One of the most common questions Amazon sellers ask is: Does running PPC campaigns actually help improve organic keyword rankings? 🤔
The short answer? Yes—but it’s not that simple.
Amazon’s algorithm, often referred to as A9 (or the evolving A10 algorithm), prioritizes sales velocity, conversions, and relevance when ranking products. This means that while PPC does not directly boost organic rankings, it plays a crucial role in driving sales, increasing conversions, and ultimately improving organic keyword positioning.
In this post, we’ll dive deep into:
✅ How Amazon PPC influences organic keyword rankings
✅ The connection between PPC sales and organic rankings
✅ The best PPC strategies to improve keyword performance
✅ How to transition from PPC to organic sales for long-term success
By the end of this guide, you’ll understand how to use PPC not just for traffic, but as a strategic tool to improve rankings, maximize sales, and grow your Amazon business. 🚀
How Amazon’s Ranking Algorithm Works
Before we discuss PPC’s role in organic rankings, let’s understand how Amazon ranks products.
📌 Key Factors That Influence Organic Rankings:
✔️ Sales Velocity – The faster a product sells, the higher it ranks.
✔️ Conversion Rate (CVR) – The percentage of visitors who purchase.
✔️ Click-Through Rate (CTR) – How often shoppers click on your product vs. competitors.
✔️ Relevance to Search Queries – Based on keyword optimization in titles, bullet points, and backend search terms.
✔️ Customer Reviews & Ratings – More positive reviews = more trust.
Amazon wants to showcase products that convert well because its primary goal is to sell as much as possible. This is where PPC comes in.
How Amazon PPC Influences Organic Rankings
Amazon PPC doesn’t directly increase rankings, but it does so indirectly by:
1. Driving Sales Velocity to Improve Keyword Rankings
Amazon rewards products that sell fast by boosting their visibility in organic search. Running targeted PPC campaigns allows your product to gain more traction, which in turn signals to Amazon’s algorithm that your product is relevant for certain keywords.
✔️ Example:
If you launch a new wireless Bluetooth speaker and run a PPC campaign targeting the keyword “best Bluetooth speaker for outdoor use,” your product will:
🔹 Show up as a Sponsored Product Ad in search results
🔹 Get clicks from potential buyers searching for that keyword
🔹 Generate sales from PPC-driven traffic
🔹 Amazon will recognize this keyword is relevant for your product
🔹 Over time, your product will start ranking higher in organic search for that keyword
💡 Pro Tip: The more PPC-driven sales you generate for a keyword, the more Amazon associates that keyword with your product, improving your organic ranking over time.
2. Improving Click-Through Rate (CTR) & Conversion Rate (CVR)
Amazon’s algorithm favors products with high engagement and conversion rates. PPC helps you test and refine your listing elements to boost CTR and CVR, leading to better organic rankings.
✔️ How PPC Improves CTR & CVR:
🔹 Better product images & A+ Content – Engaging visuals attract more clicks
🔹 Compelling titles & bullet points – Well-optimized copy increases conversions
🔹 Optimized pricing & deals – Competitive pricing encourages purchases
📌 Example:
If your organic CTR is low (few shoppers are clicking on your listing), PPC can drive more visibility and traffic, giving you the chance to optimize your product page and improve performance.
3. Increasing Brand Awareness & Organic Visibility
Running Sponsored Brands and Display Ads can increase brand exposure, leading to higher search volume and repeat purchases. More branded searches mean better organic ranking for your product over time.
✔️ How to Leverage PPC for Brand Growth:
🔹 Run Sponsored Brand Ads for top-of-funnel awareness
🔹 Use Sponsored Display Ads to retarget previous visitors
🔹 Capture repeat buyers with Subscribe & Save promotions
💡 Pro Tip: If your product gains brand loyalty and repeat customers, Amazon will prioritize your listing in search results.
Best PPC Strategies to Improve Keyword Rankings
Now that we know PPC influences organic rankings, let’s discuss how to optimize your campaigns for better results.
1. Structure Your PPC Campaigns for Ranking Growth
The key is to target high-converting keywords and optimize bid strategy to maximize ranking impact.
✔️ Recommended PPC Campaign Structure:
✅ Exact Match Campaign – Focuses on high-converting keywords
✅ Phrase Match Campaign – Captures long-tail variations
✅ Broad Match Campaign – Identifies new keyword opportunities
✅ Branded Campaign – Protects your brand name from competitors
💡 Pro Tip: Use Exact Match PPC for your most valuable keywords to directly impact organic rankings.
2. Use PPC Data to Optimize Organic Listings
Amazon PPC provides valuable insights into which keywords convert best. Use this data to refine your organic SEO strategy.
📌 How to Apply PPC Data to Organic Optimization:
✔️ Identify top-converting PPC keywords and add them to titles & bullet points
✔️ Optimize backend search terms with high-performing PPC search queries
✔️ Adjust product descriptions based on customer search behavior
💡 Pro Tip: Monitor search term reports to find hidden keyword opportunities you may not have considered.
3. Transition from PPC to Organic Sales
Once your organic rankings improve, you can reduce PPC spend while maintaining strong sales performance.
✔️ When to Lower PPC Spend:
✅ Your organic ranking reaches page 1 for target keywords
✅ Your ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sales) stabilizes
✅ Your organic conversion rate outperforms PPC sales
💡 Pro Tip: Instead of turning off PPC completely, gradually lower bids on keywords where organic ranking is strong to maximize profitability.
Final Thoughts: Does Amazon PPC Help Improve Keyword Rankings?
✅ YES! But not directly—PPC helps drive sales velocity, conversions, and engagement, which signals Amazon’s algorithm to boost your organic rankings.
Key Takeaways:
✔️ More PPC sales = Better keyword relevance = Higher organic ranking
✔️ Improved CTR & CVR lead to stronger algorithmic favorability
✔️ Branded PPC campaigns build long-term organic visibility
✔️ PPC search term data helps refine your organic SEO strategy
✔️ The goal is to transition from PPC to organic sales for long-term profitability
💡 Amazon PPC isn’t just about getting clicks—it’s a powerful strategy for improving your organic search rankings and scaling your business.
📢 Have you seen a direct impact of PPC on your keyword rankings? Drop your experience in the comments! 👇
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