Amazon Rankings and their importance, and other reviewing stuff

I am just putting this out there for those of you new to reviewing or those just wanting to know about Amazon ranking and how to lower your numbers.

Your ranking number says a lot about you as a reviewer. The lower your ranking number the more sellers wish to work with you and the more often you will be approved for things you apply for on review sites. When you get below 10,000 you become part of the Top Reviewers on Amazon and when you get below 500 you become a Top 500 Reviewer, then Top 100 etc. It takes a lot of work and determination to get there so you really have to work at it. As you can see I am in the top 3800 as of right now, but my goal is to ultimately get into the top 500 and then top 100.

What helps your ranking? First of all quality reviews is a must! You need to talk to the potential buyers as if you were talking to a good friend. Be honest in your reviews and point out both good and bad ( if any) about the product you are reviewing. Talk about how it feels, how it fits, how it performs, and generally what you feel about it. A one or two sentence review is NOT a quality review. You should have at least one or two paragraphs but don't go on too long or be too technical. You want your review to be voted helpful because that also helps your ranking. The more helpful you are to other buyers, the better your amazon ranking will become and the more sought after you will be.

Another good way to help your ranking and to be considered helpful is to show the item being used. I cannot stress enough how much video and photo's will improve your status on Amazon. Video can be daunting because you have to put yourself out there. Trust me, I was nervous as hell the first few times I did video and sometimes did retake after retake because I wanted it perfect. Now, not so much lol. If you are not comfortable about putting your face on the video, then don't unless it is something that goes on you like a beauty product or a piece of clothing. Lots of times I can video without showing myself, and just talking on the camera while I am showing off the item.

Of course there are quite a few where I put myself on the video or photos also because I just have to. As you go along the video will be easier and easier to do. I do suggest that you get a tripod. I just ordered one today myself. The steadier the camera the better the video will come out. Again, don't make it too long or too short, a 3 to 5 minute video is long enough to get the point across and not bore your viewers. Many reviewers require you to video or photograph their products for them so it is good to get used to working that camera. Again you want all those helpful votes to lower your ranking and although photos do help do that, videos seem to drop your rankings a lot faster.

Do as many reviews as you can. This means opting for those that you may not be enthused to review. When I first started, I did a lot of supplements, vitamin C serums, and cell phone screen protectors. They were not the most sexy things to review but they improved my rankings and they added to the reviews that I had done.
It didn't take long before I started getting kitchen items, clothing, electronics and toys, the more fun things to review. I stress again to be honest in your reviews. You cannot honestly review something if you do not try it. Don't make fake reviews because you can lose your Amazon account by faking reviews. How can someone that hasn't even opened their product give an  honest review? I cannot stress enough how important it is to be honest.

Lastly make sure you have Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime is $99 a year and it more than pays for itself in its free shipping. There are other advantages too like Prime Instant Video, Prime Music which I absolutely love, and Prime Pantry. You also get special lightning deals and other perks. 

Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial

That link will get you a 30 day free trial with a valid credit card. After the 30 days is up they will charge you the $99 yearly fee but as I said the perks are worth it. Also many sites will not allow you to review without Amazon Prime. A few will but you will be required to pay the shipping costs. Prime is so worth the money,

So, I think I have given you a pretty good foundation on what your numbers are about and how to make the most of them. The lower your ranking the better the products you get to review and the more sellers will come to YOU! I get 4 or 5 a day now and I can pick and choose what I want to review. I have friends in the lower numbers who get more along the lines of 25 a day. Hope this little blog post helps you out and of course if you have any questions please comment below or look me up on Facebook and shoot me a message.Rottie