Boost Your Sales with Data-Driven Insights

Introduction

Want to sell more on Amazon? Start by ditching your assumptions.

In 2025, the brands that win aren’t the ones with the flashiest marketing — they’re the ones using data to make better decisions.

Data-driven insights are your secret weapon to:
📊 Understand your audience
📈 Optimize your advertising
💸 Increase profitability
🚀 Scale your business

In this post, we’ll break down the best ways to use Amazon data to grow your brand.

What Does It Mean to Be “Data-Driven” on Amazon?

Being data-driven means basing decisions on evidence, not assumptions.

It’s about:
✅ Knowing which metrics to track
✅ Reviewing reports consistently
✅ Acting on the story your data tells

Let’s walk through where to find that data and how to use it.

Key Amazon Reports to Monitor

  1. Search Query Performance Report
  2. Search Term Report (from PPC)
  3. Business Reports → Detail Page Sales and Traffic
  4. Brand Analytics → Market Basket, Repeat Purchase, and Demographics
  5. Inventory Performance Dashboard
  6. Account Health Metrics (Returns, ODR)

Step-by-Step: How to Use These Insights

1. Optimize Listings with Search Query Performance

This report shows:

  • Which queries drive impressions
  • How many clicks and conversions they get
  • Your brand’s share of traffic

🛠 Use this to:
✅ Improve CTR by updating your title and images
✅ Improve conversion by optimizing bullets and A+ content
✅ Find long-tail keywords for ads and backend SEO

2. Cut Wasted Spend Using Search Term Reports

Search Term Reports (from PPC) show:

  • Which terms actually convert
  • What’s costing money with no return
  • Which match types are most effective

📉 Use this data to:
✅ Pause poor performers
✅ Negative match low-quality queries
✅ Shift budget to high-ROAS keywords

3. Track Your TACoS (Total Advertising Cost of Sale)

TACoS = Ad Spend / Total Revenue

This shows whether your advertising is:

  • Fueling brand growth
  • Just covering existing sales
  • Losing you money

🎯 Goal: Keep TACoS below 10% long-term, with profitability improving as you scale.

4. Monitor Conversion Rate (CVR) & Sessions

From Business Reports:

  • Sessions = traffic
  • Unit session percentage = conversion rate

If sessions are high but conversions are low:
📌 You need to fix your listing (not your ads)

5. Use Market Basket Analysis to Create Bundles

Brand Analytics → Market Basket shows what else customers buy with your product.

🛠 Use this to:
✅ Build virtual bundles
✅ Create new ASINs based on demand
✅ Improve AOV (Average Order Value)

6. Understand Repeat Customers with Purchase Behavior

Are customers coming back?

Use Repeat Purchase Reports to:

  • Identify products to offer subscriptions
  • Create remarketing campaigns
  • Decide which SKUs deserve deeper inventory

7. Segment Data by ASIN, Not Just Brand

Always break down performance by ASIN.

Some products:

  • Convert higher
  • Have stronger repeat purchase
  • Justify higher ad spend

Others?
❌ Might be cannibalizing your budget

8. Use Data to Guide Inventory Decisions

Monitor:

  • Sell-through rate
  • Excess inventory
  • Inbound performance

📉 Too much stock = storage fees
📈 Too little = stockouts & lost rank

Plan restocks based on 30/60/90-day sales velocity.

Real Example: Scaling with Data

One Marketplace Valet client was spending $6,000/month on ads with no clear ROI.

We:
✅ Reviewed their Search Term Report
✅ Identified 3 keywords with 3x ROAS
✅ Paused all other low-performing terms
✅ Updated listings to match their top queries
✅ Focused budget on converting keywords only

Result:
📈 42% increase in sales
💸 27% reduction in ad spend
📊 Lowered ACoS from 38% → 14% in 6 weeks

Common Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 Looking at data without taking action
🚫 Tracking only ACoS instead of TACoS
🚫 Ignoring listing conversion rates
🚫 Running the same ads for every product
🚫 Reacting to data without enough time range

Tools to Make This Easier

Consider using:

  • Helium 10 (for keyword and product tracking)
  • DataHawk or Jungle Scout (for analytics)
  • Sellerboard (for profit and loss tracking)
  • Marketplace Valet’s internal dashboards (available for clients)

Final Thoughts

Data is only powerful if you act on it.

To scale in 2025, Amazon sellers need to:
✅ Embrace analytics
✅ Use reports to test and improve
✅ Cut waste and double down on what works

Success isn’t about luck — it’s about insights.

Want Help Becoming a Data-Driven Brand?

At Marketplace Valet, we turn reporting into growth strategies that scale your brand and your bottom line.

📩 justin@marketplacevalet.com
🌐 https://marketplacevalet.com

Top Tips for Analyzing Search Query Performance on Amazon

Introduction

If you’re an Amazon seller looking to optimize listings, improve SEO, and scale your business — you can’t ignore the Search Query Performance Report (SQPR).

This tool is part of Brand Analytics and gives you detailed data on:
🔍 What shoppers are searching
📈 How they interact with your listings
💸 Where you’re missing opportunities to convert

In this post, we’ll show you how to analyze the report and give you top tips to turn this data into actionable wins.

What Is the Search Query Performance Report?

The SQPR is available inside Amazon Brand Analytics. It shows:

MetricDescription
Search QueryThe exact phrase customers searched
ImpressionsHow often your products were seen in those searches
ClicksHow many people clicked your listing
Click-Through Rate (CTR)% of impressions that resulted in clicks
ConversionsPurchases attributed to that query
Conversion Rate% of clicks that resulted in purchases
Brand ShareYour share of total clicks/sales for that query

You can download this report at a weekly, monthly, or quarterly level.

