Q&A Your Way to More Sales.
DON’T OVERLOOK THIS GOLDMINE IN YOUR AMAZON PRODUCT DESCRIPTION COPYWRITING
When it comes to crafting an Amazon Product Description, it is common to put a huge emphasis on SEO + features and benefits of a product. But have you ever thought about the Q&A Section? In the past, this section was visible at a glance, maintained wholly by a community of people who loved answering questions for other shoppers. There was no need to go in there very often, except to answer questions that no-one had answered.
Nowadays it’s an indexed library that guides a shopper to find the answers throughout your Product Info, Q&A and Reviews. And while answers still come from other shoppers, Amazon now uses your entire Product Description as the FAQ. If shoppers find the answer by searching the Q&A box, all is well! But if they don’t find what they need to kno, they’ll type their question in that same box, hoping an answer will find them. And if they don’t get the answer, approximately 50% will leave and go elsewhere.
The Layout.
The first thing you’ll notice, is a little menu bar that pops up as you get close to the Q&A section. Shoppers will use this bar to quickly skip through sections of your listing to find what they need to know.
Under that bar, is the Q&A box. This box shows up in slightly different places of various listings, so get familiar with where yours is.
Answers Are Found in 4 Ways.
When shoppers ask a question, Amazon now points them to 3 main parts of the listing with a keyword match.
Product Info
Q&A Section
Customer Reviews
And on mobile, Amazon generates an additional AI answer based on these three sections.
If the answer to the question is not there, then shoppers will post a question and wait. If the answer is there, shoppers will use that information to help them make their final purchase decision.
How Does Amazon Find The Answers for Shoppers? Is It AI?
In part, yes it is AI. Today, on my mobile device I was presented with an AI response to a question about thread count. The response seems to draw upon a reviewer comment without linking to the review. However, on desktop, the same question generates answers based on keywords and brings up a link to the reviewer with a great answer. So although it’s different from desktop to mobile, it’s good practice to consider our Q&A in both keyword form and Gen AI. Afterall, our shoppers are on both devices!
SEO is Still King on Desktop.
In the first desktop example we simply asked if our product was microwave safe. But in this new search, a longer more detailed question was asked. Compare the two set of results and it’s obvious that desktop answers are keyword driven.
This could work for or against us! Because this question uses the word “box”, this word is being picked up as a keyword. But maybe we’re excellent in the microwave department, and failing in the sturdy box. The customer may be ready to buy after receiving the microwave answer, but then walks away due to a box issue that had never crossed their mind.
So, How Do We Use The Q&A for Sales Conversions?
When questions pop up, check your Product Description to make sure the information is there. Even if the answer is seen elsewhere (Q&A, reviews or Gen AI), you still need to add it to your listing information.
Give pointless or outlier questions less focus. You can’t fill your product description with EVERYTHING, so make sure you’re including the most important, frequent or relevant questions.
Add information to your carousel infographics (but not too much info). Make sure all those frequently asked questions are covered. If people keep asking it’s microwave safe, make one image showcasing it in a microwave with 'MICROWAVE SAFE’. The carousel is often one of the first pieces of Amazon "real estate” that shoppers look at on mobile and desktop.
Answer the questions!! Answer it as soon as you see it! Don’t leave the shopper waiting.
Study your competitors listings to see what questions are being asked there and how they’re answered. Maybe you’re getting asked a specific question, but they’re not? Find out why!
How Do We Write Copy So Our Q&A Generates Sales
Contain the Question Keywords
Identify the main keywords that Amazon scans to find the answer and then include them! How do you find out the main keywords? Type the question in the Q&A box and see what the autofill comes up with! Ask the question in different ways and see how the answer is presented. Then, use all those highlighted keywords. Leave out any keywords that are irrelevant for that question. When you use all the possible keywords for that answer, Amazon will show more answers!
Reflect Reviewer Sentiment
Gen-AI scans reviews to create answers. So when you’re writing about the answer in your product description, you should write it the way the best reviewer said it! Or, how many reviewers said it. When your product description matches reviewer sentiment and AI generated response, shoppers are more likely to find that information trustworthy. You can also apply this to those who answer questions - if there is a “style” or “way” that the question is being answered, then mimic that in your copy.
Make It Stand Out
If people are asking questions that are already answered in your copy, double check how you’ve written it. Have you buried the lead and the information is getting lost? Have you written the answer in a way that makes it confusing? Be sure to write your copy with clarity and unique flair so you don’t sound like everyone else.
Remember, you also have carousel images and A+ content to communicate the answer to these questions. And while these don’t come up in search or Gen AI, they are extra places to inform your customer - keeping them away from the Q&A box! Remember, any shopper waiting for answer is not yet a buyer. So make sure they know everything!
Repeat Yourself - But Differently.
Duplicate your information across every section of your listing (bullets, plain description, carousel, A+ content) and if all is done correctly, you’ll have reviewers writing very similar information also. Repetition in advertising is powerful, and shoppers may need to see something 2 or 3x before they get the message. Maybe they didn’t see it was microwave safe in your bullets, so write it everywhere.
Push Reviewer Buttons.
Wanna know the best way to influence a review? Exceed expectations, or fail miserably. If you want reviewers to write about a certain feature of your product that keeps showing up in Q&A, push their buttons! Make a bold claim! Did we say MICROWAVE Safe? These bowls are so microwave safe you can bring water to a rolling boil until it that water evaporates! Try it and see and if we’re wrong, we’ll replace your entire set!
The claim needs to be true. Imagine how many reviewers will be dying to prove you right or wrong. When you do this right, reviewers will write about the thing you highlighted. And now that becomes a new answer for the Q&A and hopefully the Gen AI.
Be careful using this strategy, it can backfire horribly if your product doesn’t live up to its claim, or if the copy is limp.
The Takeaway?
Questions are no longer exclusively being answered by shoppers. It is now a combination of Amazon’s keyword bots and Gen AI directing shoppers to pieces of your listing that hold the answers. If the answers can’t be found, shoppers will go elsewhere and you lose a sale. So it’s a good idea to make sure your product description covers all bases, keeping customers informed and ready to buy.
