Amazon PPC Tricks and Techniques For Your Next Campaign

amazon ppc campaign

Last updated on August 2nd, 2023

Written by faith

An Amazon PPC campaign can be challenging to plan, implement, and maintain, particularly if you’re already occupied with other Amazon-related tasks. You balance product sourcing, inventory management, customer service, and other operational responsibilities while simultaneously performing the right Amazon PPC tricks.

Expecting every seller to dedicate extensive time and resources exclusively to their ad campaigns is unrealistic. But don’t worry; Seller Interactive offers a concise yet comprehensive overview of mastering the right Amazon PPC tricks and techniques without overwhelming yourself.

By this guide’s end, you will have a solid understanding of PPC management and be equipped with practical tips and strategies to enhance your campaign’s performance.

What is the Amazon PPC Campaign?

Even though traditional advertising persists, many businesses are increasingly turning to paid advertising techniques like Amazon PPC to bolster their advertising campaigns. Why is that? What makes PPC so enticing, and why do they gravitate to it?

Also known as pay-per-click advertising, Amazon PPC allows you to promote products within the marketplace. It involves targeted ad campaigns where businesses bid on keywords or product categories. 

Ads are displayed based on bidding and relevancy factors when customers search for relevant keywords or view related products. Once clicked, Amazon charges the advertiser or seller the bid value declared.

With Amazon PPC campaigns, sellers and advertisers have a higher chance to increase their brand awareness, improve organic ranking, reach audiences, and reach profit goals. When executed perfectly, it will outperform competitors in the same product type.

Amazon PPC campaigns are categorized into three sponsored ads.

Sponsored Product AdsSponsored Display AdsSponsored Brand Ads
Ads that contain a product listing. Product listings that audiences can see on and off Amazon.Ads that showcase a whole brand and three products it sells. 

For Sponsored Brand Ads, shoppers can find these ad types on product pages and the Search Results page on Amazon when a shopper inputs a keyword.

These categories provide versatile options to maximize advertising efforts and achieve desired outcomes.

Is Amazon PPC Worth It?

Amazon mobile on cart

It’s only natural for Amazon sellers to assess the value and potential return on investment before diving into any marketing strategy. But when it comes to Amazon PPC, we can confidently say that it’s worth it!

From precise targeting to cost control, Amazon PPC can capture a larger market share without a sweat. You must learn the strategic approach and effective implementation to benefit your business significantly.

Here is your starting point.

  • Nature of Products: Assess how well your products align with the competitive landscape on Amazon. If you offer unique or in-demand products, Amazon PPC can help you stand out and attract potential buyers.
  • Demographics of Potential Buyers: Determine your target audience and whether they are active on Amazon. If your target demographic frequently shops on the platform, Amazon PPC can effectively reach and engage with them.
  • Season of the Year: Are your products experiencing seasonal fluctuations in demand? If so, leveraging Amazon PPC during peak seasons or relevant holidays can help you capitalize on increased customer interest and boost sales.
  • Advertising Budget: Evaluate your available ad budget and determine how much you can allocate to PPC campaigns. Ensure you have sufficient funds to support your campaign and monitor its performance.
  • Goals: Clarify your plans for using Amazon PPC. Do you aim to increase sales, drive traffic to your listings, or enhance brand visibility? Clearly defining your objectives will help you choose the most suitable type of PPC campaign.

Whatever your factors and goals are, try listing them down first. This action can give you a clear idea of which type of PPC ad campaign you should go for.

5 Key Performance Indicators for Amazon PPC Campaigns

Amazon webpage on laptop with credit card

Learning Amazon PPC also means knowing key performance indicators (KPIs). These metrics can provide insights into the effectiveness and success of Amazon ad campaigns. By keeping a close eye on these measurements, you can track your performance, figure out areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your Amazon PPC strategy.

Here are five key performance metrics to pay attention to.

1. Sales

Like its definition, sales refer to the total amount of money you generate while running a PPC campaign. But note that sales do not refer to revenue because those are not synonymous with each other.

2. Spend

Spend, a critical metric in PPC campaigns, is the amount of money you have invested in specific keywords or ad campaigns on Amazon. It encompasses the funds you paid Amazon for running your ads. 

Evaluating ad spend allows you to assess the profitability of your PPC campaign once sales are considered. By comparing your spending with the generated sales, you can determine whether your campaign targets the right people, contributing to your overall bottom line.

