Walmart SEO Strategy: How to Boost Product Visibility on the Marketplace

If you’re a third-party seller on Walmart Marketplace, mastering Walmart Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is critical to your success. With millions of shoppers browsing the site daily, standing out in Walmart's search results can significantly boost your sales and overall growth.

Just like on Amazon or Google, Walmart has its own proprietary search algorithm that determines which product listings appear first and why. But Walmart’s algorithm, while similar in some ways, has unique signals and ranking factors that you must understand to effectively optimize your product listings.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover:

• How the Walmart search algorithm works
• How to increase the visibility of your listings
• Proven listing optimization tips
• Walmart SEO tools and reports to measure performance
• Common mistakes that can hurt your listing success

How the Walmart Search Algorithm Works

Walmart’s search algorithm, also known as Walmart’s relevance engine, is designed to connect shoppers with the most relevant, trustworthy, and competitively priced products. It considers a wide range of factors when determining which listings show up in search results.

Key Walmart SEO Ranking Factors:

• Product Title Relevance
• Description and Key Features
• Backend Attributes
• Pricing Competitiveness
• Shipping Speed and Fulfillment Method
• Stock Availability
• Content Quality Score
• Customer Ratings and Reviews
• Buy Box Ownership
• Historical Performance (Conversion rate, Order Defect Rate, etc.)

Understanding these signals can help you reverse-engineer what the algorithm favors and adjust your Walmart SEO strategy accordingly.

How to Increase Listing Visibility on Walmart Marketplace

Improving your visibility isn’t just about stuffing keywords. It’s about creating clear, compelling, and conversion-optimized listings that serve both shoppers and the search engine.

Here’s how to boost your visibility on Walmart Marketplace:

1. Use Keyword-Rich, Clear Product Titles

Walmart’s algorithm puts heavy weight on product titles, so start here.

Best Practices:

• Include relevant keywords naturally
• Follow the recommended title format: Brand + Product Type + Key Attributes (Size, Color, Quantity, etc.)
• Avoid all caps, promotional terms, or keyword stuffing

Good example: Oster 6-Speed Blender with Glass Jar, 700-Watt Motor, Black

Bad example: Best Blender for Smoothies – Cheap Oster Kitchen Appliance

Use tools like Sellegr8 to find high-volume, relevant keywords for your category.

2. Optimize the Description and Key Features

Your product description helps Walmart understand your item and convert shoppers.

Tips:

• Focus on benefits, not just features
• Use complete sentences that naturally include target keywords
• Highlight key differentiators or use cases

Your “Key Features” should be bulleted and easy to scan. Include unique attributes and commonly searched phrases shoppers use to make purchasing decisions.

3. Fill Out All Backend Attributes

Walmart gives sellers an extensive list of attributes when setting up listings. Don’t skip them!

Accurate and complete attributes improve your chances of surfacing in filtered search engine results pages and category navigation.

Examples of important attributes:

• Color
• Material
• Size
• Pattern
• Count per pack
• Age group
• Gender

This also improves your Listing Quality Score, which Walmart uses to measure listing health.

4. Improve Listing Quality Scores

Walmart provides listing content scores referred to as the Listing Quality Score (LQS) in Seller Center. The system scores product listings from 0–100 based on completeness of the content and formatting.

To improve your score:

• Upload high-resolution images (at least 4, ideally 6+)
• Complete all required and recommended fields
• Optimize for mobile view
• Follow Walmart’s style guide

Listings with a score above 80 are more likely to appear in organic search and perform better overall.

5. Offer Competitive Pricing

Walmart is known for everyday low prices. Pricing that’s too high, or inconsistent across platforms, can lead to Buy Box loss or suppressed visibility.

Best Practices:

• Monitor competitor pricing regularly
• Avoid undercutting yourself on other marketplaces (Walmart may de-list products if it detects lower pricing elsewhere)
• Factor in shipping costs when calculating your price
• Use a modern automated Walmart repricer to stay competitive automatically.

6. Improve Fulfillment and Shipping Speed

Fast and reliable shipping increases customer satisfaction and search visibility.

Listings with 2-day delivery, whether via Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) or the TwoDay program, are given preferential treatment in Walmart search results.

