score and prioritize keywords by demand and difficulty
• Rank tracking to monitor your main terms after launch

Throughout the process, keep one rule in mind. Relevance first, volume second. A smaller, highly relevant set will outperform a bloated list.

Step 1: define your seed keywords

Start with 3 to 5 seed terms that describe your product clearly. Think like a shopper.

• Product type: yoga mat
• Key attributes: thick yoga mat, non slip yoga mat, travel yoga mat
• Synonyms and near neighbors: exercise mat, pilates mat, workout mat
• Audience or use case terms: yoga mat for beginners, yoga mat for men, yoga mat for hot yoga

Write these in a simple spreadsheet. Add two columns named Intent and Notes. Mark each seed term as either transactional or informational. You will focus on transactional terms for listing placement and ads.

Pro tip

Look at Amazon autocomplete. Start typing yoga mat and capture the suggestions that make sense for your exact product. Ignore branded phrases and terms that do not fit your listing.

Step 2: expand with SellerSprite Keyword Mining

Open SellerSprite and set the correct marketplace and language. Enter one seed term at a time. Export or send results to a working list. You will likely see metrics such as search volume, a trend line, relevancy, a competition indicator, and suggested PPC bid ranges. Your goal is not to copy everything. Your goal is to collect candidates that could realistically convert for your product.

Practical filters that save time

• Include terms that contain your core product type, for example, yoga mat
• Exclude obvious misfits, for example, branded names you cannot target
• Set a minimum search volume that feels meaningful for your category
• Set a maximum word count for head terms and a minimum word count for long tails

As you scan the list, keep an eye out for long tail phrases. Examples: thick yoga mat for bad knees, non slip yoga mat for hardwood floors. These phrases are specific. They usually have lower competition and higher buyer intent.

Step 3: score and shortlist

Now you will turn a long candidate list into a focused working set. Create three buckets.

Primary keywords

Short, high intent phrases that define your product. For a yoga mat, that might include yoga mat, non slip yoga mat, thick yoga mat.

Secondary keywords

Mid length phrases that add an attribute or audience angle. Examples: yoga mat for men, yoga mat for beginners, pilates mat for home workout.

Long tail keywords

Specific, lower volume phrases that are close to a purchase decision. Examples: 10mm thick yoga mat, yoga mat for hot yoga sweat proof.

How to pick winners

• Relevance must be obvious without mental gymnastics
• Volume should be sufficient to matter for your goals
• Competition should be workable for a new or small listing
• Intent should be transactional when you plan to rank with your product page

Remove generic or ambiguous terms like mat or sports mat. Remove purely informational queries such as how to clean a yoga mat unless you plan a blog post. Remove brand names that you do not own.

Aim for 10 to 15 primary keywords, 20 to 40 secondary keywords, and as many long tails as you can manage. This is enough to structure your listing and ads without creating chaos.

Step 4: mine competitors with Reverse ASIN

Find 3 to 5 top competitors that match your price point and features. Paste each ASIN into SellerSprite Reverse ASIN. Export the keywords they rank for and note where they rank highly or frequently. You are looking for two things.

Overlaps

Terms that appear in both your research and competitor reports. These are confirmed opportunities.

Gaps

Terms competitors rank for that you missed. Add the relevant ones to your shortlist.

Use simple judgment. If a competitor ranks with a branded bundle or a different material that you do not offer, skip those terms. If you see the same long tail appear across several competitors, it is likely worth targeting.

Step 5: build a keyword map for your listing

Place keywords where Amazon and shoppers expect to see them. Write for humans first. Use your map to guide content.

Title

• Lead with a primary keyword naturally
• Add 1 to 2 attributes that matter most to buyers
• Avoid repeating the same word just to stuff keywords
• Keep it readable on mobile

Example structure: Yoga Mat, Non Slip, 10mm Thick, Carry Strap Included, Home and Studio

Bullet points

• Organize by themes such as comfort, grip, portability, care
• Place 1 primary or secondary keyword per bullet where it reads smoothly
• Use benefits to translate features into outcomes buyers care about

Product description or A plus content

• Tell a clear story about use cases
• Work in secondary and long tail phrases as natural language
• Include synonyms to capture variations your title cannot fit

Backend search terms

• Add relevant variations and common misspellings that do not fit on the front end
• Do not repeat words that already appear in your visible content
• Do not include competitor brand names

Image alt text if available

• Describe the image and incorporate a relevant keyword where it feels natural

The result is a clean listing that speaks to shoppers and signals relevance to Amazon at the same time.

Step 6: validate with a small PPC test

PPC amplifies your research and helps you validate assumptions quickly. Start small.

• Group close variants together
• Use exact match for your top 10 to 15 primary keywords
• Use phrase or broad match for a handful of secondary keywords to discover new terms
• Set starting bids around suggested CPC levels and adjust based on performance
• Add negatives to remove irrelevant clicks

Watch three numbers during the first week. Click through rate shows if your keywords and creative align. Conversion rate shows if the listing promises match the product. ACOS shows if a term is economically viable for paid traffic. Promote winners into their own exact match ad groups. Lower bids or pause poor performers. Feed new converting search terms back into your keyword map and listing copy.

Step 7: track and iterate

Use SellerSprite rank tracking for your primary keywords. Check weekly in the first month, then on a regular schedule. When rankings move, ask why.

• If rankings improve, look for the change that helped
• If rankings drop, check stock levels, price, reviews, and competitor moves
• If a long tail starts to climb, consider adding supportive content or an image callout that matches that query

Keep a simple spreadsheet with a tab for Research, a tab for Listing Map, a tab for PPC Tests, and a tab for Rank Tracking notes. Treat it as a living document that you update as the market moves.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Chasing volume and ignoring intent. A short term traffic spike is not useful if shoppers were not looking for your exact product.
• Stuffing keywords into the title. Read your title out loud. If it sounds robotic, buyers will skip it.
• Copying competitors blindly. Your materials, thickness, bundle, or price may target a different sub segment. Adjust your keyword mix accordingly.
• Relying on one seed term. Broaden your net with synonyms and use cases. Exercise mat and pilates mat can unlock new audiences if your product fits those searches.
• Forgetting seasonality. Check trend lines before you draw big conclusions.

A simple 15 minute workflow you can repeat

1. Pick one seed term and run SellerSprite keyword research
2. Apply include and exclude filters, then export the top 100 to 200 results
3. Mark obvious winners by relevance and intent
4. Run Reverse ASIN for two competitors and add any missing gems
5. Update your listing map and adjust one or two bullets
6. Add one or two new exact match keywords to your PPC test

This small loop compounds quickly. Each pass gives you more precision and more confidence.

Mini checklist for launch

• 10 to 15 primary keywords selected
• 20 to 40 secondary keywords selected
• Long tail list captured and organized by theme
• Title written with one primary keyword near the front
• Bullets mapped to themes with natural keyword placement
• Backend search terms filled with unique variations
• Exact match PPC ad groups created for primary keywords
• Phrase or broad ad groups created for discovery
• Rank tracking set up for primary keywords
• Spreadsheet updated with decisions and next steps

Final thoughts

Keyword research is not a one time task. Markets change, new competitors enter, and language evolves. The combination of a clear seed list, sensible filters, competitor mining, and disciplined testing gives you a durable advantage. SellerSprite makes each stage faster by turning guesses into data backed decisions. Start with a tight, relevant set, place those words where shoppers expect them, and iterate with small tests. Do that well and your yoga mat will be easier to find, cheaper to advertise, and more likely to sell.