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A PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaign is a type of online advertising where advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. It’s a way to buy visits to your website, rather than earning them organically. The main goal of PPC is to drive traffic to a specific landing page, such as a product page or website, to generate conversions like purchases or leads.
On Amazon, a PPC campaign works similarly but is focused on increasing product visibility within Amazon’s marketplace. Sellers can advertise their products, and when shoppers click on those ads, the seller pays a fee. Amazon PPC helps boost sales by putting your products in front of interested buyers at the right moment.
Amazon PPC is important because it helps sellers reach potential customers more effectively. Without PPC, your product might get lost among the millions of listings on Amazon. By paying for targeted ads, your product appears in front of shoppers actively searching for similar items. This gives you a better chance of generating sales. PPC also provides immediate visibility, so you don’t have to wait for organic rankings to improve. For example, a new seller can use PPC to showcase their product, even if it doesn’t yet rank highly in search results.
Amazon PPC increases product visibility by putting your product at the top of search results or on product detail pages. Shoppers are more likely to notice and click on products that appear prominently. For instance, if you sell leather wallets, your ad could appear when someone searches for “men’s leather wallet,” even if your product is new or has few reviews. This boosts your chances of getting seen by the right customers. Greater visibility directly impacts the likelihood of generating more sales, especially in a crowded marketplace like Amazon.
PPC campaigns help drive targeted traffic by allowing you to reach customers already interested in products similar to yours. When you choose specific keywords or use Amazon’s automatic targeting, your ads appear in front of relevant shoppers. For example, if you sell protein bars, your ad might show up when someone searches for “high-protein snacks.” This ensures that you’re not wasting your advertising budget on irrelevant clicks, but instead focusing on an audience likely to buy. Targeted traffic leads to better conversion rates, which ultimately helps grow your business.
Sales generated through Amazon PPC directly influence your product’s organic ranking on Amazon. The more sales your product makes, the higher it ranks in organic search results. For example, if your PPC campaign for a yoga mat drives significant sales, Amazon’s algorithm recognizes your product as popular, which boosts its organic visibility. Over time, this leads to a snowball effect where more organic traffic results in more sales. PPC is an essential tool for new or lower-ranking products that need help gaining traction in Amazon’s competitive marketplace.
Amazon PPC helps grow your brand by increasing exposure to a larger audience, especially with Sponsored Brand Ads. These ads allow you to showcase your logo, custom headline, and multiple products in a banner at the top of search results. For example, if you sell a line of skincare products, Sponsored Brand Ads can promote your entire range under your brand name, helping build recognition and trust. Over time, this exposure helps create a loyal customer base, making it easier for shoppers to remember and search for your brand specifically.
Amazon offers three main types of PPC campaigns:
Sponsored Product Ads are the most common type of PPC ad on Amazon. These ads promote individual product listings and appear in search results or on product detail pages. They help increase visibility for specific products.
For example, if you’re selling a stainless steel water bottle, your ad could show up when someone searches for “water bottles” on Amazon. When a shopper clicks on your ad, they are taken directly to your product page. This type of ad is useful for driving traffic to specific items, boosting sales quickly.
Sponsored Brand Ads promote your brand as a whole, featuring your logo, a custom headline, and multiple products. These ads appear at the top of Amazon search results, helping to build brand recognition.
For example, if you sell a line of organic skincare products, your ad might showcase your brand’s name along with a face cream, body lotion, and cleanser. Sponsored Brand Ads are a great way to introduce shoppers to your entire range of products and strengthen your brand presence on Amazon.
Sponsored Display Ads allow you to advertise on Amazon and across other websites or apps that are part of Amazon’s ad network. These ads can target shoppers based on their interests or past behaviors, such as people who viewed your product but didn’t buy it.
For example, if someone looked at your yoga mat but didn’t purchase it, your ad might appear on another website they visit later, reminding them of your product. Sponsored Display Ads help you reach potential customers both on and off Amazon, expanding your advertising reach.
Keywords play a major role in PPC campaigns. Here are the main types:
Broad match keywords show your ad for searches that contain your keyword in any order, along with similar terms or variations. This type gives the widest reach.
For example, if your broad match keyword is “leather shoes,” your ad might appear for searches like “brown leather shoes” or “men’s formal shoes.” While broad match helps you get more visibility, it may show your ad for less relevant searches.
Phrase match keywords show your ad when a shopper searches for the exact phrase in the correct order, but additional words can appear before or after.
