E-Commerce Strategies

Ultimate Guide to Amazon PPC Campaign Structure

Ultimate Guide to Amazon PPC Campaign Structure

Apr 7, 2025

Want better Amazon ad results? Start with a clear PPC strategy.

Amazon PPC campaigns can boost your product visibility and sales. But without proper structure, they can drain your budget. Here's what you need to know:

  • Ad Types: Use Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display ads for different goals like product launches, brand awareness, or retargeting.

  • Campaign Structure: Combine Auto and Manual campaigns. Start broad, then refine with keyword data.

  • Key Metrics: Track ACoS, CTR, and conversion rates to optimize performance.

  • Budgeting: Adjust bids, manage negative keywords, and allocate funds wisely to maximize ROI.

Whether launching new products or scaling your store, a structured PPC approach helps you stay profitable and competitive. Let’s break it down step by step.

Amazon PPC Campaign Structure: 100% Optimized Setup

Amazon

Amazon PPC Campaign Types

Here's a breakdown of the main PPC ad types on Amazon and how they work.

Sponsored Products Ads

Sponsored Products ads show up in search results and on product detail pages. They're great for highlighting products to shoppers actively searching for them.

  • Appear in search results, product pages, and shopping results

  • Allow keyword targeting (manual campaigns), plus product and category targeting

  • Pay-per-click model with adjustable bids

  • Provide metrics like ACoS, CTR, and conversion rates

These ads are ideal for launching new products, increasing SKU visibility, targeting shoppers ready to buy, and testing keywords.

Sponsored Brands Ads

Sponsored Brands ads help promote your brand by displaying your logo, custom headline, and multiple products in prime positions within search results.

  • Use custom headlines for brand messaging

  • Showcase multiple products in one ad

  • Link to your Brand Store, product collections, or detail pages

  • Include video content as an option

These ads work well for building brand awareness, promoting product collections or new lines, and driving traffic to your Brand Store.

Sponsored Display Ads

Sponsored Display ads target shoppers based on their browsing or purchasing behavior and can appear both on and off Amazon.

  • Use retargeting, interest-based, or category-based targeting

  • Display on product pages, review pages, and external third-party sites

  • Leverage Amazon's automated bidding for better conversions

These ads are perfect for retargeting potential buyers, cross-selling related items, and maintaining a consistent presence for your brand.

Building Your PPC Campaign Structure

Setting Campaign Goals

Start by defining clear goals for your PPC campaigns. These goals will shape your structure, budget, and targeting approach. Here are a few common objectives to consider:

  • New Product Launch: Use aggressive bidding and broad match keywords to maximize visibility.

  • Brand Defense: Focus on protecting your brand by targeting brand-specific and competitor keywords.

  • Sales Growth: Expand your reach while keeping Advertising Cost of Sales (ACOS) in check.

  • Inventory Clearance: Adjust bids and broaden targeting to move surplus stock.

For new product launches, establish initial metrics and fine-tune your targets as you gain traction.

Auto vs. Manual Campaigns

A successful PPC strategy often combines automatic and manual campaigns. Here’s how each works:

Automatic Campaigns

  • Start with broad targeting to discover effective keywords.

  • Let Amazon’s algorithm match your products with relevant customer searches.

  • Monitor performance to gather keyword insights.

  • Use default bid amounts during this testing phase.

Manual Campaigns

  • Focus on keywords that performed well in automatic campaigns.

  • Set specific bids for selected keywords.

  • Organize keywords by match type: exact, phrase, and broad.

  • Adjust bids for individual keywords based on their performance.

This combination allows you to test broadly while refining your strategy with precise targeting.

Ad Group Setup

Organize your ad groups to keep them streamlined and effective. Group products based on factors like category, price range, audience, or performance goals. Use focused keyword themes (e.g., brand, features, or use cases) and separate them by match type: exact, phrase, and broad.

Keep each ad group tightly focused by limiting the number of keywords. This helps maintain relevance and simplifies optimization. Regularly review performance data and adjust bids to align with your goals and conversion rates.

With this structure in place, you'll be better equipped to manage budgets and improve campaign performance.

Improving Campaign Results

Performance Metrics

Keep an eye on these key metrics to fine-tune your Amazon PPC campaigns:

Advertising Cost of Sales (ACoS)

  • Aim for an ACoS that matches your profit margins. For new products, a higher initial ACoS might be acceptable as you gather performance data.

  • Formula: (Ad Spend ÷ Ad Revenue) × 100

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

  • A strong CTR shows that your keywords and ad copy are connecting with your audience.

  • Watch for trends in CTR to spot any changes in audience behavior.

  • If CTR stays low, it’s time to tweak your ad copy or targeting.

Conversion Rate

  • This measures how well your ads turn clicks into sales.

  • Analyze conversion rates by campaign and match type to uncover actionable trends.

  • Use these insights to adjust bids and budgets effectively.

By focusing on these metrics, you can refine keyword selection and make smarter budget decisions.

