Amazon’s Best Seller Rank (BSR) is one of the best metrics to analyze Amazon products. It shows how well a product sells in its category. Understanding the significance of BSR can make all the difference for you as a seller, or product hunter.
In this blog, we explore everything you need to know about BSR and how to leverage it as an Amazon seller.
What is Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank?
Amazon’s Best Seller rank is the rank of a product relative to other products in the same category. Also known as Amazon Sales Rank, BSR for a product is given after its first sale. It can range from #1 to #10,000 or higher depending on the number of products in a particular category.
The lower the number, the better the Amazon Best Seller rank is. For example, a product that scores #30 has a better BSR than one that scores #300.
Amazon BSR example
BSR of a laptop stand retailing at $14.79 with 4000+ ratings (4.7/5 stars)
BSR of a laptop stand retailing at $35.99 with 2000+ ratings (4.8/5 stars).
The latter laptop stand has a better BSR, even if it’s more expensive and has fewer customer reviews. That’s because BSR does not consider product reviews and pricing. Instead, BSR is directly related to the number of sales.
Products on Amazon are ranked against each other only within the same category. For example, a product in the Home & Kitchen category will not rank against products in the Collectible Coins category. If a product falls under two categories, it will have a different BSR for both.
BSR Categories
BSR may fall into multiple categories, a general category and a subcategory.
A good BSR in the general category is difficult as you compete with a large range of products. Subcategory BSR includes niche products similar to your product. Therefore, Subcategory BSR is more relevant when analyzing competitors.
Where to Find the BSR
Amazon’s Best Seller Rank is shown in the product description section. Your product’s BSR can also be seen on Amazon’s Best Sellers Page. When a ranked product appears on the page, it usually has an orange badge showing the current BSR and category.
How is the Amazon Best Sellers Rank calculated?
Amazon has not revealed how it calculates Best Seller Rank but some experts believe it is through some sort of linear regression. What we know is that BSR is calculated based on sales and fluctuates hourly depending on recent and historical sales.
Other factors include price changes, promotions, competition in the category, and sales consistency. Consistent sales produce better BSRs than sporadic sales.
The principle behind BSR calculations is simple: the more products you sell, the higher your chances of a better BSR. For example, if you sell 15 product units and your competitor sells 5, your BSR will be better. If, in the next hour, you sell 3 units and your competitor sells 5, you’ll still have a better BSR.
Why? Amazon doesn’t just examine hourly sales, but also historical sales. Usually, the seller with more sales over a long period of time gets a better BSR.
What’s a Good Amazon BSR?
There’s no definite answer to ‘what is a good BSR’, but it depends on category competitiveness Some experts consider BSR of 2,000 or lower as a good benchmark. But a better way to check for your category is through the Pareto Principle. If your product ranks within the top 20% of the category, it can be considered good.
Amazon Best Sellers Rank Vs Organic Rank
As BSR is correlated to sales, organic rank considers how a product ranks on Amazon search queries. You can find organic ranking position by using various tools.
The organic rank position of a product does not affect the Best Seller Rank. In addition, the BSR score of a product does not affect the organic rank of a product. BSR gives a score based on sales frequency, while organic ranking relies on keywords to determine the position of a product on the SERPs.
Best performing products based on keywords get the black Amazon Choice Badge. Products with the most sales receive the orange Best Seller badge. If a product wins both awards, the Amazon Choice badge is displayed.
These two metrics do not influence each other. However, optimizing either can help you achieve or improve the other. For example, if you boost your organic listings, more sales will follow. More sales help you achieve a better BSR.
How Sellers Use Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank
BSR matters for sellers who want to succeed on Amazon. Here are several ways to use the Best Seller rank to improve your Amazon store.
1. Estimate sales
The BSR can help Amazon sellers predict product sales. This data is helpful in several ways, including knowing which products to optimize and which to let go of.
Through some data modeling of Sales and BSR, you can forecast sales for the next quarter. This can help you make better business decisions. Moreover, you can find out if you belong to the top 1%, 10%, or 50% of sellers in a particular category.
Simply by referring to BSR, you can get a clearer picture of your sales growth relative to the industry.
2. Product research
BSR is also an excellent way to estimate demand for a product. This makes it a handy research tool when looking for products to sell on Amazon.
