Why Does Amazon Surface Editorial Recommendations?

Why 3rd Party, Editorial Content on Amazon.com?

What have you heard about Editorial Recommendations on Amazon? If you’re a regular user of the eCommerce website, you’ve likely seen them before, though you may know them by other names, such as “Buying Guides” or “Product Guides.” One of the things you may not have realized unless you’re already in-the-know is that these Editorial Recommendations are not written by Amazon staff members, but are instead sourced by Amazon to publishers, who are invited to post their content on the platform. 

Publishers interested in working with Amazon can enjoy a host of benefits and make substantial money by writing these Editorial Recommendations. There are plenty of things to know before getting started, including just why Amazon chooses to surface Editorial Recommendations and the benefits that Amazon itself gets by inviting publishers to post their content on the platform.

What’s in it for Amazon?

Amazon reaps many benefits from having Editorial Recommendations on their website. These articles, in general, get people interested in purchasing products, as they not only let people learn more about the items but also help them build confidence in the items—something that reviews alone often cannot do. However, there are many additional benefits, as well.

Among the most significant benefits of having Editorial Recommendations directly on the Amazon website rather than hosted elsewhere on the Internet, such as on blogs or other social media websites such as Instagram, is that this keeps individuals from leaving Amazon to make purchases. When people click away to read Editorial Recommendations, there is a bigger chance they will stay off the website. This is true even if the Editorial Recommendations themselves include links back to Amazon. Therefore, having the articles located directly on Amazon with links straight to the product pages makes for a quick and easy shopping experience for buyers to find the types of products they are searching for. 

For example, someone who is looking for the “best outdoor grills” can perform a search in the Amazon search bar. In addition to products, an article showcasing information on grills and a list of products will show up that the individual can read. This list will contain Amazon products that they can read about and, if interested, click on and potentially buy. Both the publisher who wrote the article and Amazon benefit in the long run.

What’s in it for Publishers?

Amazon is one of the biggest eCommerce companies in the world, and today more searches for products start on the website than perhaps any other. Being on the platform can help a publisher gain valuable visibility. Crafting a large number of Editorial Recommendations in a wide range of categories can help a publisher be seen by a large number of eyes. On top of that, publishers can receive a substantial amount of monetary compensation with the Editorial Recommendations they write so long as they can meet Amazon’s standards. It can be an excellent way for publishers and writers to put their work in front of a large audience, especially if they are interested in marketing and similar interests.

What’s in it For Consumers?

One of the more unique things about the Amazon marketplace is just how large it is, and on top of that, it is growing every day. A simple search on Amazon for a single type of product can show thousands upon thousands of products, many of them quite similar. That is where Editorial Recommendations can be incredibly useful for consumers. By looking at these articles, consumers can get a better understanding of what some of the top products are on Amazon. 

Not only that, but the format of these articles makes it easy to click on and go straight to a product page once they think they may be interested in purchasing an item. This can be especially useful for consumers because while Amazon does list reviews along with their items, the review system on Amazon is notoriously sketchy at times, being plagued by fake reviews and even reviews given in exchange for freebies and discounts. Additionally, it can be more difficult for a consumer to decide whether or not to purchase a product if there are little to no reviews available for a product or if there are many starred reviews but no written reviews available.

In Conclusion

There are many benefits for Amazon from having Editorial Recommendations on their website, perhaps the most prominent being that it keeps consumers on the website. However, the benefits to its publishers and its consumers also benefits the company, which has been a big factor in the company’s decision to continue and even expand its Editorial Recommendations program. It is likely that the company will continue to expand on this program in the future. Meanwhile, those who are interested in writing Editorial Recommendations will have many opportunities to get involved, something that can be incredibly beneficial.