f you’re spending money on Amazon ads but not seeing the returns you expected, you’re not alone. PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising is one of the most powerful tools to grow your brand on Amazon — but only if it’s done right. The truth is, many sellers unknowingly drain thousands of dollars due to simple but costly PPC mistakes.
In this blog, we’ll break down 7 common Amazon PPC mistakes that may be sabotaging your performance — and more importantly, how to fix them.
🚫 1. Not Using Negative Keywords
When you skip adding negative keywords, you allow Amazon to show your ads for irrelevant or poorly converting search terms. Imagine selling a premium CoQ10 supplement and your ad shows up for “free vitamins” — that’s wasted spend!
Fix it:
Regularly check your Search Term Reports. Identify search queries that eat up budget but don’t convert, and add them to your negative keyword list to instantly improve ACoS.
🚫 2. Relying Only on Automatic Campaigns
Automatic campaigns are great for discovery, but relying on them alone is a budget trap. Amazon decides which terms to bid on, often leading to irrelevant clicks.
Fix it:
Use auto campaigns to identify high-performing search terms, then move those into manual campaigns where you can control match types and bids more precisely.
🚫 3. Ignoring Your Search Term Reports
One of the biggest rookie mistakes? Not looking at where your ad dollars are going. If you’re not reviewing Search Term Reports, you’re flying blind.
Fix it:
Review these reports weekly to:
- Add high-converting search terms to manual campaigns.
- Add poor performers as negative keywords.
- Adjust bids based on keyword profitability.
🚫 4. Poor Campaign Structure
Mixing multiple products or match types in the same ad group makes it nearly impossible to understand performance, let alone scale your ads effectively.
Fix it:
Structure your campaigns like a pro:
- One product per ad group
- Separate campaigns for Broad, Phrase, and Exact match
- Clear naming conventions for easy tracking
🚫 5. Overbidding on Broad Match Keywords
Broad match keywords cast a wide net — and that’s not always a good thing. Without tight controls, you’ll attract tons of irrelevant traffic.
Fix it:
Start with lower bids on broad match keywords. As you gather data, shift converting terms to phrase and exact match for better control and return.
🚫 6. Only Focusing on ACoS (Ignoring TACoS)
Focusing solely on ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sales) can be misleading. A campaign with 50% ACoS might be driving significant organic ranking and total sales growth.
Fix it:
Always track TACoS (Total Advertising Cost of Sales) to measure the true impact of your ads. A healthy TACoS indicates you’re building organic momentum through paid traffic.
🚫 7. Set-It-and-Forget-It Mentality
Amazon PPC isn’t a crockpot. You can’t just “set it and forget it.” Without regular optimization, even your best campaigns will decline in performance over time.
Fix it:
- Review and adjust bids weekly
- Pause underperforming keywords
- Test new ASINs, keywords, and creatives regularly
- Monitor competition and seasonality
💡 Bonus Pro Tips
- Use placement adjustments to bid higher for top-performing ad slots like Top of Search.
- Test dayparting to avoid wasted spend during low-converting hours.
- If you have a large catalog, use bulk operations to manage campaigns efficiently.
✅ Final Thoughts
Avoiding these common Amazon PPC mistakes can be the difference between a bleeding ad budget and a scalable, profitable business. With the right structure, regular optimizations, and a data-driven approach, your PPC campaigns can drive consistent sales and build long-term organic growth.
📣 Need Help With Your Amazon Ads?
Whether you’re launching a new product or trying to lower your ACoS, we can help! Contact us today to schedule a free PPC audit and discover how to scale your ads with confidence.
