Billion Dollar Sellers

🐶 Does this Amazon Rufus image hack work

Date: July 31st, 2025Summary: Kevin King explores a potential Rufus image hack using hidden keywords, Amazon's new AI partnerships with major publishers, the controversial star-only feedback system, and how external content is reshaping Amazon's search algorithms.
Key Points Discussed:
Testing hidden keyword embedding in Amazon product images for Rufus
Amazon's content partnerships with Condé Nast and Hearst for Rufus AI
New star-only seller feedback system causing seller backlash
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) as the new SEO frontier
Amazon ending FBA prep services in 2026
Neil Patel's 2025 SEO strategies across platforms
$1M/month Amazon PPC campaign breakdowns
Links Mentioned:
BDSN E-Commerce Detective Episode 1
BDSN Vault
ProductPinion
ImageChek tool
Ranking on Amazon Isn't Magic - It's Optimization Science (Rufus & Cosmo)
Neil Patel's SEO Strategy for 2025
The 5 Amazon PPC Campaigns That Took Us to $1M/Month
BDSN Mystery Link
DragonFish AEO Waitlist
Hot Picks:
Temu is struggling in US against Amazon & de minimus changes
The top 14 Amazon appeal questions (and answers)
SmartScout versus Helium 10 - how do they stack up?
Helium 10's Amazon to TikTok Shop one-click listing converter
Stump Bezos Answer: 43% of pet spending is on food, treats and supplements
Parting Shot: "Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." — Winston Churchill
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More sellers are generating millions on Amazon

July 28th, 2025
Summary: Kevin King discusses the AI revolution taking over e-commerce, from content engines and Walmart's Sparky AI to PayPal's vision for agentic commerce, plus data on Amazon's consolidating seller marketplace where 100,000+ sellers now generate $1M+ annually.
Key Points Discussed:
Kallaway's 7-step content engine blueprint that transformed Sarah's jewelry business from scattered social media to systematic success
Amazon seller consolidation: 100,000+ sellers now generate $1M+ annually (up from 60,000 in 2021)
Walmart's "Sparky" AI agent replacing traditional search bars entirely
PayPal CEO's prediction: 25% of e-commerce spending driven by AI agents by 2030
GPT-5 launch imminent with all-in-one AI agent capabilities
Latin American e-commerce explosive growth (Brazil: 80%, Mexico: 86%)
Stack Influence micro-influencer platform for Amazon ranking
SellerSprite tools for competitor analysis
Links Mentioned:
Youtube: The Easiest Way to Make Viral Content (For ANY Business)
Live webinar registration (July 30)
Marketplace Pulse - Amazon sellers data
BDSN Mystery Link of the Day
Forbes: Walmart reveals AI roadmap
Stack Influence Platform (10% off code: BillionDollarSellers)
Blueland Micro Influencer case study
PayPal CEO on agentic commerce revolution
SellerSprite Special Offer for BDSN Readers
CMS Three: Cigars and Whiskey by the Sea (November 6-10)
Hot Picks:
Amazon's Prime Day strategy helped boost Walmart & others
Amazon UK battles $5.4B in lawsuits from retailers & consumers
Which is better for your e-com business? TikTok Shop or Shopify
Stump Bezos Answer: Only 1% click a link inside an AI search summary
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How she does 21 million/yr on TikTok Shop

July 24th, 2025
Summary: Kevin King discusses Notebook LM's mind mapping feature for newsletter organization, Instagram posts now being indexed by Google, Amazon's new Fee Explainers feature, rising return abuse costs, and the AI wars between Amazon and Shopify over shopping agents.
Key Points Discussed:
Notebook LM mind mapping technique for organizing newsletter content
Instagram posts now indexed by Google - SEO game changer
Amazon's new "Fee Explainers" feature for transparency
Rising return abuse costing sellers $103 billion in 2024
Amazon vs Shopify battle over AI shopping agents
Tiffany Ivanovsky's $21M TikTok Shop success story
Affiliate marketing as alternative to rising PPC costs
Global millionaire migration patterns
Links Mentioned:
Watch the BDSC Expert Call replay
Notebook LM
Billion Dollar Sellers Content Library
AI for Ecommerce newsletter
Levanta Affiliate Marketing Guide
TikTok Shop Expert: I Built a $21M TikTok Shop Empire
BDSN Mystery Link
Hot Picks:
Amazon buys AI bracelet company that records everything
TikTok shop hires lots of ex-Amazonians, doubles down on Chinese
How ChatGPT recommends products
Stump Bezos Answer: 90% of ChatGPT citations come from pages ranked 21+ down on Google
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Can you trust what AI says about PPC?

