Running a successful Amazon PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaign requires more than just setting up auto and manual ads. To truly optimize performance, Amazon sellers must analyze their campaign data regularly—and one of the most powerful tools at their disposal is the Amazon Search Term Report. This report provides deep insights into customer behavior, showing you exactly which search terms are driving clicks, conversions, and ultimately, sales.
What is the Amazon Search Term Report?
The Amazon Search Term Report reveals the actual search queries that triggered your ads. Unlike the keywords you bid on, which are predictive and created by sellers, search terms are the real phrases customers type into the Amazon search bar. This crucial distinction allows sellers to understand precisely how customers are finding their products and whether the keywords they’re bidding on are aligned with customer search behaviors.
The report is available in the Advertising Reports section of Amazon Seller Central and can be downloaded for Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display campaigns.
Why is the Search Term Report Important?
Analyzing the Search Term Report can significantly improve the performance and profitability of your ad campaigns. Here’s how:
- Identify high-performing search terms: Boost your ROI by identifying the exact terms that lead to conversions and increasing bids on those related keywords.
- Eliminate wasteful spending: Discover search terms that get clicks but don’t convert, and add them to your negative keyword list to prevent budget waste.
- Optimize ad relevance: Align your listings and ad copy with customer intent uncovered through real search queries.
[ai-img]amazon ppc, advertising dashboard, seller central[/ai-img]
How to Access the Amazon Search Term Report
To access the Search Term Report, follow these steps:
- Log in to Amazon Seller Central.
- Navigate to the Advertising tab and select Campaign Manager.
- Click on Reports, then Advertising Reports.
- Select “Search Term” as the report type, choose your report parameters (date range, campaign type), and click Run Report.
The downloaded report will be in .csv format, which you can open in Excel or Google Sheets for easier analysis.
Key Metrics Explained
Understanding the terminology in the Search Term Report is crucial. Here are some of the most important columns:
- Customer Search Term: The exact phrase the shopper typed in.
- Impressions: How many times your ad was shown for that term.
- Clicks: Number of times your ad was clicked.
- CTR (Click-Through Rate): The ratio of clicks to impressions.
- Spend: Total ad spend on that term.
- Orders: Number of purchases made after clicking your ad.
- Sales: Total revenue generated from that search term.
- ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sales): The ratio of ad spend to sales—a critical profitability metric.
Best Practices for Using the Search Term Report
To fully leverage the power of the Search Term Report, consider following these best practices:
- Review regularly: Analyze your reports at least once a week to remain competitive and make timely optimizations.
- Add negative keywords: If a term gets clicks but no conversions over time, consider adding it as a negative keyword to stop spending on it.
- Harvest new keywords: Add high-converting search terms as exact match keywords to a manual campaign for better control over ad spend.
- Segment data: Focus on different product categories separately to avoid performance dilution in broader campaigns.
[ai-img]keyword analysis, campaign data, marketing performance[/ai-img]
Taking Action Based on Insights
Simply downloading the Search Term Report isn’t enough—the real value lies in acting on the insights you uncover. Create custom dashboards, apply conditional formatting to highlight performance anomalies, and monitor long-term trends. Use these insights to refine your ad strategy, improve product listings, and drive higher return on ad spend (ROAS).
For sellers serious about scaling on Amazon, mastering the Search Term Report is foundational. By closely inspecting which search terms lead to engagement and conversions, you equip yourself with the data necessary to make smart, strategic decisions across both advertising and inventory planning.
Conclusion
The Amazon Search Term Report is not just another metrics file—it is a goldmine of actionable insights. By understanding what your customers are searching for and how that aligns with your advertising efforts, you can eliminate underperforming segments, increase your visibility, and maximize profitability. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced advertiser, making the Search Term Report a central piece of your optimization routine can be the difference between an average campaign and a stellar one.
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