Why It Matters

The SQPR gives you insight into how your brand performs for specific search queries — across both organic and sponsored placements.

You can:
✅ Spot keywords where you’re winning
✅ Identify underperforming queries
✅ Understand how shoppers behave
✅ See what’s working for your competitors

How to Access the Report

  1. Go to Brand Analytics in Seller Central
  2. Click on Search Query Performance
  3. Choose the timeframe and ASIN
  4. Download the CSV or view online

Top Tips for Analyzing Search Query Performance

Tip 1: Start with High-Impression Queries

These are the most searched terms relevant to your product.

Sort by impressions to:

  • Find high-volume opportunities
  • Ensure you’re appearing where it matters
  • Align your ad and SEO strategy to high-demand terms

🛠 If impressions are high but clicks are low → your main image/title might be underperforming.

Tip 2: Prioritize CTR (Click-Through Rate)

High impressions + low CTR = visibility without interest.

Ask:

  • Does my title match the search intent?
  • Is my main image compelling?
  • Do I have a clear price/offer/value prop?

📌 Tip: Test new main images, A/B titles, or pricing.

Tip 3: Improve Conversion Rate

Once shoppers click, are they buying?

If your conversion rate is low:

  • Revisit your listing copy
  • Strengthen your bullets and product details
  • Use FAQs and reviews to reduce buyer friction
  • Improve A+ content or add a video

📊 Conversion rate below 10%? It’s time to optimize.

Tip 4: Compare Click Share vs Conversion Share

Let’s say:

  • You get 30% of clicks on a keyword
  • But only 10% of conversions

That gap = lost opportunity.

🛠 Fix the funnel with stronger listing content or pricing strategy.

Tip 5: Look for New Keyword Opportunities

The SQPR often surfaces queries you didn’t think to target.

Look for:

  • Long-tail terms
  • Use-case keywords (e.g., “travel water bottle for kids”)
  • Branded vs unbranded differences

Use these in:
✅ Listings
✅ PPC campaigns
✅ Backend search terms

Tip 6: Track Performance Over Time

Use the weekly view to spot trends.

  • Did changes to your listing improve CTR?
  • Are competitors overtaking your brand share?
  • Are you gaining or losing search presence?

🔁 Monitoring regularly helps you stay ahead.

Tip 7: Filter by ASIN

If you sell multiple products, analyze search queries one ASIN at a time.

This avoids data being muddied by top-sellers or unrelated items.

Tip 8: Use the Report to Guide PPC

For high-volume terms with poor organic share:
📌 Build a Sponsored Products campaign
📌 Use Phrase or Exact Match
📌 Monitor conversions and refine

📈 This gets your product in front of more relevant traffic — fast.

Tip 9: Optimize for Branded vs Generic Terms

Branded queries = people searching for you
Generic = broader market opportunity

If branded CTR is high but generic is low:
✅ Your loyal fans find you
🛠 But you may need to improve how you reach new customers

Tip 10: Align Keywords Across All Touchpoints

Your best-performing queries should appear in:

  • Title and bullets
  • A+ content
  • Ad campaigns
  • Images and alt-text (where applicable)

Repetition reinforces relevance to Amazon’s algorithm.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 Only checking once a month
🚫 Ignoring low-converting high-volume terms
🚫 Not acting on poor CTR or low conversion share
🚫 Failing to adapt your ads based on real data

Summary

The Search Query Performance Report gives you an insider view into:
✅ What customers are typing
✅ Where your listings succeed
✅ Where you lose out
✅ How your brand stacks up

Analyze it regularly and use the insights to:

  • Improve CTR
  • Boost conversions
  • Refine PPC
  • Increase brand visibility
  • Discover new growth opportunities

Want Help Making Sense of the Data?

At Marketplace Valet, we help brands decode reports like this and turn them into high-performing strategies that scale sales.

Let’s make your data work harder → justin@marketplacevalet.com
Or visit https://marketplacevalet.com

How to Use Amazon Search Reports to Scale Your Business

Introduction

Every seller wants to scale — but too many are flying blind.

Want real growth?

You need data-driven insights — and the most powerful one might already be sitting in your Seller Central dashboard:

📊 The Amazon Search Term Report.

In this guide, we’ll break down:

  • What the Search Term Report is
  • How to access and read it
  • What insights it reveals
  • How to use it to scale your ads, listings, and strategy

Let’s dive in.

What Is the Amazon Search Term Report?

The Search Term Report is available in Amazon’s advertising console and Seller Central. It tells you:

🔍 What exact search terms customers typed before clicking your ad
📈 Which terms led to sales
💸 Which terms cost you money but didn’t convert

This is different from keyword targeting — it’s about real-world shopper behavior.

How to Access It

  1. Go to Advertising → Reports
  2. Choose Sponsored Products → Search Term Report
  3. Select your timeframe (last 7, 30, or 60 days)
  4. Download the .csv file and open in Excel or Google Sheets

Key Columns in the Report

Here’s what to pay attention to:

Column NameWhat It Tells You
Search TermWhat shoppers typed
Campaign NameThe ad campaign it came from
Match TypeBroad, Phrase, or Exact
ImpressionsHow often your ad showed
ClicksHow often it was clicked
SpendWhat you paid
OrdersConversions
SalesTotal value of purchases
ACoSCost per sale (spend/sales)

5 Ways to Use the Search Term Report to Scale

1. Identify Your Top-Performing Search Terms

Sort by lowest ACoS or highest ROAS.

