#product ranking amazon

[digitalrhetoricpune]

Back-End Keywords: The Secret to Boosting Your Amazon Product Ranking

When it comes to Amazon product ranking, many sellers focus on visible factors like product titles, bullet points, and descriptions. However, a hidden yet highly effective tool for boosting your product ranking lies in back-end keywords. These unseen search terms are a powerful component of your product listing that can significantly improve its visibility. In this blog, we’ll explore Amazon back-end keyword strategy, why they matter, and how to effectively optimize Amazon search terms to increase your product visibility.

What Are Back-End Keywords?

Back-end keywords, also known as search terms, are hidden keywords that Amazon sellers input in their Seller Central account. These keywords are not visible to shoppers but are used by Amazon’s A10 algorithm to match products with relevant search queries. By incorporating the right back-end keywords, sellers can make their products more discoverable, even for terms that don’t appear in the visible content of their listings.

Why Are Back-End Keywords Important?

Amazon’s marketplace is extremely competitive, with millions of products vying for attention. Many sellers already optimize their titles, bullet points, and descriptions, but back-end keywords give you a unique edge. They allow you to include additional Amazon hidden keywords that users might search for, without cluttering your listing. These keywords increase the likelihood that your product will be displayed when a shopper types in a relevant query.

How to Optimize Your Amazon Search Terms

Focus on Relevance The first rule for Amazon back-end keyword optimization is ensuring that your keywords are relevant to your product. Amazon’s algorithm prioritizes relevance, and using unrelated or spammy keywords can hurt your ranking. Make sure every keyword you add is directly related to the features, uses, or benefits of your product.

Avoid Keyword Duplication Amazon does not reward duplicate keywords across different parts of your listing. If a keyword is already included in your title, description, or bullet points, there’s no need to add it again in the back-end. This allows you to use the space for additional search terms that can target other relevant queries.

Include Misspellings and Synonyms Many shoppers make spelling errors or use alternate terms when searching for products. To take advantage of these opportunities, include common misspellings or synonyms in your back-end search terms. This can help you capture more traffic without cluttering your product title or description.

Use Long-Tail Keywords Long-tail keywords are specific search terms that often have lower competition. These terms can bring highly targeted traffic to your listing. For example, instead of using a broad term like “running shoes,” you could use a long-tail keyword such as “women’s lightweight running shoes with arch support.” Incorporating these phrases in your back-end keywords will help you rank higher for niche searches.

Utilize All Available Space Amazon allows up to 250 bytes (characters) for back-end keywords. Make sure you use this space effectively by including as many relevant keywords as possible. Avoid using commas or punctuation, as they take up unnecessary space. Instead, separate keywords with spaces, maximizing the number of search terms you can input.

Leverage Competitor Keywords Research your competitors’ listings and see what keywords they are targeting. Tools like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout can help you analyze top-performing listings and extract relevant Amazon hidden keywords that you might have missed. By targeting the same keywords as your competitors, you increase your chances of ranking higher.

Amazon Back-End Keyword Optimization Tips

Prioritize Relevance: Irrelevant or misleading keywords can lead to negative customer feedback and impact your ranking.

Stay Within Character Limits: Use the 250-byte limit wisely, focusing on the most important and diverse keywords.

Experiment and Update: As with any marketing strategy, your Amazon back-end keyword optimization should be dynamic. Regularly update your keywords based on performance data and emerging trends.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

While optimizing your Amazon back-end keywords, there are some common pitfalls that can hinder your success:

Keyword Stuffing: Overloading your listing with too many keywords can make it difficult for Amazon’s algorithm to determine the relevance of your product, which can harm your ranking.

Using Brand Names: Avoid using brand names, including your competitors’, in your back-end keywords. Amazon has strict rules against this, and violating them can lead to listing suspension.

Including Irrelevant Terms: Even though back-end keywords are hidden, irrelevant terms can still negatively impact your ranking or get your listing flagged.

How Back-End Keywords Boost Product Visibility

When used correctly, back-end keywords can significantly increase Amazon product visibility. Amazon’s A10 algorithm takes into account a variety of factors when determining product rankings, including relevance, sales history, and keyword usage. By strategically placing well-researched keywords in the back-end of your listing, you can increase your chances of appearing in search results for a broader range of queries. This increased visibility can lead to higher click-through rates (CTR), more sales, and ultimately, improved product ranking.

Final Thoughts

Back-end keywords are a hidden but powerful way to improve your product’s ranking on Amazon. By following an effective Amazon back-end keyword strategy and regularly optimizing your search terms, you can ensure that your product is discoverable by a larger audience. Remember, the goal is not just to rank for more keywords but to rank for the right keywords.

[editoratikur]

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[amazonmarketingagency]

Lab 916: Your Partner in Crafting Winning Amazon Strategies

Introduction: Lab 916's Expertise in Amazon Strategy

In the ever-evolving world of e-commerce, Lab 916 stands as a beacon of expertise, providing businesses with tailored Amazon strategies to succeed in the competitive marketplace. With a deep understanding of Amazon's algorithms, trends, and best practices, Lab 916 helps businesses navigate the complexities of selling on the platform and achieve their goals.

