Amazon Vendors face unique challenges compared to Sellers, especially when it comes to direct API integrations with Vendor Central. But hey, that doesn’t mean you’re out of the game. You just need to be a bit more creative and tactical when using tools like Helium 10—yep, the suite that I’ve reviewed, recommended, and contributed to as a Helium 10 Seller Solutions Hub Partner, guest author on their blog, and participant on their podcast.
Table of Contents
Let’s go through some of the Helium 10 tools you can still use even if you're a Vendor and don't have access to the SP-API:
Market research with Black Box and Trendster
Black Box is still your best friend for market research. It lets you dig into potential products, keyword trends, and competition—without needing API access. You can check out niches, see what’s working, and get inspiration for what to push on Vendor Central.
Why? Because Black Box has data for both 3P and 1P sellers. Oh yes.
Pro tip: Want to only see 1P data? Just hit the fulfillment filter and select “Amazon”. Easy win.
Trendster helps you figure out when a product is hot—or not. Perfect for planning Vendor launches or knowing when to push that stock with a promo or PO.
Keyword and listing optimization: Cerebro, Magnet, Scribbles and Listing Builder
Cerebro and Magnet are goldmines. Keyword research? Covered. Competitor spying? Covered. Long-tail gems? You bet.
Now, Scribbles is kinda old-school, and might be phased out soon, but it still works. Use it with Listing Builder to get your Vendor listings fully keyword-stuffed and conversion-ready. The catch? You can't sync with one click, because Vendors don’t have API access. Bummer, I know.
Optimize product listings with Listing Analyzer
Once you’ve done your homework with the tools above, Listing Analyzer comes in to give your listing a once-over. It’ll compare your content with the competition and show you what needs tweaking—titles, bullets, images, you name it.
Check A9’s indexing with Helium 10 Index Checker
Want to make sure your product is actually showing up in search? Index Checker is what you need. It checks whether Amazon’s A9 algorithm is indexing your keywords. If not, time to rework that copy.
Monitor market trends with Market Tracker 360
Market Tracker 360 gives you a bird’s eye view of what’s going on in your category. Who’s growing? Who’s tanking? Are you gaining share or losing it? Super useful for big brands and Vendors who need to justify their strategies (and budgets).
Implementation strategy for Vendors
If you're a Vendor and using Helium 10—great, you’re on our team. We work with Vendor and hybrid clients and use Helium 10 to audit their performance. Here's how we typically implement the tools:
- Track market and keyword trends regularly: We rely on Cerebro, Black Box, and Market Tracker 360 to stay ahead of the curve.
- Listing optimization: We use Listing Analyzer insights to fine-tune Vendor listings.
- Build off-Amazon touchpoints: Using Portals (yes, Helium 10 has a landing page tool!) we create QR-based campaigns to drive traffic and brand loyalty beyond Amazon.
Pro tip: Vendors can use up to 11 bullet points in their listings—way more than Sellers. Use that real estate wisely.
Even without a Vendor Central API, you can absolutely use Helium 10’s tools to crush it in market research, keyword strategy, listing improvement, and brand engagement. You just need to tweak your workflow a bit—and I say this as someone who’s in deep with Helium 10 (guest author, podcast guest, partner—you name it).
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About the author
Jordi Ordonez
I’m an independent eCommerce and Amazon consultant.
Clients
I've worked with brands like Estrella Damm, Intersport, Bella Aurora, Lladró, Textura Interiors, Nice Things Palomas, Castañer, Due-Home, and many others.
Lecturer & Teacher
I’ve spoken and taught at events such as Meet Magento, PrestaShop Day, SEMrush, Cambra de Comerç Barcelona, ClinicSEO, EcommBeers, EcommBrunch, Ecommercetour.com, EcommFest, EOI, ESIC-ICEMD, Foxize, Generalitat de Catalunya, Inesdi, Quondos, and The Valley. I’ve also delivered in-company training sessions for major brands like Orange and Adidas.
Writer
I regularly contribute articles to the Helium 10 blog, Shopify, SEMrush, La Vanguardia, eCommerce News, Marketing4ecommerce, and others.
Partner
Helium 10, Jungle Scout, Avask, Helium 10 Seller Solutions Hub Partner, SaaS4Marketing, H10-wp.com, FBASuite.com, and a Trusted Partner of Tracefuse.
Social
LinkedIn, Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube, Quora, ISNI 0000000513224289, About Jordi Ordonez