The Top 9 Amazon PPC Best Practices

As more and more businesses move online, Amazon continues to dominate the world of e-commerce. With over 300 million active users, the platform offers a massive audience for sellers to reach. However, standing out from the crowd can be challenging, with so many sellers vying for attention. That’s where Amazon PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaigns come in.

Amazon PPC advertising is a powerful tool for sellers looking to boost their visibility and sales on the platform. But simply throwing money at ads won’t guarantee success. 

Unfortunately, the world of Amazon PPC strategies can be overwhelming, with a vast range of targeting options, ad formats, and bidding strategies available. As a result, sellers need to ensure that their campaigns are running efficiently, effectively and generating a positive ROI.

Whether you’re a new seller looking to launch your first campaign or an experienced seller looking to fine-tune your existing campaigns, we’ve gathered some valuable insights and tips to help you win on Amazon. But first, let’s start with some basic strategies that apply to all digital marketing campaigns.

Start with a plan

The last thing any Amazon seller should want is to run an Amazon campaign without a plan. While online advertising can be quite cost-effective, a poorly planned campaign will have very little Return on Ad Spend (RoAS), meaning you will have paid too much, no matter the cost. 

Advertising tactics need to be adjusted depending on whether you are trying to raise brand awareness, launch a new product or grow market dominance. Having a plan can also help develop a more comprehensive campaign built on clearly established goals and complements other aspects of your marketing, such as social media and customer communications.  

Of course, it is also critical to establish a clear budget and set goals for the campaign. This will help you to track performance and adjust strategies accordingly. By continually testing and refining the campaign, or turning to an experienced partner, it is possible to achieve a high level of effectiveness and maximize return on investment.

Targeting and retargeting is paramount

The targeting and retargeting of PPC ads play a huge role in achieving success in digital advertising campaigns and should be included in any plan. First, it is crucial to identify the target audience by researching and analyzing customer behavior and preferences. Amazon PPC targeting best practices require a thorough understanding the audience’s demographics, interests, and purchasing behaviors can help to create a more targeted and effective campaign.

Once the target audience has been identified, the next step is determining the best channels for reaching them. This can include search engine, social media, or display advertising. Each channel has its strengths and weaknesses, and selecting the most effective ones will depend on the target audience and campaign goals.

Then, after determining which channels to use, it is important to create a strategy for retargeting ads to those who have interacted with the current or previous campaign. This can include website visitors, email subscribers, or social media followers. Retargeting is one f the most important Amazon PPC strategies and can be a highly effective way to keep the brand top of mind and encourage conversions.

Avoid these common PPC campaign mistakes

A well-run Amazon PPC campaign can efficiently drive sales and increase visibility on the Amazon marketplace. However, there are also some common mistakes that brands should avoid when running Amazon PPC campaigns. 

Surprisingly, some brands fail to set clear goals and KPIs for their PPC campaigns before launching them. This can include metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on ad spend. 

Also, sellers should remember not to focus too heavily on broad match keywords that can result in ads being shown to irrelevant search terms, leading to wasted ad spend. Brands should instead rely mainly on exact match or phrase match keywords.

As we discussed already, targeting is imperative. However, showing ads to the wrong audience can result in low click-through rates and costly campaigns with limited results. Instead, brands should use targeting options such as demographics, interests, and past purchase behavior to reach the right shoppers and utilize good data to guide the targeting decisions. 

Finally, failing to monitor campaigns regularly can result in missed opportunities to optimize campaigns and improve performance. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for brands that are new to Amazon PPC campaigns to overlook the importance of measurement. This is despite Amazon offering a plethora of data to advertisers on the platform via its Seller Central advertising reports. These metrics provide incredible insight into the performance of product display ads or other Amazon ads. 

9 Ways to Improve your Amazon PPC Campaign

Ready to maximize the benefits of Amazon PPC and achieve your advertising goals more efficiently and effectively? Focus on these nine tips to give your business a competitive edge, increase visibility and grow sales on the Amazon platform through PPC. 

#1 Conduct thorough keyword research

While keywords play a role in successful search engine optimization, it’s not unusual for companies to undervalue keyword research. As a result, deficiencies are particularly common when it comes to keyword research for Amazon PPC campaigns. 

