Helium 10 URL Builder (GEMS): Optimize Amazon Listing URLs for Better Clicks

The Often-Overlooked Power of Amazon URLs

Here’s a thought most sellers don’t entertain until something breaks: the actual URL of your Amazon product listing matters. I mean, really matters.

Not in the flashy, “this-will-save-your-whole-business” kind of way. But more like that subtle undercurrent you don’t notice until it’s either helping you soar, or quietly sabotaging your efforts behind the scenes.

See, when you share an Amazon link—on social media, in an email blast, maybe even through an influencer campaign—you’re not just pointing people to a product. You’re sending a signal. To Amazon. To search engines. To your customers. And depending on how that URL is structured, the signal could either scream relevance and trust… or mutter something forgettable.

That’s where Helium 10’s URL Builder, also known as GEMS, comes into the picture. It’s one of those tools that lives a little under the radar, even within the Helium 10 suite, yet it punches way above its weight if you know how to use it right.

Think of GEMS like a digital blacksmith for your URLs. You start with raw, clunky iron—the default Amazon URL—and GEMS lets you forge it into something sleek, sharp, and strategically built for performance. Want to include a keyword so Amazon registers the referral as search-based? Done. Need an add-to-cart link to encourage faster conversions? Easy. Want a clean, canonical URL for SEO integrity? GEMS is already ahead of you.

And here’s the kicker: most sellers are still out there throwing around 300-character Amazon URLs full of tracking gunk and session data. It’s like showing up to a job interview in your pajamas. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a great product—your first impression isn’t helping.

I remember chatting with a mid-level seller who was crushing it on TikTok with short-form product demos. Her videos were going viral, but conversions? Meh. Turns out, she was sharing those default Amazon links, and the traffic was getting muddled. GEMS helped her craft smart URLs that passed on keyword value and even pre-loaded her product into the cart. Her conversion rate? It didn’t just tick up—it jumped.

So, why aren’t more sellers talking about URL optimization?

Because it feels like a minor detail. And in a world obsessed with hacks and headline-grabbing numbers, details get dismissed. But let me tell you: in Amazon’s ecosystem, the little things—done consistently—can quietly snowball into game-changers.

We’re going deep on GEMS. Not just what it is, but how to use it, what kinds of URLs work best in different situations, how to avoid rookie mistakes, and how to fit this tool into your broader Amazon strategy.

Because once you understand how your URLs can work for you—and not just act as passive links—you’ll start seeing them for what they are: doorways with hidden levers. And with Helium 10 GEMS, you’ve got the keys.

Let’s open a few.

What Is Helium 10 URL Builder (GEMS)?

So what is GEMS, really?

In simple terms, Helium 10 GEMS is a URL generator tool built for Amazon sellers who want more control over how their links behave. But calling it “just a URL generator” is kind of like calling a chef’s knife “just a blade.” It’s precise. It’s versatile. And if you know what you’re doing, it can be downright powerful.

At its core, GEMS helps you craft custom URLs that serve specific marketing and SEO purposes. And not in a clunky or overly technical way—it’s all plug-and-play. You enter your ASIN, maybe a keyword or two, pick the kind of URL you want, and boom: you’ve got a clean, performance-ready link tailored for Amazon.

Let’s dig a little deeper.

Breaking Down GEMS: What It Does and Why It Matters

GEMS stands for “Get External Marketplace Sales”—and yes, that name gives away the whole point.

You’re not just building links for fun. You’re building smarter, optimized URLs that can drive traffic from outside Amazon in ways that Amazon’s algorithm notices and rewards. Think better indexing. Stronger keyword attribution. Higher potential for ranking bumps.

Now, Amazon itself doesn’t publicly say, “Hey, thanks for sending us external traffic—we’ll boost your listing now.” But anyone who’s been selling for a while knows the dance. External traffic, when structured right, can light a fire under your organic rankings. GEMS is designed to make that process more predictable and more strategic.

So, what types of links can GEMS build?

Smart Links vs. Raw Links: What’s the Difference?

Here’s where things get interesting. GEMS gives you multiple link formats, each tailored to a different marketing outcome. Let’s look at the greatest hits:

• Canonical URL: This is the cleanest, most SEO-friendly version of your Amazon product page. No tracking junk. Just a direct, keyword-rich link that can help search engines (and shoppers) find your listing more easily. Great for blogs and evergreen content.
• Add-to-Cart URL: Want to reduce friction and increase conversions? These links take shoppers directly to the cart with your product already added. It subtly nudges people closer to the checkout. Combine this with urgency or a limited-time offer, and conversions can jump.
• 2-Step URLs (Search-Focused): These are gold for simulating search behavior. GEMS lets you build a link that mimics a customer typing a keyword into Amazon and clicking on your listing from the search results. Why? Because that can help Amazon associate your product with that keyword. (No keyword stuffing needed.)
• FB Pixel URL: Perfect for Facebook Ads. It helps track traffic and conversions when sending people from Meta platforms to Amazon. You can keep track of how your campaigns are actually performing.
• Hidden Keyword URLs: These keywords are inserted into the link path without altering the shopper’s experience. Ideal for when you want to build keyword relevance invisibly.

