The e-commerce world is constantly evolving, and Walmart, being a major player, has recently made significant updates to its content scoring system. By placing heightened emphasis on product type attribution, introducing new product types, and employing a data-driven model to assign attribute weights, Walmart is set to elevate the quality and relevance of product content, profoundly impacting customer decision-making processes. These pivotal changes mark Walmart’s unwavering commitment to enhancing the overall e-commerce experience, empowering both suppliers and customers alike. 

1. Review Exclusion: Notably, Walmart has made a significant decision to exclude customer reviews from the content score model. While reviews will retain their crucial SEO value and remain an essential component in consumer decision-making, the focus has shifted towards essential content elements, allowing suppliers to concentrate on providing comprehensive and accurate information about their products. 2.
2. Core Content Weightage: As part of the new content scoring framework, Walmart places utmost importance on Core Content: Product Name, Site Description, Key Features, and Imagery. These four essential components will now collectively account for 60% of the content score. Core Content plays a pivotal role in providing customers with essential product information, helping them to make well-informed purchase decisions, not only online but also in-store. The prevalence of 60% of shoppers using their phones for product research before making purchases highlights the importance of a quality Dotcom presence in creating a seamless and informed shopping experience across both online and brick-and-mortar channels. 
3. New Product Type Attributes: Under this update the other 40% will come from Product Type Attribution. With new product types, Walmart introduces new attributes, split into Required Attributes and Recommended Attributes. These attributes offer valuable insights to shoppers, facilitating better understanding and comparison of products. One way to distinguish the two types of attributes is Walmart will highlight the required attribute in Item 360 if it’s missing a value or has an invalid input. 
4. Data-Driven Attribute Weights: To ensure that customers receive the most relevant and impactful information, Walmart now employs a data-driven approach to assign weights to attributes. This means that attributes with a greater impact on customer decision-making are given higher importance in the scoring process. Additionally, this data-driven approach will significantly impact item searchability, so it is crucial to optimize accordingly. 
5. Expected Score Changes: With the inclusion of new attributes and the adjustments made to the scoring system, Walmart anticipated a decline of 8-10% in scores across all items. However, it is worth mentioning that a good bunch of our brands have benefitted from this update. Walmart tested out new product types across categories months before the new update. In these cases, the new attributes were already in place but awaiting the new content model. As a result, their content scores increased since the updated system now assesses and adjusts scores more accurately. 
6. Supplier Improvement Strategies: In response to these updates, suppliers must adapt their content strategies to meet the revised criteria located in Walmart’s style guides. Ensuring that all required attributes are provided and optimizing product content are crucial steps for suppliers seeking to improve their content scores. For agency partners, our job will be to hold suppliers accountable for providing all content and information for us to optimize and ensure listings are quality, accurate and impactful.  
7. Walmart’s Motivation for the Update: Walmart’s motivation behind this content scoring update is evident in their commitment to enhance the overall customer experience. By providing customers with better and more relevant information, Walmart aims to facilitate well-informed purchasing decisions. 
8. Competitive Landscape: The implementation of this new content scoring system can potentially impact Walmart’s competitive position amongst other big retailers. By staying at the forefront of content quality and relevance, Walmart aims to set new standards in the industry for shoppers and suppliers alike. 

The recent content scoring update by Walmart signifies the company’s dedication to providing an exceptional online shopping experience. Through a well-thought-out scoring model, which emphasizes Core Content, data-driven attribute weights, and improved product information, Walmart strives to elevate customer satisfaction and drive business growth. Suppliers, in turn, must align with these new guidelines to thrive in the ever-evolving e-commerce ecosystem. By embracing these takeaways, we can thrive in a competitive Walmart landscape. Remember, the path to success lies in adapting, improving, and aligning with Walmart’s commitment to delivering quality content and driving customer satisfaction.