Selling on Walmart offers a huge opportunity to make a good profit, as this online marketplace has over 120 million unique visitors each month.
However, one of the biggest challenges Walmart Marketplace sellers face is ensuring their product listings are fully optimized for the platform’s search algorithm.
Without the right strategy, your products can get buried under the competition, and you might struggle to gain visibility or drive sales.
Additionally, over 85% of consumers feel that product content is the most important factor when deciding to purchase an item online. If your listings aren’t well-optimized, you’ll miss out on attracting these customers.
In this article, we’ll guide you through the best practices for Walmart listing optimization so you can boost your chances of success on the platform.
One study found that Walmart is the top shopping destination for 37% of consumers. That means that more than one-third of all shoppers in the U.S. shop on Walmart Marketplace regularly. If you want to reach these shoppers, optimization is vital.
Walmart listing optimization is the process of enhancing product listings on Walmart Marketplace to improve visibility, rankings, and conversion rates.
Just like Amazon or other eCommerce platforms, a well-optimized listing ensures your products appear higher in customer searches, attract more clicks, and ultimately drive more sales.
Here is a good example of a well-optimized Walmart Marketplace listing, which is likely getting more clicks and sales:
Optimizing a Walmart listing involves several key elements, including keyword research, compelling product titles, and high-quality images.
Optimizing your Walmart Marketplace listings is essential for increasing visibility on the platform and attracting potential buyers.
Unlike other eCommerce platforms, Walmart has a unique algorithm, and sellers who invest in optimization are more likely to appear in Walmart’s search results, stand out from competitors, and maximize their revenue.
Here are some of the main reasons why Walmart listing optimization is so important:
Walmart’s search engine determines rankings based on keyword relevance, product completeness, and competitive pricing.
The store offers more than 2.1 million items online, so if your listings aren’t optimized with the right keywords, they may not appear in relevant searches, leading to missed sales opportunities.
You can ensure your products reach the right audience by incorporating high-value keywords in titles, descriptions, and backend attributes.
A well-optimized listing with a compelling title, high-quality images, and an engaging description is more likely to attract clicks.
The average consumer now shops on three online marketplaces when purchasing online. If you want your listings to get clicks, they must be optimized.
Since Walmart shoppers often browse multiple listings before making a purchase, having an attention-grabbing title and professional images can significantly increase your CTR.
Once shoppers click on a listing, the goal is to convert them into buyers.
The global eCommerce conversion rate is 2.86%. To achieve a conversion rate like this, you must have detailed and persuasive product descriptions, clearly outlined benefits, and accurate specifications to help reduce hesitation and improve trust.
Optimized listings ensure customers have all the information they need to make a confident purchasing decision.
Walmart Marketplace is growing rapidly, with over 150,000 sellers on the platform. You must optimize your listings to meet Walmart’s best practices to outperform your competitors.
Well-crafted listings can help products rank above similar items, making them more likely to be chosen over competitors.
Product returns make up 25% to 30% of eCommerce sales and can have a massive impact on profit margins.Providing accurate product information, high-quality images, and clear descriptions sets the right expectations for buyers.
This reduces the likelihood of customer dissatisfaction and returns, ultimately improving seller performance and ratings.
Listing optimization plays a critical role for sellers competing for the Walmart Buy Box. Over 80% of Walmart’s online sales come from Buy Box, so you’ll want to win this for your own products.
Competitive pricing, fast shipping, and well-optimized content can improve your chances of winning the Buy Box, leading to more sales and better visibility on the platform.
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🤔 What is the Walmart Buy Box? The Walmart Buy Box is a section on a product listing page where the “Add to Cart” and “Buy Now” buttons appear. When multiple sellers offer the same product, Walmart’s algorithm selects one seller to win the Buy Box, meaning their listing is the one customers can purchase by default. Other sellers offering the same product appear under the “Compare Sellers” section but must compete to gain visibility. Winning the Buy Box is vital for driving sales, as most Walmart customers purchase from the default Buy Box winner instead of browsing alternative seller options. |
This seller has won the Buy Box for their product, as you can see more seller options on their listing:
Walmart prioritizes listings that meet its quality standards, including proper categorization, high-quality images, and detailed product attributes.
Optimizing listings ensures compliance with Walmart’s guidelines, reducing the risk of delisting or lower rankings.
Walmart’s search algorithm is designed to connect customers with the most relevant, high-quality products based on their search queries.
The platform uses its proprietary Walmart Search algorithm to rank product listings. This algorithm considers multiple factors, including:
As mentioned earlier, the search algorithm prioritizes products that best match a customer’s search intent. This is why keyword optimization is critical. The algorithm evaluates multiple fields within a listing to determine how well it aligns with a shopper’s query.
Walmart looks for keywords in your product title, key features, product description, and backend attributes, which we’ll unpack shortly.
If your listing doesn’t include relevant search terms, your product may not appear in Walmart’s search results at all. Sellers must conduct keyword research to ensure they’re targeting high-traffic, relevant search terms.
