Sep 17, 2019 10:30:00

Amazon was changing the search algorithm to sell more profitable own products

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Stock Catalog

The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon's product search algorithm has changed from 2018 to prioritize profitability over relevance. According to media reports, this search algorithm change is said to have been made in response to requests from Amazon's retail and private brand departments, and the display of search results has the effect of promoting sales of its own products such as Kindle and Echo. ... apparently ...

Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products-WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-changed-search-algorithm-in-ways-that-boost-its-own-products-11568645345

Amazon reportedly changed its search results to boost more profitable products-The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/16/20868737/amazon-search-results-profitability-change

According to the Wall Street Journal, in order not to catch the antitrust law, Amazon does not seem to display the product directly at the top of the search results, but the result by changing the algorithm of the search engine In particular, they display highly profitable items such as their own products at the top of the search results.

by Shinji

An Amazon A9 engineer who develops and manages Amazon's search engine said, `` Because we were under pressure to display our products at the top of search results from Amazon's private brand department, we will design a search algorithm that emphasizes profitability The project was advanced, 'he told the Wall Street Journal.

When Wall Street Journal searched for button-down shirts and paper towels for men on Amazon, 11 of the top 30 search results for the shirts were private brands. In addition, although only 4 of the top 30 paper towels displayed private brands, there were a total of 10 private brand products displayed in the 15 ad slots displayed at the top of the search results. thing.

Amazon has its own gadgets such as Kindle and Echo, but we are also developing Amazon Basic , which is a private brand such as dry batteries , HDMI cables , notepads , and backpacks . According to The Verge, Amazon private brand sales are sluggish, and changes in search algorithms may help Amazon increase sales of these private brands by favoring their products.

In fact, the search results of Amazon, the world's largest e-commerce site, have a tremendous advertising effect. Amazon has an advertising space at the top of the search results, and products related to the search word are displayed directly above and at the top of the search results. As of 2018, it has already been pointed out that Amazon-branded products are already at the top of search results.

Amazon's search results turned out to be “abundant with advertisements, but actual sales are large”, why? -GIGAZINE

However, Amazon denies the report that “the profitability is not included in the criteria for ranking the search results,” and commented that “the article in the Wall Street Journal is not accurate in fact.” An Amazon spokesperson said, “We ’re seeing how new features will impact customer experience and Amazon ’s business, including long-term profitability. There is no '.