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Your AWS Marketplace presence can be a significant growth engine for your SaaS business.
In cloud services, standing out isn't just about having a great product—it's about strategically positioning yourself where decision-makers are looking. That's actually why marketplaces became such a desirable procurement channel in the first place.
For SaaS businesses that want to establish a compelling presence, strategic listing optimization is not just an option—it's a necessity. Through this blog, we’ll share the key strategies and marketplace best practices employed by top-percentile AWS partners to achieve those massive revenue numbers.
You’ll learn how to improve discoverability, leverage partner tools, manage reviews, implement smart pricing, and streamline procurement to increase conversions and accelerate sales.
TL;DR/Summary
AWS Marketplace listing optimization makes your SaaS product discoverable, builds trust, and converts more buyers by improving how you present your solution. The five strategies top sellers use are:
- Improving search discoverability (SEO + Marketplace search)
- Using AWS partner tools and co-marketing to expand reach
- Building credibility with verified and syndicated reviews
- Offering strategic pricing models (free trials, PAYG, private offers)
- Reducing procurement friction using Vendor Insights and standard contracts
Do these well, and your AWS presence becomes a high-velocity revenue channel, not just a product page.
What is AWS Marketplace listing optimization?
AWS listing optimization is the process of improving how your software product appears on the AWS Marketplace. It can involve enhancing your product’s messaging, visual presentation, pricing structure, conversion paths, etc.
Why should you optimize your AWS marketplace listing?
It’s not enough to just list on the AWS Marketplace. To make your product easier to find, evaluate, and purchase, optimization is a must. Optimizing the listing increases discoverability, improves conversion rates, and accelerates revenue growth.
The AWS Marketplace has emerged as a critical ecosystem for cloud software solutions, connecting innovative SaaS businesses with a global network of AWS customers. With thousands of software listings and even more active subscribers, it's a strategic gateway to enterprise-level visibility and growth.
The marketplace's competitive landscape means that without a carefully crafted optimization strategy, even the most robust solutions can become invisible. The stakes are high.
Looking to list on the AWS Marketplace? This video has all the information you need.
What happens if you skip listing optimization?
Unoptimized AWS listings face four critical problems:
- Low discoverability: Potential customers overlook your product amid a sea of competing offerings
- Poor conversion rates: Qualified buyers don’t pick your solution, despite its inherent value
- Lost revenue opportunities: Deals slip away as your market positioning falters
- Reduced credibility: In the absence of proof, your brand struggles to establish credibility within the AWS ecosystem
Listing optimization is often thought of as a marketing tactic, but that is limiting its scope. Optimizing your AWS listing is a critical business strategy that transforms it from a passive product showcase to a compelling solution that speaks directly to the needs of AWS customers.
Also Read:A Complete Guide To Cloud GTM
Top 5 AWS Marketplace listing optimization strategies
Setting up your listing on the AWS Marketplace is only the first step. Let’s now look at five essential steps to ensure that you don’t just list on the AWS Marketplace, but also make to the top of the listings.
1. Enhance the discoverability of your Marketplace listing
Your product listing is your digital storefront in the AWS Marketplace—the critical first impression that can make or break a potential customer's decision. It needs to communicate value, credibility, and unique problem-solving capabilities. But first, it needs to be discovered.
How to improve listing discoverability through search engines
A majority of the traffic to AWS listing pages originates from external search engines. Here’s a quick checklist to ensure that your listing page is discoverable across Google, Bing, and others:
- Research keywords and make sure that your product listing has those keywords in each section of the page. The title, description, and highlights must include your primary keyword
- Optimize the title tag (the title of your product listing) by including your brand name, product name, and primary keyword
- Improve readability by using clear and SEO-friendly titles in the description and highlights
How to improve listing discoverability within AWS Marketplace
As we learned at Re:invent, you need not just keyword search-optimized pages but also marketplace search-optimized pages to improve your discoverability within the marketplace environment. Remember that the majority of clicks go to the first 5 search results.
The overhauled AWS listing page interface offers the opportunity for “richer media, enhanced layout, and calls to action.”
Here’s a step-by-step process to optimize for Marketplace search:
- Create descriptive, keyword-rich titles: In under 50 characters, describe your product and what sets it apart from competitors. Incorporate primary keywords naturally and strategically
- Write detailed, benefit-focused descriptions: In a compelling 2-3 sentence overview, capture your solution's essence, and pain points it solves. Showcase key features and tangible benefits in crisp, scannable bullet points. Illustrate practical use cases across different industries, weaving secondary keywords seamlessly into the narrative
- Leverage high-impact visuals: Include clear, high-resolution screenshots and short demo videos that demonstrate your product's interface, functionality, and capabilities. Ensure all visual assets are crisp, well-designed, and formatted for maximum impact
How we optimized the Highlights field for Clazar on the AWS Marketplace
- List on cloud marketplaces within days with zero operational effort.
- Run Co-Sell directly from your CRM-Salesforce and Hubspot.
- No revenue sharing or cap on marketplace revenue in any plan.
