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The Smartest Amazon Seller

SmartScout
The Smartest Amazon Seller
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326 episodes

  • The Smartest Amazon Seller

    Episode 323 - Amazon Listing Optimization Just Changed — Here’s How

    24/02/2026 | 44 mins.
    Amazon sellers are entering a new era of product discovery, and AI visibility is becoming part of the playbook.

    In this episode, Scott sits down with Yona, founder of Amazon Growth Lab, to break down how brands can improve visibility across both Amazon’s ecosystem (Rufus, Cosmo, organic search) and external LLMs like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

    Yona explains why traditional keyword stuffing is fading, how Amazon is evolving toward context and use-case relevance, and why listing content now needs stronger sentiment alignment across titles, bullets, A+ content, and images.

    They also dig into the difference between Amazon visibility and LLM visibility. Since LLMs often do not scrape Amazon product pages directly, Yona shares why off-Amazon signals like press, community mentions, and helpful content can influence whether products get recommended in AI answers.

    The conversation also covers a practical conversion playbook for 2026, including CTR optimization, image testing, PickFu workflows, conversion benchmarking, reviews, and iterative A/B testing for infographics and A+ content.

    If you want a clear breakdown of what’s changing in Amazon search, AI discovery, and conversion strategy, this episode is packed with actionable ideas.

    Episode Notes:
    00:09 - Intro to the 2026 AI visibility conversation and guest intro (Yona, Amazon Growth Lab)

    02:32 - The core question: how brands show up in LLMs for high-intent prompts

    03:19 - Why LLM visibility is easier for DTC/Shopify than Amazon

    04:30 - Robots.txt explained in simple terms and why it matters for AI indexing

    04:50 - Why Amazon blocks LLM scraping and the threat of agentic commerce

    06:48 - How Amazon products still get recommended via off-Amazon sources

    08:32 - Why old Amazon SEO tactics are fading (keyword stuffing vs relevance)

    11:56 - Images, A+ content, and infographics as SEO/AI signals

    12:31 - Underused Seller Central tools: Search Query Performance and Product Opportunity Explorer

    14:14 - Using customer sentiment language in content to improve Rufus indexing

    15:32 - Why CTR and conversion rate are still the strongest Amazon visibility levers

    18:03 - Amazon platform visibility vs LLM visibility: different strategies

    18:49 - Off-Amazon visibility drivers: press releases, Reddit, Quora, and brand mentions

    24:27 - Amazon’s long-term concern: customer control and ad dollars shifting to AI

    26:30 - Why blogs still matter, and how visuals/structured content help brands stand out

    29:24 - AI visibility tracking tools (Profound, Surfer, Scrunch AI) and why using multiple tools helps

    31:45 - 2026 conversion strategy: building a funnel for CTR and conversion improvement

    32:09 - PickFu testing workflow for improving main images and click-through rate

    36:28 - Conversion levers: pricing, reviews, creator content, infographics, A+ content, and split tests

    41:03 - Enterprise scaling: automating creative production and localization across thousands of listings

    43:43 - Yona’s closing advice and where to connect with Amazon Growth Lab

    Related Post
    AI Visibility for Amazon Products: Are ChatGPT and Rufus Recommending You?

    Guest Link

    Amazon Growth Lab: AmazonGrow.com

    Scott’s Links

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-needham-a8b39813

    X: @itsScottNeedham

    Instagram: @smartestseller

    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@smartestamazonseller2371

    Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

    Blog: https://www.smartscout.com/blog
  • The Smartest Amazon Seller

    Episode 322 - Amazon AI Visibility, Cosmo, and the New Rules of Product Discovery in 2026

    23/02/2026 | 19 mins.
    AI is changing how shoppers discover products, and Amazon sellers need to pay attention now.

    In this episode, Scott breaks down the rise of AI-driven product discovery through tools like Amazon Rufus and ChatGPT, and explains why visibility in AI answers is becoming a new layer of competition for sellers.

    He unpacks Amazon’s Cosmo framework, including the key product-understanding questions AI systems use to evaluate listings, and introduces SmartScout’s new tools built for this shift: the Amazon AI Scorecard and the AI Visibility Monitor.

    Scott explains how the scorecard audits your listing content across bullets, A+ content, and images to measure how well your product answers AI-relevant questions. He also shows how the visibility monitor tracks how often your products appear in ChatGPT recommendations over time, even when AI responses are inconsistent.

    Scott also shares how sellers can improve AI visibility through better listing content, stronger online presence, and a more intentional long-term strategy for LLM discovery.

    If you want to know whether your brand is winning the AI visibility race in your category, this episode lays out the framework.

    Episode Notes:

    02:00 - Amazon Rufus adoption and what it could mean for product discovery

    03:10 - ChatGPT shopping behavior and why AI shopping queries still matter

    04:06 - Why AI shopping accuracy is not perfect yet, but still important

    04:34 - Amazon Cosmo and the product questions AI systems use to understand listings

    07:00 - The shift from keyword-only thinking to AI-ready product content

    07:32 - SmartScout’s Amazon AI Scorecard and how it evaluates listing quality

    08:10 - How the scorecard creates a feedback loop for continuous improvement

    10:23 - SmartScout’s AI Visibility Monitor and tracking LLM recommendation share

    12:40 - Why ChatGPT results are non-deterministic and how visibility percentage helps

    14:53 - Creatine example: measuring AI visibility by niche and query type

    16:23 - How to improve AI visibility through listing content and off-Amazon signals

    17:44 - Why this matters for sellers, brands, and teams in 2026

     

    Related Post

    Top 10 Amazon FBA Reimbursement Services to Recover Your Funds

     

    Scott’s Links:

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-needham-a8b39813

    X: @itsScottNeedham

    Instagram: @smartestseller

    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@smartestamazonseller2371

    Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

    • • Blog: https://www.smartscout.com/blog
  • The Smartest Amazon Seller

    Episode 321- Amazon’s AI Agent and the New Rules of Selling for 2026

    27/01/2026 | 19 mins.
    Amazon’s new AI shopping agent could reshape how people discover and buy products online.

