As an Amazon seller, you’ve probably heard the term “BSR” thrown around by other sellers. You might know that it stands for best sellers rank and that it’s something you want to aim for.
But what exactly is BSR? How does Amazon calculate it? What sales rank should you aim for? And is it something you should put a lot of emphasis on?
In this article, we answer all of these questions and more. Read on for everything you need to know about what is Amazon BSR.
What Is Amazon Best Seller Rank (BSR)?
Amazon BSR stands for best sellers rank. As you might guess, it is indicative of the best sellers in Amazon sales.
The company will rank Amazon products using metrics like historical sales and current performance. The site assigns scores based on what category the product is in.
For instance, a doll with a lot of Amazon sales may rank #20 in Toys & Games.
Can a Product Have More Than One BSR?
Yes! The BSR indicates how well a product is performing in a specific category. This means that a product can have a BSR in multiple categories.
Let’s consider the doll we mentioned earlier. It ranks #20 in the Toys & Games category. It may also have a sales rank of #3 in the more-specific Dolls category.
Where Can I Find BSR?
Want to know if your products have an Amazon best sellers rank? Want to check your competitors’ sales rank? Here’s how:
Click on the product you want to know the sales rank of. Scroll down the product page until you see the “Product information” section. Among details like product dimensions and item weight, you should see “Best Sellers Rank.” If the product has a BSR, it will show you the score and what category it ranked in.
This is the easiest way to check the BSR of a specific product. If you want to see Amazon’s overall best sellers, go to the Amazon Best Sellers page. It will give you an overview of the best-performing products.
You can also narrow it down by category. Go to the left-hand side of the page and choose from categories like Books, Home & Kitchen, Pet Supplies, etc. Each category page displays the top 100 best sellers in that category.
How Does Amazon Calculate BSR?
Amazon is somewhat vague about how it calculates its best seller ranks, as you might’ve expected. Here’s what we do know:
When calculating Amazon best sellers rank, the website uses recent Amazon sales and historical data. This means that a rank gives a good idea of a product is performing in a specific category.
Note that the rank does not consider factors like pricing, reviews, ratings, etc.
Can a Newer Product Have a Good Sales Rank?
If you are particularly observant, you might have noticed that a newer product can have a better sales rank than an older product. How is this possible if a sales rank is based on current and past Amazon sales?
Aside from analyzing current and historical sales, the BSR algorithm also has predictive capabilities. It can forecast how well a product might perform. This is why a newer product may have a better sales rank than an older product.
How Does a Discount Code/Promotion Affect a Product’s BSR?
As a seller, you might be wondering how to increase your BSR. Your first thought might be to roll out a discount code or promotion. In theory, this should lead to more Amazon sales and, thus, boost your BSR.
This is a logical thought process. But, Amazon is one step ahead.
We’ve noticed that sellers who run promotions don’t see a higher BRS, even though they get more sales. We don’t know for sure, but it’s safe to assume that if you run a promotion to rank, Amazon prevents you from gaming the system.
How Often Does the Amazon Best Sellers Rank Change?
If your product gets an Amazon best sellers rank, don’t go tell all of your friends just yet. Amazon constantly analyzes recent Amazon sales and historical sales. The website updates its Amazon best sellers every hour.
That being said, the ranks don’t fluctuate as much as you would think. This is because Amazon considers overall performance.
Let’s say there are two Amazon.in best sellers offering different printers. Since it was first listed, Printer A has 50 sales. Printer B, on the other hand, only has 25 sales. In the Electronics category, Printer A is #3, and Printer B is #10.
One day, Printer A only sells one printer, while Printer B sells ten. Even though Printer B performed better on this day, it will still have a higher BSR. This is because Printer A has performed better overall since its first listing.
Printer A’s ranking might drop if another printer outperforms it. Similarly, Printer B’s ranking might go up. But, Printer A will be above Printer B until the latter can make more sales.
How Can I Track My BSR?
As an Amazon seller, you have a lot on your plate. You shouldn’t try to track your BSR on your own, considering that your rank can change hourly.
Luckily, you can use Amazon seller tools. In addition to helping you keep up with your sales rank, these tools offer other useful features, such as:
- Insightful analytics
- Listings management
- Help with product/keyword research
Some of the most popular Amazon seller tools include Jungle Scout, Viral Launch, and Helium 10. Before choosing a platform, do your research to find one that fits your needs.
What Is a Good BSR on Amazon?
The lower BSR a product has, the higher its Amazon sales are. Ideally, a seller would want their product to score a #1 sales rank. Remember: the lower, the better.
Of course, scoring the #1 stop is going to be tricky. So what BSR should you aim for?
This can be tricky to answer, as there’s no magic number. Generally speaking, products with a BSR lower than 2,000 are considered to be in-demand.
Note that how “good” a BSR depends on what category the product is in. Let’s say that two products have a ranking of 1,000 in their respective categories. You might think that, because these two products have the same ranking, they have similar sales. But, remember that the BSR is how each product ranks in its category.
A ranking of 1,000 might be “good” in a high-selling category like Pet Supplies. The same ranking, however, might not be as good in a low-sales category, like DIY.
What Rank BSR Should New Sellers Look For?
New sellers need to do a lot of research before choosing a product to sell. This ensures that they have a high sales volume.
While new sellers should consider many factors, they often look at a product’s rank BSR. This helps them get an idea of how well an item might sell. A lower Amazon best sellers rank can indicate a high potential sales volume.
Typically, new sellers look for products with an Amazon best sellers rank lower than 5,000. Some may strive to find a product with an even lower sales rank.
Further reading: How to sell on amazon – a beginners guide
Is Amazon Best Sellers Rank Important?
Sellers put a lot of emphasis on getting an Amazon best sellers rank. But is it really that important? Will having a high rank drastically improve your sales volume?
There are certainly some benefits to having an Amazon best sellers rank. It shows your customers that your product is in high demand. Plus, it can put your product in front of new consumers browsing the best sellers rank page.
However, getting a high sales rank doesn’t improve how well your product performs in search results. This is good to know, especially when considering that most Amazon shoppers look for products via search.
Should You Try to Improve Your Rank?
If your only goal is to become a best seller, you should rethink your strategy.
Don’t focus so much of your attention on getting a high BSR. Instead, try to improve your organic traffic. This means finding the best keywords and analyzing your competitors. You should also have a targeted advertising strategy to attract the most relevant consumers.
When you take measures such as these, your sales volume will drastically improve. Your BSR should go up as a result.
Further reading: How to get the Amazon Choice Badge for your product.
Do Consumers Value BSR?
As we mentioned earlier, your BSR may appeal to your consumers. Seeing your product on the best seller page might compel them to buy. Or, they might notice your sales rank when checking out the product description.
However, we’ve found that BSR isn’t on the top of a shopper’s priority list. They would rather see that you are an established brand with lots of positive ratings. So, instead of trying to boost your BSR, focus on getting your customers to leave reviews, share with their friends, etc.
BSR: Final Thoughts
At this point, you should be familiar with BSR. It is simply a metric that the best sellers on Amazon use to rank products in specific categories. It is indicative of how well your sales are doing and can give your products a little more credibility.
That being said, improving your BSR shouldn’t be the final goal. Even if a product is on the list of best sellers, Amazon won’t push it to customers. You have to use the right keywords, optimize your listing, etc.
This means you should focus on improving organic traffic to put your products in front of consumers. As long as you use the right techniques, a better rank will result naturally!
