Overview

A recent debate among Amazon optimization specialists has clarified that Amazon does not run a separate “A10” ranking algorithm. The notion, which has been repeated in seller communities since around 2020, lacks any official acknowledgment from Amazon and can steer sellers toward ineffective tactics. Recognizing the genuine signals that drive product visibility is essential for anyone aiming to improve organic placement on the marketplace.

Key Points

• Myth Origin — The term “A10” first surfaced in forum posts and YouTube videos in early 2020, but Amazon has never released a technical paper or press release naming such a versioned algorithm.
• Continuous Evolution — Amazon’s search engine relies on a fluid collection of ranking signals that are tweaked daily, rather than on a single, version‑controlled update that can be announced.
• Core Ranking Signals — Relevance to the shopper’s query, performance metrics like conversion rate and sales velocity, and buyer‑experience factors such as reviews and return rates remain the dominant drivers of search placement.
• Seller Missteps — Investing time and money into speculative “A10” fixes—such as obsessively increasing keyword density based on rumored changes—usually yields little to no measurable lift.
• Data‑Driven Approach — Meaningful improvements come from analyzing real performance data and aligning listings with proven ranking factors instead of chasing undefined updates.

How Amazon Ranking Works

1. Data Collection — Amazon continuously records shopper actions, including clicks, add‑to‑cart events, and completed purchases. Example: A seller sees that a product receives 150 clicks per day but only 5 purchases, indicating a conversion rate of roughly 3.3 %.
2. Relevance Scoring — The platform matches the shopper’s search terms to the product’s title, bullet points, and backend keywords. Example: Including the exact phrase “organic cotton baby blanket” in both the title and backend fields boosts relevance for shoppers typing that query.