What Is the Amazon 2-Step URL? What Is It Used For?
If you don't know, Amazon Two-step URL is a link that does something extra outside of only taking someone to the intended destination. When it comes to Amazon, that is most often suggests adding keywords to the parameters of the URL.
That’s one of the ways Amazon identifies its search rankings. For instance, someone comes to Amazon and looks for an “ergonomic table.” That person clicks on the listing link on the search results page and goes to the product page.
You will notice the link to your product has this part: “keywords=ergonomic+table.” Hence, Amazon realizes the customer bought it after looking for that specific search term.
Amazon wishes to market popular products with customers to offer the ideal experience and have people coming back. If an item receives a huge number of sales, it indicates to Amazon that it’s a preferred choice for people looking for it with a specific term search. Therefore, Amazon increases the position of this product in the organic search results for the specified keyword. This helps the seller to get more sales. So, 2-Step URLs help you to improve organic rankings on Amazon, which can boost your overall sales volume in a long-term period.
How Does 2-step URL Work?
A two-step URL option is very similar to Amazon Super URL, but there are some differences. Rather than sending a buyer from influencers, email, social, or paid Ads straight to your product listing, you need to send them to a search page first along with the keyword filled out. When you use the Amazon 2-Step URL, the buyer doesn't go straight to the listing but instead ends up on a search results page that only lists one specific product. The buyer clicks on it, goes to the listing, and makes a purchase. This shows to Amazon that the customer found the product himself in the organic search results, selected it, and bought it. This method allows you to bypass the Amazon A9 Algorithm to improve product rankings and increase sales.
If you use a keyword in the link for which several of your products are relevant, instead of one product, the buyer will see several, among which he will choose the desired one.
Be aware that this can distract buyers from making the right decision. If you want to promote a specific product, make sure that the keyword you choose matches only that one.
Another way to use the Amazon 2-Step URL is to lead shoppers to your brand's product page, from which they can select the product they want, click on it, and buy it.
In any case, the buyers must click through to your products themselves. Thus, Amazon attributes a specific number of popularities to the keyword utilized to reach the product page if the customer purchases your product. The Amazon 2-Step URL is useful because detail page URLs have a distinct timestamp to determine when they have been utilized more than once.
Types of 2-Step URLs
Here are the different types of 2-Step URLs you need to know.
- 2-Step Super URL via Brand
A keyword search is done within a brand. The page will show any results indexed for that keyword from that brand. It restricts results to a brand name.
- https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=me%3daps&field-keywords=specific_keyword&field-brand=brand_name
Remember that the page will contain products from other brands that are relevant to this keyword (Brands related to your search option).
- 2-Step Super URL via ASIN
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=me%3daps&field-keywords=specific_keyword&field-brand=brand_name&field-asin=ASIN
Remember that the page will contain products from other brands that are relevant to this keyword (Brands related to your search option).
- 2-Step Super URL via Secret Keyword
The buyer is taken to a page with search results containing products that are relevant to the specified keyword. To avoid the situation when other products are displayed along with your product in the results, use ASIN as a hidden keyword.
Example:
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords= specific_keyword&hidden-keywords=B074VXVDK7
If you are using this type of Amazon 2-Step URL, it may not be the most efficient solution. On the Search Results page buyers will see not only your product but also other goods (Amazon Sponsored Brands section, Top rated from our Brands section). This can distract people and lead to a loss of sales. Therefore, test this feature before expecting super results.
This link leads buyers directly to the listing page of your product. In the search field on the Amazon page, the specific keyword will not be listed. But the listing URL address will include the keywords that you specify when generating such a link.
Example:
https://www.amazon.com/baby%20doll-doll%20toy-toy%20for%20girl-baby%20born%20toy-small%20dol/dp/B074VXVDK7
Using this method can be harmful if customers are not focused on purchasing a product. A large number of non-targeted visitors who don't make a purchase will lower your conversion rate. This will lead to downgrading in organic search results, which is definitely not your goal. Therefore, use this method only when you plan to attract those people who are really ready to buy now.
It sends customers directly to the “Add to Cart” page on Amazon.
Example:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aws/cart/add.html?ASIN.1= B074VXVDK7&Quantity.1=1
If you want to add 2 or even 3 units of goods to the cart, specify the required quantity in the Quantity field.
