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How Amazon’s A10 Algorithm Actually Works in 2026 (And Why Pricing & Conversion Matter More Than Ever)

  • Writer: Matt Talmage
    Matt Talmage
  • 2 days ago
  • 3 min read
Amazon ranks products based on who is most likely to generate revenue now, not who optimized their listing best six months ago.

amazon a10 algorithm

If you still hear sellers talking about Amazon’s “A9 algorithm,” they’re not wrong — but they are behind.


Amazon doesn’t publicly label its search systems, but within the seller ecosystem, A10 is widely understood to be the current evolution of Amazon’s ranking logic. It builds on A9’s foundations while expanding the signals Amazon uses to decide which products deserve visibility.


Most importantly, A10 makes one thing even clearer than before: Amazon ranks products based on who is most likely to generate revenue now, not who optimized their listing best six months ago.


What Changed From A9 to A10 (At a Practical Level)

Under A9, sellers could sometimes treat search optimization as a static checklist:

  • Keywords

  • Images

  • Reviews

  • Competitive price


A10 didn’t remove those factors — it re-weighted them and added more behavioral context.

Under A10, Amazon pays closer attention to:


  • Recent sales velocity (not lifetime performance)

  • Conversion consistency

  • Price competitiveness relative to current alternatives

  • Inventory reliability

  • Engagement signals (clicks, dwell time, add-to-cart behavior)

  • Traffic quality (including external traffic that converts)


Amazon still describes relevance as a prerequisite, but performance as the ranking driver.


The Core Signals A10 Optimizes For

1. Keyword Relevance Still Gets You Indexed — Nothing More

Keywords determine eligibility, not dominance.


If your listing doesn’t match the query, you won’t appear. But once multiple listings qualify, keywords stop being the deciding factor.


That hasn’t changed — what’s changed is how quickly poor performance pushes you down.


2. Conversion Rate Is the Primary Ranking Signal

A10 is brutally conversion-driven.


If shoppers see your listing and buy it at a higher rate than alternatives, Amazon promotes it. If they hesitate, bounce, or choose competitors, Amazon demotes it — fast.


Conversion rate reflects:

  • Price

  • Fulfillment speed

  • Trust (reviews, seller metrics)

  • Listing clarity


This is why ranking swings feel sharper in 2025 than they did years ago.


3. Sales Velocity Is About Momentum, Not Volume

A10 heavily favors recent performance.


A product that sold well last quarter but stalls today will slide. A product that suddenly converts well — even at lower total volume — can climb quickly.


Velocity matters more than legacy success.


4. Price Is a Ranking Lever, Not a Cosmetic Choice

Price influences conversion, Buy Box ownership, and ranking simultaneously.

Amazon explicitly ties Buy Box eligibility to price competitiveness.


From Flashpricer’s data, ranking improvements frequently follow price alignment, not the other way around.


This is one of the clearest A10 shifts: Amazon reacts faster to pricing changes than sellers expect.


5. Inventory Reliability Is Non-Negotiable

A10 penalizes stockouts immediately. When inventory disappears:

  • Conversion drops to zero

  • Velocity collapses

  • Rank decays


Restocking doesn’t instantly restore position. Momentum must be rebuilt.


How A10 Actually Ranks Products (Matching vs Ranking)

A10 still operates in two stages:

Matching Amazon determines which listings are eligible for the query (keywords + intent).


Ranking Amazon orders those listings by predicted likelihood of conversion and revenue.

The second stage is where most sellers lose ground — because it’s dynamic, competitive, and unforgiving.


Common A10 Mistakes Sellers Make

  • Treating SEO as static

  • Optimizing listings but ignoring price position

  • Reacting manually to competitor moves

  • Assuming rank stability


A10 doesn’t reward effort. It rewards alignment with buyer behavior.


Where Flashpricer Fits in an A10 World

Flashpricer doesn’t try to “game” A10. It aligns sellers with what A10 already rewards.

Across Amazon and Walmart, sellers using Flashpricer:

  • Maintain competitive price positioning in real time

  • Protect conversion during price pressure

  • Preserve velocity when competitors react

  • Avoid ranking decay from slow adjustments


This matters even more on Walmart, where pricing parity and fast reaction cycles amplify mistakes.

A10 favors sellers who move at algorithm speed.


The Question Sellers Should Be Asking

If Amazon ranks products based on what converts right now, how much of your strategy still depends on reacting after the damage is done?

 
 
 
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