These are your winning search terms.
✅ Increase bids
✅ Move them into Exact Match campaigns
✅ Use them in your listing copy for SEO

2. Cut Waste by Finding Poor Performers

Sort by:

  • High spend
  • Zero or low orders
  • ACoS above your target

Pause or negative match these terms — they’re eating budget without producing sales.

3. Discover Hidden Keyword Gems

Sometimes, customers find you through terms you didn’t expect.

Look for:

  • Long-tail keywords
  • Misspellings
  • Seasonal terms

These can be added to your campaigns or listings for cheap conversions.

4. Optimize Your Campaign Structure

If you notice certain search terms performing better in phrase or broad match, build new campaigns around them.

You’ll:
✅ Control bids better
✅ Reduce overlap
✅ Improve campaign efficiency

5. Use It to Improve Product Listings

The best-performing search terms = language your customers use.

Incorporate them into:

  • Title
  • Bullet points
  • A+ content
  • Backend search terms

This boosts organic rank and conversion rate.

Real-World Example

We helped a client selling home goods identify that “minimalist kitchen rack” was driving high-converting traffic.

✅ It wasn’t in their listing
✅ It wasn’t targeted in ads
✅ It came from a broad match campaign

We:

  • Added it to their product title and bullets
  • Created an exact match campaign for it
  • Saw a 43% sales lift in 30 days

Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 Ignoring the report entirely
🚫 Optimizing based on keyword targeting, not actual search terms
🚫 Overreacting to short-term data (use at least 14–30 days)
🚫 Failing to implement negative keywords

Bonus Tip: Use Negative Keywords

If a search term is:

  • Getting clicks but no sales
  • Driving irrelevant traffic
  • Wasting budget

…negative match it.

This tells Amazon: “Don’t show my ad here again.”

Clean data = better results.

How Often Should You Review the Report?

🔁 Every 7–14 days for active campaigns
🔁 Monthly for less active SKUs

Consistent review = consistent improvement.

Final Thoughts

The Amazon Search Term Report is a goldmine for growth.

It shows you:
✅ What works
✅ What doesn’t
✅ Where your customers are
✅ How to scale with confidence

Use it to:

  • Optimize campaigns
  • Improve your listings
  • Increase profit per click
  • Reduce wasted ad spend

It’s not a luxury — it’s a necessity.

Want Help Scaling?

At Marketplace Valet, we turn data like this into real dollars.

Let’s scale your listings → justin@marketplacevalet.com
Or visit https://marketplacevalet.com

How 24-Hour Attribution Impacts Your Amazon Conversion Rates

Introduction

Amazon’s advertising platform is powerful — but it comes with limitations most sellers don’t realize.

One of the biggest?

🕒 24-hour attribution.

If a shopper clicks your ad and buys 25 hours later, you get no credit for that sale.

This can drastically skew:

  • Conversion rate data
  • ACoS and ROAS calculations
  • Campaign decisions
  • Budget allocations

In this post, we’ll unpack what 24-hour attribution really means — and what you can do about it.

What Is Amazon’s 24-Hour Attribution Model?

Attribution is how Amazon tracks and assigns credit for sales back to an ad click.

Their default model only credits you if:
📌 The customer clicks your ad
📌 Then makes a purchase within 24 hours

This is different from other platforms like Facebook (7-day click) or Google (up to 30 days).

So even if your ad influenced the buyer’s decision — if they wait too long to purchase, you lose credit.

How This Impacts Your Performance Metrics

1. Conversion Rate May Look Worse Than It Is

If shoppers are window-shopping, price comparing, or coming back later — your actual conversions may be underreported.

Amazon will show:

  • More clicks
  • Fewer conversions
  • Lower CTR
  • Higher ACoS

Even if you’re generating real sales.

2. ACoS and ROAS Are Inflated

When sales fall outside the attribution window, your campaign may appear less profitable than it really is.

Let’s say:

  • 100 clicks = $50 ad spend
  • 2 tracked conversions = $30 in revenue
    🧮 That’s a 167% ACoS.

But if 3 more sales happened 2 days later, you’re actually profitable — Amazon just doesn’t show it.

3. Good Campaigns Look Like Bad Ones

Many high-consideration products have longer buying cycles:

  • Electronics
  • Supplements
  • Home goods
  • High-ticket items

If your ads spark interest but shoppers come back days later (via search or direct), you’ll lose attribution — and potentially pause the campaign thinking it doesn’t work.

4. Retargeting Isn’t Fully Supported

Unlike other platforms with multi-day or view-through attribution, Amazon limits your visibility into what happens after 24 hours.

This means:

  • Fewer insights into top-of-funnel effectiveness
  • Less clarity on how Sponsored Display or DSP performs over time

Workarounds and Best Practices

✅ 1. Use Brand Analytics + Business Reports

Compare:

  • Sales from ads (attributed)
  • Total sales for the product (from Business Reports)

This gives you a broader sense of what your ad exposure is contributing to — even if Amazon doesn’t count it directly.

✅ 2. Track Sessions vs Orders

Go to Business Reports and pull:

  • Sessions
  • Units Ordered

If sessions spike after a campaign but attributed sales don’t — it’s likely your ad drove delayed conversions.

✅ 3. Lower Your Bids, Extend the Funnel

If you know your product has a longer decision cycle:

  • Reduce bids to avoid overspending
  • Consider broader campaigns to build awareness
  • Use Sponsored Brand Video or lifestyle imagery to educate early

✅ 4. Use External Retargeting (if possible)

You can supplement Amazon’s short window with:

  • Pixel-tracked landing pages
  • DSP retargeting
  • Influencer campaigns or email flows

These can nurture leads that Amazon won’t show in their attribution.

