Launching your first Amazon PPC campaign can feel overwhelming. This step-by-step guide walks you through the entire process, from keyword research to your first optimization cycle.
Step 1: Keyword Research
Start with your product title, bullet points, and competitor listings. Extract every relevant keyword. Use Amazon auto-suggest: type your main keyword and note every suggestion. Tools like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout can accelerate this, but manual research works too. Aim for 50-100 keywords to start.
Step 2: Campaign Structure
Create three campaigns. Campaign 1: Auto (let Amazon discover keywords you missed). Campaign 2: Manual Broad (your top 20-30 keywords in broad match for discovery). Campaign 3: Manual Exact (your top 10-15 highest-intent keywords for precision). Set daily budgets at $20-50 per campaign to start.
Step 3: Set Initial Bids
Use the formula: Max CPC = Product Price x Target ACoS x Expected CVR. For a $30 product with 25% target ACoS and 10% CVR: $30 x 0.25 x 0.10 = $0.75 starting bid. Adjust up for high-competition keywords, down for long-tail.
Step 4: Launch and Wait
Do not touch anything for 7-10 days. Amazon needs time to gather data. Resist the urge to optimize on day 2 — early data is noisy and will mislead you.
Step 5: First Optimization
After 10 days, pull your search term report. Graduate winning search terms from Auto/Broad to Exact campaigns. Negate irrelevant terms. Adjust bids based on actual ACoS versus target. Repeat this cycle weekly.