Sponsored Display is Amazon’s most flexible ad type, yet most advertisers either ignore it or use it incorrectly. It is the only Sponsored Ad type that can target audiences (not just keywords or products), reach shoppers off-Amazon, and retarget product page viewers. Here is how to use it properly.
Three SD Strategies That Work
1. Product Page Viewer Retargeting (Views Remarketing)
Target shoppers who viewed your product page but did not purchase. This is the highest-converting SD strategy with typical ACoS of 8-15%. Set a lookback window of 7-14 days. These are warm prospects — they already showed interest. The key is creative: use custom imagery (not default) with a clear call-to-action and any relevant promotion.
2. Competitor Product Targeting
Target your ads to appear on competitor product pages. Select competitors with lower ratings, higher prices, or weaker listings than yours. This strategy works best when you have a clear competitive advantage (better price, higher rating, more reviews). Typical ACoS: 20-35%, which is higher than retargeting but brings in entirely new customers.
3. Complementary Product Targeting
Target products that are frequently bought with yours. If you sell phone cases, target popular phone models. If you sell coffee beans, target coffee grinders and pour-over brewers. This captures shoppers in active buying mode for your category.
Budget Allocation
We recommend allocating 10-15% of your total Amazon PPC budget to Sponsored Display. Split it roughly: 50% retargeting, 30% competitor targeting, 20% complementary targeting. SD budgets should be lower per campaign than SP/SB because the audiences are more targeted and impression volumes are smaller.