✅ 5. Focus on Long-Term Organic Growth

Even if Amazon doesn’t attribute sales, your efforts help boost:

  • Ranking
  • Keyword relevance
  • Organic conversions

Your ad still does the job — it just doesn’t get full credit for it.

When Does 24-Hour Attribution Hurt the Most?

🛑 Products with longer purchase consideration
🛑 High-ticket or premium-priced items
🛑 Highly competitive categories
🛑 Launches without reviews (slower buying decisions)

Is There a Better Attribution Option?

Currently, only Amazon DSP and a few external tools allow longer attribution windows.

DSP supports:

  • 14-day click
  • 30-day view-through

But for Sponsored Products/Sponsored Brands — you’re stuck with the 24-hour rule.

Summary

🧠 Amazon’s 24-hour attribution model creates a blind spot for many sellers.

It affects how:

  • You read campaign performance
  • You optimize ad spend
  • You make budgeting decisions

Understanding it — and adjusting your expectations — is key to long-term success.

Final Thought

Don’t let Amazon’s limited attribution cause you to kill great campaigns or misread buyer behavior.

Track across tools. Look beyond the 24 hours. And play the long game.

Need Help Navigating Amazon Ads?

At Marketplace Valet, we help brands:
✅ Launch smarter
✅ Optimize campaigns with real data
✅ Avoid common attribution traps

Let’s talk → justin@marketplacevalet.com
Or visit: https://marketplacevalet.com

The Truth About Amazon Honeymoon Period — What Sellers Need to Know

Introduction

If you’re launching a product on Amazon, there’s a secret advantage most sellers overlook:

📈 The Amazon Honeymoon Period.

It’s a critical window of opportunity — and if you don’t optimize for it, you could lose organic ranking traction forever.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

  • What the Honeymoon Period is
  • How long it lasts
  • What Amazon is really looking for
  • How to make the most of it
  • The biggest mistakes to avoid

What Is the Amazon Honeymoon Period?

The Honeymoon Period is an unofficial but widely acknowledged time after your product first goes live, when Amazon’s algorithm gives your listing temporary visibility and ranking boosts to evaluate how it performs.

During this time, you may notice:

  • Higher-than-usual organic ranking
  • Faster indexation of keywords
  • Increased impressions

Amazon is essentially testing your listing to decide where you should rank in the long run.

How Long Does the Honeymoon Period Last?

The exact length varies, but typically:
🗓️ Day 0–30 = Primary honeymoon window
🗓️ Day 31–60 = Secondary evaluation period

Some sellers see lingering benefits into day 60–90, but the first 30 days are the most important.

What Amazon Is Measuring During This Time

Amazon uses the honeymoon period to gather data on:
✅ Click-through rate (CTR)
✅ Conversion rate
✅ Customer reviews
✅ Session duration
✅ Keyword relevance

The goal is to determine if your product is worthy of ranking in top spots.

If early performance is poor, your product may be suppressed, buried, or deprioritized long-term.

How to Maximize the Honeymoon Period

1. Optimize Your Listing Before Launch

  • Title, bullets, and backend keywords should be fully SEO’d
  • Use high-quality images and video
  • Add A+ Content if you’re Brand Registered
  • Ensure pricing is competitive

2. Nail Your Keyword Strategy

  • Use tools like Helium 10, Jungle Scout, or Data Dive
  • Prioritize 20–30 high-opportunity keywords
  • Focus on relevance over volume

3. Use a Launch Plan

You need a traffic-driving plan that includes:

  • PPC (exact match and phrase)
  • External traffic (social, email, influencer)
  • Discounts or coupons to encourage conversions

4. Encourage Early Reviews

Use programs like:

  • Vine (if available)
  • Post-purchase follow-up
  • Insert cards

Even 3–5 early reviews can drastically improve conversion rates.

Common Honeymoon Period Mistakes

🚫 Launching with incomplete listings
🚫 Setting price too high initially
🚫 No ads = no data for Amazon to judge
🚫 Ignoring keyword indexing
🚫 Relying only on auto campaigns
🚫 Waiting too long to drive traffic

Can You Relaunch to Get Another Honeymoon Period?

In most cases: ❌ No.

Once a product’s ASIN has been created and traffic has hit it, the honeymoon is considered “used.”

Some sellers try to:

  • Create new ASINs for the same product
  • Use minor variations or new pack sizes

But this is risky and could be against Amazon’s terms.

The best move? Get it right the first time.

Launch Plan Template for the Honeymoon Period

DaysAction
Day 0Listing fully optimized, live, indexed
Day 1–5PPC launch: exact + phrase match ads go live
Day 5–10Add product inserts + email follow-up for reviews
Day 10–20External traffic push: influencers, social ads
Day 20–30Retarget, run promotions, refine keywords

How to Track Performance

Monitor:
📊 Click-through rate
📊 Conversion rate
📊 Sessions
📊 Keyword rankings
📊 Ad spend and ACoS

Use tools like:

  • Amazon Brand Analytics
  • Helium 10 Keyword Tracker
  • Data Dive
  • Seller Central Business Reports

Long-Term Impact of a Strong Honeymoon Period

Listings that crush the honeymoon period often enjoy:
✅ Higher organic rankings
✅ Lower long-term ACoS
✅ Faster BSR improvements
✅ Better conversion rates

Those that flop? They get buried — and it’s hard (and expensive) to recover.

Final Thoughts

The Amazon Honeymoon Period is your single best shot at climbing the ranks and making an impact.

If you don’t:
❌ Launch with intention
❌ Drive early traffic
❌ Monitor and adjust

…you’ll waste the algorithm’s temporary trust.

Don’t blow it.

