Are you tired of seeing your products show up below big brand names on Amazon?
Even a small drop in search ranking can mean a big drop in sales. When a competitor’s product shows up first, they often get most of the sales, sometimes as much as 70–80%. If your product shows up in fourth place, you might only get 0–10%. That’s a huge difference.
So, how can you get more people to choose your product instead?
In this article, we’ll show you simple and effective ways to stand out from your competitors on Amazon and boost your sales. Let’s get started.
Before you try to outrank your competitor or target their brand name, it’s important to know the rules, both Amazon’s rules and the legal ones. If you break them, your account could be suspended or even face legal trouble.
But when you stay within the lines, there’s still a lot you can do to win more customers.
Using someone else’s brand name in your product title or listing if it’s not yours. This can count as trademark infringement, and Amazon takes it seriously.
Creating fake listings that copy a competitor’s product or confuse shoppers.
Misleading ads that trick people into thinking your product is from another brand.
Doing any of these can get your listings removed or your account flagged.
What is allowed?
Targeting competitor brand names in your ads (PPC campaigns), as long as you don’t falsely claim to be that brand.
Using indirect keywords in your backend search terms, like “Brand X alternative” or “better than Brand X” (if it’s not in the visible listing).
Creating comparison-style content outside of Amazon, like landing pages or blog posts, that fairly compares your product to theirs.
The key is to stay honest and avoid confusing the customer about what brand you’re selling.
To compete on Amazon, you first need to study your competitors’ brands closely. Use tools like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout to research their top-performing ASINs.
These can help you see which of their products sell the most, how many reviews they’re getting, and which keywords bring them traffic.
Then, look at their product pages. Are the pictures good? Is the price fair? Are customers leaving bad reviews about anything missing or broken? These are chances for you to do better.
You should also track their organic and sponsored keyword positions. If they’re not ranking well for certain high-volume terms, you can target those to gain an edge. The more you know about their strategy, the better you can optimize your listing and campaigns.
Now that you’ve studied your competitor, it’s time to go after their traffic, but in a way that follows Amazon’s rules. One smart move is to run Sponsored Product or Sponsored Brand ads using your competitor’s brand name as a keyword.
For example, if people are searching for “BrandX vitamins,” your ad can show up in the results too. This puts your product in front of shoppers who are already looking to buy.
Just make sure your ad doesn’t claim to be that brand or try to confuse people; that’s against Amazon’s policy. You can also add their brand name to your backend search terms, which helps your product appear in related searches without showing the name on your listing.
Some sellers also run ads under their brand name to stop others from taking that space. This way, you’re showing up where your competitor gets traffic and giving customers another choice.
A great way to get more sales is to show up when people are looking at your competitor’s product. You can do this without breaking any rules.
First, try to rank for their brand name by using keywords like “BrandX alternative” in your backend keywords. You can’t say it in your title or bullet points, but adding it behind the scenes can help your product appear in searches.
Next, try to get your product to show up in places like the “Compared with similar items” or “Customers also bought” sections on Amazon. To do that, your product should be in the same category, have similar pricing, and use FBA for fast shipping. Also, focus on getting more reviews so Amazon sees your product as a good match.
When your product appears next to theirs, customers have a chance to compare and pick yours instead.
You don’t have to compete with your competitor only on Amazon; you can also target their brand outside the platform. One way is to create a landing page or a simple website that compares your product to theirs.
For example, a page titled “BrandX vs. Our Product – What’s Better?” can help shoppers make a decision. Keep the comparison honest and clear, showing what makes your product stand out.
You can also run Google Ads using their brand name. When people search for things like “Is BrandX worth it?” or “BrandX reviews,” your ad can show up and lead them to your landing page or Amazon listing.
Another smart move is to work with affiliate marketers, bloggers, influencers, or review sites already talking about BrandX. Offer them better commissions or extra perks to promote your product instead.
This way, you’re reaching shoppers even before they land on Amazon and giving them a reason to check out your brand first.
If your competitor has more reviews, they’re more likely to get the sale. That’s why you need to grow your reviews fast. Use tools like Amazon Vine or click the “Request a Review” button in your Seller Central account.
You can also add a polite note in your packaging asking happy customers to leave a review, just make sure it follows Amazon’s rules.
Next, use retargeting ads to reach people who looked at your competitor’s product but didn’t buy. With Amazon DSP, you can show your product to those same shoppers later while they’re browsing other sites.
“More reviews + smart ads = more trust and more sales”
If your competitor has a strong product, one smart move is to launch something even better. Look at what they’re missing; maybe they don’t include an important feature, or customers keep asking for something extra. You can create a product that solves those problems.
For example, if they sell a basic water bottle, you can offer one with a filter, handle, or better design.
You can also create a bundle or a package that includes your main product plus something useful that goes with it. You can use Amazon’s Virtual Bundles tool to do this without adding new inventory. Bundles help your listing stand out and give buyers more value for the price.
Outranking a competitor isn’t just about better keywords or lower prices; it’s about smart positioning.
Are you solving a problem they’re not?
Offering value, they overlook?
The brands that win long term know how to speak to their customers better than the competition.
If you've done all the usual tactics, ads, listings, bundles, but still aren't gaining ground, it's probably a strategy gap.
That’s where Brandefyn can help. We work with growing Amazon brands to build custom strategies that go beyond ads. Because smart growth isn’t about chasing the top brand, it’s about becoming it.