Action Items:

• Enroll your high-performing SKUs in WFS
• Use regional 3PLs or Deliverr to qualify for 2-day delivery
• Ensure consistent, on-time shipping and tracking upload

7. Encourage Customer Reviews and Ratings

Products with higher ratings and more customer reviews tend to convert better and rank higher. Here are some tactics to increase Walmart reviews:

• Offer quality products and great customer service to encourage positive reviews and reduce negative reviews
• Utilize Walmart’s Review Accelerator program, if eligible
• Leverage Walmart Review Syndication by syncing existing reviews from your eCommerce site with TargetBay
• Provide product samples through a Walmart-approved third-party product review sampling provider such as Field Agent, the Brand Power Company or Bazaarvoice
• Proactively manage and respond to reviews

Tools and Reports to Monitor and Improve Listing SEO

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Walmart offers both native and third-party tools to help you evaluate and enhance your SEO performance.

1. Walmart’s Listing Quality Dashboard

Check the Listing Quality Dashboard in Seller Center regularly to improve weak Walmart product listings. The insights found in this dashboard include:

• Content quality scores
• Listing issues and suggestions
• Missing attributes or compliance issues

2. Growth Opportunities Dashboard

This Seller Center dashboard is an actionable way to drive better organic visibility. The tool highlights:

• Listings missing key data
• Opportunities to add rich media (360 images, videos)
• Suggestions to enroll in WFS or improve delivery speed

3. Third-Party Tools

• SellCord: listing performance tracking, tailored content writing, and compliance checks.
• Sellegr8: Keyword research, Walmart SEO visibility trends, rank tracking and listing alerts.
• Kwickmetrics: Enterprise-level insights into listing analytics and advertising performance.
• ConnectBooks: clear and accurate profitability reports by SKU, helps you prioritize your most valuable listings.

Common Walmart SEO Mistakes Sellers Should Avoid

Even with great intentions, sellers often make mistakes that hurt listing performance. Here are the most frequent missteps when it comes to Walmart SEO, and how to avoid them:

1. Keyword Stuffing

Repeating keywords unnaturally in your titles or descriptions doesn’t help. It creates a poor shopper experience and may trigger Walmart’s content moderation.

Avoid this by: using keywords naturally and focus on readability.

2. Incomplete Attributes

Skipping backend attributes leaves your listings out of filtered searches and lowers your content quality score.

Avoid this by: Always filling out as many attributes as possible.

3. Low-Quality Images

Poor images reduce click-through and conversion rates—and Walmart ranks listings lower when image quality is poor.

Avoid this by: Uploading at least 4 high-res images on a white background. Add lifestyle images wherever possible.

4. Ignoring Mobile Optimization

Most Walmart shoppers are on mobile. Long blocks of text, images that don’t scale, or poorly formatted bullets reduce engagement.

Avoid this by: Reviewing your listings on mobile before publishing.

5. Listing Duplication or Inconsistency

If your listing is significantly different from what’s published on other platforms (e.g., Amazon), Walmart may penalize it for inconsistencies.

Avoid this by: Maintaining accurate and consistent listings across platforms.

Advanced Walmart SEO Tips to Gain a Competitive Edge

Beyond the basics, here are some advanced strategies to help your listings dominate Walmart search:

Leverage Seasonal Keywords

Update your listings with relevant seasonal or trend-based keywords (e.g., “Back to School,” “Holiday Gift”) to capture timely traffic.

Use Rich Media Where Available

If Walmart Rich Media is available in your category, add:

• 360-degree product views
• Videos showing your product in use
• Comparison charts or enhanced brand content

These elements boost engagement and can improve search rankings.

A/B Test Listings

Test different titles, descriptions, or feature orders to see what improves your click-through and conversion rates. While Walmart doesn’t have native A/B testing tools, some platforms like Sellegr8 and PickFu offer split-testing options.

Walmart SEO Checklist for Continued Success

Walmart SEO isn’t a one-time task. It’s a continuous process. Algorithms change, competitors evolve, and shopper behavior shifts. Top sellers treat Walmart SEO as a regular habit, not a checkbox.

Here’s a recap you can use as your Walmart SEO checklist for success:

• Optimize product titles with relevant keywords
• Complete backend attributes and descriptions
• Add high-quality images and rich media
• Monitor content quality and growth dashboards
• Use keyword research tools and performance tools to refine strategy
• Avoid keyword stuffing and inconsistent data
• Offer competitive pricing and fast shipping
• Consider using a third party expert for Walmart SEO services

Final Thoughts: Rank Higher and Sell Smarter on Walmart

Optimizing your Walmart listings is one of the highest ROI activities you can invest in. With a strategic approach to Walmart SEO, you can increase your visibility, drive more clicks, and ultimately boost conversions and profitability.

As Walmart's online marketplace continues to grow, competition will only get tougher. Walmart Marketplace sellers who prioritize SEO and continuously refine their listings will have a major advantage. With the right data, tools, and tactics, your listings can rise to the top of the search results on Walmart Marketplace.