Strategic Planning with Lab 916

Lab 916 takes a strategic approach to Amazon strategy development, focusing on optimizing product listings, implementing competitive pricing strategies, leveraging advertising tactics, and fostering customer engagement. By customizing strategies to align with each client's unique objectives and market dynamics, Lab 916 ensures that businesses can maximize their potential on Amazon.

Optimizing Product Listings for Maximum Visibility

A crucial aspect of Lab 916's Amazon strategy is optimizing product listings to enhance visibility and drive conversions. Through meticulous keyword research, compelling product descriptions, and high-quality imagery, Lab 916 ensures that each product listing is optimized to rank higher in Amazon search results. By improving the visibility and appeal of product listings, businesses can attract more customers and increase sales.

Implementing Competitive Pricing Strategies

Lab 916 assists businesses in developing competitive yet profitable pricing strategies tailored to their market segment. By analyzing competitor pricing data, market trends, and consumer behavior, Lab 916 helps businesses set prices that maximize sales while maintaining healthy profit margins. Additionally, Lab 916 provides guidance on leveraging dynamic pricing tools and promotional strategies to stay competitive on Amazon.

Leveraging Advertising Tactics for Enhanced Visibility

Advertising is a key component of Lab 916's Amazon strategy, aimed at increasing product visibility and driving targeted traffic to product listings. Lab 916 utilizes Amazon's advertising platform to create and optimize sponsored product ads, sponsored brand ads, and sponsored display ads. By strategically targeting keywords and audience segments, Lab 916 helps businesses maximize their advertising ROI and generate sales on Amazon.

Fostering Customer Engagement and Loyalty

Lab 916 emphasizes the importance of fostering strong customer relationships to drive long-term success on Amazon. Through proactive customer service, timely responses to inquiries and feedback, and strategies to encourage positive reviews, Lab 916 helps businesses build trust and loyalty with their customers. By delivering exceptional shopping experiences and maintaining positive seller ratings, businesses can enhance their reputation and drive repeat purchases on the platform.

Conclusion: Achieving Success with Lab 916's Guidance

In conclusion, Lab 916 serves as a valuable partner for businesses seeking to excel on Amazon. With Lab 916's expertise and strategic guidance, businesses can optimize their Amazon strategies and achieve success in the competitive e-commerce landscape. By leveraging Lab 916's insights and best practices, businesses can unlock their full potential on one of the world's largest online platforms.

Introduction: Lab 916's Expertise in Amazon Strategy

In the ever-evolving world of e-commerce, Lab 916 stands as a beacon of expertise, providing businesses with tailored Amazon strategies to succeed in the competitive marketplace. With a deep understanding of Amazon's algorithms, trends, and best practices, Lab 916 helps businesses navigate the complexities of selling on the platform and achieve their goals.

Strategic Planning with Lab 916

Lab 916 takes a strategic approach to Amazon strategy development, focusing on optimizing product listings, implementing competitive pricing strategies, leveraging advertising tactics, and fostering customer engagement. By customizing strategies to align with each client's unique objectives and market dynamics, Lab 916 ensures that businesses can maximize their potential on Amazon.

Optimizing Product Listings for Maximum Visibility

A crucial aspect of Lab 916's Amazon strategy is optimizing product listings to enhance visibility and drive conversions. Through meticulous keyword research, compelling product descriptions, and high-quality imagery, Lab 916 ensures that each product listing is optimized to rank higher in Amazon search results. By improving the visibility and appeal of product listings, businesses can attract more customers and increase sales.

Implementing Competitive Pricing Strategies

Lab 916 assists businesses in developing competitive yet profitable pricing strategies tailored to their market segment. By analyzing competitor pricing data, market trends, and consumer behavior, Lab 916 helps businesses set prices that maximize sales while maintaining healthy profit margins. Additionally, Lab 916 provides guidance on leveraging dynamic pricing tools and promotional strategies to stay competitive on Amazon.

Leveraging Advertising Tactics for Enhanced Visibility

Advertising is a key component of Lab 916's Amazon strategy, aimed at increasing product visibility and driving targeted traffic to product listings. Lab 916 utilizes Amazon's advertising platform to create and optimize sponsored product ads, sponsored brand ads, and sponsored display ads. By strategically targeting keywords and audience segments, Lab 916 helps businesses maximize their advertising ROI and generate sales on Amazon.

Fostering Customer Engagement and Loyalty

Lab 916 emphasizes the importance of fostering strong customer relationships to drive long-term success on Amazon. Through proactive customer service, timely responses to inquiries and feedback, and strategies to encourage positive reviews, Lab 916 helps businesses build trust and loyalty with their customers. By delivering exceptional shopping experiences and maintaining positive seller ratings, businesses can enhance their reputation and drive repeat purchases on the platform.