Need Help With Your Amazon Launch Strategy?

At Marketplace Valet, we help sellers:
✅ Launch with confidence
✅ Maximize honeymoon performance
✅ Drive traffic that converts

Let’s build your next bestseller → justin@marketplacevalet.com
Or visit: marketplacevalet.com

Proven Strategies for Diversified Budget Allocation on Amazon

Introduction

One of the biggest mistakes sellers make on Amazon?

💸 Spending 80–100% of their budget on 1–2 campaigns.

It’s easy to overfund your exact match keywords or ranking campaigns, but without a diversified budget strategy, your results will plateau — or worse, your ACoS will skyrocket.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to:

  • Split your budget across different campaign types
  • Allocate based on your product lifecycle
  • Maximize visibility while controlling costs
  • Set your brand up for long-term growth

Let’s dive into the smart way to structure your Amazon PPC budget.

Why Diversified Budget Allocation Matters

Think of your Amazon PPC budget like an investment portfolio.

You wouldn’t put 100% of your money into one stock — so why would you do it with ads?

Diversifying your spend helps:
✅ Mitigate risk
✅ Increase discoverability
✅ Support each stage of the buyer journey
✅ Lower blended ACoS

The 70/20/10 Rule for Budget Allocation

We recommend this baseline budget framework:

🔹 70% – Core Converting Campaigns

Your proven, profitable campaigns. Usually:

  • Exact match
  • Branded
  • Top performing ASINs

🔸 20% – Growth & Testing

Campaigns you’re testing or scaling. Often:

  • Broad / Phrase match
  • Competitor targeting
  • ASIN targeting

🔸 10% – Exploratory & Discovery

Auto campaigns, product launches, and keyword harvesting.

Budgeting by Campaign Type

Campaign TypeBudget AllocationNotes
Exact Match (Manual)30–40%High ROI, controlled spend
Phrase & Broad Match20–30%Balance between discovery & scale
Auto Campaigns10–15%Use for keyword harvesting
Product Targeting10–15%Boosts visibility on competitor ASINs
Brand Defense10–15%Protect branded terms
Sponsored Brands/Video5–10%Upper-funnel awareness

Budget by Product Lifecycle

Your product’s stage matters. Allocate accordingly:

🚀 Launch Stage

  • 60% for discovery (Broad, Auto, Product Targeting)
  • 30% ranking terms (Exact, high bids)
  • 10% on branded (if applicable)

📈 Growth Stage

  • 40% to Exact & Phrase
  • 30% Broad + Product targeting
  • 20% Sponsored Brands/Video
  • 10% for Auto & brand protection

🏆 Mature Stage

  • 50% to top Exact match terms
  • 20% competitor conquesting
  • 20% Sponsored Brands & DTC
  • 10% brand defense

Diversifying Across Match Types

Match types matter for budgeting too.

  • Exact Match: High intent, high bid — keep it tight
  • Phrase Match: Scalable with control
  • Broad Match: Capped budget, monitor closely
  • Auto: Great for keyword harvesting — but watch ACoS

Use search term reports weekly to shift budget toward terms that perform.

Campaign Prioritization Tips

✅ Don’t overfund new campaigns — let them prove performance
✅ Use performance-based funding — reallocate based on ACoS & ROAS
✅ Cap discovery campaign budgets to avoid wild swings
✅ Never spend more on defense than conquest — unless your brand is at risk

Weekly Budget Optimization Flow

  1. 📊 Review campaign performance
  2. 🧹 Pause or reduce high ACoS, low CTR campaigns
  3. 🔁 Shift budget into best ROAS performers
  4. 🔍 Allocate discovery budget to winners
  5. 🧠 Double down on profitable match types
  6. 💡 Add negatives to stop wasted spend

Common Mistakes in Budget Allocation

🚫 Running all match types in one campaign
🚫 Bidding the same on every keyword
🚫 Never refreshing creative on Sponsored Brand/Video
🚫 Ignoring product targeting as a scaling lever
🚫 Overspending on “branded” search with no competitors

Tools That Help

  • Amazon Budget Report – Track campaign pacing
  • Helium 10 Adtomic – Smart budget reallocation
  • Bulk Sheets – Scale changes across accounts
  • Search Term Reports – Real-time feedback loop
  • Marketplace Valet Dashboard – (if applicable, plug here)

Final Thoughts

A diversified budget strategy isn’t optional — it’s the foundation of scalable PPC.

By splitting spend across:

  • Campaign types
  • Product stages
  • Keyword strategies

…you protect your budget, drive better ROI, and fuel long-term growth.

Need Help Structuring Your Amazon Ad Budget?

At Marketplace Valet, we manage 7- and 8-figure seller accounts with:
✅ Smart budget allocation
✅ Match-type balancing
✅ Full-funnel campaign management

Let’s talk: justin@marketplacevalet.com
Or learn more: marketplacevalet.com

How Match Types Affect Amazon ACoS — And What to Do About It

Introduction

Amazon PPC campaigns live and die by one critical decision:
Your match type.

Choosing between Broad, Phrase, or Exact might sound tactical, but it can mean the difference between a profitable campaign and a money-losing one.

In this guide, we’ll break down:

  • What each match type does
  • How it affects your ACoS
  • When to use each
  • How to structure campaigns to maximize ROI

Let’s dive in.

What Are Amazon PPC Match Types?

