When consumers ask their smartphones, "Which facial cleanser works best for sensitive skin?" Amazon's Rufus AI may already be working behind the scenes to match your store's products with the answer. Recently, Amazon's US marketplace introduced Prompt-based Ads in its mobile SP advertising backend, signaling a rapid transformation in the platform's traffic allocation mechanism toward "AI semantic understanding." For sellers, this means traditional "keyword stuffing" strategies are becoming obsolete. To thrive under these new rules, merchants must embrace AI algorithms and restructure product information around genuine consumer needs.
Prompt-Based Ads: Opportunities and Challenges
Sellers can now view system-matched prompts in their SP advertising backend, along with corresponding metrics like impressions, clicks, and spending. However, merchants can only toggle existing prompts on or off—they cannot edit or add new ones, creating significant operational hurdles. Additionally, some products display no prompts, typically because Rufus AI hasn't yet indexed them. This makes increasing prompt visibility a pressing challenge for sellers.
Rufus AI: Decoding Consumer Intent
To optimize for AI algorithms, sellers must first understand Rufus's prompt generation logic. The system analyzes product detail pages, brand stories, A+ content, Q&A sections, and customer reviews to identify real-world problems products solve. It then generates conversational prompts that mirror genuine shopping queries—a fundamental departure from traditional keyword-focused product descriptions.
Strategies to Increase Prompt Visibility
How can sellers stand out in this AI-driven landscape? Consider these approaches:
- Engage Rufus directly: Use multiple buyer accounts to simulate authentic shopping conversations about your products, helping the AI better understand their features.
- Optimize Q&A sections: Since Rufus heavily relies on this content, ensure questions and answers clearly highlight product benefits while addressing consumer concerns.
- Restructure product information: Replace keyword-stuffed descriptions with natural language that emphasizes real-world applications and problem-solving capabilities.
- Differentiate strategically: Prompt visibility requires both running SP/SB ads and demonstrating unique value propositions. Identify and amplify your product's distinctive advantages.
- Monitor and adapt: Track prompt performance metrics like impression share and conversion rates, using insights to refine product content and advertising strategies.
The Evolution of Amazon's Traffic Allocation
Amazon's traffic distribution is accelerating its shift from "keyword matching" to "AI semantic understanding." This transition presents both challenges and opportunities. Sellers who decode AI logic, adapt proactively, and align product information with authentic consumer needs will be best positioned to succeed in this new era of e-commerce.