Conclusion: Achieving Success with Lab 916's Guidance

In conclusion, Lab 916 serves as a valuable partner for businesses seeking to excel on Amazon. With Lab 916's expertise and strategic guidance, businesses can optimize their Amazon strategies and achieve success in the competitive e-commerce landscape. By leveraging Lab 916's insights and best practices, businesses can unlock their full potential on one of the world's largest online platforms.

[digitalmediacalendarservice]

Optimize Your Grocery Business Listings on Amazon for Higher Sales

Enhance your grocery business's presence on Amazon with expert product listing and optimization services. Drive more sales and conversions

[sayforchange]

Optimize Your Success: Unraveling Amazon SEO Organic Search Ranking Factors with Say For Change

Elevate your Amazon game with Say For Change, your go-to partner for mastering Amazon SEO organic search ranking factors. Stay ahead in the competitive marketplace by unlocking the secrets to boost visibility and sales. Our experts at Say For Change empower your listings with proven strategies. Seize the opportunity to enhance your Amazon presence today. Discover the key to success with our tailored solutions and propel your products to the top. Elevate your brand, increase conversions, and dominate the Amazon marketplace. Contact Say For Change now and revolutionize your online success with advanced SEO strategies tailored for Amazon. Supercharge your Amazon presence! Contact www.sayforchange.com to elevate your SEO game and dominate organic search rankings.

[optimizeforseo1]

The Importance of Amazon SEO for Your E-Commerce Business

Over the last few decades, Amazon has become a major player in the world of E-Commerce. The company provides a vast range of products, including books, clothing, electronics, furniture, makeup products and many more. Along with being the largest retailer in the United States, Amazon also owns many other businesses such as Twitch, Zappos, Audible, Whole Foods Market, etc.

Amazon can even offer excellent service and competitive prices with its vast customer base and inventory. Also, they dominate the retail market by offering customers many ways to shop, like through websites, mobile apps, and even social media platforms. So, with Amazon SEO, or a proper Amazon SEO strategy, you can increase your sales to a great extent. So, let us discuss what Amazon SEO is and what it is important for your E-Commerce business.

What is Amazon SEO?

Amazon SEO, or Amazon search engine optimization, aims to elevate the product listings of your brand in Amazon searches for relevant and targeted keywords. When you can optimize your product listing, Amazon finds it a lot simpler to understand listings and present shoppers with accurate and suitable products.

The key objectives of Amazon SEO are:

Product image enhancement.

Keyword improvement.

Auxiliary keyword.

Modification of the product title.

Levels of inventory.

What is the importance of Amazon SEO?

Actually, Amazon SEO or Amazon product SEO helps you with Amazon ranking sales, meaning it helps you to rank your products on Amazon. The competition on Amazon is incredibly fierce, and hence, having a high rank on the platform can generally make the difference between failure and success as an Amazon seller.

Very few users of Amazon look past the first page of results while they are searching for products to buy. This makes it very important that your product is ranked on the first page and even within the first few results, preferably if you wish to attract notable numbers of sales and become successful in your E- Commerce business.

You can properly rank your products and get more people to visit your listings if you know how to use Amazon’s SEO strategy. As the entire procedure also includes optimizing your listing for conversions, after you can attract visitors, you will be able to convert a lot of them into sales as well.

What are the key aspects of Amazon SEO?

Amazon SEO is not just associated with applicability but also with the products that Amazon thinks have the stylish compass of finishing the sale and hence, delivering commission for the platform. Due to this, Amazon SEO 2023 can be broken down into two significant parts, such as:

Showing that a product is relevant to the customer’s search

This part is a lot similar to regular SEO as it involves including the correct keywords in your listing, along with ensuring that they are also included in the listing’s right parts.

Making a sales record that is strong

Strong sales and also becoming an Amazon best seller shows that your product has high demand and hence, it is more rankable. Boosting the sales of any product involves several vital things, such as a specific listing that can encourage conversions through persuasive text and great pictures, good offline marketing, and excellent customer reviews.

Following both of these things may have a great impact on your business and also can make the difference between having trouble getting your Amazon store off the ground and also making a profitable business.

Important factors that may help you achieve better ranking

Optimized product pages: It is vital to write informative and impactful product descriptions that are rich in keywords.

Amazon style guide: The goal of this factor is to offer a better customer experience just by following some rules.

Customer reviews: Good customer reviews can increase your product’s ranking to a great extent.

Keywords: High converting keywords can offer high search frequency in your product-page descriptions.

A+ content: In the case of Amazon SEO, content is key.

External traffic: By promoting your goods on Amazon with the help of external links, you will be able to increase your ranking.

Conversion rate and CTR: By pushing products with strong CTR and conversion rates, you can maximize your product sales.

Inventory management: Keeping your product available all the time, you can increase your product sales.

PPC: PPC will also help you to increase your inorganic ranking.

