Most Amazon shoppers don’t scroll past the first page of results. If your product isn’t there, it’s likely being missed. Amazon PPC ads give sellers a way to change that. This guide will walk you through the basics and show you how to launch your first campaign.
What Is Amazon PPC?
Amazon PPC is Amazon’s paid advertising system. It lets sellers promote products in search results or on competitor product pages. Instead of paying up front, you only pay when someone clicks your ad.
Here’s how it works: every time a shopper types in a keyword, Amazon runs an auction in real time. Your ad competes with others targeting the same keyword. The winner isn’t just about who bids the most. Amazon also considers how relevant your listing is. A strong listing with good reviews and competitive bids has the best chance of showing.
Types of Amazon PPC Ads
Sponsored Products
Sponsored Products are the most common and easiest to start with. They look almost identical to organic product listings, except for a small “Sponsored” label..
Key things to know:
- They can appear in search results and on product detail pages.
- Both individual and professional sellers can use them—you don’t need Brand Registry.
- They work with either keyword targeting or product targeting.
Beginners often start with automatic campaigns, where Amazon chooses keywords. Once you see which keywords are driving sales, you can switch to manual campaigns for more control.
These ads work best for promoting a single product or for boosting visibility during a product launch.
But PPC is only one piece of the bigger picture. For sustainable growth, sellers often combine ads with broader Amazon store management services. These services cover everything from optimizing product titles and images to managing inventory, reviews, and storefront design. When PPC campaigns and store management work together, sellers can maximize visibility while ensuring shoppers have a smooth buying experience.
Sponsored Brands
Sponsored Brands appear at the very top of search results. They include your logo, a custom headline, and up to three products. These ads are built for visibility and brand awareness.
Key things to know:
- You must be brand registered to use them.
- There are three ad formats:
- Product Collection – You can show up to three products with a message.
- Store Spotlight – You can direct traffic to your Amazon Store.
- Video – You can auto-play short videos in search results, often with high engagement.
- Product Collection – You can show up to three products with a message.
- CPC is usually higher than Sponsored Products because of their prime placement at the top of search.
Sponsored Display
Sponsored Display ads reach beyond Amazon search results. They can appear on competitor product pages, related listings, and even on external websites and apps that Amazon owns or partners with.
Key things to know:
- They use audience and product targeting, not keyword targeting.
- They are available only to Brand Registered sellers.
- These ads are highly effective for retargeting shoppers who looked at your product but didn’t purchase.
- They can also show up off Amazon, which helps you reach buyers beyond the platform.
- While CPC is usually lower than Sponsored Brands, these ads require high-quality product images and reviews to perform well.
How to Launch Your First Amazon PPC Campaign
Step 1: Sign In
Go to your Seller Central account, select Advertising from the top menu, and click Campaign Manager.
Step 2: Campaign Basics
- Campaign Name: Choose a clear and broad name that will help you organize later. For example, “Summer Collection 2025.”
- Budget: Decide how much you want to spend per month, then break it down into a daily budget. For example, $50 per day equals $1,500 for the month.
- Start and End Dates: Always set an end date. A one-month campaign is a good starting point because it gives you enough time to test performance without overspending.
- Targeting Type: Choose between Automatic (Amazon chooses keywords for you) or Manual (you choose keywords). Beginners should start with automatic targeting to gather data, then move into manual targeting for more control.
Step 3: Create an Ad Group
Ad groups let you organize multiple ads under one campaign. Give each ad group a name that clearly describes what it covers, such as “Summer Collection – Sunglasses”
Step 4: Select Products
Pick the product you want to promote. Each Sponsored Products ad group is tied to one product, so select carefully.
Step 5: Set Your Bids
Decide how much you’re willing to pay per click. Higher bids give you a better chance of appearing at the top, but you need to balance this with your budget. For example, if your daily budget is $50 and you bid $1 per click, you can get up to 50 clicks in a day.
Step 6: Add Keywords
For Sponsored Products, keywords are critical. You can use Amazon’s suggestions or enter your own list.
- Broad Match: Your ad shows for related searches.
- Phrase Match: Your ad shows when the shopper’s search includes your keyword in order.
- Exact Match: Your ad shows only when the exact keyword is typed.
Tip: Start broad to gather data, then refine to phrase and exact matches.
Step 7: Save and Launch
Click “Save and Finish.” Your campaign will be reviewed, and ads usually go live within an hour.
Step 8: Monitor Performance
Check back in Campaign Manager to track impressions, clicks, sales, and ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale). Don’t make drastic changes every day. Give your campaign at least 2–4 weeks to gather meaningful data before optimizing.
How Long Before You See Results?
Amazon PPC is not instant. You’ll usually need 2–4 weeks of data before knowing which keywords, bids, and ad types are working. During this time, avoid turning campaigns on and off too often. Consistency gives Amazon the data it needs to optimize your ads.
Summary
Amazon PPC is one of the fastest ways to get visibility and sales. It works best when your product listings are already strong and when you use both automatic and manual campaigns strategically.
Running ads can take a lot of time and attention. If you’d rather focus on growing your brand instead of adjusting bids every day, our team at Enso Brands can help. We specialize in managing Amazon PPC ads, optimizing listings, and making sure your ad dollars are used wisely. Contact us today to scale your Amazon business with expert support.