3. CTR (Click-Through Rate)

CTR, or Click-Through Rate, measures the correlation between clicks and impressions. It reflects how appealing your product listing or PPC ads are to shoppers. CTR can be calculated using the formula: (number of clicks ÷ number of impressions) x 100.

A higher CTR indicates that many users who view your ad or product listing are enticed to click on it. It signifies that your ad creative, copy, or product information is captivating and attention-grabbing.

4. Impressions

The number of impressions represents how frequently your ad is displayed to shoppers when they search for a keyword. Generally, the higher the impression, the better.

5. CPC (Cost-Per-Click)

CPC refers to the money the advertiser pays Amazon whenever an ad is clicked using a particular keyword. The general rule of thumb is that the more popular the keyword, the higher the CPC due to the competitiveness of bids declared by advertisers of the same keyword. 

Just to clarify, bids are not synonymous with CPC. Advertisers declare bids as the maximum amount of money they can spend to get a better placement on the Search Results page.

How to Set up an Amazon PPC Campaign

Now that you’ve gained insights about starting your PPC campaign, it’s time to learn how to set it up. Here is a simplified list of steps to guide you through the process.

Go to your Amazon Seller Central account..

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Go to “Advertising.” There, you will see “Campaign Manager.” Click on it to customize your PPC campaign

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You must fill up the Campaign Name, Average Daily Budget, Start and End Dates, and Targeting Type (manual or automatic campaigns).

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Input the “Ad Group Name.” You can have multiple ad groups in a single campaign.

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Choose the product to advertise for this campaign. 

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After that, you will have to declare your bid. 

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Choose the keywords. You may either check the suggested keywords by Amazon or provide your keywords.

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Click “Save and Finish” at the bottom of the screen. You’ve completed the steps once you see the “Success!” prompt on the “Campaign Manager” page. 

It takes an hour before new campaigns appear on search engines’ result pages. So, be patient and give them a little time to gain visibility.

9 Amazon PPC Management Tips and Tricks 

Amazon logo on laptop screen

Setting up your PPC campaign is indeed the initial phase, but the real key to success lies in effective Amazon PPC management. You must ensure that your advertising campaigns are not only up and running but also performing optimally. After all, the ultimate purpose of advertising is to generate tangible results and drive business growth.

But like managing Google Ads, Amazon PPC can be tricky too. It demands strategic thinking, data analysis, and a continuous optimization approach. Fear not; we've covered you with nine Amazon PPC tips and tricks to make your PPC management a breeze.

Tip #1: Shift Between Automatic and Manual Campaigns

One effective strategy in Amazon PPC management is to shift from automatic to manual campaigns. Shifting lets you assess the performance of keywords and identify negative keywords, leading to improved campaign results.

Start with an automatic campaign, allowing Amazon's algorithm to determine relevant keywords and handle bidding. Once you have accumulated sufficient data, analyze the search term report to identify high-performing keywords and uncover valuable insights. 

This information will guide you in transitioning to a manual campaign, where you have complete control over your ads. With this approach, you can fine-tune your targeting, tweak bids based on performance, and focus on specific keywords or customer segments.

Tip #2: Monitor Your PPC Campaign Performance

Make it a habit to visit your Campaign Manager at least once a week. Check which keywords are costing you the most and the ones driving in a lot of sales. Staying on top of the metrics mentioned earlier will help you make informed decisions to modify your results.

During these check-ins, focus on these key areas to know when to improve and make data-driven adjustments. Don’t forget to analyze the health of your Amazon PPC ad and review costs for better outcomes.

Tip #3: Master the Art of Keyword Research

There is nothing wrong with knowing more. In the case of Amazon's PPC advertising strategy, keyword research is the solution to excellent execution.

Know all four types of keywords:

  • Broad Keyword: Targets a wider audience searching for related terms.
  • Phrase Keyword: Captures more specific search queries by targeting phrases that include your chosen keywords.
  • Exact Keyword: Ensures your ads are only shown when the exact search term matches your keyword.
  • Negative Keyword: Excludes specific search terms that are irrelevant to your products.

With these keyword match types, you will be able to harness the reach of your ads.

Tip #4: Optimize All Your Product Listings

The most straightforward rule to give you a significant advantage against competitors is product listings that immediately catch the customers’ attention. After all, your Amazon product detail page exists to convince people that your products are better than others. 

This may sound like the obvious, but effectively optimizing your product listings is a task easier said than done. To achieve product listing optimization, consider the following:

  • Write a Killer Product Description

All Amazon advertisers treat product descriptions as the bread and butter of their ad campaigns, and it’s not hard to see why. Customers on Amazon are ready to spend money on the platform, so you should make your product descriptions as captivating as possible. 