Important benefits that you can enjoy by opting for SEO of Amazon

You can have higher conversion rate

A notable benefit of opting for Amazon SEO to your eCommerce business is a higher conversion rate. Individuals using Amazon frequently purchase goods online without even visiting a physical store. Thus, optimizing your listing will make it a lot easier for them to find and locate your business and also buy your product, eventually offering you a higher conversion rate.

You can have increased traffic

Another important benefit of opting for Amazon SEO is increased traffic. People looking for products on Amazon tend to click on the top results. So, if your product is at number 1 in the list, you will be able to get more clicks than if your product is listed elsewhere. So, you should make sure that your product is listed at the top portion of the page.

You can have more sales

Amazon SEO listing helps all kinds of businesses generate more sales. Clients will be more likely to buy your product if they are aware of exactly where they should look for it. Once they are able to find your product, they will be more willing or inclined to purchase it.

You can provide better customer service

Another great thing about using Amazon SEO is that you can offer better customer service. Your customers can easily contact you directly rather than going through third parties. So, you won’t lose any notable or potential revenue because of lost orders.

You can have improved reputation

If any customer searches for your brand name on Google, they will be able to see your website listed among the top results. This will allow you to develop trust with potential customers.

You can have brand awareness

When customers search for your product or brand name on Amazon, they will find out that your product shows up as soon as possible. This makes it much easier for them to remember your company. In addition to this, they can decide to check out several of your competitors to check out what their products are like.

You can have CPA or lower cost per acquisition

You don’t have to spend money on giving advertisement about your business on social media sites or even pay for ads on Google. Instead, you may focus on how to increase your Amazon SEO rankings. If your products are ranked high enough, you will begin to get more visitors and eventually sell more products.

How can you start with Amazon SEO?

Amazon SEO may look overwhelming and complex at first. However, with the right skills and knowledge, you can easily overhaul your product listings and greatly boost the numbers of visitors to your listings, and also the number of sales you make.

Of course, not every busy seller in Amazon and budding entrepreneur has the time to know about the whole new set of skills that are vital to successfully execute Amazon SEO, and hence, it is necessary to hire a reliable and professional Amazon SEO consultant, such as Optimize For SEO, and enjoy the perfect implementation of Amazon SEO listing and increased sales.

Source Blog:- https://optimizeforseo.com/amazon-seo-for-e-commerce-business/

[iwebdatascrape]

Amazon Category Rank Data- Amazon Category Rank Data Extraction Services

At iWeb Data Scraping, we deliver Amazon category rank data scraping services to extract data for Amazon category rank, like category, rank, brand, image, etc.

[westernmg]

[hrtechservices-blog]

How do I get my products to rank higher on amazon in the search results? It’s an essential query with a complex solution.

As an Amazon seller, "rank" may refer to the Best Sellers Rank or the rank of organic keywords (BSR). The rank, which is a function of keyword relevance and sales velocity, specifies where your product will be placed in the results for a certain keyword search. The BSR represents the overall position of your varied product line.

Steps to Rank Higher on Amazon 

1. Amazon Listing Optimization

2. Set your Product’s Pricing Strategically

3. Improve the Conversion Rate through your Photographs

4. Make an Enticing Listing Copy

5. Bring in Paid Visitors

6. Your Site can Aid in Increasing your Ranking

The three elements that influence how well a product ranks on Amazon are relevance, conversion, and sales volume. If your offering is appropriately optimized and reasonably priced, you will rank higher on Amazon. To establish and maintain a popular product, you must focus on the long term. Simple attempts to fool the algorithm are no longer acceptable.

If you follow the suggestions in this piece, you will have a far higher chance of obtaining and maintaining top Amazon product rankings without being blacklisted.

[paused-waterfall]

Rating the photoshop for bird products I found on Amazon

It's a classic story: You want to sell a product for bird owners on Amazon. Your potential customers may just need some reference for how big your product is, or may need to be shown how a bird might use such an exotic item as a "perch". But you don't want to wrangle one or more birds for the sake of a product image. So you turn to photoshop.

Let's take a moment to rank some of these works of art:

Delightful. The masking is a bit off around the crest, but I don't think it needs to be fixed. 9/10, you got the point across.

A rare example of a bird that is not lost in a white void. Based on the product description, this perch should actually be several inches smaller than a cockatiel, but as we'll see we can't get too picky about scale. 6/10, perspective could use some work.

Interesting color of macaw, FASCINATING take on the relative sizes of macaws and lovebirds. 4/10, the lovebird seems to be enjoying themself but I think you're trying to pretend a macaw wouldn't toss this thing around like an overpriced foot toy.

Why doesn't the cockatiel get to play? 4/10, this makes me sad.

That bird might have actually been standing on that skateboard when they were sucked into the white void! Amazing! 13/10, cockatiel finally gets to play!

This toy's largest dimension is 18.5 inches. Blue-and-gold macaws are around 30–34 inches. 2/10, please the lies have to stop.