Walmart favors listings that are fully optimized to provide complete product details.
The Listing Quality Score (LQS) is a ranking metric that evaluates how a listing is filled out. Listings with an LQS of 80% or higher tend to rank better in Walmart’s search results.
If your listing is incomplete, it may rank lower or even get suppressed. Walmart aims to provide customers with the most informative and trustworthy shopping experience, so fully optimized listings have a competitive advantage.
Walmart’s search algorithm prioritizes listings that provide a positive shopping experience. The platform evaluates customer satisfaction through reviews, return rates, and overall seller performance.
Encouraging positive reviews and maintaining excellent seller performance improves your rankings and conversion rates.
Walmart is known for its Everyday Low Prices (EDLP) model. The platform’s search algorithm prioritizes competitively priced products, especially those that are eligible for the Buy Box.
If your pricing is too high compared to competitors, your listing may be pushed down in rankings or even delisted.
Finally, Walmart prioritizes fast and reliable shipping because it improves the customer experience. Products that offer free two-day shipping or Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) receive a ranking boost.
Now that you know why optimization is essential and how Walmart ranks them, let’s unpack how you can optimize your product listings for the best results:
Your product title is one of the most influential elements in Walmart’s search algorithm. A well-structured title improves both search rankings and click-through rates by clearly describing the product while incorporating the right keywords.
Here’s how you can get your product titles right:
✅ Follow the right structure: You should follow Walmart’s recommended title structure, which is: Brand + Product Type + Key Features (Size, Color, and Quantity).
✅ Keep titles concise yet informative: Walmart recommends keeping product titles between 50 and 70 characters, although the platform allows up to 200 characters. However, longer titles may get cut off in Walmart’s search results.
✅ Prioritize high-value keywords: Place primary keywords at the beginning of the title for maximum visibility—more on this later.
✅ Include key product attributes: Mention size, color, material, model number, and other essential product identifiers.
✅ Follow proper formatting guidelines: Use title case—capitalizing the first letter of each word—and avoid using overly promotional language. Avoid including special characters unless they’re a part of a brand name.
The example below follows Walmart’s recommended title structure and covers the main features of the product in the “About this item” section:
Over 80% of shoppers say pictures are important when deciding which brand to buy from.
As mentioned above, images are crucial in customer engagement and conversion rates. A well-optimized product listing should include high-resolution images that clearly showcase the product from different angles.
Walmart provides a zoom functionality, which means your images should be large enough to display fine details.
Here are some best practices for your product images:
✅ Use high-resolution images: Your minimum resolution should be 2000 x 2000 pixels for optimal zoom capability. Walmart recommends JPEG or PNG format with a white background for the primary image.
✅ Include multiple images: Walmart allows up to 10 pictures per listing, and we suggest you use them all. Show different angles, close-ups, lifestyle images, and packaging.
✅ Highlight product features through infographics: Overlay dimensions, features, and unique selling points (USPs) on images.
✅ Follow Walmart’s image requirements: The platform doesn’t allow for images with watermarks, logos, or promotional text. You’re also not allowed to use placeholders, blurry photos, or misleading visuals.
This listing maximizes all 10 images, provides lifestyle shots, and showcases different product variations:
Around 87% of consumers are unlikely to make a repeat purchase if they don’t see accurate product descriptions.
A compelling product description improves both search rankings and conversions by providing customers with all the information they need to make a purchasing decision.
Walmart allows sellers to add both short and long descriptions to enhance product understanding. Below are some tips to follow for product descriptions:
✅ For your short description: This is the brief overview displayed at the top of the product page. This should be concise—around three to four sentences—and highlight the main product benefits. It’s a good idea to use bullet points for readability.
✅ For your long description: This should be at least 1,000 characters for a complete product overview. Use this description to explain features, specifications, use cases, benefits, and depth.
✅ Address customer pain points: Clearly explain how the product solves a problem or adds value. Provide technical details for complex products like electronics and appliances.
✅ Use a conversational yet professional tone: Avoid robotic, overly technical language. Instead, write in a way that appeals to your target audience.
Over 80% of shoppers conduct online research before buying a product, so your product descriptions need to be highly detailed and add value.
This listing has a great product description that uses the entire available character count, bullet points for readability and in-depth specifications:
The key features section is crucial to both search engine optimization (SEO) and user engagement.
Walmart uses these bullet points to index and rank products, so this section must be well-structured and keyword-optimized. You should:
✅ Use four to five bullet points, although Walmart allows up to five.
✅ Ensure each bullet point is under 80 characters for easy scanning.
✅ Highlight unique selling points, such as material, functionality, compatibility, and warranty.
In this listing, the seller has optimized their key features section with as many details as possible:
Backend attributes help Walmart categorize products correctly and improve search accuracy. Many Walmart Marketplace sellers neglect these fields, but filling them in can significantly impact your rankings.
Here’s what to consider:
✅ Complete all relevant fields, including brand, model number, material, color, size, dimensions, weight, and shipping details.
