So here’s the deal—if you sell on Amazon and you’re not running Amazon PPC, you’re basically invisible. I mean, unless you’re one of those unicorns whose product just magically ranks at the top (good for you, but the rest of us? We hustle).
I remember the first time I set up a campaign. Thought I was being clever, tossed in some random keywords, let it run… yeah, burned through $50 in a day and got maybe two clicks. Painful. But also the moment I realized: you either learn how to do this thing right, or you’ll keep donating money to Amazon’s vault.
What Exactly Is Amazon PPC?
Think of it like a popularity contest, but one you can actually buy your way into. You bid on keywords—say you’re selling dog collars, you might bid on “leather dog collar.” If someone types that in, and you win the bid, boom, your product pops up. You only pay when they click. Hence “pay-per-click.” Simple enough, right?
Except… it’s not that simple. Because your competitor is bidding too. And Amazon’s algorithm is like that one teacher who says, “It’s not just about effort, it’s about results.” Meaning, if your ad doesn’t convert, you’ll eventually get shoved aside.
The Types of Amazon PPC Ads
Okay, quick rundown (don’t worry, no death-by-definition here):
- Sponsored Products: These are the bread and butter. They show up everywhere—search results, product pages, all over the place.
- Sponsored Brands: More like a billboard for your store. Logo, headline, a few products. Feels fancy, but honestly not where most sellers start.
- Sponsored Display: This one’s sneaky. It follows shoppers around, even outside Amazon. Ever feel stalked by a toaster ad after you clicked once? Yeah, that’s it.
Why Amazon PPC Actually Matters in 2025
Here’s the blunt truth: Amazon’s crowded. Like “concert tickets at checkout” crowded. Average cost-per-click? Around a dollar now. In some niches, even higher. So if you’re not paying to play, you’re buried on page three where no one scrolls.
And here’s the kicker—Amazon doesn’t just care about who bids the most. They care about who converts. If your listing is ugly, your reviews are trash, or your price makes people laugh… your ad won’t last.
Building an Amazon PPC Strategy That Doesn’t Suck
Alright, enough theory. How do you actually make this thing work?
- Start with keywords. Obvious, I know. But don’t just grab the most popular ones. Niche down. “Leather dog collar with name tag” might get fewer searches, but the clicks you do get? Way more likely to buy.
- Manual vs. Automatic. Automatic is like letting Amazon drive your car. Sometimes fine, sometimes you end up in a ditch. Manual gives you more control—but also more work.
- Bidding smart. Don’t go in with “set it and forget it.” Amazon PPC is more like tending a campfire—you gotta keep adjusting or it dies (or explodes).
- Creative matters. Video ads are crushing it right now. If you can make a 20-second video that actually looks decent, you’re already ahead.
Best Practices (That People Ignore Anyway)
- Clean up your product listing before you advertise. Bad photos + ads = money wasted.
- Use negative keywords. Otherwise, you’ll show up for random stuff like “dog Halloween costume” when you’re selling collars. (Yes, that happened to me.)
- Keep an eye on your ACoS. High ACoS = you’re overspending for sales. Low ACoS = profit heaven.
The Classic Mistakes with Amazon PPC
Let me just say this: I’ve made all of these. Probably more than once.
- Blowing money on clicks that don’t convert. Because you didn’t check your search term report.
- Thinking more traffic = more sales. Nope. If your product isn’t good, more eyeballs just means more people not buying.
- Never adjusting bids. Set it once, forgot about it… and then wondered why your budget vanished in two hours.
Wrapping It Up: Is Amazon PPC Worth It?
Short answer? Yeah. Long answer? Yeah—but only if you put in the work. It’s not just throwing money at ads and praying. It’s testing, tweaking, sometimes failing, then fixing it.
You want traffic? You want sales? Amazon PPC is the game. And if you play it right, you don’t just boost ads—you climb those organic rankings too. That’s where the real win happens.
So yeah… roll up your sleeves. This one takes effort. But if you get it right? You’ll never look at Amazon’s search results the same way again.