    Scott breaks down Amazon’s “Buy for Me” initiative, which is an AI-driven shopping flow that can surface off-site products and redirect shoppers to external stores. He unpacks what it could mean for conversion, attribution, and Shopify seller economics.

    Learn how it works in practice, and why it matters for sellers who rely on traditional storefront traffic. If the shopping experience starts on Amazon and finishes elsewhere, the rules around discovery, trust, and conversion can shift fast.

    Scott also explains agentic commerce, where AI drives more purchase decisions, and why the impact will vary: small businesses can adapt faster, while larger organizations face more friction.

    Zooming out to 2026, Scott weighs bearish risks, such as white-collar layoffs, against bullish tailwinds that could keep demand strong and create new e-commerce opportunities.

    Episode Notes:

    00:40 - Amazon’s Buy for Me AI Agent

    04:51 - Agentic Commerce & Human-in-the-Loop vs. Human-Out-of-the-Loop

    05:59 - Widespread AI Adoption and Its Impact

    10:45 - Amazon Reviews: Policy Update

    12:31 - Bear Case for Amazon & E-Commerce in 2026

    15:13 - Bull Case for Amazon & E-Commerce in 2026

     

    Related Post: Top 10 TikTok Marketing Agencies for DTC and CPG Brands

     

    Scott’s Links:

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-needham-a8b39813

    X: @itsScottNeedham

    Instagram: @smartestseller

    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@smartestamazonseller2371

    Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

    Blog: https://www.smartscout.com/blog
  • The Smartest Amazon Seller

    Episode 320 - AI Visibility in the New Era of Amazon Selling

    18/11/2025 | 18 mins.
    Scott returns from a month of trade shows to break down what he’s seeing on the front lines of e-commerce, and why we’re entering a new era of “AI visibility” for Amazon sellers.

    He shares how the largest brand client his team has ever signed actually found them through ChatGPT, and what that means for agencies, software tools, and brands trying to stand out online.

    Scott walks through the major eras of selling on Amazon, from early booksellers and repricers to retail and wholesale resellers, the private label boom with Jungle Scout, the rise of Amazon advertising and analytics tools, TikTok Shop’s rapid growth, and now AI business agents and shopping assistants.

    He explains how AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini already influence which Amazon products, agencies, and software tools get recommended, and why strong written content, clear bullet points, and smart keyword strategy matter more than ever.

     

    Episode Notes:

     

    00:30 - Signing Up a Large Corporation

    01:30 - The Evolution of Amazon Selling: Era by Era

    06:50 - The Dawn of AI Visibility

    07:29 - Understanding AI Visibility on Amazon

    10:05 - Building Amazon Visibility

    11:19 - Amazon vs. AI Shopping Agents

    13:47 - Content Optimization for the AI Era

    16:02 - Keyword Ranking by State

    16:55 - SmartScout’s Feedback Tool

     

    Related Post: The Ultimate Guide to Amazon Selling Tools (and How to Choose the Right One)

     

    Scott’s Links:

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-needham-a8b39813

    X: @itsScottNeedham

    Instagram: @smartestseller

    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@smartestamazonseller2371

    Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

    Blog: https://www.smartscout.com/blog
  • The Smartest Amazon Seller

    Episode 319 - Simplifying Success & Finding Your Fit with Scotty O.

    30/10/2025 | 33 mins.
    Discover why simplicity might be the ultimate Amazon strategy. This is straight from an industry veteran who’s seen it all.

    In this episode, Scott sits down with Scotty O. of Quickfire and Always Off Brand podcast to unpack decades of experience navigating Amazon’s third-party marketplace.

    From working with iconic brands like Columbia Sportswear and North Face to building agencies and embracing straightforward solutions over flashy tech, Scotty O. shares practical wisdom for sellers at every stage. They dive into the realities of ad management, finding your ideal client fit, surviving category competition, and why Amazon Business is suddenly a hot topic.

    Episode Notes:

    00:11 - Scotty O Introduction

    03:08 - Scott Ohsman's Retail Journey

    05:15 - Entering the Agency World
    06:22 - Life at Quickfire

    09:51 - Tech, Tools, and Agency Value

    10:40 - Audience Awareness and Communication Styles
    13:43 - Niche Services and Transparent Relationships

    15:49 - The Realities of the Amazon Marketplace

    17:39 - The Seller's Dilemma: Guarantees and Incremental Wins

    21:15 - Pricing and Competition: Can Small Brands Win?

    26:00 - Chinese Sellers, External Traffic, and Ad Tech

    27:54 - Amazon Business: The Sleeping Giant

     

    Related Post: How to Know Amazon Market Share by Category: What Brands Are Winning on Amazon and Why

     

    How to Reach Scotty O:

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-ohsman-861196a6

    Website: quickfirenow.com

    Always Off Brand Podcast: Spotify  | Apple Podcast

     

    Scott’s Links:

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-needham-a8b39813

    X: @itsScottNeedham

    Instagram: @smartestseller

    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@smartestamazonseller2371

    Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

    Blog: https://www.smartscout.com/blog

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About The Smartest Amazon Seller

Scott Needham is the Founder of SmartScout. An Amazon software developer for 10 years his company BuyBoxer has done over $300m in sales on Amazon. Scott has accumulated a deep knowledge about selling product online, and in the podcast he shares his knowledge with you to help you become a better Amazon seller.
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