There are three match types in Amazon advertising:

1. Broad Match

  • Triggers for any related terms, synonyms, or out-of-order phrases
  • Great for discovery
  • High traffic, but low control

Example:
Broad match for “stainless steel bottle” might trigger for:

  • steel water bottle
  • bottle made of stainless
  • best gym bottles

2. Phrase Match

  • Triggers for search terms that contain your keyword in order
  • More targeted than broad
  • Good middle ground of reach + relevance

Example:
Phrase match for “stainless steel bottle” might trigger for:

  • best stainless steel bottle
  • stainless steel bottle 24oz
  • stainless steel bottle for kids

3. Exact Match

  • Triggers only for that exact phrase or close variations
  • High control
  • Low volume but high intent

Example:
Exact match for “stainless steel bottle” might trigger only for:

  • stainless steel bottle
  • stainless steel bottles

How Each Match Type Affects ACoS

🔍 Broad Match = High Traffic, High Risk

Pros:
✅ Great for discovering new search terms
✅ Can generate long-tail, low-competition sales

Cons:
❌ Low CTR
❌ Wasted spend on irrelevant terms
❌ High ACoS if unmanaged

Tip: Use with tight bids and heavy negative keyword use.

🎯 Phrase Match = Best Balance of Volume & Relevance

Pros:
✅ Reliable conversions
✅ Good mix of discovery and control
✅ Often lower ACoS than broad

Cons:
❌ Still triggers for irrelevant modifiers
❌ Needs monitoring

Tip: Use for scaling campaigns once proven terms are identified.

🧠 Exact Match = High Intent, High Efficiency

Pros:
✅ Best ACoS (when terms are converting)
✅ Easy to control and optimize
✅ Strong signals for ranking

Cons:
❌ High CPCs in competitive niches
❌ Misses variations and discovery
❌ Can stall campaign growth

Tip: Use for your top 5–10 converting keywords only.

Match Type ACoS Cheat Sheet

Match TypeTypical ACoSBest Use Case
Broad40–80%Discovery / New ASINs
Phrase25–45%Mid-stage scaling
Exact15–35%Profitable volume / Ranking

The Right Campaign Structure

Here’s a proven match type campaign strategy:

1. Auto Campaign

  • Let Amazon explore
  • Great for harvesting search terms
  • Set a low bid and a tight budget

2. Broad Campaign

  • Test broad variations
  • Add negatives frequently
  • Budget: medium

3. Phrase Campaign

  • Focus on known converting phrases
  • Budget: medium/high

4. Exact Campaign

  • Only your best terms
  • High bid for ranking
  • Budget: high (but tightly focused)

Match Type Mistakes That Drive Up ACoS

🚫 Using only Broad without negatives
🚫 Bidding equally across all match types
🚫 Never mining search term reports
🚫 Keeping Exact match terms that no longer convert
🚫 Targeting the same keyword in all match types at once

How to Analyze Match Type Performance

Check your Search Term Report for each campaign:

  • Look at CTR, Conversion Rate, Spend, and ACoS
  • Sort by Match Type
  • Identify which types are driving sales vs. draining spend

If Broad has high spend but no conversions → trim it.
If Exact has low volume → try Phrase instead.

Tools to Help You Manage Match Types

🛠 Helium 10 Adtomic – Match-type filtering and optimization
🛠 Amazon Bulk Sheets – Manage bids and campaign types efficiently
🛠 Data Dive – Great for grouping keywords by intent
🛠 Search Term Reports – The single best source of truth

When to Scale Each Match Type

✅ Start with Auto & Broad → discover terms
✅ Add to Phrase when you see consistent conversions
✅ Graduate to Exact when it’s time to rank and maximize ROI

Final Thoughts

Each match type serves a purpose.

If you want to:

  • Discover new opportunities → start with Broad
  • Balance volume and control → lean into Phrase
  • Drive precision and profit → double down on Exact

But don’t stick to one.
The winning formula is match type diversification — tailored to your product stage and goals.

Want Better ACoS Without the Guesswork?

At Marketplace Valet, we help brands:

  • Lower ACoS
  • Build optimized match-type campaigns
  • Manage ads at scale

Let’s work together → justin@marketplacevalet.com

How to Achieve Low ACoS with Minimal Exact Match Spend

Introduction

If you’ve run Amazon ads for any length of time, you’ve probably been told:

“Exact match is the most profitable.”

But for many sellers, relying heavily on exact match can:

  • Skyrocket your cost-per-click (CPC)
  • Shrink your reach
  • Trap your campaigns in a narrow performance range

And here’s the truth: you can achieve a lower ACoS with less exact match spend, if you know how to use the rest of Amazon’s ad targeting tools wisely.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to leverage phrase match, broad match, and campaign structure to maximize performance without maxing out your budget.

Why Exact Match Isn’t Always Ideal

1. High CPCs

Exact match often becomes a bidding war on the most competitive terms — driving your costs up.

2. Low Flexibility

If your listings or search trends shift, your exact terms may stop converting — leaving you blind.

3. Keyword Exhaustion

You’re stuck targeting the same narrow set of phrases. You miss long-tail, high-converting variations.

How Broad and Phrase Match Can Save You Money

🔁 Broader Reach, Lower CPC

Amazon rewards relevancy and engagement, not just strict keyword control.

Broad and phrase match:

  • Trigger for more related terms
  • Help uncover long-tail gold
  • Often come at lower CPCs than exact match

💡 Keyword Harvesting Power

Let’s say you run a phrase match for “dog grooming kit”
It may trigger for:

  • best dog grooming kit
  • grooming kit for poodles
  • at home pet grooming kit

You can analyze the search term report to pull converting terms and move them to Manual Exact campaigns (if needed).

