Introduction
Advertising on Amazon can drive serious growth—but only if executed correctly. Unfortunately, many sellers repeat the same mistakes over and over. These errors lead to wasted spend, lower margins, and slower growth. Below are the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.
Mistake #1: Optimizing for ACOS Alone
Relying solely on ACOS (Ad Cost of Sales) ignores the bigger picture. What matters more is TACOS (Total Advertising Cost of Sales) and how your ad spend affects all sales, organic plus paid. Many sellers with “good” ACOS still bleed profit. PPC Maestro+1
Fix: Monitor TACOS regularly, set profitability targets, and align bids accordingly.
Mistake #2: Neglecting Negative Keywords
Failing to use negative keywords allows ads to run on irrelevant or non-converting searches—wasting budget and hurting efficiency. PPC Maestro+1
Fix: Set up a three-tier negative strategy (account-level, campaign-level, product-level) and review search term reports weekly.
Mistake #3: Auto Campaigns Running Unchecked
Auto campaigns are useful for discovery—but when left unchecked they often drain spend with low-intent traffic. In many audits, waste from autos exceeds 60%. PPC Maestro
Fix: Limit auto budgets, harvest winning terms into manual campaigns, pause poorly converting autos.
Mistake #4: Campaign Structure Chaos
When match types, keyword themes and campaigns overlap, you risk bid cannibalization, data confusion and internal competition. PPC Maestro+1
Fix: Use a clear structure:
- Research (Auto/Broad)
- Harvest (Phrase/Exact)
- Defense (Retargeting/Display)
Apply consistent naming conventions and reporting.
Mistake #5: Bid Tweaks Without Enough Data
Short-term bid changes based on early data can backfire due to Amazon’s attribution lag and auction dynamics. PPC Maestro
Fix: Use a minimum 14-day optimization cycle before making bid changes; document decisions and track before/after performance.
30/60-Day Recovery Plan
Days 1–30:
- Run an ad audit: TACOS, wasted budget per campaign, negative keyword gaps.
- Clean up auto campaigns and export search terms.
- Restructure campaigns if overlapping or inconsistent.
Days 31–60:
- Move winning terms into manual Exact campaigns.
- Establish negative keyword routines.
- Set bid optimization cycles (14 days) and monitor TACOS trends.
Final Thoughts
The truth is, PPC isn’t “set-and-forget”—it’s discipline, structure and strategy. Fixing these common mistakes turns your ad spend from a cost into a growth engine. Execute the plan, monitor the data, evolve—and the results follow.