This is just a collage. It no longer feels like they're trying to tell me how big these things are; I might not know how big your wicker heart with streamers is, but I know a lorikeet is smaller than a macaw. Incredulity has stretched far enough to snap. 3/10, still pretty birds.

2/10, hey wait I know that macaw--

The birds and toys hang in a void. There is no suggestion that these birds were ever near these toys, but the blue parakeet has been artfully depicted as perching on one of them. I do not feel deceived, I feel informed. 10/10.

No. No. What have you done?? Did the mirror eat his face? Why did you let the mirror eat his face? Please, destroy the mirror before it comes for us all. 1/10, I swear I've seen that bird somewhere else.

oh my fucking god

[digitalrhetoricpune]

The Role of Reviews in Amazon Product Rankings: How to Leverage Them for Success

In today’s competitive Amazon marketplace, customer reviews play a crucial role in determining the visibility and ranking of your products. Reviews not only help potential customers make informed buying decisions but also significantly impact Amazon product rankings. For any seller, especially those using an Amazon Advertising Agency in Pune, understanding how to strategically leverage product reviews can be a game-changer for success on Amazon.

The Impact of Reviews on Amazon SEO

Amazon’s A9 algorithm, which powers the search and ranking system on the platform, considers multiple factors when ranking products. One of the most influential factors is customer feedback in the form of reviews. High-quality reviews signal to Amazon that the product meets customer expectations, which can boost Amazon rankings with reviews.

1. Quantity of Reviews

The more reviews a product has, the higher its chances of ranking better in search results. Amazon views a larger quantity of reviews as a sign of trustworthiness and reliability. Products with numerous reviews also have a higher likelihood of showing up in the coveted first page of search results.

2. Review Rating

Products with an average rating of 4 stars and above are more likely to rank higher than those with lower ratings. This is because high ratings suggest customer satisfaction, which is crucial for Amazon’s algorithm. Amazon Advertising Agencies often encourage sellers to focus on maintaining a strong rating to boost Amazon product rankings.

3. Recency of Reviews

Fresh reviews signal ongoing product relevance and consistent customer engagement. Amazon prioritizes products that continue to receive positive, recent reviews, which makes it important for sellers to have an active strategy for review acquisition.

How to Leverage Reviews for Better Amazon Rankings

To optimize your reviews strategy and improve your Amazon product ranking, follow these proven techniques:

1. Encourage Authentic Reviews

One of the best ways to increase the number of reviews is by encouraging satisfied customers to leave feedback. Use tools like automated emails to request reviews after a purchase. This type of Amazon seller review management can help create a steady flow of reviews over time.

Avoid incentivizing reviews, as Amazon’s guidelines prohibit sellers from offering compensation or gifts in exchange for positive reviews. Instead, focus on authentic customer experiences, which will lead to organic reviews.

2. Utilize Amazon Vine

The Amazon Vine Program allows sellers to send free products to trusted reviewers, who will then provide feedback on those items. This is an excellent way to get reviews from verified, trusted sources. These reviews can help increase product visibility and improve your Amazon SEO.

3. Monitor Negative Reviews

Negative reviews are inevitable, but they don’t have to hurt your ranking if handled properly. Sellers should actively monitor and respond to negative feedback, showing that they care about customer satisfaction. Addressing concerns and offering solutions helps improve the perception of your brand and encourages customers to update or amend their reviews. Effective Amazon seller review management involves turning negative feedback into an opportunity to showcase excellent customer service.

Review Optimization Tips for Amazon Sellers

Effective management of reviews requires thoughtful planning and execution. Here are some Amazon review optimization tips to help you stay ahead of your competition:

1. Use Review Keywords Strategically

Reviews often contain valuable keywords that potential customers use when searching for products. By analyzing reviews, you can discover common phrases and keywords that are organically included by your customers. These keywords can then be used in your product descriptions and Amazon SEO efforts, helping your listing rank better for those terms.

2. Incorporate Reviews into Product Pages

Displaying reviews prominently on your product page is a good way to boost conversions. Highlight positive reviews that speak directly to the product’s quality, value, or unique features. Including testimonials on your product page can reinforce trust and make potential buyers more likely to convert.

3. Analyze and Act on Feedback

Use reviews as a feedback loop to continuously improve your product offering. If customers frequently mention a specific flaw or issue, take note and implement changes. Showing that you are responsive to feedback can lead to better reviews over time, as customers appreciate companies that listen and improve based on their input.

4. Leverage Social Proof

Positive reviews provide social proof, which plays a critical role in convincing new customers to buy your product. The more high-quality reviews you have, the more potential buyers will trust your product, leading to higher sales velocity and better Amazon product rankings.

Long-Term Benefits of Review Management

A well-executed Amazon product reviews strategy can drive long-term benefits for your business. By consistently maintaining a strong review profile, sellers can not only improve their rankings but also build brand loyalty and trust among customers.