Real Example: 70% Lower ACoS Without Exact Match

One of our clients in the home storage category was stuck at:

  • 43% ACoS
  • ~$1.90 CPC on exact match keywords

We:
✅ Shifted budget to Phrase + Broad
✅ Ran tighter product targeting
✅ Used negatives to block poor matches
✅ Rebuilt Manual campaigns around performance-based keyword expansion

Result after 30 days:
🔥 ACoS dropped to 18%
🔥 CPC fell to $0.82
🔥 ROAS increased by 70%

The Ideal Campaign Structure for This Strategy

Step 1: Discovery Campaign (Broad + Phrase)

  • Set low-to-medium bids
  • Monitor search term performance
  • Add negative keywords weekly

Step 2: Performance Harvesting

  • Use Search Term Reports
  • Find keywords with:
    • 2+ conversions
    • ACoS < 40%
    • CTR > 0.2%

Step 3: Add Top Performers to Phrase or Exact Campaigns

  • Use Phrase for variations
  • Use Exact only for the best ROI-driving terms

Step 4: Pause underperforming Exact Terms

  • If ACoS > 60% with poor volume, cut it
  • Replace with phrase match or long-tail variation

Smart Use of Negatives

To make this system work, you must control bad traffic.

Best practices:

  • Add irrelevant search terms as negative exact
  • Add broader poor phrases as negative phrase
  • Block same keywords from triggering in multiple campaigns (to avoid overlap)

Tools to Help

  • Amazon Search Term Report – Use weekly for keyword mining
  • Helium 10 Adtomic – Automate harvesting & negatives
  • Data Dive – Cluster keywords by topic and intent
  • Bulk Files – Manage campaign changes at scale

Benefits of Minimizing Exact Match Spend

✅ Lower CPCs across the board
✅ More flexibility to capture intent variations
✅ Less micromanagement per keyword
✅ Higher ROAS through refined campaign structures

When to Use Exact Match

We’re not saying to never use exact match.

Use it for:

  • Your top 5–10 revenue-generating keywords
  • Branded terms
  • High-volume terms where control matters

But outside of those — phrase and broad often provide more bang for your buck.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be chained to expensive exact match ads.

With the right structure, tools, and analysis, you can:

  • Achieve lower ACoS
  • Unlock more keyword opportunities
  • Scale campaigns efficiently

In a market where every ad dollar matters, strategic targeting beats brute force bidding.

Need Help Building a Leaner PPC System?

At Marketplace Valet, we help 7- and 8-figure brands optimize Amazon ads with:
✅ Smart keyword targeting
✅ ACoS control systems
✅ Full-funnel ad management

📧 Reach out at justin@marketplacevalet.com

Why Fewer Keywords Might Be the Key to Amazon PPC Success

Introduction

In the fast-paced world of Amazon advertising, there’s a persistent myth: more keywords = better results.

At first glance, it makes sense. More keywords should mean more visibility, more impressions, and ultimately more sales, right?

Wrong.

When it comes to Amazon PPC success, less is often more.

In this article, we’ll explore how targeting fewer, higher-performing keywords can lower your ACoS, increase conversions, and make your ad spend far more efficient.

The Problem with Keyword Bloat

1. Diluted Budget

When you target 200+ keywords in a single campaign, you spread your daily budget across too many opportunities.

This results in:

  • Insufficient data on most keywords
  • Inability to bid high enough to win impressions
  • Limited reach on the keywords that actually convert

2. Poor Data Quality

Bloated campaigns often create noise in your data.

It becomes hard to:

  • Isolate winners
  • Identify poor performers
  • Optimize efficiently

Without clear signals, most sellers end up making poor decisions — or none at all.

Why Fewer Keywords Work Better

🔍 1. You Focus on What Actually Works

When you trim your keyword list down to 10–30 proven terms, you’re betting on:

  • Higher intent
  • Better CTR
  • Stronger conversion rates

That means your budget flows toward what’s most likely to generate profitable sales.

💸 2. Better ACoS Control

With fewer keywords, you can:

  • Set more precise bids
  • React faster to performance swings
  • Pause or scale based on actual data

We’ve seen clients drop ACoS from 48% to 22% just by removing underperformers and doubling down on their best 20 keywords.

📈 3. Easier Campaign Management

Managing 20 keywords per campaign is far easier than managing 200.

That means:

  • Faster optimizations
  • Simpler reporting
  • Easier automation and scaling

It’s not about being lazy — it’s about being strategic.

The Fewer Keywords Framework

Here’s the step-by-step framework we use for clients at Marketplace Valet.

Step 1: Run Auto Campaigns for Discovery

  • Let Amazon collect search term data for 7–14 days
  • Make sure budgets and bids are conservative

Step 2: Pull Search Term Reports

  • Filter for:
    • ACoS under 50%
    • At least 2+ conversions
    • CTR > 0.3%

Step 3: Build Manual Campaigns

  • Exact match for top terms
  • Phrase match for longer tail
  • Broad match only if you still want light discovery

Step 4: Add Negatives in Auto

  • Prevent overlap by adding these top terms as negative exact in the Auto campaign

Step 5: Monitor and Trim Weekly

  • Pause keywords with:
    • Zero sales after 15+ clicks
    • ACoS > 80% after $20–$30 spend
    • CTR < 0.1%

Keep your keyword list lean — no keyword bloat.

Real Seller Example

Niche: Kitchen Products
Old Campaign:

  • 184 keywords
  • $150/day budget
  • ACoS = 41%
  • ROAS = 2.3

Optimized Campaign:

  • 27 keywords
  • $150/day budget
  • ACoS = 24%
  • ROAS = 4.1

By trimming keyword count by 85%, we nearly doubled the campaign’s efficiency.

SEO Angle: Keyword Consolidation Improves Listing Rank

Amazon’s algorithm prioritizes performance-based relevance.