And honestly, the whole system is stupidly easy to use. No code. No complex configurations. Just drop in your ASIN, set your parameters, and go.

It’s like being handed a tactical marketing toolkit in a single dashboard.

GEMS isn’t one of those tools that demands hours of training or a steep learning curve. It’s fast. It’s intuitive. And the results? Well, they speak for themselves—especially if you’ve ever been frustrated by sluggish ranking or underperforming ad traffic.

How to Use GEMS to Create Optimized Amazon URLs

Alright, let’s get our hands dirty.

So now that you know what GEMS is and why it matters, let’s talk about how to actually use it. Because having a powerful tool is one thing—but wielding it with intent? That’s where the real magic kicks in.

I’ve seen sellers pull in big traffic from outside Amazon and still wonder why their rankings don’t move. Nine times out of ten? It’s because the links they’re using are… let’s be honest… messy. They’re either bloated with session data, missing crucial keywords, or just not doing the job strategically.

That’s why GEMS exists: to give you precision.

Step-by-Step: Building a Keyword-Rich URL with GEMS

Let’s walk through a real-world example. Say you’re selling a high-end yoga mat—premium, grippy, eco-friendly. Your target keyword is “non-slip yoga mat for hot yoga”.

Here’s how you’d use GEMS to create a link that doesn’t just lead to your product, but also signals that keyword relevance back to Amazon:

1. Head to Helium 10 → GEMS.
   Log into your Helium 10 dashboard and find the GEMS tool (under the “Tools” menu). Simple, uncluttered UI. You’re not going to get lost.
2. Paste in your ASIN.
   This tells GEMS which product you’re building a link for. Make sure it’s the exact listing—you don’t want to direct traffic to a variation you’re not actively promoting.
3. Choose the URL type.
   For keyword association, you’re going to want the 2-Step via Brand or 2-Step via Field-ASIN URL. These are designed to mimic Amazon search behavior and include your chosen keywords in a natural, effective way.
4. Enter your keyword.
   Pop in “non-slip yoga mat for hot yoga.” This keyword gets embedded in the URL structure in a way that tells Amazon: “Hey, someone searched this phrase and clicked on this listing.” It mimics organic behavior—which, over time, can reinforce your ranking.
5. Generate the URL.
   Boom. You’ve got a clean, tailored link that you can use in Facebook ads, Instagram stories, email campaigns, or wherever your audience hangs out.
6. Shorten and track (optional but smart).
   You can drop the link into a service like Bitly to shorten it for cleaner sharing. Or better—use something like Pretty Links or Helium 10’s Portals for even deeper tracking and branding.

And that’s it. Five minutes, tops.

But here’s the thing—how you use that link matters just as much as the link itself.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Generating URLs

Now, let’s talk landmines. Because yes, there are a few ways to mess this up:

• Overstuffing keywords.
  It’s tempting to cram your URL with multiple keyword variations—don’t. GEMS is effective because it mimics natural user behavior. Amazon’s smart enough to sniff out artificial patterns. One focus keyword per URL keeps things clean and believable.
• Using the wrong URL type.
  Don’t grab a canonical URL when you’re trying to simulate a search. Don’t use an add-to-cart link in a campaign where education (not instant conversion) is the goal. Match your strategy to the link type.
• Ignoring mobile friendliness.
  A long, clunky URL on mobile = swipe away. GEMS gives you clean links, but if you tack on too much junk after the fact, you’re risking abandonment. Think like your customer: fast, easy, scrollable.
• Neglecting to test.
  This one’s a killer. Always test your link before launching a campaign. Open it in incognito. On mobile. On desktop. Make sure it lands exactly where it should—and that it tracks correctly, if you’re using UTMs or pixels.

And here’s a pro tip most folks miss: don’t use the same URL forever. GEMS isn’t a “set it and forget it” tool. As your campaigns evolve, so should your URLs. Tweak the keywords. Change the structure. Refresh your strategy every couple of weeks, especially if your goals shift from ranking to conversion, or vice versa.

Bottom line?

Helium 10 GEMS isn’t about tricking Amazon. It’s about aligning your external marketing with the internal logic of the marketplace. It gives you a way to bridge intent, strategy, and action in just a few clicks.