For sellers partnering with an Amazon Advertising Agency in Pune, leveraging reviews is a critical aspect of optimizing your listings. Agencies that specialize in Amazon marketing services can help manage the process of generating reviews, monitoring feedback, and adjusting listings to reflect customer preferences. The end result is a more polished, higher-ranking product listing that attracts and converts more buyers.

Conclusion

Reviews are a vital component of any successful Amazon marketing strategy. Whether you are an established seller or just starting out, understanding the impact of reviews on Amazon SEO and implementing a solid Amazon review optimization strategy will not only help improve your product rankings but also lead to better overall business performance.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Google reneged on the monopolistic bargain

I'm on tour with my new novel The Bezzle! Catch me TONIGHT in SALT LAKE CITY (Feb 21, Weller Book Works) and TOMORROW in SAN DIEGO (Feb 22, Mysterious Galaxy). After that, it's LA, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix and more!

A funny thing happened on the way to the enshittocene: Google – which astonished the world when it reinvented search, blowing Altavista and Yahoo out of the water with a search tool that seemed magic – suddenly turned into a pile of shit.

Google's search results are terrible. The top of the page is dominated by spam, scams, and ads. A surprising number of those ads are scams. Sometimes, these are high-stakes scams played out by well-resourced adversaries who stand to make a fortune by tricking Google:

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/phone-numbers-airlines-listed-google-directed-scammers-rcna94766

But often these scams are perpetrated by petty grifters who are making a couple bucks at this. These aren't hyper-resourced, sophisticated attackers. They're the SEO equivalent of script kiddies, and they're running circles around Google:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security

Google search is empirically worsening. The SEO industry spends every hour that god sends trying to figure out how to sleaze their way to the top of the search results, and even if Google defeats 99% of these attempts, the 1% that squeak through end up dominating the results page for any consequential query:

https://downloads.webis.de/publications/papers/bevendorff_2024a.pdf

Google insists that this isn't true, and if it is true, it's not their fault because the bad guys out there are so numerous, dedicated and inventive that Google can't help but be overwhelmed by them:

https://searchengineland.com/is-google-search-getting-worse-389658

It wasn't supposed to be this way. Google has long maintained that its scale is the only thing that keeps us safe from the scammers and spammers who would otherwise overwhelm any lesser-resourced defender. That's why it was so imperative that they pursue such aggressive growth, buying up hundreds of companies and integrating their products with search so that every mobile device, every ad, every video, every website, had one of Google's tendrils in it.

This is the argument that Google's defenders have put forward in their messaging on the long-overdue antitrust case against Google, where we learned that Google is spending $26b/year to make sure you never try another search engine:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-27/google-paid-26-3-billion-to-be-default-search-engine-in-2021

Google, we were told, had achieved such intense scale that the normal laws of commercial and technological physics no longer applied. Take security: it's an iron law that "there is no security in obscurity." A system that is only secure when its adversaries don't understand how it works is not a secure system. As Bruce Schneier says, "anyone can design a security system that they themselves can't break. That doesn't mean it works – just that it works for people stupider than them."

And yet, Google operates one of the world's most consequential security system – The Algorithm (TM) – in total secrecy. We're not allowed to know how Google's ranking system works, what its criteria are, or even when it changes: "If we told you that, the spammers would win."

Well, they kept it a secret, and the spammers won anyway.

A viral post by Housefresh – who review air purifiers – describes how Google's algorithmic failures, which send the worst sites to the top of the heap, have made it impossible for high-quality review sites to compete:

https://housefresh.com/david-vs-digital-goliaths/

You've doubtless encountered these bad review sites. Search for "Best ______ 2024" and the results are a series of near-identical lists, strewn with Amazon affiliate links. Google has endlessly tinkered with its guidelines and algorithmic weights for review sites, and none of it has made a difference. For example, when Google instituted a policy that reviewers should "discuss the benefits and drawbacks of something, based on your own original research," sites that had previously regurgitated the same lists of the same top ten Amazon bestsellers "peppered their pages with references to a ‘rigorous testing process,’ their ‘lab team,’ subject matter experts ‘they collaborated with,’ and complicated methodologies that seem impressive at a cursory look."

But these grandiose claims – like the 67 air purifiers supposedly tested in Better Homes and Gardens's Des Moines lab – result in zero in-depth reviews and no published data. Moreover, these claims to rigorous testing materialized within a few days of Google changing its search ranking and said that high rankings would be reserved for sites that did testing.

Most damning of all is how the Better Homes and Gardens top air purifiers perform in comparison to the – extensively documented – tests performed by Housefresh: "plagued by high-priced and underperforming units, Amazon bestsellers with dubious origins (that also underperform), and even subpar devices from companies that market their products with phrases like ‘the Tesla of air purifiers.’"

One of the top ranked items on BH&G comes from Molekule, a company that filed for bankruptcy after being sued for false advertising. The model BH&G chose was ranked "the worst air purifier tested" by Wirecutter and "not living up to the hype" by Consumer Reports. Either BH&G's rigorous testing process is a fiction that they infused their site with in response to a Google policy change, or BH&G absolutely sucks at rigorous testing.