The challenge of finding the best keywords for your brand to target often involves uncovering the search intent behind the potential options. Beyond identifying relevant words and phrases, you must account for how those terms relate to a user’s objective and whether that purpose adequately aligns with your company’s goals. 

Of course, reducing Amazon PPC campaigns down to one or two words is rarely the most productive approach. So, while identifying these short but generic keywords, known as head keywords, is essential, it’s only a starting point. Long-tail keywords are a specific combination of keywords or phrases that closely mirror how a person might search for something online. For example, “waterproof shoes for kids” or “white round wall clock” would be long-tail keywords that could be targeted by brands more efficiently than the head keywords of “shoes” or “clock” alone. 

#2 Optimize product listings for maximum relevance

Amazon content is the lifeblood of businesses selling on the platform. Producing exceptional Amazon product listings should be a priority for any brand or seller pursuing growth and long-term success on Amazon. However, creating product listings that reach the right shoppers, earn the Buy Box, and have high conversion rates requires more than a desire to achieve those goals or even the existence of quality products to back them up. It demands a strategic plan and, as importantly, the time and expertise to execute it.

Effective Amazon product listings are built accurately and organized with your customers in mind. They feature detailed information, high-quality images, and, in many cases, helpful videos. The best listings are optimized for Amazon’s search algorithm and benefit from a seller that monitors and reacts to threats from fraud or competitors. And they capitalize on the support that a well-designed Amazon Storefront can lend to a listing’s ability to attract shoppers and close sales. If your listings are falling short in any of these areas, it’s time to begin crafting a plan to rejuvenate your Amazon listing content and reinvigorate your sales. 

#3 Use negative keywords to exclude irrelevant searches

Using negative keywords in PPC campaigns for Amazon is crucial for ensuring that your ads are displayed to the right audience while minimizing unnecessary ad spend. Negative keywords are search terms you add to your campaign to exclude specific searches from triggering your ads. By adding negative keywords, you can prevent your ads from showing to users searching for irrelevant or unrelated products or to those unlikely to convert.

For example, if you are selling high-end jewelry on Amazon, you may want to exclude search terms like “cheap jewelry,” “affordable jewelry,” or “discount jewelry.” Negative keywords will prevent your ad from appearing to shoppers looking for less expensive items, which may not be a good fit for your brand. The practics will also improve the quality of traffic to your product listings, increasing the likelihood of conversion and Return on Investment (ROI).

Ultimately, using negative keywords in your Amazon PPC campaigns can help you to save money, increase your click-through rate, and drive higher-quality traffic to your products. It’s an essential part of any successful Amazon advertising strategy.

#4 Segment campaigns and ad groups for better targeting

Segmenting campaigns and ad groups is crucial to successful Amazon advertising campaigns. By dividing campaigns and ad groups into targeted segments based on audiences, Amazon sellers can allocate budgets better, improve the relevancy of their ads, and achieve higher click-through and conversion rates.

Segmentation enables sellers to create more targeted and relevant ads for specific audiences. By grouping products and keywords into ad groups, sellers can create more targeted ads that appeal to a particular audience. They can then tailor their ad copy and landing pages to match the needs and interests of the intended audience, resulting in better engagement and conversions.

Segmentation also allows for better budget allocation, as sellers can target higher-value audiences with ads more precisely. The improved targeting leads to more effective spending and a better return on investment. 

#5 Leverage automatic and manual targeting options

Amazon sellers can leverage both automatic and manual targeting options to maximize the reach of their advertising campaigns and improve their overall performance.

Automatic targeting is a good starting point for sellers new to Amazon advertising or with limited knowledge of their target audience. By selecting automatic targeting, Amazon’s algorithm will automatically match a seller’s product with relevant search terms and display it to potential customers. This approach is convenient as it saves sellers time and effort compared to manually selecting keywords. However, automatic targeting is not always precise and may result in a high cost-per-click for irrelevant clicks.

