How to track your Amazon keyword ranking without a monthly fee

Updated 10 November 2026

Search your main keywords on Amazon, note where your product appears and repeat on the same day each week. It's free, and a simple spreadsheet is enough to start. This guide covers how to choose keywords, how to count your position properly and when a tool is worth paying for.

Choose the right keywords

Start with 5 to 10 phrases a shopper would really type to find your product. Good places to find them:

• Amazon's search box. Start typing your product type and note the suggestions Amazon offers. They're based on what shoppers search.
• Your competitors' titles. The words that keep appearing in the titles of the top products are usually the main search terms.
• Your own ads. If you run Sponsored Products, the search term report in Seller Central shows the exact searches that led to clicks and sales.
• Brand Analytics, if you're brand registered. More on that below.

Mix one or two broad phrases (for example "steel water bottle") with more specific ones ("insulated steel water bottle 750ml"). The specific ones are usually easier to rank for, and the shoppers using them are often closer to buying.

Step by step

1. Search each keyword on the Amazon site you sell on.
2. Count down to your product. Skip results marked Sponsored to get your organic position, and note any sponsored position separately.
3. If you're not on the first page, note that, then check the next pages if you'd like the exact position.
4. Record the date, Amazon site, keyword, organic position and sponsored position in a spreadsheet.
5. Repeat on the same day and at roughly the same time each week.

Organic and sponsored: why both matter

Your organic position is where Amazon places you on its own merits, based largely on how well your product sells and converts for that search. It's the one to watch over time. Your sponsored position is where your ad appears, which depends on your bids and budget. If your sponsored position is high but your organic one is low, you may be relying on ads to be seen for that keyword.

Why your number may differ from someone else's

Amazon's results can vary between shoppers, for example with location, device or account history. A colleague might see you two places higher or lower. Trust the direction more than the exact number. Use the same setup each time, and don't react to one small move.

If you're brand registered

Amazon's Brand Analytics is available to brand representatives with a Professional selling account in Brand Registry. Its Search Query Performance dashboard shows the top search terms that bring shoppers to your products, with impressions, clicks and cart adds. It's very useful for choosing which keywords to watch, but it doesn't show where you appear on the page, so it works best alongside the weekly check above.

What to do with the numbers

• Dropping on one keyword only? Look at who has moved above you for that search, and compare their price, reviews and main image with yours.
• Dropping on all keywords? That usually points to something about the product itself: stock, price, reviews or the listing. This checklist covers the usual causes.
• Not on page one for a key phrase? Check that the phrase appears naturally in your title or bullet points, and consider a small ad campaign on it to build sales for that search.

When to use a tool

Doing this by hand works well for a few keywords. It gets slow with lots of products, keywords or Amazon sites, and that's when a tool earns its place. Full research suites are worth paying for if you also use their keyword research and product discovery. If you mostly want to see your position, you may not need a monthly plan. Here's how the options compare.

More guides

• Check your Best Sellers Rank
• Check your numbers with an agency
• What is a good Best Sellers Rank?
• Why did my Amazon rank drop?
• Seller tools without a subscription