If you are a new Amazon seller, then you might encounter some instances where your Amazon listings are not visible or not showing up in searches. You might have to wait for a few weeks before your listing starts to appear in search results. This is because keyword running can take time generally for all product markets, especially when you are selling in a highly competitive market.
If the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) model is used instead of the Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM), your listing will be inactive if there is not enough inventory left in your Amazon warehouse. Also, if your seller account has been inactive for a while, then all your listings will automatically become inactive and will not appear in Amazon searches. But there are certain other factors for your listing not being visible.
Picture this: You have just created a new product listing on Amazon but now it does not show up in Amazon search results.
This process is termed indexing and it can be very frustrating for new and existing sellers. Given Amazon’s competition and large number of sellers, visibility and ranking of your product listing are very crucial for generating sales revenue.
The question arises of why would your Amazon product listing is not showing up in Amazon searches and how to fix this problem. The article will cover all aspects of the problem, and provide you with information about everything you need to know about.
Why is My Amazon Listing Not Showing Up?
Let’s start by taking a look at some of the reasons why this issue may arise in the first place:
Product is Indexed But Not Ranking
Many times, the product may be indexed in Amazon, but is not visible and not showing up for any search terms that you wish to target.
The big question here is:
How to check if the product is listed but not visible?
Simply, just take the Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) of your product, put it in between quotation marks, and search for it on Amazon’s search bar at the top of the page. If the product is indexed, then it would appear in the search results for the corresponding ASIN. If not, then there is a high probability of some error with the listing.
If the product you are searching for appears when you search the ASIN but not in any other keyword search, then this is normal and you need not worry. This is quite normal with Amazon’s algorithm, especially for competitive classes.
Amazon processes various streams or types of data to determine the ranking of product listings in search results. With a brand new Amazon listing, there isn’t enough data so the ranking would likely be lower.
Newly Created Item
A common problem with new listings is that they take significant time before they get a higher ranking in Amazon search results. There have been several instances where the listings take several days to rank higher and appear in top positions.
If you are uploading large volumes of listings with a flat file or creating listings that have several variations, there is a high probability that you might face this problem. Sellers need to be sure that every variation in an item is a listing on its own within the Amazon catalog.
For instance, an item having 4 size variations and 5 different colors would make 21 listings in total where there would be 20 child listings and one parent listing.
If, for example, the new listings have a common search or key term between them, you can search this common term and monitor the products being added in real-time. Also, you can take random samples and spot-check the different items or the specific ASIN you are looking for.
Errors or Missing Details
If your product listing contains some errors or there are some missing details, Amazon will suppress such listing and prevent it from showing up in customer searches.
The problem intensifies when you are using a flat file for creating multiple listings. When creating listings manually, Amazon will most likely prevent you from continuing to create listings with missing information, however, the flat files will be processed even with missing fields.
If you have already uploaded several listings using a flat file, the missing information can still be fixed without having to recreate all of your listings. This can be done using the PartialUpdate command in the spreadsheet.
Also, remember that the Title is among the most significant elements of your product pages as a shopper first see the title whenever they search for their required product on Amazon. For the Product Description, be sure to include relevant keywords that are optimized and targeted so that they can help you with your Amazon ranking and surpass your competition.
Moreover, it is necessary to ensure that you have uploaded optimized images to your listing and carefully chosen the product category as this will highly impact the search results.
Keywords Used in Parent-Child Listing
Although this method is not very intuitive, Amazon allows for separate search terms to be used both in the parent as well as child listing. This is because this would ultimately lead to one of the child listings getting ranked.
This implies that you will need to duplicate key search terms in the child listing that have already been used in the parent listing. In addition, you can also add unique search terms in the child listing that will help improve their Amazon search ranking.
If your product is still not showing up in Amazon searches, do remember to make sure that the child listings have backend search terms added to them.
Contact Seller Support
Now that a few days have passed, there are no errors on your listing but your listing is still suppressed, it is now the time to contact Amazon Seller Support. If the listings would be valid, they would eventually show up somewhere, even if it is for searching for the ASIN. if the ad isn’t showing at all, then know that something is wrong with your listing.
While contacting Amazon Seller Support, it is advisable to reach the catalog and listing team. Explain everything to them in detail to give them an idea of what is going on and the steps that you have taken. If the listings are not suppressed by Amazon or there is nothing wrong, then listings should be indexed even with no sales.
Some Additional Factors
There might be some additional factors that can lead to a lower listing ranking or the listing being taken down (suspended) altogether. These factors include:
Inactive Listing
The following factors can make your listing inactive:
- No Inventory – When using the FBA model, if there is no inventory left in the Amazon warehouse, then your listing would automatically become inactive. To check the inventory level, go to the “Inventory” tab and select “Manage Inventory” and check the inventory level shown.
- Inactive Account – If the Seller account is inactive, then all of your listings will also be inactive. This might happen if your account is inactive for a while. To avoid this problem, be sure to turn off the holiday settings and also recheck to see if the account status is active.
- Suppressed Listing – A listing is suppressed given any policy or guideline violations. If you think that Amazon has suppressed your listing, contact Amazon seller support for assistance.
Account Health
Problems relating to the health of the Seller account can lead to a low ranking or the listing being not visible at all. Sellers should keep a close eye on their accounts and get rid of these problems that need to be addressed as soon as possible. Also keep an eye to make sure that your product listing is not hijacked as well.
- Seller Rating – Amazon’s algorithm is designed such that it highlights listing from high-rated sellers. This means that if you have a low seller rating, then your products may not be visible. To improve your ranking, make sure you offer excellent customer service to your buyers so your rating can improve over time.
- Product Reviews – Amazon considers product reviews on your listings to determine your ranking. The more positive the reviews, the higher will be your listing ranking and visibility. Try to encourage customers to leave a review as it will not only improve your ranking but also have a positive on your account’s health.
- Customer Feedback – Amazon is customer-centric meaning that it prioritizes its customers over the sellers. To ensure you are in the “good books” of Amazon, make sure to provide the best quality product and service to your customers so they leave positive feedback. Having positive customer feedback will further improve your ranking.
Conclusion
Your Amazon listing is your shopfront and what’s the use of a shopfront if it is not visible to the customers? The answer is “none” meaning that sellers should be very concerned about their listing, its ranking, visibility, as well as the health of their seller account.
If, due to any reason, your listing is not visible in Amazon searches, then try to fix the issue so that you could run and flourish your Amazon business smoothly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my listings not visible?
There can be several reasons including missing information, bad account health, errors in the newly made listing, an issue with keywords, etc. The best method is to be vigilant at all times and resolve any problems that may arise.
How long does it take for an Amazon listing to show up?
If the setup went well as per Amazon’s guidelines, you will receive a listing confirmation email and your listing would be visible on your inventory page usually around 15 minutes.
Why my listing is showing as currently unavailable?
Common reasons may be: you listed your products without receiving confirmation of approval; the seller account may be under review, or your listing might have incomplete details.
How long do items take to sell on Amazon?
There is no specific time for when you will make a sale. It depends on the product you are selling, the quality and ranking of your listing, the niche in which you operate, etc.
Feel free to consult XpertVA’s professionals for efficient Amazon Listing Services to boost your ranking and improve sales revenue. Book a consultation with our skilled professionals and grow your business.
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