Negative Keyword Management

Check your search term reports regularly to identify unproductive queries. Add these as negative keywords at both the campaign and ad group levels. Pay attention to:

  • Terms that generate clicks but no sales.

  • Patterns in searches that don’t convert.

  • Whether to apply negative keywords at the campaign or ad group level for more precise control.

Budget Management

Use insights from your metrics and negative keyword reviews to guide your budget and bidding strategies:

  • Set daily budgets that align with your campaign goals, and keep an eye on spending patterns.

  • Adjust bids regularly, shifting funds from underperforming keywords to those that deliver results.

  • Consider placement performance and ACoS targets when fine-tuning bids.

  • Allocate your budget wisely between proven keywords and testing new ones.

PPC Campaign Management Tips

Campaign Naming System

Start by structuring campaign names with key details like ad type and objectives for clarity:

Campaign Level

  • Ad type (e.g., SP for Sponsored Products)

  • Targeting method (AUTO or MAN)

  • Product category or line

  • Campaign goal (e.g., RESEARCH or SALES)

Example: SP_MAN_KitchenTools_SALES

Ad Group Level

  • Keyword theme

  • Match type (e.g., EXACT, PHRASE, BMM)

  • Product identifier

Example: CoffeeGrinder_EXACT_Model123

This system helps maintain organization and simplifies performance tracking. Pair it with regular performance reviews to keep campaigns on track.

Weekly Performance Checks

Set up a routine to assess and adjust your campaigns throughout the week:

Monday

  • Analyze weekend metrics.

  • Update daily budgets as needed.

  • Check for campaigns hitting budget limits.

Mid-Week

  • Evaluate click-through rates.

  • Pause keywords that aren't performing well.

  • Review search terms to identify negatives.

Friday

  • Review ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale) by campaign.

  • Adjust bids for weekend traffic.

  • Plan budgets for the upcoming week.

These steps ensure your campaigns stay aligned with your goals.

PPC Management Tools

Use specialized tools to simplify and enhance campaign management:

Campaign Manager

  • Monitor performance metrics, budgets, and bids in real-time.

  • Organize campaign structures efficiently.

Search Term Report

  • Analyze customer search queries.

  • Spot high-performing keywords and eliminate ineffective ones.

  • Identify new keyword opportunities.

Bulk Operations

  • Make large-scale changes across campaigns.

  • Adjust multiple bids at once.

  • Export and import campaign data for streamlined updates.

For more advanced management, consider services like eStore Factory, which offers daily monitoring and adjustments to keep your PPC campaigns optimized.

eStore Factory Services

eStore Factory

PPC Management Services

eStore Factory brings over a decade of experience in Amazon PPC management, focusing on improving ad performance. With a team of more than 70 Amazon specialists, they design campaigns that deliver measurable outcomes.

Their PPC services include:

  • Building well-structured campaign hierarchies

  • Daily monitoring of campaigns

  • Advanced Targeting: Careful selection of keywords and audience targeting

  • Sponsored Products Management: Improving performance at the product level

  • Sponsored Brands Campaigns: Using enhanced ad formats to boost brand recognition

  • DSP Advertising: Programmatic ad solutions to expand your reach

As a 3-time Amazon SPN Award Winner, eStore Factory has helped over 5,000 brands generate more than $250 million in sales with their PPC strategies.

In addition to PPC, they offer services to strengthen your entire Amazon strategy.

Full Amazon Seller Support

To complement their PPC services, eStore Factory provides comprehensive support to optimize every aspect of your Amazon presence:

Account Strategy Services

  • Amazon SEO to improve visibility

  • Refining product listings

  • In-depth keyword research and application

  • Detailed analytics and reporting for insights

Brand Development Solutions

Their approach integrates PPC with broader marketing efforts. By aligning PPC campaigns with optimized product listings, they ensure traffic is directed to pages that convert effectively, maintaining a balanced ACoS while driving growth.

Summary

Main Points Review

To run successful PPC campaigns, focus on these key elements:

Campaign Foundation

  • Choose the right campaign type (Sponsored Products, Brands, or Display) based on your goals.

  • Define clear, measurable objectives.

  • Use clear and logical naming conventions for your campaigns.

  • Decide between automatic or manual targeting depending on your needs.

Optimization Essentials

  • Check performance metrics regularly and adjust budgets on a weekly basis.

  • Keep your negative keyword lists updated.

  • Leverage PPC management tools to save time and improve efficiency.

Best Practices

  • Start with automatic campaigns to gather data.

  • Organize ad groups by product categories.

  • Experiment with different match types to fine-tune targeting.

  • Keep an eye on your ACoS and make adjustments as needed.

Getting Started

Here’s a quick guide to kick things off:

For DIY Management:

  • Start with one campaign type to learn the basics.

  • Set up proper tracking and monitoring systems.

For Professional Help:
Partnering with eStore Factory's PPC management services can provide:

  • Expertly structured campaigns.

  • Daily performance tracking.

  • Advanced targeting methods.

  • Seamless integration with Amazon marketing strategies.

Refining your approach consistently is key. Use these steps to launch or improve your Amazon PPC campaigns effectively.

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