Watch this video for more tips on increasing your discoverability on the AWS Marketplace
2. Leverage AWS partner tools to grow your reach
AWS offers a robust suite of partner tools and resources designed to amplify your market reach—find and leverage them to strategically position yourself within the AWS ecosystem.
Learn optimization tips from the AWS Marketplace Training Academy
The AWS Marketplace Training Academy is a great starting point for AWS-recommended optimization strategies.
The academy is a hub of videos, webcasts, and self-service workshops to help you understand the mechanics of AWS Marketplace and listing best practices. It has everything from foundational “better together” best practices to guidance on retargeting tactics that drive customers to your listing from demand gen assets.
Leverage AWS co-marketing opportunities for greater visibility
Think of AWS co-marketing as your strategic amplification network. These opportunities aren't just promotional channels—they're pathways to establishing thought leadership and connecting with your target audience.
Here are some ways you can do this:
- Announce the launch of your listing with a press release. Remember to work with your BDM to stay within the approved language framework.
- Actively participate in AWS-sponsored events and webinars to showcase your expertise
- Develop compelling case studies and blog content that demonstrate your solution's impact. This is another place your BDM will be able to guide you.
- Strategically leverage social media channels to extend your brand's reach. Besides using your own social presence to direct prospects to your listing, work with your BDM to submit social media amplification requests to the AWS Marketing teams as well.
Maximize AWS partner program benefits
- Become a committed member of the AWS Partner Network (APN)
- Pursue targeted AWS Competencies that validate your technical prowess and industry expertise. Five new specializations were launched at re:Invent that you have the opportunity to certify in.
- Find and qualify for applicable partner programs for a variety of benefits. This merits an article of its own.
Invest in AWS-provided resources and training
Knowledge and preparation are competitive advantages. AWS provides a comprehensive suite of resources to help partners refine their skills and market positioning:
- Complete both technical and business training programs to deepen your AWS expertise
- Use AWS Partner Marketing Central to access co-branded marketing materials
- Strategically apply for AWS Partner Funding to support critical marketing initiatives
Treat these partner tools as strategic investments rather than optional extras.
Also Read: Boost your cloud marketplace listing with a cloud GTM platform
3. Use customer reviews to grow your credibility
The AWS Marketplace provides a robust platform for customer feedback, allowing users to submit verified reviews on your listing page that serve as powerful social proof for your solution.
These reviews represent a transparent, unfiltered narrative of your product's real-world performance, directly influencing potential customers' critical decision-making process.
Integrating syndicated reviews from respected tech platforms like G2 will help you further amplify your credibility. Critically,
customers can filter AWS Marketplace search results based on these reviews, making it vital to maintain a strong review profile.
Your reviews are more than just testimonials—they're a dynamic tool for product improvement, market differentiation, and most importantly, marketplace customer acquisition. By proactively managing and leveraging them, you can make powerful inroads with your AWS listing optimization efforts.
How to implement AWS Marketplace best practices for customer reviews
- Cultivate a robust review ecosystem: Develop a structured process for requesting reviews immediately after a positive customer experience, either on your listing page or on G2. Consider thoughtful incentives that encourage genuine, detailed feedback without compromising review integrity
- Make your responses prompt and action-oriented: Promptly acknowledge and appreciate positive reviews. Use each review response as an opportunity to showcase your commitment to customer success. Transform potentially negative experiences into public demonstrations of your problem-solving capabilities
- Transform feedback into strategic improvement: Analyze reviews to identify recurring patterns and insights to inform product enhancements. Create a visible feedback loop that shows customers that their input drives meaningful innovation
Also Read:How cloud marketplaces are solving buyer needs
4. Implement smart pricing strategies for higher conversions
Pricing in the AWS Marketplace is a strategic lever that extends beyond simple cost calculation.
Recently, AWS highlighted a critical insight into customer purchasing behavior: marketplace subscribers repeatedly engage with pricing sections before finalizing their purchase.
How to start building your product pricing
Effective pricing begins with deep market intelligence. Here’s a step-by-step approach to arrive at your pricing:
- Conduct comprehensive competitive pricing research, including monitoring competitor pricing structures
- Analyze your solution's unique value proposition in relation to market positioning
- Holistically evaluate the total cost of ownership (TCO) by including indirect costs like AWS listing fees
- Create a pricing framework that balances competitive positioning with sustainable business economics
AWS Marketplace experts always emphasize the strategic importance of pricing flexibility, particularly recommending free trial options wherever possible.
AWS Marketplace best practices for customer-centric pricing models
- Onboard customers through a free trial
- Transition them to a pay-as-you-go model that lowers initial adoption barriers
- Develop annual contract models with meaningful volume discounts
- Create tailored private offers that address enterprise-level requirements
- Design pricing tiers that align with different customer maturity and scaling needs
This phased approach not only reduces initial adoption barriers but also allows customers to experience your solution's value incrementally, increasing the likelihood of long-term contract conversion.