Manual targeting, on the other hand, allows sellers to choose the keywords they want to target, giving them more control over their campaign’s performance. With manual targeting, sellers can choose between broad, phrase, and exact match keywords and adjust bids accordingly. This approach allows for more specific targeting and can result in a higher conversion rate and lower cost-per-click. However, manual targeting requires more time and effort to research and select the right keywords.

By combining both automatic and manual targeting, sellers can maximize their reach while minimizing costs and improving their overall performance.

#6 Optimize bids for maximum ROI

Amazon sellers can optimize their PPC bids to maximize ROI by following some key strategies. First, you must set a realistic budget for your campaign and choose the right bidding strategy. Automatic bidding is a good option for beginners, as Amazon’s algorithms will adjust bids based on performance data. However, manual bidding allows for more control over bids and can be more effective for experienced sellers.

Next, monitor your campaigns regularly to identify underperforming keywords and adjust bids accordingly. Use metrics such as conversion rates, click-through rates, and cost-per-click to determine which keywords drive sales and which are wasting your budget.

It’s also important to consider the competition for each keyword and adjust bids accordingly. High-competition keywords may require higher bids to win the auction and appear at the top of search results.

Finally, consider using bid modifiers to adjust bids based on factors such as device type, location, and time of day. Doing so allows you to tailor your bids to specific audiences and maximize ROI. By continually optimizing bids, Amazon sellers can achieve the best possible results from their PPC campaigns.

#7 Use ad scheduling to reach customers at the right time

Amazon sellers should use ad scheduling to reach customers at the right time for maximum impact and ROI. Ad scheduling allows sellers to show their ads during specific days and times, which can be particularly useful for products with time-sensitive promotions or targeted toward specific demographics. 

For example, if a seller is advertising a product that is popular among working professionals, they may want to run their ads during weekdays, during typical work hours, when their target audience is most likely to be browsing Amazon. Or, if a seller is advertising a product that is most popular in the evenings, they may want to schedule their ads to run during that time to maximize conversions. Regardless, proper ad scheduling can help sellers achieve better targeting and increased profitability by ensuring their ads are shown to the right people at the right time.

#8 Retarget customers with Sponsored Products and Sponsored Display ads

Retargeting is fundamental to any effective advertising strategy, including Amazon Sponsored Products and Display Ads. It involves showing ads to customers who have previously interacted with a seller’s products or campaigns but have not yet made a purchase. Sponsored Display ad best practices like retargeting allows sellers to bring back potential buyers who have shown interest in their products, increasing the chances of conversion and ultimately boosting sales.

With retargeting, Amazon sellers can display Sponsored Products and Display ads to customers who have previously viewed their product pages or added items to their shopping carts. This strategy is particularly effective for sellers who offer products that require a longer decision-making process or are part of a more extensive purchase consideration. Retargeting can also help sellers to recapture lost sales by reminding customers who have abandoned their shopping carts about the products they were interested in.

Retargeting with Amazon Sponsored Products and Display ads can be a powerful way to drive conversions and increase ROI. By displaying relevant ads to customers with existing familiarity, sellers can effectively nudge them towards making a purchase and ultimately increase their revenue.

#9 Analyze performance and adjust campaigns accordingly

Amazon sellers need to analyze their PPC campaigns’ performance to ensure they effectively utilize their advertising budget and maximize ROI. Analyzing performance allows sellers to identify which keywords, ad groups, and campaigns are driving the most sales and which are not performing well. Then, they can adjust bids, refine targeting, and improve ad copy to increase the campaign’s effectiveness.

By continually analyzing and adjusting PPC campaigns, Amazon sellers can optimize their advertising efforts to reach their target audience and drive more sales. This approach is beneficial given the competitive nature of Amazon’s marketplace, where thousands of sellers are vying for the same customers. Staying on top of campaign performance allows sellers to stay ahead of the competition and remain profitable on the platform. 

Make the most of Amazon PPC with Amify

There are a lot of priorities to manage when it comes to running a successful PPC campaign. Fortunately, the Amazon experts at Amify are ready to build a comprehensive digital plan to grow your business. 

Our decades of experience and track record of results ensure you get the most out of your Amazon Seller Central account. Schedule your consultation with our team today to learn more about our services.