Keyword Research for Marketplaces: A Practical Guide

Keyword research for marketplaces is the process of finding the exact words shoppers type into Amazon, eBay, TikTok Shop, Kogan and other marketplace search bars, then placing those words where each marketplace's search engine reads them: title, attributes, bullets, description and hidden search terms. The best sources are the marketplaces themselves: autocomplete, search term reports, recommended keywords, and the language customers use in reviews and questions.

Why marketplace keywords differ from Google keywords

Marketplace shoppers are usually further along the buying journey. They search with product words and modifiers ("queen bamboo sheet set white", "USB-C charger 65W") rather than questions. Marketplace search also leans heavily on structured attributes, so some "keywords" are really filter values such as size, colour or material.

There are local differences too. Australian shoppers write "colour", "aluminium", "nappy" and "doona"; overseas tools and copied supplier text often do not. Check which spelling and terms are actually searched on Australian marketplaces and cover the common variants.

Where to find marketplace keywords

1. Autocomplete. Type your core product term into each marketplace's search bar and note the suggestions. Amazon's own guidance recommends using autocomplete to surface common, long-tail and seasonal variations (Amazon, 2025).

2. Competitor listings. Look at top-ranking titles and bullets for recurring phrases. Use them to understand demand, not to copy.

3. Reviews and questions. Amazon suggests mining reviews and Q&A for the words buyers use to describe benefits and pain points (Amazon, 2025). This is where you find phrases like "fits under the sink" or "quiet at night".

4. Marketplace search data. Amazon Brand Analytics, for brand-registered sellers, includes a Search Query Performance dashboard that lists the keywords customers use to find your brand, with query volume, impressions, clicks, cart adds and purchases, and a Top Search Terms dashboard for wider demand (Amazon). eBay shows sellers which item specifics buyers are searching for, based on the number of searches over the past 30 days (eBay). TikTok Shop surfaces system-recommended title keywords and says the more a title matches buyer search terms, the higher the chance the product is seen (TikTok Shop, 2026).

5. Your own data. Site search on your Shopify or WooCommerce store, paid search reports and customer service enquiries all show the words real customers use.

Sorting and prioritising keywords

Not every keyword deserves a place in the title. Group what you find:

• Core terms: the product type in plain words ("insulated water bottle").
• High-intent modifiers: size, capacity, material, compatibility, model number, use case. Amazon highlights these as the modifiers to prioritise (Amazon, 2025).
• Long-tail phrases: specific combinations with lower volume but clear intent.
• Synonyms and misspellings: useful for hidden search terms.
• Irrelevant or risky terms: competitor brand names and terms that do not describe your product. Leave them out; they risk breaching marketplace intellectual property rules and attract the wrong clicks.

Long-tail coverage matters because shoppers do not stop at the first page. Salsify's 2025 research found 41% of shoppers will scroll to page three and only 18% believe in "page one or bust" (Salsify, 2025).

Where to place keywords

Amazon is explicit that overstuffing keywords harms readability, depresses click-through and conversion and can undermine ranking (Amazon, 2025). Write for shoppers first, then confirm coverage.

Planning for conversational search

Search is changing. Australia Post reports that 3 in 10 Gen Z shoppers consult AI when researching what to buy (Australia Post, 2026). AI assistants answer longer, natural-language questions, so listings that clearly state use cases, compatibility and specifications are easier for them to match. Good attribute data covers both. See product attributes and data quality.

Key figures

• 41% of shoppers will scroll to page three of results to find the right product (Salsify, 2025).
• Amazon backend search terms allow 250 bytes, separated by spaces, without repeating visible keywords (Amazon, 2025).
• eBay ranks item specifics by buyer demand over the past 30 days (eBay).
• 3 in 10 Gen Z shoppers consult AI when researching what to buy (Australia Post, 2026).

How eComChannels helps

eComChannels AI listing optimisation turns keyword research into listing changes across every channel. It groups your keywords into core terms, modifiers, long-tail phrases and synonyms, then places them in the right fields for each marketplace: early in the title within each channel's limit, in attributes for filters, in bullets and descriptions, and in hidden search terms where a marketplace supports them. Because the AI is already trained on each marketplace's rules, it avoids banned terms, repeated words and competitor brands.

When you find a new high-intent term, a bulk update rolls it out across all relevant SKUs and channels from your master product record, and your team approves the changes before they go live. More relevant keywords in the right places means listings indexed for more of the searches your customers actually make.

Book a demo or start a 30-day free trial to map your keywords to your catalogue.

FAQ

Do I need paid keyword tools?

They help with volume estimates, but the free sources (autocomplete, marketplace dashboards, reviews, questions and your own site search) are often enough to build a strong keyword set for each category.

Should I use competitor brand names as keywords?

No. Marketplace policies require titles and descriptions to respect others' intellectual property; TikTok Shop, for example, tells sellers to avoid infringing others' rights in titles, descriptions and brand fields. It also attracts shoppers looking for a different product.

How often should I refresh keywords?

Review key categories quarterly and before peak periods such as Black Friday, Click Frenzy and Christmas, when seasonal terms change what shoppers type.