Also read: Maximizing channel sales through the Azure Marketplace with Multiparty Private Offers
5. Make procurement frictionless
While the journey from organic listing discovery to contract signing takes its Ωcourse, you can take steps early on to set the stage for a smooth procurement experience. Prospects consider many factors before making a purchase, but specific actions can significantly shorten their decision-making process.
Accelerate risk assessment with Vendor Insights
Vendor risk assessment is a crucial part of the purchase evaluation process, especially for enterprises. According to AWS experts, this step can extend procurement timelines by 8 to 10 weeks. To address this challenge, AWS introduced Vendor Insights, a dashboard feature designed to “centralize security and compliance artifacts and give your customers a self-service access experience.”
Getting started is simple: build your product profile by uploading audit and compliance reports and completing a software risk assessment. This includes key compliance documents, such as SOC, ISO, HIPAA, or GDPR reports. Setting up AWS Marketplace Vendor Insights for your listing can transform a potential 8–10-week delay into a streamlined, low-touch experience.
Vendor risk assessment can delay procurement by 8 - 10 weeks
Shorten sales cycles by using the standard AWS contract
One of the key advantages of the AWS Marketplace as a procurement channel is the option to utilize standard AWS agreements, which simplifies the contracting process. These agreements provide a universal template that you can customize with add-ons, eliminating the need to start from scratch each time.
A standard contract significantly reduces back-and-forth negotiations because customers are already familiar with the baseline terms. Be sure to communicate clearly that the starting point for your negotiations is a standard AWS contract—it’s a crucial step in streamlining the process and building trust with your customers.
Using standard contracts instead of a custom EULA can accelerate sales cycles by as much as 80%
Optimize your way to AWS Marketplace success
Optimizing your AWS marketplace listing is an ongoing process that requires you to stay agile. By implementing these best practices, you'll be well-positioned to stand out from the competition and drive significant growth through the marketplace.
We’ll repeat it: success on the AWS Marketplace isn't just about having a great product; it's about effectively getting your customers to find your listing and ensuring that it communicates your value proposition in the fastest and most impactful way.
With the right approach, the AWS marketplace can become a powerful channel for reaching new customers and scaling your business.
Ready to take your AWS Marketplace presence to the next level? See how Clazar can help.
Top FAQ's
1. How do I improve my AWS Marketplace search rankings?
Listings designed for engagement rise in search. When you list on the AWS Marketplace, follow these steps to make your listing do better on search:
- Optimize your product title by clearly mentioning the product type or category. Add a high-intent keyword and a power word (for example, instead of just “Clazar,” we would use a title like “Clazar - Cloud Sales Acceleration for SaaS Products”
- Have a strong value proposition that highlights your differentiators and promised outcomes. It must clearly communicate the problem your product solves
- Craft your descriptions carefully, incorporating relevant keywords. Structure the long description into sections that highlight features, benefits, and use cases
- Include high-quality visuals, screenshots, and videos to bring out your product UI and value proposition
2. How often should I update my AWS listing to keep it relevant?
Regularly updated listings signal active product evolution, which helps to build trust. Update your AWS Marketplace listing every 3-6 months, or after major product updates. Here’s what your updates can focus on:
- New features and capabilities
- Updated screenshots or new product videos
- Improved value proposition
- Recent reviews
3. How do I optimize my contract pricing to attract enterprise buyers on the AWS Marketplace?
AWS data shows that prospective buyers repeatedly look at pricing sections before finalizing a purchase. To ensure your pricing supports enterprise conversions, follow these steps as part of your AWS listing optimization:
- Offer a free trial to overcome buyer hesitation
- Consider tiered pricing to suit different usage levels
- Provide annual or multi-year discounts to reduce friction
- Allow customization of private offers
- Bring out the TCO (total cost of ownership) to help procurement leads decide faster
4. What can cause a listing to be rejected during an AWS Marketplace review?
The AWS Marketplace has strict validation requirements for listings to ensure accuracy and reliability. Rejections can happen if you overlook important documentation, configuration, or compliance details. Here are some possible reasons that can lead to rejection:
- Missing or incomplete documentation (user guides, onboarding info)
- Overstated or unsupported claims in marketing sections
- Inconsistent branding, pricing, or usage details
- Security or compliance gaps detected during review
- Violations of AWS Marketplace listing policies
5. How does listing optimization help to increase sales from the AWS Marketplace?
As you already know, the AWS Marketplace is highly competitive. Your listing needs to stand out and give prospective buyers the information they need to make a decision. AWS listing optimization can help:
- Increase your visibility in marketplace search results
- Make it easier for sellers to understand your solution and match it to customer needs
- Show proof of customer value through reviews and assets
- Reduce procurement barriers by addressing common objections and concerns
6. What are the most important fields to optimize in the listing page?
Six fields heavily influence buyer decisions and Marketplace search:
- Product title
- Vendor name
- Keywords
- Highlights
- Short description
- Long description
These dictate how well your value proposition is understood, and how prominently your solution appears in internal ranking results. When you list on the AWS Marketplace, ensure these fields are optimized well.
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