In May 2022, Walmart’s marketplace surpassed 150,000 sellers, a 66% increase compared to the number registered a year earlier.
More sellers mean increased competition and difficulty in ranking top search results. With Walmart’s growing marketplace, it’s essential to understand Walmart SEO and the strategies that can help your listings rank higher and convert better.
Leveraging content compliance and optimization software can help you dominate Walmart search results and drive more sales.
Understanding Walmart SEO and Ranking Algorithm
Walmart SEO focuses on enhancing the visibility of product listings on Walmart’s internal search engine. Unlike traditional SEO, which often emphasizes keywords and backlinks, Walmart’s algorithm takes into account several factors specific to the shopping experience on its platform. These include:
- Content Quality: Walmart prioritizes listings with clear, detailed product descriptions and titles that closely match customers’ searches.
- Fulfillment Options: Products fulfilled through Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) tend to rank higher, as Walmart prefers reliable delivery and fulfillment systems.
- Customer Reviews & Ratings: Positive reviews and ratings are strong ranking signals, indicating customer satisfaction.
- Competitive Pricing: Pricing plays a significant role in SEO ranking, as Walmart aims to offer its shoppers the best deals.
Walmart’s algorithm prioritizes listings that provide a positive customer experience, aligning with its core value of customer service. Therefore, it is vital to take a holistic approach to rank higher on Walmart organically.
How to Improve Organic Rank on Walmart.com?
Below are actionable strategies that can help you boost your product rankings on Walmart.com.
Ensure Correct Product Categorization
Product categorization on Walmart is critical to your product’s discoverability. Walmart’s category system contains structured information on how products are organized. The more you define your product, the easier it is to search for.
When your product is placed in the right category, it offers the correct set of attributes for the item. It also ensures your items are assigned to the correct product shelf on Walmart.com. This helps the search algorithm correctly index your item, improving its visibility and performance in search and browse results.
Aim for 90% or Higher Listing Quality Score
Walmart provides a Listing Quality Score (LQS) for each product. This score reflects a well-optimized product listing and directly correlates with improved search ranking.
Having the right product title is the first step to better SEO results. You must ensure titles and descriptions are keyword-rich and follow Walmart’s character count guidelines.
Walmart suggests that the title be clear and concise, with between 50 and 75 characters. Color, brand, and model are good keyword examples to include in the Title.
For instance, the recommended formula for a Fashion listing’s Title is Brand + Style Name (if applicable) + Descriptive Feature (if applicable), Material, Clothing Size + Pack Count.
In addition, the product description must include 3-10 key features and a detailed paragraph—a minimum of 150 words—to optimize for the best SEO results. Brands can also leverage content audit software to ensure that product content aligns with Walmart’s requirements and meets the content score.
Another vital factor is to use multiple high-resolution professional pictures that are centered and have a white background to make your product stand out visually.
Furthermore, Walmart has an optional feature for rich media that lets you add product videos, 360-degree images, and other rich content to showcase your product and boost conversion.
READ MORE | Need Help Optimizing Your Product Pages? Discover Proven Strategies Here! E-Commerce Product Page Optimization: Tips and Examples
Leverage Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS)
Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) offers brands and sellers an efficient fulfillment option, similar to Amazon’s FBA. When you use WFS, your eligible products will display a “2-Day Delivery” badge. This badge helps your listings stand out in search results and increases the likelihood of customers clicking on your products.
Moreover, products fulfilled through WFS also receive a “Fulfilled by Walmart” badge. This badge builds trust with customers and signals that your products are eligible for Walmart’s customer-friendly return policies.
Walmart’s search algorithm favors trusted, high-quality sellers, so the “Fulfilled by Walmart” badge can boost your rankings.
Join Walmart’s Review Accelerator Program
Walmart’s Review Accelerator Program is a great way to build up reviews for new products. It incentivizes verified customers to leave reviews after purchasing your product. Walmart even covers a portion of the review cost, making it an affordable way to generate authentic feedback.
Reviews are critical for SEO, as products with more reviews and higher ratings tend to rank better. Positive reviews not only build customer trust but also signal to Walmart that your product is high-quality, increasing its chances of ranking higher and directly influencing a product’s credibility and conversions.
Apart from this program, you can use a review monitoring tool to analyze ratings and feedback to understand customer sentiment regarding the product. It helps identify the main phrases and keywords used by customers to describe the product, which can be used in product descriptions to enhance SEO.
READ MORE | Want to Boost Your E-Commerce SEO with Customer Reviews? Check out Climb Search Rankings: How can Product Reviews Help Boost SEO?
Monitor Product Rank Consistently
Monitoring your product rankings on Walmart.com is crucial for optimizing your Walmart SEO strategy.
Moreover, content compliance and optimization software can help you ensure that the products have the right title, description, images, and information. Thus, it helps maintain a high listing score for your products.
In addition, the software can alert you to significant ranking fluctuations, enabling you to quickly identify and address any issues that may be impacting your rankings. For example, if a product suddenly drops in rankings, you can investigate the cause and take immediate action to rectify the situation.
By staying on top of ranking fluctuations, you can maintain a consistent presence in Walmart’s search results.
Conclusion
Walmart’s marketplace offers tremendous potential, but success depends on your ability to optimize listings, leverage the right tools, and execute effective marketing strategies. By focusing on the methods mentioned above, you can significantly enhance your product visibility and sales at Walmart.
If you’re looking to dominate Walmart and want professional help, be sure to contact MetricsCart to streamline your journey to the top.