10. Amazon Strategy and “Products with Potential” with Christian Kelm, VP Product at Amalyze

Summary

In this episode of E-commerce with Coffee?! we talk to Christian Kelm, VP Product at AMALYZE. This analytics software firm focuses on multi-layered insights into Amazon search terms and consumer behavior, and Christian’s passion on these topics cannot be overstated.

The interview opens, in fact, with host Nate Svoboda’s usual question about caffeine. Christian answers with a quick smile, then launches into a deeply thought out reply about exactly what energy supplements work best for his brain.

Based on Christian’s energy throughout the episode, it’s clear he’s hacked the balance that works stupendously for him.

From there, Nate and Christian dig into Amazon SERP analytics and competitor research, and Christian’s input on every point is meticulous. He covers many topics, including:

• Revenue-driving keywords
• Extracting opportunities from market trends
• Extracting opportunities from “missing variations”
• Portfolios of products
• SERP volatility
• Competition research
• Negative keyword research
• Adjusting strategy

Listen to the full episode of E-commerce with Coffee?! for all of Christian’s insights!

What to listen for:

• Christian definitely has his own two cents on caffeine, energy drinks, and Vitamin B12. Listen to how he’s leveraged these in business and life in general.
• Christian also talks about the power of targeting revenue-driving keywords instead of search-volume-only keyword SERPs. This kind of insight is what AMALYZE provides, and marks a turning point in the possibilities in SEO strategy.
• Search volume alone doesn’t give brands insights into relevance or potential, Christian explains. The “movers and shakers” understand their clients in a deeper way, and Christian explains how.
• Christian talks about going with market trends versus looking for opportunities where a product variation is “missing.” Both have their advantages, and both can be done successfully—if done right.
• SERP site volatility refers to how frequently top-ranking results change for the keywords you want to rank for. Based on that volatility, Christian explains, you can prioritize which opportunities to move on first (because you can't move on everything all at once).
• Competition research is good for more than just SERPs, too. For example, you can use it for “negative keyword research” to determine what you're NOT (so you don't waste resources optimizing for those terms or irrelevant synonyms of your target keywords).
• “What I like to look at is customer behavior and changes in customer behavior,” Christian says. He then talks about brand analytics that go beyond just what the consumer is looking for—instead, it’s important to weigh that against what consumers are buying at the end.
• “You can only adjust your strategy when you have one,” Christian points out. And if you just copy what your competitors do, or what your coach does, you’ll only get results as good as your competitors or coach. To get your own results, you will need your own strategy.

A love letter from our sponsor:

If you're a brand listening, and you can relate, don't stop here! Visit the Amber Engine blog for more tips, strategies, and insights to sell more online. We love e-commerce, and our product information software (PIM) and data enrichment strategies simplify and speed up your rollout to Amazon and other marketplaces. Our clients launch in weeks instead of months, eliminate the guesswork, and enable interdepartmental collaboration to drive a winning presence online.

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