Best Practices for Sharing GEMS URLs for Maximum Impact

So you’ve built your beautiful, laser-targeted Amazon URL with GEMS. It’s sleek, keyword-optimized, and perfectly tuned to your campaign goals. Now what?

Well—now comes the part that separates the rookies from the rainmakers.

Because crafting a smart URL is only half the game. Where and how you share it determines whether it ends up buried in the digital void… or becomes a high-converting traffic machine.

You could have the sharpest link in the world, but if you’re tossing it out into the wrong audience—or worse, using channels with zero tracking—you’re basically flying blind.

Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.

Driving Traffic from External Channels the Right Way

Here’s a truth that Amazon sellers often forget: Amazon loves external traffic. Especially when it’s clean, targeted, and coming from places like social media, email, or your own website. It shows you’re doing the work to drive interest, not just relying on internal Amazon search.

But each channel has its own etiquette—and its own best practices when it comes to links.

1. Social Media (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube)

These platforms are fast-paced, visual, and full of distraction. If you’re sharing a GEMS URL here:

• Shorten it. Use Bitly or your own branded short domain. Long, ugly URLs scare people off.
• Wrap it in a call to action. Don’t just drop a link and hope. “Click here to grab the exact mat I use for hot yoga” works 10x better than “link below.”
• Use Link in Bio tools. For Instagram or TikTok, consider tools like Linktree or Helium 10’s own Portals to build a mini-landing page that hosts your GEMS URL and other links.

2. Email Campaigns

Email’s where GEMS really shines—because it’s permission-based marketing. People asked to hear from you.

• Segment your list. Don’t blast everyone. Target yoga enthusiasts with yoga gear. Coffee lovers with mugs.
  Add urgency. Pair the link with a time-sensitive offer: “Click here to add it straight to your Amazon cart—before it’s gone.”
• Track opens + clicks. Use UTM parameters or tracking pixels if your email platform supports it.

3. Influencer & Affiliate Promotions

If you’re working with influencers or affiliates, give them GEMS URLs tailored to the keywords you’re targeting.

• Add unique tracking IDs. That way, you can see which partner actually drove the sale.
• Test different link types. Some audiences respond better to add-to-cart links. Others want to see the product page. Mix it up.

4. Blog Posts and Content Marketing

This is where Canonical URLs rule. They’re clean, keyword-friendly, and help search engines link relevance between your blog content and your Amazon listing.

• Use anchor text that matches your keyword.
  “Check out this non-slip yoga mat for hot yoga” > “Click here.”
  
• Don’t overlink. One or two GEMS URLs per post is plenty. Overdo it and it feels spammy.

Tracking Conversions and Clicks Without Guesswork

Okay, now we get to the good stuff: Did it work? Did anyone click your GEMS URL? Did that lead to a sale? Or are you just shouting into the void?

Here’s how to know:

Use GEMS in Tandem with Portals (or Bitly at the very least)

Helium 10’s Portals tool lets you create full-on branded landing pages where your GEMS URLs can live. You get analytics, retargeting options, and email capture—all built in. If you’re serious about scaling, Portals + GEMS is a killer combo.

For quick tests, something like Bitly or Pretty Links works too. You can see how many clicks each link gets, from which country, even which device.

Track Keyword Movement

Pair your GEMS campaign with Keyword Tracker (another Helium 10 tool). Watch your target keyword move up in rankings after a blast of smart external traffic. If it bumps up a few positions, GEMS did its job.

Watch Conversion Rates

If people are clicking but not buying, it’s not the link—it’s the listing. Use this data to fine-tune your product page, pricing, or reviews.

Sharing a smart URL is both an art and a science. You’ve got to understand your audience, pick the right platform, and layer in a little psychology—urgency, curiosity, clarity. Then track like a hawk.

Because here’s the thing: in the messy middle of Amazon success, it’s not always about huge leaps. Sometimes, it’s just getting more people to click the right link at the right time. And GEMS helps you do exactly that.

GEMS as Part of a Broader Amazon SEO Strategy

If you’ve made it this far, you already know that Helium 10 GEMS isn’t just some fancy link shortener. It’s a precision tool, designed to drive intentional traffic and signal relevance to Amazon’s algorithm. But here’s the real kicker: GEMS gets way more powerful when it’s not flying solo.

Think of it like this—GEMS is your messenger. But what’s the message? And what’s the plan after the message is delivered? That’s where the broader Amazon SEO strategy comes into play.

Let’s connect the dots.