July 21st, 2025Summary: Kevin King discusses AI accuracy in PPC advice, Amazon's new budget settings that could be burning ad spend, FTC crackdowns on fake reviews, and strategies for ranking on AI search platforms in 48 hours.
Key Points Discussed:
AI tool accuracy testing across ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews
Google Gemini emerges as most accurate with only 6% incorrect responses
Amazon's hidden "maximize reach" PPC setting burning budgets on off-Amazon placements
Product review hit jobs and how to combat fake negative reviews
FTC crackdown on fake reviews and compliant testimonial practices
AI workshop strategies for ranking on ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity in 48 hours
Where customers spend their screen time: streaming (4 hrs), social media (2.5 hrs), email (30 min)
Amazon's beta unspent budget reallocation feature within portfolios
Links Mentioned:
Billion Dollar Sellers Club Beta
WordStream YouTube: Can you trust what AI tells you about PPC?
eCom Triage Review Checker GPT (free for BDSN subscribers)
AI Workshop Replay
Stack Influence Platform (10% off code: BillionDollarSellers)
BDSN Mystery Link of the Day
Hot Picks:
Prime Day now lifts all e-commerce
Amazon's AI brand-name generator in Seller Central
How Amazon is changing the US Trademark system
Shopify quietly sets boundaries for AI agents on merchant sites
Stump Bezos Answer: 3.5% of websites try to block GPTBots
Find us at BillionDollarSellers.com
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OpenAI vs Amazon WAR begins (marketplace bombshell)

July 17th, 2025
Summary: Kevin King discusses the groundbreaking news of ChatGPT becoming an e-commerce marketplace, Amazon's AI initiatives including Starfish project, Prime Day 2025 analysis, OpenAI's Shopify integration, and strategies for scaling product launches with micro-influencers.
Key Points Discussed:
ChatGPT's secret preview of checkout features to become a marketplace by Holiday 2025
OpenAI planning to take a cut of sales and compete with traditional marketplaces
Amazon's Starfish AI project cataloging world's products with $7.5B projected impact
Prime Day 2025 analysis: 99% increase in orders but 35% drop in average order value
OpenAI quietly integrating Shopify as shopping search partner
Dream 100 member spotlight: Athena Severi's journey from Hollywood to Amazon community building
Micro-influencer strategies using Stack Influence platform for product launches
AI user adoption statistics showing ChatGPT's unprecedented growth
Links Mentioned:
Watch the replay - All Day Workshop this Sunday
Register here for Sunday's AI for Ecom Workshop
Dream 100
DragonFish waitlist for bleeding-edge ecom AI optimization
Stack Influence Platform (10% off by signing up this month)
Micro Influencer campaign case study
The Rise of AI Answer Engines (AEO): Why SEO Is in Trouble...
The 5 Amazon PPC Campaigns That Took Us to $1M/Month
Hot Picks:
Amazon launches an AI Agent marketplace
Amazon conversions rise 2.2X when you look beyond age
Amazon testing moving location of BSR around on PDPs
BDSN Mystery Link: Mystery Link
Stump Bezos Answer: 576 shipping containers were lost at sea in 2024
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R.I.P. Amazon 2025

