In this podcast episode, we break down how Amazon's product ranking algorithm works. At first, a product's ranking is just an educated guess based on similar items. However, this guess is continuously updated using real-time user data, like clicks and purchases, through a Bayesian formula. These updates occur frequently, every 2 to 24 hours, which makes the old idea of a long "honeymoon period" pretty much irrelevant. The algorithm places a strong emphasis on actual user interactions, so maintaining consistent performance is key to achieving and keeping a high ranking.
