Amazon Bestseller

An Amazon bestseller is an article that is on the first place in a (sub)category of the bestseller list. Depending on the category size (total number of items and sales volume), the bestseller receives the so-called “Bestseller Badge”. In some categories, no badge is issued. It is not known from which category size a bestseller badge will be awarded.

This award is displayed on the search results and product details page of the bestseller.

Amazon Brand Guide

Bestseller Status

Almost every product on Amazon has a bestseller rank. Only new products, without sales, have no bestseller status. Amazon determines at least two bestseller ranks. Once for the main category and for the subcategory in which the product is listed. Vendors have the possibility to list products in several subcategories and thus get even more bestseller ranks. The bestseller ranking depends to a large extent on the number of sales compared to the competition.

It is not recommended to sort products into the wrong categories just because there the competition is lower and a bestseller badge seems to be easier to achieve. This procedure is prohibited by Amazon and can lead to a blockage of the product listing in case of repeated disregard. Another reason is that the product does not appear when the customer filters by product categories.

The sales rank can sometimes fluctuate greatly. Product rankings up to 100,000 are updated daily, all rankings over 100,000 only monthly. For this reason, further sales do not immediately lead to an increase in the bestseller rank.

1st place on Amazon

The sales rank on Amazon is updated regularly. Depending on the category, this is sometimes updated several times a day.

Advantages of the bestseller badge

The bestseller badge is no guarantee for a high number of sales. However, it plays a psychologically important role in the decision-making phase. The badge suggests that a large number of other buyers have already opted for this product and found it good. The social proof of a product is increased by the badge and a high number of positive product reviews.

The quality of the product seems to be in order
The price/performance ratio seems justified
The seller seems to be reliable

Get a bestseller badge

It is not officially known which criteria lead to the award of the bestseller badge. It is very likely that a significant factor in the award of the badge is the number of units sold compared to the competition over a certain period of time. In this context, short-term sales are weighted strongly. In addition, dealer ratings, shipping performance and product reviews could also play an important role.

But also targeted product optimizations regarding title, bullet points, description, backend keywords and product images can lead to a better visibility and therefore an increase in sales. Every single sale pays into the bestseller rank and thus increases the chance of becoming the bestseller in a certain category. Also precise PPC campaigns via Amazon Marketing Services increase the sales opportunity enormously and thus increase the number of units sold – another advantage to become a bestseller.

As an Amazon agency, we at intomarkets have specialized in increasing security and sales and thus increasing our chances of becoming the “No. 1 bestseller”. Nevertheless, it has not been 100% proven to date how strongly the BSR influences the click and purchase behaviour of Amazon users. The fact is: a bestseller badge does no harm.