That means:

  • The more your keywords convert, the more visibility you get organically
  • If you focus your budget on top terms, you feed Amazon better signals

Fewer keywords = better conversions = stronger organic rank.

Bonus: When Should You Add More Keywords?

Only after:

  • You’ve maxed out impressions on your current ones
  • Your ACoS is stable and profitable
  • You’re intentionally testing new terms in separate discovery campaigns

Tools to Help You Focus

  • Helium 10 Adtomic – Harvest top terms and manage ACoS easily
  • Data Dive – Cluster keywords by performance and search intent
  • Amazon Bulk Files – Efficient way to pause poor performers
  • Search Term Reports – Your ultimate source of truth

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Targeting too many keywords from the start
❌ Running phrase and broad match on every keyword
❌ Ignoring CTR and conversion rates in decision-making
❌ Not trimming the fat regularly

Final Thoughts

Amazon PPC isn’t about casting the widest net — it’s about hitting the bullseye.

Fewer keywords mean:

  • More precise spend
  • Cleaner data
  • Easier campaign control
  • Better ACoS

If your campaigns feel bloated or underperforming, the fix might be simple:

✅ Trim the keyword fat
✅ Focus your firepower
✅ Watch your profits grow

Want Help Simplifying Your PPC?

At Marketplace Valet, we help brands:

  • Cut waste
  • Build lean PPC engines
  • Drive higher ROI through smart structure

Let’s talk → justin@marketplacevalet.com

The Secrets of Low ACoS: Auto vs. Manual Targeting on Amazon

Amazon PPC campaigns typically start with a choice:

🤖 Automatic targeting
🧠 Manual targeting

Some sellers swear by one, others avoid one entirely.

But if you really want to lower your ACoS, scale your ads, and dominate your niche — you need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of both.

Let’s dive in.

🎯 Auto Campaigns: Pros & Cons

✅ Pros:

  • Easy to set up — no keywords needed
  • Great for keyword discovery
  • Catch all variations, misspellings, synonyms
  • Great for product targeting you didn’t know existed

❌ Cons:

  • Lack of control over bidding
  • Can trigger for irrelevant terms
  • Easily overspend without tight budgets
  • Not suitable for aggressive scaling

🧠 Manual Campaigns: Pros & Cons

✅ Pros:

  • Total control over which keywords trigger ads
  • Adjustable bids at the keyword level
  • Supports refined targeting (match types, ASINs)
  • Ideal for scaling known winners

❌ Cons:

  • Slower to set up
  • Requires strong keyword research or auto data
  • May miss long-tail discovery if done in isolation

🔁 The Real Power: Combine Auto + Manual

The best strategy isn’t choosing one — it’s using Auto to feed Manual.

Here’s how it works:

1. Start Auto Campaign:

  • Set low daily budget ($10–$30)
  • Broad net to catch keyword and ASIN data

2. Monitor Search Term Report Weekly:

  • Look for terms with:
    • High CTR
    • Conversions
    • Low ACoS

3. Transfer Winners to Manual Campaign:

  • Add converting keywords to manual exact or phrase
  • Set specific bids
  • Add that keyword as a negative exact in Auto to avoid overlap

This creates a feedback loop that fuels efficient growth.

📊 Real Example

Brand: Kitchen Accessories

  • Auto ACoS: 52%
  • Manual ACoS: 28%
  • Combined strategy: Used Auto to find 12 new high-performing keywords

Result after 45 days:
✅ Manual campaign drove 75% of sales
✅ ACoS dropped below 25%
✅ Auto budget reallocated to new ASIN targeting

🧱 Best Practices for Auto Campaigns

  1. Run one ASIN per campaign
  2. Use tightly controlled budgets
  3. Adjust targeting settings:
    • Close match
    • Loose match
    • Substitutes
    • Complements
  4. Add negatives weekly to block wasted spend

📐 Best Practices for Manual Campaigns

  1. Create 3 ad groups per campaign:
    • Exact
    • Phrase
    • Broad (optional for continued discovery)
  2. Use different bids per match type
  3. Add high-performing terms from Auto
  4. Monitor keyword-level ACoS weekly

🧠 When to Use Auto

ScenarioAuto Recommended?
New product with no PPC history✅ Yes
Exploring new ASIN/product targeting✅ Yes
Scaling with known keyword winners❌ No
Product with clear niche keywords❌ Prefer Manual

🔧 Tools to Help

  • Helium 10 Adtomic
  • Pacvue
  • Amazon Bulk Files
  • Data Dive (for keyword expansion)

These tools can help you automate keyword transfers, ACoS alerts, and campaign structure.

🛡 Bonus Tip: Campaign Harvesting SOP

  1. Run Auto for 2 weeks
  2. Pull Search Term Report
  3. Filter for:
    • Sales > 1
    • ACoS < 40%
  4. Add to Manual campaign
  5. Add same term as negative exact to Auto
  6. Repeat weekly

This keeps your Manual campaigns lean and powerful, and your Auto campaigns constantly feeding new traffic.

🚀 Final Thoughts

The myth that Auto campaigns are bad needs to die.

They’re a data engine — not a growth engine.

Manual campaigns are your scaling engine — but they need data to run on.

Together, they form a flywheel of:

  • Discovery
  • Optimization
  • Scale

And THAT’S the real secret to lower ACoS on Amazon.

💬 Want Us to Do It for You?

At Marketplace Valet, we run full-funnel Amazon ad systems using this exact approach.

✅ Campaign buildout
✅ Weekly harvesting + negatives
✅ ACoS control + scaling strategies
✅ Full transparency in performance

📩 Let’s talk → justin@marketplacevalet.com