Running ads on Amazon can feel like a constant battle for visibility. With millions of competing products and an ever-changing algorithm, how do you ensure that your ads reach the right shoppers? Many sellers struggle with wasted ad spend, low conversion rates, and the challenge of understanding what truly drives sales.
One of the biggest mistakes sellers make is focusing solely on broad keywords without analyzing how customers actually search for products. This results in irrelevant clicks, high costs, and poor ad performance. To truly succeed, you need a strategic approach—one that leverages real shopper behavior and continuously refines your targeting.
This blog will break down the importance of Amazon search terms, how they differ from keywords, and how optimizing them can significantly improve ad efficiency, increase sales, and boost your return on investment (ROI). If you're looking to make every ad dollar count, this guide is for you.
Understanding Amazon Search Terms
Search term optimization plays a pivotal role in the success of Amazon advertising campaigns across Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and other ad formats. Search terms refer to the exact words and phrases shoppers type into Amazon’s search bar, which triggers relevant ads based on keyword targeting. Optimizing these search terms ensures that your ads appear in front of the right audience, increasing visibility, conversions, and overall return on investment (ROI).
Amazon’s algorithm prioritizes relevance, meaning that aligning your ad strategy with high-performing search terms can significantly impact your sales. Continuous monitoring and refinement are necessary to identify profitable search terms, eliminate unproductive ones, and adjust bids accordingly. Additionally, leveraging negative search terms prevents wasted ad spend by filtering out irrelevant traffic.
Difference Between Search Terms and Keywords
Understanding the distinction between search terms and keywords is essential for optimizing Amazon ads. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they serve different purposes in Amazon Advertising.
- Search Terms: These are the actual words and phrases that shoppers enter into Amazon’s search bar. Search terms provide insights into customer behavior and indicate how buyers are searching for products. Advertisers analyze search terms to identify high-converting queries and eliminate irrelevant ones.
- Keywords: Keywords are the terms advertisers bid on when creating an Amazon PPC campaign. They act as triggers that determine when an ad appears based on relevance. Keywords can be broad, phrase, or exact match, influencing how ads are shown in relation to shopper searches.
Key Differences:
- Search terms are customer-driven, whereas keywords are advertiser-controlled.
- Keywords influence ad placements, while search terms reveal how customers are actually searching.
- Refining keywords based on high-performing search terms improves ad targeting and ROI.
By continuously analyzing search terms and adjusting keyword strategies, advertisers can optimize campaigns for higher visibility and better conversion rates.
How Search Terms Impact Amazon Advertising
Before entering into search term optimization, it's important to understand how search terms work within Amazon Advertising campaigns. Search terms, or keywords, are the phrases customers use when searching for products. The goal of optimization is to ensure your ads appear for the most relevant search terms, driving traffic to your listings.
In Amazon Advertising, search terms play a key role in Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands campaigns. Advertisers select keywords for which they want their products to show up in search results. Amazon’s algorithm then uses these keywords to match relevant ads with customer queries. When your keywords are properly optimized, your ads are more likely to appear on top for the customers actively seeking products like yours, resulting in greater visibility, higher click-through rates (CTR), and increased sales.
Types of Amazon Ads and Their Use of Search Terms
There are various types of ads you can run on Amazon, and each has its unique features when it comes to search term targeting.
Sponsored Products (SP) Ads
Sponsored Products are the most widely used ad type, allowing customers to promote individual products. These ads can appear in search results and on product detail pages. Sponsored Products offer two targeting options:
- Automatic Targeting: Amazon automatically matches your ads to relevant search terms based on your product details. This is a good starting point, as it lets Amazon’s algorithm determine the best matches for your product.
- Manual Targeting: In manual campaigns, you select specific keywords for which your product will appear. This is where search term optimization is vital, as you need to choose highly relevant keywords that are likely to convert.
Sponsored Brands (SB) Ads
Sponsored Brands ads appear at the top of search results, showcasing multiple products along with your brand’s logo and a customizable headline. These ads are perfect for boosting brand visibility and reaching a broader audience.
Keyword optimization for Sponsored Brands is similar to Sponsored Products, but with a greater focus on building your brand’s presence. Since these ads can appear for a broader range of search terms, it’s crucial to manage your keywords carefully to avoid irrelevant impressions.
Sponsored Display (SD) Ads
Sponsored Display ads allow you to reach customers both on and off Amazon. These ads target users based on their behavior, such as retargeting those who have previously viewed your products or similar items. While search term targeting is less emphasized in Sponsored Display, combining Audience Targeting with your search term strategies is key to optimizing ad performance.
Unlocking Success with Keyword Research for Search Term Optimization
Successful search term optimization begins with thorough keyword research. Selecting the right search terms for your Amazon Ads is a vital first step in attracting the right traffic to your listings.
How to Conduct Keyword Research?
- Start with Automatic Campaigns: If you're new to Amazon Ads, begin with automatic campaigns. Amazon's algorithm will identify relevant search terms that you might not have considered, giving you a strong foundation for optimizing your keywords.