Date: July 14th, 2025
Summary: Kevin King discusses the end of Amazon and Walmart as we know them due to AI-powered agentic commerce, international expansion statistics for US sellers, TikTok's new Creator Reviews system, and Amazon's Rufus AI transforming product discovery.
Key Points Discussed:
The impact of AI agents and agentic commerce on traditional e-commerce platforms
How AI-powered LLMs convert at 9x the rate of traditional search traffic
Perplexity's Comet browser and OpenAI's upcoming agentic browser
Three strategies for businesses: price leadership, distribution excellence, and content authority
US sellers' international expansion statistics (Canada 12%, Mexico 5%, UK 1.2%)
Helium 10's new reality series "Project X" casting Amazon and TikTok sellers
TikTok's Creator Reviews system making influencers more accountable
Amazon's Rufus AI replacing keyword matching with semantic understanding
Vision-Language AI analyzing product images and price transparency tools
Links Mentioned:
Watch the replay of Thursday's Webinar from the Misfits
DragonFish ecom AEO waitlist
Helium 10 Project X casting application
BDSN Mystery Link of the Day
10-Minute AI Product Videos: Midjourney + ChatGPT + CapCut tutorial
CrossNet retail expansion live session
GetReviews.ai (15% off with code BDS15)
Andrew Bell's 28-post deep dive on Amazon Rufus AI
Hot Picks:
Adobe says US e-com sales hit $24.1B from July 8-11
Amazon releases Custom Analytics customizable seller dashboard
FTC warns Amazon and Walmart over fake Made in USA claims
Tariffs are not driving US sellers to expand internationally
Stump Bezos Answer: 1.36 billion packages entered under de minimus in 2024
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The Shelf is Dead : Prime Day down 41%

July 10th, 2025Summary: Kevin King discusses Prime Day 2025's shocking 41% sales drop, AI's disruption of traditional commerce, the end of the de minimis exemption, TikTok's new M2 app for the US, and strategies for winning in the AI-driven discovery era.
Key Points Discussed:
Prime Day 2025 sales appear down 41% year-over-year according to Momentum Commerce
AI-driven shopping traffic up 3,200% as consumers shift to GenAI tools
Discovery has moved upstream - brands filtered out before shoppers reach Amazon
Strategies for AI optimization and off-Amazon touchpoints
De minimis exemption ending July 1, 2027 for all countries
TikTok's secret M2 app launching September 5th, 2025 for US users
CrossNet's retail expansion lessons and live session announcement
GPT-5 expected features and capabilities
The shelf is dead - demand is the new battlefield
SmartScout Amazon market intelligence tool
Links Mentioned:
Reserve Your Spot for CrossNet Live Session
SmartScout - Special Offer for BDSN Readers: Get 25% Off 6-Months with Coupon BDSSKK
AI Visibility Layer Analyzer
Everything We Know About GPT-5 So Far
AI for ECOM Toolbox Resource
Destaney Wishon LinkedIn Post
BDSN Mystery Link of the Day
Billion Dollar Sellers Media
Hot Picks:
OpenAI enables creation of Shopify AI agent assistants
Amazon prohibits frequently returned ASINs from being in deals
Over 120,000 fake Amazon websites emerged before Prime Day
The top skill in AI is not prompting, it's context engineering
Walmart releases 2025 seller playbook
Why high ACOS is not always your problem - how to fix
Stump Bezos Answer: U.S. social commerce will hit $114.70 billion in 2025.
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Amazon lets you get reviews before launching

Date: July 7th, 2025
Summary: Kevin King discusses Prime Day strategy and prep, Amazon's traffic hijacking tactics, new Vine pre-launch reviews, AI's impact on SEO citations, Helium 10's affiliate changes, and Fakespot's shutdown.
 