✅ Use accurate product categorization to ensure correct placement in the platform’s search results.
✅ Ensure compliance with Walmart’s guidelines to avoid listing suppressions.
As mentioned above, Walmart prioritizes EDLP, meaning sellers must remain price-competitive to maximize visibility and Buy Box wins.
Below are the best pricing strategies to follow:
✅ Monitor your competitors and adjust your pricing dynamically.
✅ Use Walmart’s Repricer Tool to adjust pricing automatically for Buy Box eligibility.
✅ Offer volume discounts or bundle deals to increase perceived value.
Over 80% of shoppers say they feel encouraged to make a first-time purchase with a new brand if they find an offer or discount. You should take this into account when choosing a pricing strategy.
More than 85% of customers believe that reviews older than three months aren’t relevant. If you want to attract more customers, you need regular reviews.
Customer reviews also influence rankings and conversion rates on Walmart Marketplace. Products with higher ratings are more likely to appear at the top of Walmart search results.
Best practices for getting more reviews include:
✅ Delivering excellent customer service to minimize negative feedback.
✅ Following up with customers via email to request reviews.
✅ Resolving negative reviews professionally to maintain brand reputation.
This product listing has over 1,000 reviews, many of which are recent. This could be helping the listing rank better on the marketplace:
Optimization is an ongoing process, so sellers should regularly analyze their listing performance using Walmart’s Seller Central Analytics.
Some key metrics to track include:
📈 Traffic and impressions: How many people see your listings.
📈 Click-through rate (CTR): How many people are clicking on your product.
📈 Conversation rate: Are clicks turning into purchases?
📈 Buy Box win percentage: Are you winning the Walmart Buy Box?
Finding relevant keywords is a critical step in optimizing your Walmart Marketplace product listings.
As mentioned above, Walmart’s search algorithm prioritizes relevance, completeness, and competitiveness, so choosing the right keywords can help your products rank higher in the platform’s search results.
Here’s how you can conduct effective keyword research to optimize your Walmart listings:
Unlike Amazon or Google, Walmart’s search engine places a strong emphasis on:
✔️ Exact-match keywords: Walmart favors precise keyword matching over broad matches.
✔️ Product relevance: Keywords must directly align with the product’s category and attributes.
✔️ Search volume and conversion data: Keywords that historically drive conversions rank higher.
For these reasons, you should focus on high-intent, purchase-ready keywords rather than just traffic-heavy terms.
Helium 10 offers Walmart-specific keyword tools that analyze search trends. Using the tool, you can:
👉 Find high-ranking keywords based on Walmart’s actual search volume.
👉 Generate keyword ideas and related terms used by real Walmart shoppers.
👉 Audit your existing listing and get suggestions on keyword improvements.
To use Helium 10 for keyword research:
1️⃣ Enter a competitor’s Walmart product URL or SKU to extract their ranking keywords.
2️⃣ Filter by search volume, ranking difficulty, and relevancy.
3️⃣ Discover additional high-traffic, low-competition keyword opportunities.
If you’re not using paid tools, you can still conduct manual keyword research using free methods:
Walmart’s search bar autocomplete reveals real shopper searches. You can use this method by typing your main product keyword into the search bar. Look at the auto-suggested phrases—these are what customers are actively searching for.
You can then optimize your titles, descriptions, and backend attributes using these suggestions.
You can analyze top-performing competitors to discover which keywords they’re using.Search for your product category on Walmart and open top-ranked listings. Look at their titles, descriptions, and bullet points.
You can also check customer Q&As and reviews for recurring phrases buyers use.
Once you’ve identified high-performing keywords, you need to strategically place them throughout your listing for maximum impact.
Include your main keyword and the most relevant feature or use case in your title. Avoid keyword stuffing, which is when you use too many keywords at once.
Here’s a good example of a keyword-optimized title in a product listing:
Use a mix of primary and secondary keywords naturally. Focus on product benefits while integrating your chosen search terms. Ensure you include long-tail keywords to target niche search queries.
The same product listing from our example above uses natural keyword placement in its product details:
Fill out all the product attributes in the Walmart Seller Center, as these act as backend keywords. Walmart matches attributes to search queries, so completing these fields helps with ranking and visibility on the platform.
Optimizing your Walmart Marketplace product listings is essential for increasing visibility, driving more sales, and staying competitive in one of the largest online marketplaces.
By conducting thorough keyword research, optimizing product titles and descriptions, leveraging high-quality images, and maintaining competitive pricing, you can improve your rankings.
Using the right tools and automation can significantly streamline the listing optimization process and ensure your products remain updated and competitive.
This is where Spark Shipping can help. As an automation solution for Walmart Marketplace sellers, Spark Shipping integrates with your suppliers, automates inventory updates, and synchronizes product data across multiple platforms.
With our software, you can ensure your listings stay accurate, pricing remains competitive, and your inventory is always up to date—helping you win the Buy Box and boost your Walmart sales.