For someone selling products online, Google and Amazon are the biggest playgrounds. Google is the world’s largest search engine while Amazon is the largest e-commerce marketplace—and both platforms have millions of daily active users.
As an online seller or entrepreneur, it is essential to shape your SEO strategy focusing on both Google and Amazon, so that your business scales seamlessly.
But if you think Amazon SEO vs Google SEO are the same thing, they are not.
Yes, both platforms are basically search engines, but one is built to help people buy, and the other is built to help people find information. Reports say that 89% of consumers are more likely to buy products from Amazon, while 59% of shoppers start their product search on Google before they plan to buy in-store or online.
This simply means that optimization on both platforms can prove beneficial for your business, but it is crucial to understand their key differences before you start.
With this comprehensive guide, we will help you understand how Google search engine optimization is different from Amazon SEO optimization, how you can optimize for both of them effectively, and which strategy is best for your business.
What is SEO and Why Does it Matter?
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of improving your website’s or products’ visibility and ranking in search engine result pages (SERPs). For Amazon SEO vs Google SEO, a wide range of technical and content strategies are used to make your content more appealing to both users and search engine algorithms.
It is important because it brings organic traffic to your brand with high-intent buyers who are actively looking for similar products. Plus, it increases online visibility, builds trust, and strengthens brand presence. While the purpose of SEO is similar, things get different when you optimize to increase Google ranking and Amazon ranking.
How is Amazon SEO Different?
Amazon SEO is completely product-based and sales-driven. It means that optimization on Amazon is focused on improving the visibility of your products on the platform so that more customers purchase them. The success of Amazon SEO optimization is measured by metrics like sales velocity, conversions, and rankings.
Key Benefits of Amazon SEO
Boosted Sales and Revenue: SEO for Amazon is all about increasing product sales. Effective Amazon product listing optimization leads to better product visibility and more clicks, which ultimately results in higher conversion rates and sales.
Reduced Dependency on Paid Ads: Once optimized, organic product listings can generate consistent sales without continuous ad spending, making growth more cost-effective. This is especially beneficial for businesses with tight budgets.
Competitive Advantage: Not all Amazon sellers optimize their product listings. Thus, practising SEO for Amazon gives your products a competitive edge, making them appear above your competitors in search results and attract more customers.
3 Useful Tips for Amazon SEO
Use Product-focused Keywords: Choose keywords that are based on your products, their category, and niche market. Use Amazon’s search bar suggestions and tools like Product Opportunity Explorer to find high-volume, relevant keywords.
Add High-Quality Images: Use high-resolution images that clearly represent your product and brand quality to attract clicks and interest. Enhanced visuals result in increased trust, better customer experience, and higher conversion rates.
Drive External Traffic: Driving external traffic to your product listings indirectly boosts your amazon product listing optimization efforts. Promote your products on social media, work with influencers, and create videos to attract more customers.
How is Google SEO Different?
Google search engine optimization is about optimizing your website, content, or product pages to rank higher in Google’s search result pages. Unlike Amazon, Google SEO focuses on providing users with valuable information to drive organic traffic. The SEO strategies are aligned with Google’s user-centric search algorithms.
Key Benefits of Google SEO
Higher Rankings: Google SEO helps you increase Google ranking, which increases your visibility and drives more organic traffic. Also, a high ranking website appears more prominent and trustworthy to users who see it as a credible source.
Targeted Traffic: SEO attracts highly qualified visitors who are actively searching for specific keywords related to your business, leading to more leads and sales. High-quality traffic also makes your website more authoritative for search algorithms.
Consistent Growth: Once your website starts ranking higher, it drives consistent traffic and clicks. It means that you get regular visitors on your website, increasing the chances of conversions. This makes Google SEO a cost-effective strategy.
3 Useful Tips for Google SEO
Use Long-tail Keywords: Using long-tail, high-relevance keywords naturally in your content benefits Google search engine optimization significantly. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find keywords that have high clicks and low competition.
Focus on EEAT: Google favours content that aligns with experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (EEAT). Aligning your content with this factor increases the likelihood of ranking higher, drives more traffic, and builds brand trust.
Optimize for Mobile Devices: Your site must perform well on mobile devices since Google prioritizes mobile versions for ranking. Ensure responsiveness for different screen sizes, optimize your images, and maintain a consistent user experience.
Amazon SEO vs Google SEO: Key Differences
While both Amazon and Google SEO stand out with their unique benefits, the real comparison between Amazon SEO vs Google SEO is complete only when you know the real differences between them. What worked to get traffic on Google won’t necessarily help you rank on Amazon, so understanding these differences is crucial.
Here are five key factors that differentiate Amazon and Google SEO:
Conversion vs Engagement Focus
Amazon product listing optimization heavily values conversions and sales. Your product needs to convert well, as sales velocity and click-to-purchase behavior are central to its ranking. Meanwhile, Google SEO focuses more on user engagement signals like time on site, bounce rate, and click-through rate from the SERPs.
Search Intent and Ranking Goals
Amazon is a buying platform. Most users search with high purchase intent, and the algorithm ranks products based on how likely they are to sell. On the other hand, Google is more informational. It’s designed to deliver content that satisfies a wide range of queries, such as informational, commercial, comparative, and more.
Keyword Usage
Amazon SEO services prioritize product-specific keywords that drive conversions, such as features, brand name, specifications, benefits, and more. Google SEO utilizes informational and question-based keywords placed across various elements. Long-tail keywords are used more in Google SEO as compared to Amazon.
Linking Strategies
Amazon doesn’t rely on backlinks. Instead, it rewards listings with strong sales, good reviews, and high conversion metrics. In contrast, Google uses internal and external links to measure authority and relevance, making backlink strategies critical. Thus, creating high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites is beneficial for Google SEO.
Content Optimization
On Amazon, content is structured for quick conversions, and titles, bullet points, and A+ content is designed for scannability and persuasion. On Google, content is generally long-form and educational. Content that follows the EEAT criteria, has depth and quality, and reflects topic authority is essential to increase Google ranking.
Amazon SEO vs Google SEO: What to Use When?
Using Amazon SEO vs Google SEO completely depends on what you want to achieve, what you are offering, and where your audience is searching. By using the right strategy at the right time, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are made in the right direction and you get maximum returns for your investments.
You should focus on Amazon SEO optimization when:
- You sell physical products and rely on Amazon’s marketplace.
- You want quicker conversions from an audience ready to buy.
- You prefer a closed ecosystem where Amazon handles transactions and logistics.
You should focus on Google search engine optimization when:
- You have a standalone e-commerce website.
- You want to build a long-term brand presence.
- Your audience needs educational content before making a purchase.
- You operate in local markets and need visibility in Google Maps.
Amazon SEO vs Google SEO: The Final Verdict
While Amazon SEO vs Google SEO share the basic principles of relevance and optimization, their focus, ranking factors, and effect on your business are different. Amazon prioritizes conversions, sales, and product relevancy, while Google rewards authority, user experience, and high-quality content with targeted organic traffic.
For brands selling products through both Amazon and their website, combining Google SEO with Amazon SEO services can be a game-changing move. By doing so, you can build maximum traction to your listings, ensure visibility, and drive traffic to your product pages that will eventually boost your sales and conversions.