Walmart Marketplace is one of the most visited online retail sites in the United States, making it a lucrative channel for brands and merchants looking to diversify their online presence. However, as the platform grows more competitive, simply listing products is not enough to guarantee sales.
To stand out and thrive on Walmart Marketplace, you must optimize your product listings for Walmart’s search engine. But Walmart SEO involves more than just plugging in the right keywords.
This article will walk you through the essential strategies for winning at Walmart SEO. We will discuss how Walmart’s search algorithm works, how to craft high-performing product listings, why competitive pricing is crucial, and how advanced techniques like Walmart Ads and external traffic can amplify your ranking and sales.
Walmart SEO focuses on making your listings more discoverable within Walmart’s internal search engine. When a customer searches for a product on Walmart.com, the platform’s algorithm matches their query with all available listings and then ranks these listings based on relevance, price competitiveness, performance history, and other factors. The higher your product appears in search results, the more likely you are to gain the shopper’s attention, clicks, and ultimately, sales.
Walmart's search algorithm is sophisticated and relies on an amalgamation of factors, including product relevance, customer satisfaction ratings, sales velocity, and price competitiveness. Walmart strives to present the most relevant products to its customers, therefore making keyword optimization and product visibility crucial.
Both Walmart and Amazon utilize algorithms to rank products, but there are distinct differences. For instance, while Amazon heavily emphasizes sales history and customer reviews, Walmart also incorporates factors such as inventory levels and price competitiveness into its ranking system. Sellers must adapt accordingly—what works for one platform may not apply to the other.
The majority of shoppers do not scroll past the first page of search results, making it critical for your listings to appear on top. By investing in Walmart SEO, you improve organic traffic to your product listings, cut down on costly advertising, and cultivate a sustainable strategy for driving consistent sales.
Walmart conceptualizes its approach to listings through the “content triangle,” which includes:
Optimizing each of these corners is key to excelling on Walmart Marketplace.
To compete on Walmart Marketplace, your product listings must be thoroughly optimized. Here are key steps to enhance your listings accurately:
The foundation of any effective SEO strategy is keyword research. They are the terms and phrases shoppers type into the Walmart search bar. Using the right keywords in strategic parts of your listing is crucial for ranking well. Here’s how to use the keyword strategy:
The more relevant your keywords are, the better your chances of appearing for both broad and specific shopper queries.
Your product title is the first piece of information a potential buyer sees. Not only does a well-structured title help you rank higher, it also influences click-through rates. Here are tips for better title optimization:
For example, instead of “Organic Coffee Beans” as the title, consider “Organic Arabica Coffee Beans, Medium Roast, 16 oz Bag.” This version provides more detail and uses keywords that searchers might use.
Compelling descriptions and clear key features not only improve user experience but also help Walmart’s search engine understand your product. High-quality product descriptions can also reduce the likelihood of returns by setting accurate shopper expectations.
Your key features should be concise bullet points that quickly convey your product’s most important attributes. This format helps shoppers scan and decide if your product meets their needs.
Walmart’s platform allows you to specify detailed attributes, such as color, size, material, or specific usage instructions, depending on the category. Filling in these attributes is critical for several reasons:
Make sure to go through all the optional attributes in your seller dashboard and fill them out wherever possible for a higher chance of visibility.
High-quality images are crucial in online retail because customers cannot physically inspect the product. Walmart’s guidelines generally require at least one main image with a white background, but utilizing multiple images from different angles and showing the product in use can greatly boost conversions.
If relevant to your product category, include short videos demonstrating how the product works or highlighting its features. Here are some quick tips for using effective visual content:
Walmart's emphasis on low prices is integral to its ecommerce strategy. Sellers must adapt to this strategy by ensuring their prices are attractive and competitive. Here are a couple of tips to do this:
Pricing is often a deciding factor for shoppers, so keeping it competitive can improve your chances of being featured prominently. Regularly check market prices for similar products and adjust your listings accordingly.
If your product is priced much higher than similar items, Walmart’s algorithm may suppress your listing in search results, or at the very least rank it lower. To stay ahead of your competition, keep track of market prices, competitor listings, and changes in supply or demand that might affect pricing.
Because prices can fluctuate quickly, especially in highly competitive categories, monitoring and adjusting your prices manually can be time-consuming and prone to errors. This is where an automated repricer like Informed Repricer becomes invaluable. This tool takes much of the guesswork and labor out of dynamic pricing with features, such as:
Beyond strong content and competitive pricing, Walmart’s search algorithm also looks at a seller's credibility. In an online environment where shoppers rely on ratings and reviews, building a trustworthy brand signals to Walmart’s algorithm and to your prospective customers that your store is reliable.
