From mastering Walmart keywords to winning the Buy Box, our guide to Walmart listing optimization will show you key factors behind Walmart’s algorithm and how you can make it work for you.
Its early investment in digital combined with its delivery and click-and-collection options further saw the company thrive during the Covid-19 pandemic, where Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce sales soared 97% during Q3 2020 when new restrictions led shoppers to take their shopping - particularly groceries - online. According to eMarketer, today, Walmart has the leading share of U.S. digital grocery sales with 28.9% market share versus Amazon at 23.8% and Kroger at 12.3%.
We unpacked Walmart’s digital shelf algorithm so you can optimize your listings and win the category by knowing:
- The key factors behind Walmart’s optimization algorithm
- How to rank in search on must-have category keywords
- How to create high ranking content that converts the shopper
- How to leverage ratings and reviews to increase conversion
- 6 ways you can make Walmart’s search algorithm work for you
We all know Walmart is huge, but how huge?
And how fast is it growing?
Here are a few key Walmart statistics to give you an idea:
- Walmart tops the Fortune Global 500’s 2020 list of the world’s largest companies by revenue (and has been at the top since 2013) with net sales of $555bn (compared with Amazon’s $386bn)
- 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store, making it among the most visible retailers in the country
- The pandemic saw Walmart’s e-commerce sales increase 79% in 2020, and growth hasn’t stopped. Walmart’s 2021 Annual Report cites year-on-year revenue growth of $35 billion, including “triple-digit” growth of its eCommerce marketplace.
- Over 11% of Walmart’s U.S. net sales for fiscal 2021 came from eCommerce and over 75% came from grocery, making this a crucial category for Walmart.
Walmart’s Listing Optimization Algorithm Explained
A product’s performance in search and category rankings are determined by three factors outlined in what Walmart calls its “optimization triangle”. This triangle outlines three key factors that define a top-performing listing:
- Content: How descriptive is your listing?
- Offer: How competitive is your offer?
- Performance: How great is your customer experience?
The specific factors influencing this algorithm are complex, however, we can break this down into several key areas that you can control and measure in your mission to win the shelf. Pull these levers in the right direction and you’re well on your way to being the best in your category. We’ll get into each of these KPIs in detail throughout the rest of this e-book.
Content
- Strong title/product name
- Optimized descriptions containing relevant keywords
- Clear and various images, mobile-optimized
- Product variations
- Correct categorization
Offer
- Stock availability
- Competitive pricing
Performance
- Ratings and reviews
Top Walmart KPIs for Brands
The most successful brands on Walmart are those that tenaciously monitor the most relevant KPIs and continuously take actions to close performance gaps. All of the key factors behind Walmart’s optimization algorithm - Content, Performance, and Offer - are measurable.
Here are 8 KPIs that you can put at the forefront of your Walmart monitoring strategy:
Content
- % of products with keywords in titles, descriptions and bullet points
- % of products with at least 5 images
- % of products appearing in the Top 20 search results on your chosen keywords
- % of products appearing in the Top 20 category results
Performance
- Number of reviews
- % of reviews with 4.0 stars or more
Offer
- % products listed
- % products out of stock
When you combine this data with the right team of people and a process-driven methodology, you can use the insights gained from these data to take action, close gaps, and ultimately pull the levers that let you control Walmart’s optimization algorithm and win the category for your brands.
Dive deeper into Walmart Listing Optimization
Download the eBook to learn specifics about optimizing the content on your product details page. This includes:
- Anatomy of an optimized PDP
- How to handle product variations
- Capitalize on ratings and reviews to increase conversion
- Use monitoring tools to track pricing dynamics
- How to master Walmart SEO and command the top search rank
- How to compete with Walmart private labels
- Winning the Walmart Best Seller Badge
