Google might be the current powerhouse of online searches, but Amazon is no second-place straggler. Especially when it comes to searches for online shopping — Google doesn’t hold a candle to Amazon in that regard. So if you want to tap into the wider product search volume that Amazon offers over Google, how do you ensure the best ROI on your advertising? FeedbackExpress can show you how to boost your revenue.
1. Use Negative Keywords to Reduce Non-Converting Clicks
Negative keywords are when you put parameters in place to prevent your ads from showing up when certain keywords or phrases are typed in. The point of this is not waste money on your ads showing up in places where they’ll be drowned out by the competition, or by non-relevant or non-related searches so you can avoid keyword cannibalization.
For example, let’s say you sell calendars, specifically printed out calendars, like the type people can put on their desks at work. Good keywords to use would be things like “calendars”, “work calendars” or “print calendars”. It might be tempting to include “printable calendars” or “downloadable calendars” because they might offer a high volume of clicks, but you’re wasting your time because the people searching those terms are not wanting your non-online calendar.
Listing those phrases as negative keywords can help reduce the number of mismatched searches and irrelevant clicks, while also boosting your ROI because the ad money is being spent in a more specific way.
2. Conversely, Use Adjacent Keywords to Target Effectively
Sometimes, what you might include in your list of negative keywords might actually be better suited for your list of adjacent keywords. If you’re really skillful and savvy, you can turn semi-related searches with adjacent keywords into a higher ROI by capturing clicks that are related enough to what your product is.
Look at Way Better Snacks’ 2018 ad campaign. They’re a tiny tortilla chips company but glommed on to searches related to bigger, more visible companies by using adjacent keywords. They noticed that “tortilla chips” had a lot of competition, but “tortilla wraps” didn’t. “Tortilla wraps” wasn’t directly related to their product, but they used it anyway to capture clicks and ended up with an 11% share of Amazon’s ads for tortillas in August of last year.
3. Use Dynamic Bids Based on Conversion Odds
Dynamic bidding is when your bids automatically go up or down, depending on how likely they are to convert. Bids with good odds of conversion will go up, while those with lower chances of converting will get automatically downgraded. It’ll go a maximum of 100% in either direction, so you can rest easy knowing your floor is zero dollars and your ceiling is only double the original price.
4. Keep Ads Consistent with Landing Pages
I was shopping online the other day for baseball caps and noticed that the first row held a baby’s hat. It was puzzling to see this misplaced product, but also distracting because I couldn’t stop thinking about why a baby’s hat was included in baseball caps. Eventually, I got frustrated, clicked off and visited another site.
Buyers will do the same thing to you if your Sponsored Brands ads don’t match up with your landing pages. Take the time to ensure that your ads have hi-res images with titles and descriptions that match the products on the landing page.
5. Piggyback on Your Competitors’ Success
If you’re selling earbuds and notice your main competitor is outpacing you in terms of sales and keyword success, piggyback onto what they’re doing. Why reinvent the wheel? Make notes of what keywords they’re using in titles, descriptions, bullet points and elsewhere, then use the same for your own products.
This is especially effective if you’ve got really closely related products where the keywords can be easily duplicated in your Amazon advertising campaigns, increasing your ROI with little effort.
6. Marry Automatic Targeting with Manual Campaigns
This is when you get the best of both worlds: use Amazon’s algorithms for keywords and their placement, then use them on your manual campaigns. By using the automated keyword pulls, you know that you’re getting proof-positive phrases that lead to conversions, which can be very valuable to use in manual campaigns where you retain more control.
When using this method, don’t forget to make lists for adjacent and negative keywords, too!
Final Thoughts
Product searches and purchases only continue to grow on Amazon, and it’s your turn to get a piece of the pie. Doing so means trimming the fat from low-hanging fruit, like ensuring the ROI on your Amazon advertising campaigns is as efficient as possible. Another area you don’t want to ignore — because they lead to more sales and revenue — is reviews, which are one of the top ways of convincing future buyers to make a purchase with you. To get the extra help you need, turn to FeedbackExpress and enjoy a 14 day free trial when you sign up now.