There are numerous ways to capture customers’ interest in your products, so be creative! A good start would be to keep them focused on the product’s benefit. Consider using bullets or separating ideas for longer descriptions.

  • Upload High-Quality Product Images

Optimizing product images is just as crucial as writing descriptions. You should always have the mindset that your photos are the only way to talk to your customers. 

Pretend that product descriptions do not exist—how would you do your best to make the images compelling enough to stand alone? Try different angles on your products. Always present your brand logo and show your products' sizes through photos. More importantly, keep these images abiding by the Amazon guidelines.

  • Focus Effort on Increasing Product Reviews

A sufficient number of customer reviews on Amazon is always a good sign for advertisers. Active customer engagement provides more credence for your business on the platform, which will attract future customers and create new business partnerships.

An effective way to increase product reviews is to provide freebies or discounts for customers who leave substantial reviews. You can also start a social media campaign to boost your engagement.

Tip #5: Outsource, But Only When Needed

If you think you or your team cannot fully optimize your product listings on your own, you may consider outsourcing your work. 

Much like Amazon PPC Outsourcing, this can be especially useful for your product photos—since Amazon has placed very stringent photo requirements for advertisers on their platform, it may be practical to hire professional photographers to take your photos instead. You erase the risk of being penalized, and you get top-quality images.   

Tip #6: Maximize the Buy Box and Best Seller Badge Privileges

The Buy Box and Seller Badge are surefire ways to get additional credibility to convert your Amazon product display ads into sales. 

  • Buy Box

The Buy Box section is a feature that leads customers toward the best possible buying option for a common item. Naturally, almost all customers buy exclusively from the Buy Box seller since they know they are provided with the best product value.

Acquiring the Buy Box is not an easy feat to accomplish. Your seller performance, inventory, and shipping capabilities will be reviewed. But once you have it, 99% of the customers will be yours!

  • Best Seller Badge

The Amazon Best Seller badge, on the other hand, is an orange ribbon icon awarded to sellers on the platform who perform better than their competitors. Best Seller badges are awarded to up to 100 sellers for each category, so it's easier to get.

Getting a Best Seller badge is tricky. We recommend placing your product in a less competitive category, giving you a higher chance of getting the badge. See if it performs better than your competitors, and enjoy your new verified icon.

Incorporating these achievements into your Amazon PPC campaigns convinces customers that you're a trustworthy and dependable seller.

Tip #7: Bids vs. CPC

Advertisers often get shocked by their high ad spend because they forget to adjust certain settings. Let's say your bid price is significantly higher than the cost-per-click (CPC), and your sales are not performing well, resulting in a high Advertising Cost of Sales (ACoS). It may be time to lower your bids.

Lowering your bid price helps you control your ad spend and improve your ACoS. By reducing your bid, you signal to Amazon that you are willing to pay less for each click, which can result in a lower overall cost for your advertising campaigns.

Finding the default bid price that balances cost control and desired results may require trial and error. Regularly monitoring your campaigns enables you to optimize your Amazon PPC efforts and achieve a more favorable return on investment.

Tip #8: Apply Actions From Data-Reading

What is the use of reading the performance of your PPC campaign if you follow the appropriate strategy? Different methods that are proven to be effective have been used. 

Like above, lowering the bids by setting up a target ACoS is an excellent way to save money on PPC. You will have to think about your profit margin and attaining your goals.

Tip #9: Organize Products in the Same Ad Group

Organize your products into relevant ad groups to enhance campaign management. With this strategy, you can streamline your campaign structure and make managing and tracking performance easier. 

It also enables you to focus on specific groups of products that share similar characteristics or appeal to particular customer segments. For example, you can create ad groups based on long-tail keywords or product categories to display your campaigns to the right audience.

Final Thoughts

Gone are the days of you tirelessly trying to figure out the intricacies of Amazon PPC campaigns. You no longer have to spend countless hours researching, experimenting, and hoping for the best. The solution is here, and it’s time to leave the guesswork behind.

Seller Interactive is your ideal partner in achieving success with your Amazon PPC campaigns. We have been handling multiple Amazon PPC accounts with our team of qualified PPC specialists. Don’t just take our word for it— the reviews from our satisfied clients speak for themselves.

Are you excited to take your PPC campaign to the next level? Or do you simply want to know more? Contact us today.

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