BH&G's competitors commit the same sins – literally, the exact same sins. Real Simple's reviews list the same photographer and the photos seem to have been taken in the same place. They also list the same person as their "expert." Real Simple has the same corporate parent as BH&G: Dotdash Meredith. As Housefresh shows, there's a lot of Dotdash Meredith review photos that seem to have been taken in the same place, by the same person.

But the competitors of these magazines are no better. Buzzfeed lists 22 air purifiers, including that crapgadget from Molekule. Their "methodology" is to include screenshots of Amazon reviews.

A lot of the top ranked sites for air purifiers are once-great magazines that have been bought and enshittified by private equity giants, like Popular Science, which began as a magazine in 1872 and became a shambling zombie in 2023, after its PE owners North Equity LLC decided its googlejuice was worth more than its integrity and turned it into a metastatic chumbox of shitty affiliate-link SEO-bait. As Housefresh points out, the marketing team that runs PopSci makes a lot of hay out of the 150 years of trust that went into the magazine, but the actual reviews are thin anaecdotes, unbacked by even the pretense of empiricism (oh, and they loooove Molekule).

Some of the biggest, most powerful, most trusted publications in the world have a side-hustle in quietly producing SEO-friendly "10 Best ___________ of 2024" lists: Rolling Stone, Forbes, US News and Report, CNN, New York Magazine, CNN, CNET, Tom's Guide, and more.

Google literally has one job: to detect this kind of thing and crush it. The deal we made with Google was, "You monopolize search and use your monopoly rents to ensure that we never, ever try another search engine. In return, you will somehow distinguish between low-effort, useless nonsense and good information. You promised us that if you got to be the unelected, permanent overlord of all information access, you would 'organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.'"

They broke the deal.

Companies like CNET used to do real, rigorous product reviews. As Housefresh points out, CNET once bought an entire smart home and used it to test products. Then Red Ventures bought CNET and bet that they could sell the house, switch to vibes-based reviewing, and that Google wouldn't even notice. They were right.

https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/welcome-to-the-cnet-smart-home/

Google downranks sites that spend money and time on reviews like Housefresh and GearLab, and crams botshittened content mills like BH&G into our eyeballs instead.

In 1558, Thomas Gresham coined (ahem) Gresham's Law: "Bad money drives out good." When counterfeit money circulates in the economy, anyone who gets a dodgy coin spends it as quickly as they can, because the longer you hold it, the greater the likelihood that someone will detect the fraud and the coin will become worthless. Run this system long enough and all the money in circulation is funny money.

An internet run by Google has its own Gresham's Law: bad sites drive out good. It's not just that BH&G can "test" products at a fraction of the cost of Housefresh – through the simple expedient of doing inadequate tests or no tests at all – so they can put a lot more content up that Housefresh. But that alone wouldn't let them drive Housefresh off the front page of Google's search results. For that, BH&G has to mobilize some of their savings from the no test/bad test lab to do real rigorous science: science in defeating Google's security-through-obscurity system, which lets them command the front page despite publishing worse-than-useless nonsense.

Google has lost the spam wars. In response to the plague of botshit clogging Google search results, the company has invested in…making more botshit:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/16/tweedledumber/#easily-spooked

Last year, Google did a $70b stock buyback. They also laid off 12,000 staffers (whose salaries could have been funded for 27 years by that stock buyback). They just laid off thousands more employees.

That wasn't the deal. The deal was that Google would get a monopoly, and they would spend their monopoly rents to be so good that you could just click "I'm feeling lucky" and be teleported to the very best response to your query. A company that can't figure out the difference between a scam like Better Homes and Gardens and a rigorous review site like Housefresh should be pouring every spare dime it brings in into fixing this problem. Not buying default search status on every platform so that we never try another search engine: they should be fixing their shit.

When Google admits that it's losing the war to these kack-handed spam-farmers, that's frustrating. When they light $26b/year on fire making sure you don't ever get to try anything else, that's very frustrating. When they vaporize seventy billion dollars on financial engineering and shoot one in ten engineers, that's outrageous.

Google's scale has transcended the laws of business physics: they can sell an ever-degrading product and command an ever-greater share of our economy, even as their incompetence dooms any decent, honest venture to obscurity while providing fertile ground – and endless temptation – for scammers.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/21/im-feeling-unlucky/#not-up-to-the-task

[thebibliosphere]

I saw your post about ingram, and out of curiosity, is there some advantage to going through the whole self-publishing thing with retailers when you're just starting out? like I mean the way that fandom zines work is that they don't even bother going through ingram or amazon or whatever. they just set up a social media site (usually twitter) to gain followers, open preorders (usually 1-2 months in length) to generate the costs of printing upfront, and then sell anywhere from a few dozen to several hundred copies of their books (usually artbooks, but anthologies exist too). I've seen some zines generate over a thousand orders. they're kind of like pop-up shops, except for books. maybe the sales numbers aren't so impressive to a real author, but the profit generated is typically waaaay more than the $75+ apparently needed for Ingram Spark, so I still feel like new authors could benefit from this method too, especially if they just need some start-up cash to eventually move to ingram if they want to for subsequent runs of their book. I think authors would also have to set aside some of the pre-order money to buy an ISBN number to have printed on their book, and I'm not really sure what other differences there are, but I just wanted to ask about it in case there's some huge disadvantage I'm missing!