For example, if your phrase match keyword is “leather shoes,” your ad could appear for “black leather shoes for men.” Phrase match offers more control compared to broad match but still allows for some flexibility in search terms.
Exact match keywords trigger your ad only when a shopper searches for the exact keyword or very close variations.
For example, if your exact match keyword is “leather shoes,” your ad will only show up when someone searches precisely for “leather shoes.” This type of keyword gives you the most control but may limit your ad’s reach to fewer searches.
Negative keywords prevent your ad from showing up for specific search terms that are irrelevant to your product.
For example, if you’re selling high-end leather shoes, you could add “cheap” as a negative keyword to avoid attracting shoppers looking for low-cost options. Using negative keywords ensures that you don’t waste ad spend on clicks that are unlikely to convert into sales.
Go to your Amazon Seller Central account by entering your credentials.
Once logged in, locate the “Advertising” tab on the dashboard and select “Campaign Manager” from the dropdown menu.
Amazon offers three PPC campaign types:
Sponsored Products (Most popular, promotes individual products)
Sponsored Brands (Promotes a brand with a custom headline and multiple products)
Sponsored Display (Ads appear on Amazon’s network, both on and off Amazon)
Select the one that aligns with your advertising goals.
Choose a unique name for your campaign to keep things organized.
Set a start date and optionally an end date if you want the campaign to run for a limited time.
You can decide between a daily budget or a total budget (overall budget for the campaign’s entire duration).
For beginners, starting with a moderate daily budget ($10-$50) helps you manage costs.
Automatic targeting is an option where Amazon selects relevant keywords for your ads based on the details of your product listing, such as title, description, and category. This type of targeting is ideal for beginners who are new to Amazon PPC or for those who want to test which keywords perform best without having to manually select them. Since Amazon does the heavy lifting, it saves time and provides valuable insights into which keywords attract the most clicks and sales.
For example, if you’re selling “wireless headphones,” Amazon might target keywords like “Bluetooth headphones,” “wireless earphones,” or “noise-canceling headphones” without you having to input them manually. Over time, you can review the performance of these keywords and use that data to refine your campaigns. Automatic targeting is a great way to gather data on what works and what doesn’t, helping you transition to manual targeting later.
Manual targeting gives sellers more control over their Amazon PPC campaigns. With this method, you select specific keywords that you want your ads to show for. You can choose between broad match, phrase match, and exact match keywords, giving you flexibility in how widely or narrowly your ads will be displayed.
For example, if you’re selling “wireless headphones,” you might use broad match keywords like “headphones” or “wireless earbuds” to capture a wide audience. You could use phrase match keywords like “wireless headphones for running” to show your ad when a shopper’s search contains that phrase. Finally, you might use an exact match keyword like “wireless headphones” to target people searching for that exact term. Manual targeting allows you to refine your ad reach and focus on the keywords most relevant to your product, potentially improving your ad performance and return on investment.
For Manual Campaigns, you can set bids for each keyword. This determines how much you’re willing to pay when a customer clicks on your ad.
Start with competitive bids but monitor your campaign to adjust as needed. Amazon suggests bids based on similar campaigns.
For Sponsored Products, you only need to select the product listing that you want to promote.
For Sponsored Brands, create an ad with your logo, a headline, and up to three products.
Make sure your product details, titles, and images are optimized because these elements will appear in the ad.
Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches.
For example, if you sell premium shoes, you can add “cheap” as a negative keyword to avoid clicks from users looking for cheap shoes.
Once you’ve set everything up, review your settings and hit the “Launch” button.
Your ads will start running after Amazon reviews and approves them, which usually takes a few hours.
After your campaign is live:
Regularly check Campaign Manager to see performance metrics such as clicks, impressions, and sales.
Adjust bids on underperforming or overperforming keywords.
Add new keywords or more negative keywords based on search term reports.
Increase the budget if you’re seeing good returns on investment (ROI).
Amazon PPC campaigns are essential for boosting product visibility, driving targeted traffic, increasing sales ranking, and growing your brand. With three main types—Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display—sellers can choose the best strategy to fit their goals. Using the right keywords is key, from broad match for wider reach to exact match for precise targeting, and negative keywords to avoid irrelevant clicks. By understanding these elements and managing campaigns effectively, sellers can improve their presence on Amazon, attract the right audience, and increase sales. PPC is a powerful tool for any seller looking to succeed on Amazon.