Positive reviews are a strong social proof element. They influence other shoppers’ decisions and reinforce to Walmart that your product delivers on its promises. To boost reviews, consider sending follow-up emails for feedback and using quality packaging with thank-you notes or review instructions.
However, avoid offering incentives like free gifts or discounts for reviews, as this can violate Walmart’s policy and potentially harm your seller account.
Customer satisfaction is measured through metrics such as your seller rating, return rate, and on-time delivery percentage. Key factors for maintaining a strong track record include adhering to promised shipping times, promptly addressing customer inquiries, and ensuring accurate product descriptions.
High satisfaction rates and low return rates correlate with improved rankings in Walmart’s search algorithm.
The modern online shopper expects quick, often free shipping. Walmart considers shipping speed and reliability when ranking listings, especially if your product competes closely with others. Offering expedited or two-day shipping can give you a competitive edge.
If possible, enroll in Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS), which can further improve shipping times and reliability.
On Walmart Marketplace, multiple sellers can offer the same product. The Buy Box is the default “Add to Cart” button on the product page. If you do not own your listing exclusively, you must compete with other sellers for the Buy Box.
Key factors include price competitiveness, stock availability, and seller metrics. Winning the Buy Box is crucial because most sales come through that channel, significantly boosting your product’s sales volume.
Sellers on the Walmart Marketplace can improve sales by implementing certain advanced strategies to drive substantial traffic. Beyond using the basic techniques of SEO optimization, they can:
Walmart offers advertising solutions to help sellers gain a prominent spot in search results and category pages. While organic rank is essential, paid ads can boost short-term visibility:
Strategic use of Walmart Ads can speed up your listing’s momentum, helping it gain reviews and sales more quickly, which in turn aids your organic ranking.
Another way to improve your Walmart SEO is by driving traffic from external sources such as social media, email campaigns, and other marketing channels. When Walmart sees that shoppers are coming from outside sources and converting on your listings, it may interpret this as increased relevance.
These external signals can bolster your product’s performance metrics, enhancing its position in Walmart’s search results.
Walmart’s Seller Center and third-party analytics tools can provide valuable insights. Combining these metrics with your overall sales performance will help you refine and update your listings effectively
Metrics like Click-Through Rate (CTR), Impressions, and Sales Conversion Rates provide essential insights into your SEO effectiveness. Regularly reviewing this data will allow you to fine-tune your listings and marketing strategies.
Continuous improvement through A/B testing is a proven way to optimize your Walmart listings for maximum conversion. Try different variations of the same element, such as testing two titles that use different keyword placements.
Collect data on each version’s click-through rate, conversion rate, and sales over a specific period. This approach can reveal which listing elements resonate most effectively with Walmart shoppers.
Tracking your Walmart SEO involves monitoring a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) to see how changes to your listings or strategies affect sales. Consider keeping a close eye on:
Even the most experienced sellers can make mistakes in their Walmart SEO efforts. Below are some of the most common pitfalls and how to steer clear of them.
While using keywords is necessary, overloading your product title and descriptions with keywords (keyword stuffing) can lead to poor readability and a negative customer experience. Instead, focus on natural keyword integration for optimal impact.
Many sellers overlook the importance of completing all product attribute fields. As mentioned earlier, incomplete product information can hinder visibility and searchability. Take the time to fill out all relevant attributes.
Maintaining static prices even when competitors are consistently undercutting you could lead to a rank drop and you losing the Buy Box. Monitor competitor prices regularly and use automated repricers like Informed Repricer to stay competitive without manually adjusting your prices all day.
Failing to incorporate high-quality images, videos, and detailed descriptions in product listings can detract from user experience and potential conversions. To address this, invest in professional photography or videography and ensure that your content is thorough and regularly updated.
Competitive pricing is one of the most impactful levers you can pull to boost your Walmart SEO. By automating your price adjustments, you can stay ahead of the competition without sacrificing your margins.
Informed Repricer is an AI-powered repricing tool that continually evaluates market trends, competitor pricing, and custom rules to adjust your prices in real time. This automated approach keeps your listings competitive, thereby improving your visibility, Buy Box win rate, and sales volume.
Want to experience how automated pricing can transform your Walmart sales?
Sign up now for a free trial of Informed Repricer and give your listings the winning edge in Walmart’s search engine results.
Informed Repricer helps professional sellers on Amazon and Walmart increase their sales and profits by keeping their prices competitive 24/7.