This link option minimizes cases where customers click on other products instead of yours. After all, this link leads directly to the page for adding a product to the cart. The buyer only has to confirm it.
When you use such a link, the customer is taken to the Add Items to Cart page, as in the example above. But in this case, he can add two products to the cart at once. You create a combination that is beneficial to you in order to increase your sales. This can be a great solution when launching a new product for which the organic search position is still low. If people buy such products, it will lead to both increased sales and ratings of both of these products.
You combine products, one of which is already selling well, and the second is just gaining popularity. Great solution, isn't it? Moreover, if a combination of such goods is popular among buyers, it may appear in the Frequently bought together section. This can happen after the first or second sale, or after the 5-8 sales. However, if this happens, you will also benefit, because buyers often pay attention to this field and choose similar products.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aws/cart/add.html?ASIN.1=B074VXVDK7&Quantity.1=1&ASIN.2=B074VZRD59&Quantity.2=1
You can specify the required number of units for each product if it is necessary. For example, the first item will be added to the cart in the amount of 1, and the second will be added in the amount of 2 or vice versa.
This 2-Step URL creates an Amazon search results page of a list of ASINs that you state. This option is cool when you are running a sale of several of your products and want to show them to your customers. You create a link, after clicking on which buyers go to the page with those products for which you currently have discounts. It can be used both in email newsletters and in Google or Facebook Ads.
https://www.amazon.com/s/?k=B074VXVDK7%7C+B074VZRD59%7C+B074VRGBSS&ref=nb_sb_noss
How to Create a 2-Step URL?
You can create this manually, or you can utilize tools to create one. Search yourself, then use that link. Nevertheless, you will need a tool to create some types of 2-Step URLs that restrict search results to a single ASIN. If you use generators, make sure they work correctly. Google it, read reviews from sellers who have already used them, if you don't want to harm yourself. After all, if you use incorrectly working links, in the end, it will lead to a loss of product rating and a decrease in the conversion rate.
That’s essential as it simplifies people to discover the product you like to rank higher. It also minimizes the chance that they click away to other results.
You can also use a tool if you like your links to work as deep links. That means they will open in the Amazon app when a customer clicks the link on a mobile device. That makes for improved customer experiences and improve organic rankings on Amazon.
Should I Use 2-Step URLs?
You often need the advantage to get products to the top of the search rankings, especially for competitive keywords and categories. That’s the reason most sellers utilize a 2-step URL in their product launches. Such URLs are an efficient way to mimic organic search popularity, which helps your products to receive the traction and visibility required to produce sales.
But you should understand that such links will not bring you tangible rankings in organic search results unless you use an effective strategy to promote your product, brand, or your store.
Moreover, certain types of links by themselves will work and bring results only when you clearly think over the path of the client (customer journey), which will lead him to purchase.
Also, remember to follow Amazon's rules for attracting third-party traffic and manipulating product ratings or organic search results. Let's talk about this further.
Is It Against Amazon’s Rules to Use Super URLs?
Yes. Using Amazon Super URLs to manipulate the metrics of Amazon only hurts your seller status and stunts your growth. This applies to certain types of links that are aimed specifically at manipulating, deceiving the system in order to increase the rating. Keep in mind that it is against the Terms of Service of Amazon, and you could get banned for doing that.
However, other types of links used by sellers to make it easier for a buyer to find an item are in the so-called "gray area". Their use does not directly contradict the rules, however, there is no official permission for this from Amazon. You can test them with caution, realizing that this is entirely in your area of responsibility and in any case, may lead to account blocking.
Final Words
You see, Super URLs are not dead - they have only changed a bit. Nowadays, 2-Step URLs offer sellers a practical way to improve organic rankings on Amazon and control their keyword rankings.
Whether you are launching a new item or trying to improve the conversion rate of your product, keyword-targeted URLs work amazingly at increasing your visibility for particular keywords and converting that enhanced visibility into a stable flow of organic sales.
To sum up, 2-Step URLs are a practical thing you need to have in your toolbox, especially if you require a fast and easy ranking boost or like to hit the ground running from your product launch.
We hope you find this post informative and educational.