Host:
Hello and welcome to another episode of our podcast. I love having really smart people on, and Vanessa is definitely one of them.
Vanessa, I’m not sure if you remember, but the first time I met you I was actually a little intimidated. You had a speaking spot at the Billion Dollar Seller Summit—which wasn’t easy to get at the time since Kevin vetted speakers so carefully. It was quite exclusive.
You came on stage and shared something that blew people away: if you optimize your listings for Spanish keywords, you can actually rank for them because there’s a lot of search volume. I remember sitting next to people who tried it on the spot—and it worked. A few days later, sellers were already reporting results.
That was the first time I’d heard anyone talk about it, and suddenly everyone was saying, “Optimize for Spanish keywords.” It started with you. It was a real bombshell moment, and I thought, Wow, this woman is a force to be reckoned with.
Since then I’ve followed your content. While there’s a lot of fluffy stuff on LinkedIn, your posts are always sharp, clear, and valuable. I’m excited to have you here. Thank you for joining us. Could you start by introducing yourself and what you’re doing now?
Vanessa:
Thank you so much. I feel like that’s been my mission in this industry—to explore things out of curiosity, test them, and then share what I learn until it becomes mainstream. It’s a compliment when people tell me, “You were the first one talking about this.”
I’m the Founder & CEO of Online Seller Solutions, a troubleshooting agency for Amazon and marketplace sellers. We also work a little with Walmart.
I’m also a Community Ambassador for Carbon6. In that role I’m a spokesperson at events and advise the team on platform decisions, new tools, and projects.
Because of these two roles, I spend a lot of time testing, experimenting, and playing with Amazon’s systems. That’s my favorite part—like being a mad scientist. When I discover something interesting, I create content or present it at events.
For example, I was one of the first people to speak publicly about Rufus and AI search in 2023. Back then people thought I was crazy, but now it’s mainstream. That’s what I see as my role: shine a light on overlooked areas—what I call the “unsexy stuff” like algorithms, back-end changes, and Amazon’s strategic decisions. Everyone wants hacks and quick tricks, but I prefer to ask why Amazon made a decision and what it means for sellers.
Host:
That’s amazing. Before we dive deeper, I’d love to hear your own story. What drew you into e-commerce, and what were those early days like?
Vanessa:
Back in Venezuela I had my own small brands. For me, selling online was natural—I never thought about opening a physical store. I started with Instagram sales, then tried Amazon but couldn’t really make it work while living there.
When I moved to the U.S., I got a chance to work in Amazon account management. The turning point came when I discovered flat files. I was managing a massive catalog—over 800,000 SKUs in apparel and accessories—and doing everything manually. When I finally opened a flat file, I spent hours inside it but felt like minutes had passed. I was in flow.
That’s when I knew: this is it. It wasn’t about “I’ll become an Amazon expert.” It was about finding something that fascinated me so much that I wanted to go all in.
Host:
Flat files are the least sexy part of Amazon. Most people want to smash their head against the desk dealing with them. But I think I know the answer to this: when you review accounts at Online Seller Solutions, what’s the most common issue you find?
Vanessa:
Most clients come to us because something’s gone wrong. The biggest issue is sellers making decisions based on old knowledge—what worked two years ago but no longer applies. Amazon changes constantly.
A lot of our job is education: explaining why Amazon made a change, what rule or system update caused the problem, and what they should do differently.
The second big issue is a lack of holistic thinking. Sellers treat catalog, inventory, account health, and brand registry as separate. In reality, they’re all interconnected. A decision on inventory can break your catalog. A catalog error can affect ads. Everything is tied together.
Host:
That makes sense. For sellers not ready to hire your agency yet, what’s one or two things they should be doing weekly to keep their catalog healthy?
Vanessa:
The number one best practice: know your original SKUs.
When you first create an ASIN, the very first SKU holds the most catalog authority. That “original SKU” is the primary contributor of information. If you delete it, you risk losing control over your listing.
So:
This alone prevents 50% of catalog issues I see—like being unable to update titles, images, or bullet points.
Another practice is monitoring inventory health. Sellers often don’t realize their stock is sitting in secondary fulfillment centers, which slows delivery and kills sales when demand spikes. Track inventory flow at the SKU level.
Finally: keep an updated Category Listings Report. Download it regularly. That report shows exactly what you’ve contributed to your catalog—even if Amazon displays something else. It’s your evidence.
Host:
That’s gold. What if the original SKU was created in one marketplace, but now most of your sales come from another—say, you started in the U.S. but now sell mostly in Germany?
Vanessa:
Great question. The original SKU in the original marketplace still holds the weight. With global listings, the U.S. SKU, for example, will influence other marketplaces. You may still need to add local content, but for structural changes—titles, attributes, etc.—the original SKU remains the anchor.
Host:
Fascinating. Let’s talk about compliance. For the average seller, what’s the best way to proactively stay on top of compliance issues?
Vanessa:
Here’s the truth: Amazon is a reactive system, not a proactive one. You can’t 100% prevent compliance issues.
One approach is to make listings extremely “safe”—remove all claims, avoid risky words like “hypoallergenic” or “eco-friendly.” But then you sacrifice sales-driving keywords.
So realistically, it’s about risk tolerance. If you sell in categories like supplements or personal care, you have to accept compliance headaches.
What you can do:
-
Monitor performance notifications closely.
-
Don’t accept the first answer from Seller Support if it doesn’t make sense—keep pushing.
-
When restrictions happen, review every part of your listing: titles, bullet points, A+ content, and images. Amazon now flags not only words but even images that suggest restricted use cases.
And yes—follow people in the space (like me on LinkedIn) who share compliance updates, because Amazon rarely announces them.
Host:
That’s really helpful. Now, I want to ask about the future. With AI and Rufus changing the game, what should sellers be doing in 2025 to adapt?
Vanessa:
This is a massive shift. Rufus isn’t just a chatbot—it represents how AI will change search behavior entirely.
In the past, customers already knew what they wanted. They typed keywords like “gel nail polish remover” into Amazon or Google. In the future, AI will anticipate intent and serve solutions before the customer even searches.
This changes how we optimize:
-
It’s not just about keyword research anymore.
-
You must provide contextual, semantic content—explain how and why the product is used.
-
Think about customer triggers. What happens in their life that makes them buy your product?
For example, with nail polish, a trigger might be: “She just got her nails done and needs to remove them later.” Your listing should show up for that scenario.
Advertising is also shifting from keywords to audience intent. This isn’t new to marketers, but it’s new to Amazon. Sellers who adapt early will win.
Host:
That’s powerful. Vanessa, you’ve shared so many insights—thank you. For listeners who want to connect with you, what’s the best way?
Vanessa:
The best place is LinkedIn—I share content regularly. I’m also on Instagram as @vanessahung.
For business inquiries: vanessa@onlinesellersolutions.com or visit onlinesellersolutions.com.
And with Carbon6, we’re starting a series of community calls—virtual events covering important industry topics.
Host:
Perfect. Vanessa, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Thank you for joining us, and thanks to our listeners—we’ll see you on the next one.
