Choosing the Right Amazon Subcategory: How It Affects Product Ranking & Why It Matters

Hey! When you launch a product on Amazon, you probably think a lot about your keywords, listing images, and PPC campaigns…

But have you thought about your subcategory?

In a recent video on my channel, I sat down with Isaac Gross from IG PPC to talk about why choosing the correct subcategory is so important for your product’s success.

It turns out that subcategories do much more than just organize products on Amazon. 

They directly influence your ranking, relevance, and visibility.

Special offer:

Get FREE PPC Audit From Isaac Here!

Why Subcategories Matter

Amazon doesn’t just use keywords to figure out what your product is.

It also looks at the subcategory you choose to understand its context.

Isaac explained it this way:

“Amazon takes a lot of relevancy from your subcategory. They try to understand what your product is based on the subcategory it’s in, and that’s how you’ll rank for your main keywords.”

In other words, your subcategory is one of Amazon’s clues for deciding when and where to show your listing.

If your product is in the wrong subcategory, you might struggle to rank for your most important search terms.

So, if you want to be sure that your subcategory choice is actually boosting your visibility, monitor how your keywords perform over time. 

Click the image below to check out my comparison of the 5 best Amazon Keyword Rank Trackers to dominate your search rankings.

The Old Tactic: Chasing Bestseller Badges

There was a time when sellers used to rely on a simple loophole:

1. Place your product in an irrelevant, low-competition subcategory.

2. Earn the bestseller badge in that smaller category.

The idea was simple: even if your main niche was competitive, you could at least show up as a “bestseller” somewhere.

It was a very common tactic and worked well for a while.

However, over time, it started to cause problems.

Heads up! Instead of chasing irrelevant badges, it’s far more effective to build real authority in your niche.

If you want to know how to legitimately earn a bestseller badge and dominate your category, read: The Secret to Becoming a Best Seller and Niche Leader on Amazon

Why The Old Tactic Backfired

Here’s why:

1. Amazon’s algorithm became more sophisticated.

2. Placing products in irrelevant categories confused Amazon about what your product actually was.

3. This hurt ranking for main keywords because Amazon wasn’t sure if your product was truly relevant to those searches.

As Isaac put it:

“Many times it backfired because Amazon started to figure out that the product was actually something else. And that hurt the ranking.”

I actually have a real-life example from my early selling days that explains this well.

Back in 2017, my kitchen scissors somehow ended up in the commercial refrigerators subcategory.

For a short time, the listing even showed a bestseller badge.

It looked great, but obviously made no sense.

Eventually, Amazon’s algorithm caught it and moved the product back to the correct category.

The badge disappeared just as quickly.

The Best Practice Today

So, what should you do?

Keep your product in the correct, most relevant subcategory.

It may not seem as exciting as grabbing a quick bestseller badge, but in the long run, it’s what helps your product rank for its main keywords and show up in front of the right customers.

As Isaac said:

“If you want to rank on your main keywords, which obviously you want, make sure to be in the right subcategory. Don’t try to get into irrelevant ones.”

Get FREE PPC Audit From Isaac Here!

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right subcategory isn’t just a minor setup detail, it’s an important part of your Amazon ranking strategy.

Here’s what to remember:

1. Subcategories affect keyword ranking. Amazon uses them to gauge product relevance.

2. Don’t chase irrelevant badges. The old bestseller hack doesn’t work anymore, and can hurt your visibility.

3. Stay relevant. Pick the category that best fits your product to give Amazon the right signals.

Getting these fundamentals right helps you build a strong foundation for PPC campaigns, organic ranking, and long-term sales growth.

If you want more insights into Amazon strategies, get a free Amazon PPC audit by IG PPC agency now.

And for the full discussion, check out the video below.

Or read my blog: How To Launch A Product On Amazon - With Isaac Gross From IG PPC

P.S. - I also recently had Isaac on blog post about creating stunning images for Amazon listings, I'd really recommend you check it, if you want to build strong listings from scratch, or improve your current ones, so you get mores sales!