Where GEMS Fits Into the Bigger Picture

So let’s zoom out. Amazon SEO isn’t just about stuffing keywords into your bullet points or paying for PPC ads. It’s a puzzle made up of pieces like:

• Listing optimization (titles, bullets, images, A+ content)
• Keyword indexing and relevance
• Click-through rates (CTR)
• Conversion rates
• Traffic quality—especially external traffic

GEMS fits squarely into that last category. But here’s the thing: it also affects CTR and keyword relevance if used correctly.

Let’s say you’ve optimized your listing beautifully. It’s got crisp images, compelling copy, five-star reviews, and all the right keywords. Great. Now what?

If you only rely on Amazon’s internal traffic, you’re at the mercy of competition, algorithm updates, and the daily tug-of-war over ad space. But when you use GEMS to send targeted external traffic—especially traffic that mimics keyword searches—you’re telling Amazon, “Hey, this product solves this need. People are clicking it. People are buying.”

And Amazon listens.

This is what makes GEMS so potent. It acts like a bridge between external traffic (which Amazon loves) and internal signals (which drive ranking). That’s SEO gold.

Combining GEMS with Other Helium 10 Tools

Now, if you really want to go full pro-level, here’s how GEMS slots into your Helium 10 stack.

1. Cerebro → GEMS

Use Cerebro to reverse-engineer your competitor’s top keywords. Pull the gold. Then use those exact keywords in your GEMS 2-step URL when promoting your product. This way, your external traffic reinforces the same keywords your audience is already using on Amazon.

2. Keyword Tracker → GEMS Campaigns

Launch a GEMS link campaign and monitor your keyword movement in Keyword Tracker. It’s like watching the tide rise. You’ll often see rankings bump up when targeted traffic starts hitting those URLs.

3. Portals → GEMS Landing Pages

Use Portals to host your GEMS links in a branded environment—complete with email capture, upsells, videos, reviews, and more. Instead of dumping traffic straight onto Amazon, you can pre-warm your leads and track everything.

4. Adtomic → GEMS Testing

Running Amazon PPC with Adtomic? Pair it with GEMS to A/B test how well your listings convert with warm external traffic vs. cold PPC clicks. You might be surprised by what performs better—and cheaper.

Let me throw in a quick analogy.

If Amazon is a massive river, then SEO is how you choose your boat, your paddle, and your route. GEMS? GEMS is that little motor you strap on the back. You still have to steer. You still have to read the water. But now you’ve got some extra push—something that moves you forward even when the current’s against you.

In short: GEMS is not a silver bullet—but it’s a damn useful lever when paired with your full Helium 10 toolkit and a clear SEO strategy.

Don’t Sleep on URL Strategy—It’s Low-Hanging Fruit

Here’s the truth no one tells new sellers: most of your competitors are so focused on the big stuff—product research, reviews, PPC bids—that they completely overlook the little levers. The “unsexy” stuff. Like URLs.

And that’s exactly why you should pay attention to them.

Because when you’re in a crowded market (and let’s be honest, every Amazon category is crowded now), the small edges stack up. A better-optimized title? Edge. Stronger product images? Edge. A URL that actually supports your ranking strategy instead of just… existing? Major edge.

And that’s where Helium 10 URL Builder—GEMS—quietly shines. It’s not the loudest or flashiest tool in the Helium 10 suite. It won’t impress your friends at dinner. But when used right, it can genuinely shift how Amazon sees your listing. It can boost your keyword relevance. It can improve your conversion rate. It can make your external marketing campaigns actually measurable and repeatable.

But most importantly? It gives you control.

And in the often-chaotic world of Amazon selling—where algorithm updates, rising ad costs, and random policy changes are just another Tuesday—control is priceless.

I’m not saying GEMS will double your revenue overnight. It’s not magic. But if you use it intentionally—pairing it with smart keywords, clean campaigns, and real traffic sources—it becomes a powerful tool in your larger Amazon SEO arsenal.

So here’s your move:

Don’t just copy-paste the default Amazon link into your next Instagram story or email blast. Open GEMS. Build a link with purpose. Use the keyword that matters. Choose the right structure for your audience. And track what happens.

Because every time someone clicks that link, it’s more than just a visit. It’s a data point. A signal. A step in the right direction.

You don’t need to do everything perfectly. Just one smart link at a time.

Let GEMS help you with that.

Gabi Comanoiu

Gabi is the founder and CEO of Adurbs Networks, a digital marketing company he started in 2016 after years of building web projects.

Beginning as a web designer, he quickly expanded into full-spectrum digital marketing, working on email marketing, SEO, social media, PPC, and affiliate marketing.

Known for a practical, no-fluff approach, Gabi is an expert in PPC Advertising and Amazon Sponsored Ads, helping brands refine campaigns, boost ROI, and stay competitive. He’s also managed affiliate programs from both sides, giving him deep insight into performance marketing.