- Utilize Amazon's Keyword Tools: Leverage tools like Helium 10, Jungle Scout, or Keyword Tool to find the best keywords for your products. These tools provide valuable data on search volume, competition, and keyword relevance, helping you focus on terms with high potential.
- Analyze Competitors: Investigate the keywords your competitors are targeting and examine how their products are performing. If they're ranking for specific search terms, consider incorporating those into your campaigns.
- Customer Reviews & Search Suggestions: Review your product's customer feedback and identify common phrases customers use. Additionally, use Amazon's autocomplete feature to see what terms shoppers are typing in when searching for products like yours.
- Target Long-Tail Keywords: Long-tail keywords are more specific, multi-word phrases that typically face less competition and can result in higher conversion rates. These keywords often target customers closer to making a purchase, making them an essential part of your search term strategy.
Organizing Keywords into Categories
- Primary Keywords: Broad and highly relevant keywords that describe your product.
- Secondary Keywords: More specific terms that further define your product.
- Negative Keywords: Keywords you don’t want your ads to show up for. This can prevent wasting money on irrelevant clicks.
Continuous Monitoring and Refinement
Search term optimization is not a one-time task. To keep your campaigns effective, you need to continuously monitor performance and refine your strategy.
Metrics to Track:
- ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sales): Measures the cost of your ads relative to the revenue they generate. Aim for a lower ACoS, but keep in mind that some campaigns (especially for new products) may have a higher ACoS initially.
- CTR (Click-Through Rate): A higher CTR typically indicates that your search terms are relevant and your ad copy is compelling.
- Conversion Rate: This shows how many of the clicks from your ads turn into purchases. Improving your conversion rate through relevant search terms is key to achieving profitable campaigns.
Smart Strategies to Optimize Amazon Search Terms for Maximum Impact
Optimizing Amazon search terms requires a strategic approach to ensure ads reach the right audience and drive conversions. Here are key tips for leveraging search terms effectively:
- Conduct Thorough Keyword Research – Use tools like Amazon’s Search Term Report, Helium 10, or Jungle Scout to identify high-converting search terms. Analyze competitor listings to discover relevant terms.
- Utilize Match Types Wisely – Employ a mix of broad, phrase, and exact match types to balance reach and relevance. Exact match terms improve precision, while broad and phrase matches expand exposure.
- Regularly Monitor Search Term Reports – Identify top-performing terms and allocate higher bids to them while eliminating unprofitable terms.
- Use Negative Keywords – Prevent wasted ad spend by blocking irrelevant or low-converting search terms that attract unqualified traffic.
- Optimize Product Listings – Ensure titles, bullet points, and descriptions align with relevant search terms to improve organic ranking and ad relevance.
- Test and Adjust Bids – Experiment with bid adjustments based on performance data to maximize ROI and improve cost efficiency.
Continuous refinement and data-driven adjustments can significantly enhance ad performance on Amazon.
Mistakes to Avoid to Make the Most of Your Amazon Search Terms
Even experienced Amazon sellers can make search term optimization mistakes that hinder ad performance. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:
- Ignoring Search Term Reports – Failing to analyze search term data leads to missed opportunities for refining ad targeting and eliminating wasteful spending.
- Overusing Broad Match Keywords – While a broad match increases visibility, it can also attract irrelevant traffic. Balancing it with the phrase and an exact match is crucial.
- Neglecting Negative Keywords – Without negative keywords, ads may show up for irrelevant searches, resulting in high ad spend with low conversions.
- Failing to Optimize Listings – If product titles and descriptions don’t align with targeted search terms, ads may not perform well, leading to lower click-through and conversion rates.
- Setting and Forgetting Campaigns – Amazon’s ad landscape changes frequently; failing to adjust bids and search terms regularly can reduce ad efficiency.
- Bidding Too Aggressively on Generic Terms – High bids on broad, competitive keywords can drain budgets quickly without delivering proportional sales.
Avoiding these mistakes and refining search term strategies will help maximize visibility, improve conversions, and boost overall ad performance.
Conclusion
Optimizing search terms in your Amazon ads is crucial for improving visibility, conversions, and sales. By conducting thorough keyword research, selecting relevant keywords, and monitoring performance, you can enhance campaign effectiveness.
Since Amazon’s advertising landscape is always changing, frequent adjustments are key to staying competitive. Continuously refining your search term strategy increases your chances of building a successful, long-term presence on Amazon.
At SalesDuo, we specialize in navigating the complexities of Amazon advertising, ensuring your campaigns stay optimized for maximum ROI. From AI-backed and expert-led in-depth keyword analysis to ongoing performance tracking, our team helps brands fine-tune their advertising strategies to drive sustainable growth.
Ready to take your Amazon ads to the next level? Schedule a 1:1 call with SalesDuo today and let our experts craft a data-driven ad strategy tailored to your brand’s success.
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About the Author
Pavish Kumar, a seasoned Amazon ads expert at SalesDuo, specializes in Amazon Ads, Walmart Ads, and Google Ads, crafting data-driven strategies that maximize ROI and brand growth. Beyond work, he is a keen industry trendspotter, an analytics enthusiast, and a lifelong learner passionate about optimizing ad performance.
