Best Vs Worst Amazon Metrics to Track in 2025
Most sellers track the wrong things. They fixate on best practices, listing hacks, and review counts, but those rarely move the needle. If you want to grow your brand properly on Amazon, you need to start focusing on the metrics that actually make a difference — and let go of the ones that don’t.
Let’s start with the five that waste your time.
The Problem with “Best Practice” Optimisation
Creating a listing isn’t the same as optimising it. Best practice rules like using all 150 characters in your title or adding eight images only take you so far. Every category is different, and what works for one product won’t always work for another. If you’re relying on checklists instead of real-world data, you’ll never spot what actually converts. True optimisation is about iteration, not box-ticking.
Don’t Chase Best Seller Rank
BSR looks nice on paper, but it’s wildly unstable. It changes constantly and doesn’t reflect your keyword ranking, visibility, or revenue potential. Plenty of products with high BSRs are nowhere near the top for relevant search terms. If you’re using it as your main benchmark, you’re not seeing the full picture.
Review Volume Means Less Than You Think
Once a listing has around 30 reviews, piling on more won’t dramatically impact performance. What matters far more is the actual review score. A rating above 4.0 builds trust and let’s face it, that’s what drives conversions. You can outrank a product with 5,000 reviews if your listing is stronger and your conversion rate is higher.
Click-Through Rate Is Only Half the Story
CTR is useful, but on its own, it doesn’t mean much. If lots of people click but nobody buys, you’re just burning ad spend. You need to pair CTR with conversion rate to get a clear view of what’s really performing. Otherwise, it’s just noise.
Being the Cheapest Doesn’t Build a Brand
Repricing tools and race-to-the-bottom tactics kill your margins. Selling cheap to win the Buy Box might boost short-term volume, but it’s not sustainable and your pricing needs to be aligned with your margin goals. If you’re always undercutting, you’re not building a profitable business — you’re just moving units.
Now, here’s what you should be focusing on instead.
Start with Brand Share, Not Search Rank
It doesn’t matter who’s listed first. What matters is who’s selling the most. In 92% of the top 500 Amazon keywords, the number-one ranked product isn’t the one with the highest revenue. Brand share tells you who’s actually dominating, and those are the listings you should be benchmarking against.
Conversion Rate Is Your Real Performance Indicator
Higher conversion means lower ad costs, stronger rankings, and better ROI. It’s also one of the clearest signs of a listing that’s doing its job. Work on improving this through better imagery, content, and competitive positioning rather than keyword stuffing or templated copy.
Sales Velocity Drives Ranking
Forget trying to outsmart the algorithm with tricks. Amazon rewards consistent, repeatable sales and that’s what pushes you up the rankings. A steady flow of orders tells Amazon your listing deserves to be seen, so focus on momentum, not one-off spikes.
Margin is Non-Negotiable
Far too many sellers get this wrong. If your margins are tight, every ad click eats into your profits. You need to understand your net numbers and that means accurate FBA fees, storage costs, ad spend, and more. Once you have that, you can set realistic goals for your advertising and make smarter decisions on where to scale.
If you want to compete in 2025, your metrics need to work for you, not the other way around. Drop the distractions, dig into your real numbers, and build from there. That’s what separates brands that grow from those that stall.