So, popup zines work well for some people, and I know some authors who kickstart their work successfully. But for a lot, it's just not feasible as a long-term stratedy. Or even as a means to get off the ground.

Fanzines succeed primarily because an existing fanbase is willing and ready to throw money at something they love. They’ve got a favorite writer or artist they want to support. Supporting all the others is just a happy by-product. They also take a HUGE amount of short-term but intense planning that just doesn’t always jive with how some of us work.

I, for one, would never offer to organize a fanzine. I’ll take part in them as a creator, but I’d rather throw myself off a cliff than subject myself to wrangling that many people and dealing with the legal logistics.

When it comes to authors doing anthologies, it'svery much the same. The success of the funding often hinges on having other big-name authors involved whose existing fans will prop up the project. Or having a huge marketing budget.

Most self-pub authors have zero marketing budget. I’m one of them, and I’m under no illusions that my work would not be as popular and self-sustaining as it is if I didn’t have a large Tumblr blog.

When I thank Tumblr in my forewards, I am utterly sincere. Tumblr brought fandom levels of enthusiasm to an unknown work and broke the Amazon algorithm so hard, that Amazon thought I was bot sniping my way to multiple #1 spots and froze my sales rankings.

That’s not the norm. And while I could probably kickstart my own work as an indie creator, that’s because I’ve put literal decades into building up a readership. I’ve been doing this since I was 16 and realized people thought I was funny. I didn’t know what to do with it or if I’d ever actually write anything, but it meant the groundwork was already there (thank you, past-me). I basically fell upward into my success by virtue of never being able to shut the fuck up and wanting to make people laugh. Clown instincts too strong.

New or first-time authors trying to sell their work without that will find it infinitely harder.

All of that aside, even if an unknown author somehow gets lucky and manages to fund their work, there’s still the question of shipping and distribution logistics. Are you shipping everything yourself? Better hope you’re able-bodied and have the time for it. (for reference, it took me months to ship out 300 patreon hardbacks because of my disabilites. It damaged my back and hands. I couldn’t type for several weeks after I was done.)

Are you going to sell primarily at conventions? Better hope you’re able-bodied, have the time and don’t have cripling anxiety about being in large groups...

Also, will selling a dozen to a few thousand copies in one burst be sustainable in the long run as a career? Not for me. Doing things via Ingram and Amazon means I earn a steady trickle of sales for the rest of my life provided the platforms remain and so long as I keep working and can generate interest in the series, not just when I have funds to pay for physical copies to sell. The one-time (in theory) cost of $75 to distribute through Ingram gets paid off pretty quick that way. And it doesn't require the same logistics as doing the popup/crowdfund.

Ultimately, it comes down to what you are capable of but also the type of work you’re doing. If you’ve got an extended network of fellow creatives who will back you or you’ve got a large following elsewhere, doing it like a popup might work for you.

If you’re an exhausted burnout who can’t fathom the short but intense amount of organization that sort of thing requires, not to mention doing it over and over and over... Ehhhhh. No thank you.

[sayforchange]

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[acti-veg]

Animal farming ranks alongside fossil fuel production as one of the two most destructive industries on Earth. It’s not just the vast greenhouse gas emissions and the water and air pollution it causes. Even more important is the amount of land it requires. Land use is a crucial environmental metric, because every hectare we occupy is a hectare that cannot support wild ecosystems.

Wild ecosystems are crucial for the survival of most species on Earth, and of Earth systems themselves: for example, the rainforest and cerrado of South America help to regulate weather systems. The Amazon rainforest is being destroyed above all by cattle ranching, whose expansion is driven in part by the foodie fad for “grass-fed” beef. The cerrado is being trashed primarily by soy farming to produce feed for pigs and chickens.

Feeding ourselves with animal products is a fantastically profligate and inefficient way of using land, swallowing at least four times as much as all the other food we grow while providing just 17% of our calories. More than any other factor, it drives the destruction of forests, wetlands, savannas, rivers and other habitats. Weaning ourselves off these products is as important as weaning ourselves off oil, gas and coal.

Governments seeking to ban alternatives to animal products have scarcely sought to disguise their motivation: protectionism. Several politicians and officials have openly admitted that they’re trying to defend established industries – meat and dairy – against competition. In every other sector they claim to favour “free markets”, and protectionism attracts major penalties. In this sector, it is enforced by legislation.