Why you need to write good product titles
Higher conversion rate.
At its core, good product titles increase your Amazon product listing’s conversion rate.
Here’s how…
A good, persuasive title stops buyers in their tracks. If it shows what they’re looking for, they’ll open the product page. And if they like what they see, they’ll buy the product.
If this process happens over and over again, your organic ranking will increase. More buyers will see your product listing and because of that, your click-through and conversion rate will also increase.
Of course, your product page needs to be persuasive. (Pst… you can learn listing optimization techniques here.)
But if your product listing title doesn’t communicate well with the buyers, they might not even get the chance to see your product page.
Therefore, it is of paramount importance that you pay attention to this. Make this your responsibility.
Okay. So now that you know the importance of having a good title… let’s begin!
Amazon’s Title Guidelines
Let’s start with the basics. First, you need to know about Amazon’s product title guidelines. If you don’t follow these guidelines, Amazon might hide your product from search results.
So, to ensure your titles won’t cause you problems, read on…
Amazon has four main criteria for product titles:
- Titles must not exceed 200 characters, including spaces.
- Titles must not contain promotional phrases, such as “free shipping”, “100% quality guaranteed”.
- Titles must not contain characters for decoration, such as ~ ! * $ ? _ ~ { } # < > | * ; ^ ¬ ¦
- Titles must contain product-identifying information, such as “hiking boots” or “umbrella”.
Title Length
Your title has a 200-character limit. Maximize it. Why? Because you need to convey the most important product information within seconds. And if your title doesn’t stop buyers in their tracks, they’ll likely move on and check other listings.
Remember that people are busy. They don’t have time to check every listing. If your title doesn’t show the information they’re looking for, you can expect a low click-through rate.
Having said that, brands like PlayStation and Apple don’t need to maximize the 200-character limit. It’s because they’re still getting a lot of sales without optimizing the title section.
But if, for example, you’re not selling as much as Apple, then consider using at least 100 characters in your product titles.
Amazon also suggests that you follow these tips:
- Capitalize the first letter of each word.
- Do not capitalize conjunctions (and, or, for), articles (the, a, an), or prepositions with fewer than five letters (in, on, over, with).
- Use numerals (2 instead of two).
- State the number of items in a bundled product (pack of 10).
- Include critical information.
- Use only standard text since special characters or symbols like © will not appear in the title.
- Do not use ALL CAPS.
- Do not include information about yourself or your company. If you own the brand, put your brand information in the brand field.
- Do not include promotional messages, such as “sale” or “free shipping”.
- Use your seller name as the Brand or Manufacturer only if your product is a Private Label.
- Do not include subjective commentary, such as “Hot Item” or “Best Seller”.
Winning Title Formulas
There’s no one-size-fits-all formula when it comes to writing titles. However, what you’ll see below are the formulas best-selling brands follow. You don’t have to do the same, but the formulas work for a reason.
Customers typically search for brand names and product features so, it’s in your best interest to highlight those. Not only will your listings rank higher, but customers will also get a sense of what you’re selling in an instant. These things will, of course, increase your click-through and conversion rates.
| Product Type | Suggested Title Formula | Example |
| TVs | Brand + Model Number + Product Type + (Color/Pack Size) | Sharp LC-20E1UB 20-Inch LCD Flat-Panel TV (Black) |
| Video Games | Brand + (Model Number if it’s necessary to provide distinction) + Product Type + (Platform) | Thrustmaster Freestyler Bike (PC) |
| Laptops and Desktops | Brand + Model Number + PC Type + (Processor speed + RAM Size + Hard Drive Size + Optical Drive) | Sony VAIO PCG-FRV25 Notebook (2.66-GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive) |
| DVD Players | Brand + Model Number + Size + Product Type + Screen Style (if needed) + (Color/Pack Size) | Panasonic PV-D4743S Progressive Scan DVD/VCR Combo (Silver) |
| Cook’s Tools & Gadgets | Brand (+Model Number if necessary) + Model Name +Product Type, Color | Vacu Vin Wine Saver Gift Pack, White |
| Cookware, Cutlery | Brand + Line + Size + Product Type | Calphalon Professional Hard-Anodized 8-1/2-Quart Saucier with Lid |
| Small Appliances, Home Environment | Brand + Model Number + Model Name + Product Type, Color | KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan 5-Quart Mixer, Empire Red |
| Tableware (for Sets) | Brand + Pattern + Product Type, Amount | Spiegelau Authentis Collection Burgundy Wine Glasses, Set of 6 |
| Tableware (for Individual Pieces) | Brand + Pattern + Size + Product Type | Fiestaware Cinnabar 467 11-3/4-Inch Chop Plate |
| Bedding (for Sheets, Mattress Pads, Blankets) | Brand + Line/Pattern + Thread Count + Material + Size + Product Type, Color | Wamsutta Luxury 400-Thread-Count Sateen Queen Sheet Set, Halo |
| Bedding (for Pillows) | Brand + Line + Size + Product Type, Quantity | Pacific Coast Feather Eurosquare Queen Feather Fill Pillow, Set of 2 |
| Bath Towels | Brand + Line/Pattern + Material + Product Type + Quantity, Color | Martex Atelier Hand Towel 2-Pack, Blue Moon |
| Bath Towels (for Sets) | Brand + Line/Pattern + Material + Number of Pieces + Product Type, Color | Christy Embrace with Silk 3-Piece Towel Set, Sesame |
Maybe your product isn’t well-known or maybe it’s a generic item. If so, you don’t have to start your title with the brand name. Sometimes, it’s more effective to highlight a specific feature. Do some research and take note of the keywords your target audience is searching for. See what stands out. And if your product has that feature, then go ahead and showcase it.
Optimize Your Product Title Today
Now, it’s time for you to check your product title. Use this page as your guide but don’t forget that it’s all about knowing your product inside and out as well as understanding what goes inside the mind of your target audience.
However, the formulas here aren’t rules. Again, they’re just guides… that have worked very well for many Amazon sellers for a long time. But if you’re feeling adventurous, and have lots of sales coming in, then you can certainly test different titles. This will tell you what works best for your products.
If you want to have Amazon experts to optimize your product listings, click here.
