Model change on otto.de: how the successor keeps the ranking of its predecessor

Why the new model starts from zero

On otto.de a product is tied to its EAN and its Otto product ID. When a manufacturer releases a successor model with a new EAN, the marketplace sees a new product. The sales, reviews and positions the old model built up over months stay with the old product.

Anyone who switches the old model off on the day of the change often loses visibility for their most important search terms in one go – and needs weeks to win it back.

Variation or new product?

First the question: is the new model really a new product, or just a new colour or size? Variations can share one product page on otto.de, and with it reviews and visibility. A real successor with different technical data does not belong under its predecessor as a variation, though. Don't merge products artificially just to save the ranking – wrongly set-up variations confuse shoppers and can cause problems with the listing.

The plan for the change

1. Four weeks before: export all search terms of the old model with their current position. This is your list for the new listing.
2. Create the new model: carry the terms the old model ranks well for into the new one's title, description and attributes. Add what is new, such as a larger capacity or a new material.
3. Parallel phase: keep both models online while the old one still has stock. The old model holds the visibility while the new one collects its first sales and reviews.
4. Shift ads: move your Sponsored Product Ads budget step by step from the old model to the new one. Ads bring the new product its first clicks, which it doesn't yet get organically.
5. Sell-off: only when the new model is on page 1 for the head terms do you let the old one run out.

Track both models for the same keywords

Add the new model to your rank tracker with the same search terms as the old one and run both side by side. For each term you then see two lines: the old model falling as its stock shrinks, and hopefully the new one rising.

The right moment to switch off is when the new model stands at least as well for your five most important search terms as the old one did four weeks earlier. Until then the old model is your insurance.

Typical mistakes in a model change

• Old model set to stock 0 immediately: visibility collapses before the new model can take it over.
• New title, new terms: rewriting the proven title completely gives up search terms that demonstrably work.
• No review strategy: the new model starts without reviews. Plan how you will get the first customer reviews, for example with a follow-up after purchase within OTTO's rules.
• No reference value: without an export of the old positions you can't tell whether the new model is already doing as well as the old one.

Frequently asked questions