A good BSR shows that a particular product is selling fairly well and hence has decent demand. A poor BSR, on the other hand, could signify that the product is selling slowly and the demand is negligible.
Moreover, if your sales are low but BSR is good, you may be competing in a weak category. If your sales are great but your BSR is average, you may be competing in a strong category.
3. Competitor research
BSR can be an effective way to monitor competitors in your space. If a competitor’s BSR is better, they could be making more sales. You can review the competitors with the highest BSR scores, see what they are doing differently, and then implement the necessary changes to increase sales and outperform your category.
4. Build social proof
A good BSR can attract customers to purchase from you. A better BSR may indicate your product is better than your competitor as you sell more. The #1 Best Seller in Laptop Stands will always be more attractive than #500.
How to Improve Your Amazon Best Sellers Rank?
Best Seller ranking does not improve your organic ranking. However, a good BSR score can have many benefits, such as attracting customers. And if you rank #1-100, you will get a place on the Best Seller List pages— an extra avenue to reach and win customers over.
Here are several ways to improve sales and boost Amazon BSR scores.
Your BSR does not improve your organic ranking, but a decent BSR can have many benefits, such as attracting customers. And if you rank #1-100, you will get a place on the Best Seller List pages, giving you an additional avenue to reach and win customers over.
Here are several ways to improve sales and boost Amazon BSR scores.
1. Advertising through Amazon PPC
If Amazon sellers are not getting enough organic impressions, clicks, or sales on their products, the most common strategy to boost those numbers is through Amazon Ads. Advertising increases product visibility, boosts sales, and improves BSR, regardless of the product objective.
Additionally, keeping ads running can provide consistent sales, which is important for calculating BSR.
2. List your products in the relevant categories
Proper categorization is critical when building your Best Sellers rank. For example, marshmallow roasting sticks may rank poorly in Patio, Lawn, Garden but excellently under Barbeque forks. Make sure you explore all the relevant categories and check category competition when listing your products.
3. Run Amazon Promotions
The final strategy to increase your BSR involves Amazon Seller Promotions. These promotions boost brand visibility which in turn increases sales. For example, a Limited 7-Day Deal creates a sense of urgency and scarcity, which are known techniques for persuading customers to buy. Other promotions available include Lightning Deals, Coupons, Prime Exclusive Discounts, and Promos.
4. Optimize product descriptions
Writing thorough product descriptions convinces customers to buy from you. Descriptions should include detailed features and benefits of a product. It should also utilize keywords to rank higher.
5. Work on increasing reviews
As many as 41% of Amazon shoppers read reviews before buying. If you’re to increase sales, you must increase quality product reviews. These quality customer reviews are a by-product of fantastic products and excellent customer support.
6. Consider FBA and Prime
Sellers can boost their sales by 30-50% through FBA. This is because about 86 percent of sellers use FBA or Prime. These services give customers more convenience, and so many customers choose Prime products and FBA services.
Misconceptions About Amazon’s Best Seller Rank
1. BSR increases sales
Amazon’s BSR does not directly influence sales. Rather, BSR is a metric that helps sellers make sense of recent and historical sales. However, a good Best Seller Rank #1-100 earns your product a place on Amazon’s Best Seller Lists, which is an additional avenue for product visibility.
2. Recent sales impacts BSR the most
Sudden changes to recent sales won’t impact BSR as much. Historical sales weigh more in BSR. Moreover, even if you’ve had a sales bump, the sales increase might take a few hours to reflect on your product’s BSR.
3. Reviews and customer ratings affect BSR
Neither reviews nor ratings have a direct impact on BSR. The Best Seller Rank is mainly impacted by sales volume.
4. A good BSR equals better organic rankings
BSR and organic rankings are independent metrics and have no bearing on each other.
What next?
Amazon’s Best Seller ranking is not just another vanity statistic. It’s a vital metric that can help you gauge competition, understand sales, impress customers, and know which products sell best in a particular category.
To improve your Best Seller rank, you’ll need to focus more on boosting sales.
Our eCommerce Merchandising platform can help you track your BSR, forecast sales, and understand the impact of advertising and promotions on your BSR.
Book a demo today!