Hey everyone,

Been selling on Amazon for a few years and started expanding to Walmart earlier this year. One thing that hit me pretty fast: Walmart's search engine works completely differently from Amazon's. No BSR, reviews don't seem to carry the same weight—honestly for the first few months I felt like I was flying blind.

I was digging through some old posts here (saw a good one from 2023 talking about these exact issues) and realized a lot has actually changed since then. Spent some time catching up on the updates from 2024–2025 and wanted to share what I found. Also curious how you're all handling this stuff now.

What's changed (that actually matters)

1. We finally have keyword data

Walmart rolled out Search Insights in Seller Center. It was a bit rough at first but by mid-2025 it's actually usable. You can download a catalog performance report that shows:

  • Which keywords customers are actually using to find your items

  • Recommended keywords you could be adding

  • Sales Rank (based on last 6 months of orders)

  • Search Funnel Rank – impressions, clicks, add-to-cart compared to competitors in your product type

This was a huge deal for me. Before this I was basically guessing.

2. Reviews now have a quantifiable weight

I came across a breakdown from one of the analytics agencies (I think it was Pattern or maybe Teikametrics) that estimated ranking factor weights. From what I've seen testing my own listings, it feels pretty accurate:

  • Title keywords: 35%

  • Item specs (attributes): 20%

  • Reviews: 15% – up significantly from previous years

  • Sales velocity: 15%

  • In-stock rate: 10%

  • Price competitiveness: 5%

Reviews definitely matter now. Not as much as Amazon, but ignoring them isn't really an option anymore.

3. Item Spec 5.0 is no joke

They rolled this out late 2024. The short version: required attributes jumped from around 30–45 per product to 60–120 depending on category. If you're missing required attributes, your listing gets suppressed – won't show in search at all.

The flip side is that if you get to 80%+ attribute completion, you rank about 3–5 positions higher and show up in 40% more filtered searches. I tested this on a few listings – bumping one SKU from around 60% completion to 95% moved it from page 4 to page 2 within two weeks.

Backend data completeness isn't optional anymore. It's basically SEO requirement #1.

4. AI search is coming whether we're ready or not

Walmart partnered with OpenAI in 2025 and started integrating ChatGPT into the shopping experience. Customers can now search with stuff like "find me affordable kitchen storage that matches a beige aesthetic" and the AI pulls relevant products. It's shifting the focus from keyword stuffing to more natural, intent-based language.

I've started rewriting some of my listings to sound more conversational – still testing whether it actually helps.

5. You can bid on competitor brand terms now

Walmart Connect changed the rules in early 2024. You can now bid on competitor brand keywords. The only restriction is you can't take the top two ad spots – but positions 3 and below are fair game.

I've been testing this on a few products without an R and it's been surprisingly effective. Makes me wonder if trademark registration is still worth it for the ad benefits alone.

Curious how others are handling these changes

A few things I've been thinking about and would love to hear your take:

  • Keyword tracking: Are you relying mainly on Search Insights, or are you using other tools? Anything outside the standard stuff worth checking out?

  • Attribute management: How are you handling 60–120 attributes per SKU? Anyone using automation or have a workflow that doesn't take forever?

  • Reviews: With reviews now at 15% weight, how aggressive are you getting with review generation? Anything that works especially well on Walmart vs Amazon?

  • AI search prep: Are you adjusting your listing copy to be more conversational yet, or still sticking with traditional keyword optimization?

  • Brand bidding: Anyone else bidding on competitor terms? For those without a registered trademark, has this changed your thinking on whether it's worth getting one?

Appreciate any insights from people who've been actively optimizing on Walmart this past year. Thanks in advance.