Amazon PPC can feel like a video game sometimes. You shoot your ads out there and hope they hit the jackpot. But here’s the thing — not every keyword is a winner. Some take and take, without giving back. It’s time to learn how to spot those keyword slackers and boot them out!
Why Should You Care About Low-Performing Keywords?
Imagine you’re trying to save money. Would you keep buying snacks you don’t even like? Nope. Same goes for keywords. If they’re not converting, they’re just draining your budget. Knowing which ones to keep and which to kick is the secret to winning at Amazon PPC.
Common Signs of a Low-Performing Keyword
Let’s play detective. You’re looking for evidence that a keyword isn’t pulling its weight. Here are a few red flags:
- High Spend, Low Sales: If you’re blowing cash on clicks but not racking up sales, you’ve got a problem child.
- Low Click-Through Rate (CTR): If nobody’s clicking your ad after seeing it, the keyword might not be relevant.
- Low Conversion Rate: Getting clicks but no purchases? That means the shopper isn’t finding what they expected.
- High ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale): If that number shoots through the roof, you may be spending way too much to make tiny profits — or none at all.
How to Spot the Trouble Keywords
Amazon gives you all the clues in your Campaign Manager.
Here’s a fun, simple step-by-step:
- Open your Amazon Seller Central dashboard.
- Go to Campaign Manager.
- Click on a campaign, then jump into the keywords tab.
- Sort by spend, impressions, and conversions.
- Look for the culprits – the ones with high spend but little or no return.
Once you find them, keep a list. Those are your suspect keywords.
What Do You Do with These Underperformers?
You’ve found some bad eggs. Now what?
You’ve got three action-packed options:
- Pause the keyword: Just stop it from spending more money.
- Lower the bid: If it’s converting but not profitably, try bidding lower so it costs less per click.
- Move it to a different match type: Maybe it’s too broad. Try exact match and watch how it behaves.
Treat it like keyword rehab. Some just need a little adjustment to shine again.
Don’t Forget Negative Keywords
This trick is like bug spray for irrelevant traffic. If you notice search terms that waste your money, add them as negative keywords.
Here’s how they help:
- Block irrelevant traffic
- Prevent poor clicks
- Protect your budget like a superhero cape
How Often Should You Check on Your Keywords?
Think of it like watering a plant — not too often, but not once a year either.
To stay in control:
- Weekly check-ins: Look at your metrics and spot any rising issues.
- Monthly deep dives: Go all-in with dashboard reports and see who’s performing and who’s slacking off.
Pro Tips to Always Stay Ahead
Wanna feel like a PPC wizard? Follow these bonus tips:
- Use automation tools like Amazon’s rules to pause high ACoS keywords automatically.
- Test different keywords often. You might strike gold with a phrase you never expected!
- Keep learning. Amazon’s algorithm is kinda like a teenager – always changing!
You’ve Got This!
Amazon PPC doesn’t have to be confusing. If a keyword’s not helping, don’t let it hurt you. Trim those budget-wasters and make room for the winners. Your ad campaigns will thank you.
Say goodbye to low performers and hello to better ROI. It’s like spring cleaning for your keywords — only it pays off all year round!