Key Points Discussed:
Prime Day 2025 expanded to 4 days (July 8-11) with competitor events overlapping
Sponsored Products dominated 86% of Prime Day 2024 sales - focus there over DSP
Amazon bidding on competitor brand terms during Prime Day to hijack traffic
New Vine program allows up to 30 reviews before product launch
Google AI Overviews cite Reddit (21%), YouTube (19%), Quora (14%) - not brand sites
Helium 10 changing affiliate structure from lifetime commissions to upfront payments
Fakespot fake review detector shut down July 1st after Mozilla acquisition
Tariff deferment strategies and direct shipping solutions
Links Mentioned:
Live AI webinar registration (July 10th)
Stack Influence Platform (10% off code: BillionDollarSellers)
Prime Day 2025 PPC Bootcamp | SSP #676
Helium 10's Prime Day checklist
BDSN Mystery Link of the Day
Portless tariff deferment solution
Stack Influence micro-influencer case study
#393 - Combating Fake Reviews in the World of E-Commerce with Ming Ooi
Hot Picks:
Despite tariffs, Amazon has not seen prices appreciably go up
TikTok's second round of massive layoffs reveals toxic culture in USA
Brands turn to tariff engineering to avoid higher import taxes
Stump Bezos Answer: Google AI Overviews cite Reddit most - 21% of the time
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Will Amazon take away your PPC targeting control?

July 3, 2025
Summary: Kevin King discusses the shift toward AI-controlled advertising platforms, explores TikTok's removal of manual ad campaigns, Meta's plan for full automation by 2026, and analyzes whether Amazon will follow suit with PPC targeting control. Also covers Amazon's new reimbursement policy issues and rollout of two-part title structures.
Key Points Discussed:
TikTok's elimination of manual ad campaign types in favor of GMV Max only
Meta's roadmap to fully automate ad creation and targeting by 2026
Amazon's increasing reliance on AI across sponsored products and targeting
Industry speculation about Amazon's potential move to algorithmic control
Amazon's problematic FBA reimbursement policy reversals for found inventory
Amazon's continued rollout of two-part title structures across categories
Mike McClary's induction into the BDSS Dream 100
Launch of the Billion Dollar Sellers Content Library
Links Mentioned:
Billion Dollar Sellers Content Library
CrossNet Retail Expansion Session - July 17, 2025
Google Ads Expert Video - John Moran
Million Dollar Amazon PPC Launch Walkthrough
AM-PM Podcast Episode with Mike McClary
Apply for CMS Three - Cigars & Whiskey by the Sea
Mike McClary's Amazon Success Guide
Prem Gupta on Amazon's two-part titles
Amazon FBA reimbursement policy issues
Hot Picks:
US & Vietnam reach trade deal - 20% tariff on Vietnamese imports
Why you should NOT hire an Amazon PPC agency
Trump says he has group of wealthy individuals ready to buy TikTok
BDSN Mystery Link of the Day
Stump Bezos Answer: Japan is the 17th market for TikTok Shop
Find us at BillionDollarSellers.com

Why 84% of social media brand videos fail

Date: June 30th, 2025
Summary: Kevin King discusses why most social media brand videos are failing, Amazon's proactive reimbursement tactics, AI shopping agents threatening traditional retailers, and strategic approaches to social commerce. Plus insights on Amazon FAQ optimization and creator marketing strategies.
Key Points Discussed:
Why 84% of branded TikTok videos fail and how to fix them
Obvi's 7-step UGC flywheel for TikTok Shop success
ByteDance's leadership overhaul and China's influence on TikTok Shop
Amazon's proactive reimbursement program hidden costs
AI shopping agents as the next threat to Amazon and Walmart
How Amazon FAQs are "clicked into existence" by user behavior
Stack Influence platform for micro-influencer collaborations
Andrew Bell's insights on Rufus and conversion optimization
Links Mentioned:
Listen to podcast version of this newsletter
FastMoss Creator Agency Partner Rankings
Marketplace Mastery Newsletter by Jordi Ordonez
YouTube: How Obvi Finds Hidden TikTok Shop Influencers with SARAL
Stack Influence Platform (10% off code: BillionDollarSellers)
Micro Influencer Case Study - DLB
TrueOps Reimbursement Services
Nick Penev's Amazon KPIs Cheat Sheet
Andrew Bell LinkedIn Profile
Just a Seller Newsletter
BDSN Mystery Link
Hot Picks:
Walmart launches new seller app
Top 10 Amazon return reasons and how sellers can avoid them
How to sell on Amazon from Pakistan
Stump Bezos Answer: 81% of influencers use AI in some manner to create content
Find us at BillionDollarSellers.com Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.