Amazon Search Query Performance: The Best Data You’re Not Using

Your Amazon PPC campaigns feel like a black box. You’re making changes, adjusting bids, and tweaking keywords, but you’re not really sure why some things work and others don’t. Most sellers focus on keyword performance, but they’re missing a goldmine of data that can dramatically improve their results.

This is where search query performance comes in. In this article, we’ll show you why search query data is the most valuable information you can access on Amazon and how to use it to optimize your campaigns for maximum profitability.

Why Search Query Data Beats Keyword Data

Most sellers don’t realize that the keywords they target are just a starting point. Here’s what’s happening:

• Keywords trigger search queries. When a customer searches on Amazon, they’re using a specific search query. Your keywords tell Amazon which queries to target, but they’re not a direct match.
• Amazon matches queries to keywords. Amazon decides which search queries are relevant to your keywords. This matching process isn’t always perfect, so you might be showing up for irrelevant searches.
• Search queries reveal customer intent. Search query data shows you exactly what customers are typing in when they see and click on your ads. This gives you direct insight into their needs and motivations.

Here’s why that matters: Keyword data tells you how your keywords are performing. Search query data tells you how your ads are performing for real customers.

Accessing Your Search Query Performance Report

So, how do you get your hands on this valuable data? It’s all in your Search Term Report:

1. Navigate to the Advertising Console: Log in to your Amazon Seller Central account and go to the Advertising Console.
2. Go to Reports: In the left-hand menu, click on “Reports.”
3. Create a Sponsored Products Report: Select “Sponsored Products” as the campaign type.
4. Choose “Search Term” Report: Select “Search term” in the report configuration.
5. Set the Date Range: Choose a date range that’s long enough to give you meaningful data. 30-60 days is usually a good starting point.
6. Run the Report: Click “Run Report.”

Once the report is generated, download it as a CSV file. Let me break this down; the report will contain columns with all the info you need to optimize your campaigns.

How to Analyze Your Search Query Data Like an Expert

Now you’ve got the report. But how do you make sense of it all? Don’t worry, here are a few ways to analyze your search query data and make changes that affect your bottom line:

1. Identify High-Converting Search Queries

Look for search queries with a high conversion rate and a low ACOS. These are the gems that are driving profitable sales.

• Example: You’re selling protein powder. You see that the search query “whey protein isolate for muscle growth” has a 15% conversion rate and a 20% ACOS.
• Action: Add this search query as an exact match keyword to your campaigns. This ensures you’re showing up for this high-intent search and can bid more aggressively.

2. Negate Irrelevant Search Queries

Spot search queries with high spend but low or no conversions. These are wasting your ad budget.

• Example: You’re selling dog toys. You see that the search query “dog food kibble” has generated $50 in spend but zero sales.
• Action: Negate this search query in your campaigns. This prevents your ads from showing up for irrelevant searches and saves you money.

3. Discover New Keyword Ideas

Analyze search queries that are generating clicks and impressions but aren’t currently targeted in your campaigns.

• Example: You’re selling coffee mugs. You see that the search query “funny coffee mugs for men” is getting a lot of clicks, but you don’t have that phrase as a keyword.
• Action: Add “funny coffee mugs for men” as a broad match keyword to your campaigns. Monitor its performance and refine the match type as needed.

4. Refine Your Product Listings

Look for search queries that reveal gaps in your product listings.

• Example: You’re selling a yoga mat. You see that the search query “yoga mat extra thick non slip” is performing well. However, your product listing doesn’t highlight these features.
• Action: Update your product title, bullet points, and description to emphasize the “extra thick” and “non slip” aspects of your yoga mat.

5. Identify Branded vs. Non-Branded Terms

Separate your search query data into branded and non-branded terms. Branded terms are those that include your brand name (or a close variation).

• Branded Terms: Track the performance of these terms separately to gauge brand awareness and loyalty.
• Non-Branded Terms: Focus on optimizing these terms to reach new customers.

Real Example: We worked with a client selling kitchen gadgets. By analyzing their search query data, we found that a significant portion of their spend was going towards irrelevant searches like “kitchen appliances” and “cheap kitchen utensils”. By negating these terms and focusing on more specific, high-intent searches like “garlic press stainless steel” and “vegetable spiralizer set”, we reduced their ACOS by 22% in 60 days.

Tools for Simplifying Search Query Analysis

Analyzing search query data manually can be time-consuming, especially if you have a large product catalog. Fortunately, there are tools that can help. Here are a few options:

• Excel: You can use Excel to filter, sort, and analyze your search query data.
• Amazon’s built-in filters: Within the advertising console, Amazon offers some filtering capabilities to help you identify high- and low-performing search terms.
• AdLabs: AdLabs provides advanced search query analysis and optimization features, making it easier to identify opportunities and take action. (Link opportunity: AdLabs Features Page)

Don’t Ignore This Data

Search query performance data is the closest you’ll get to understanding what your customers are really looking for on Amazon. By consistently analyzing this data and making informed decisions, you can reduce wasted ad spend, improve your conversion rates, and drive more profitable sales.

Most sellers overlook this step, but not you. Start digging into your search query data today and watch your Amazon PPC performance soar.

Key Discussion Points from the Episode

Here are some of the most valuable insights Andrew and Stephen shared during the full episode discussion:

The Amazon will actually do a click rate. Do you ever compare to click rate. You know, I don’t think that’s really a fair comparison.

So let’s define click. I’m going to define click rate really quick. What that means is.

Basic, it’s Amazon’s click through rate for like any product on that search. Like if someone types of search, what are the chances that they click literally any product in the search. So some of them are going to be pretty high like 75% of the time when insulted electrolytes is searched.

It is clicked. Well, actually, that’s another question. Andrew, I think the click rate.

I think that’s clicks divided by yeah, it’s clicks divided by searches. It’s not clicks divided by impressions. So like it would be 66 here divided by 89 is getting you to that 7416% click rate.

So so the clicks is basically out of how many time every time this has searched, how many times of those searches become a click. So I guess the answer here that I answered for myself is it’s not really worth comparing to this. It could be if you have such a really bad click through rate on some keyword.

You could maybe come through and be like, ah, yeah, but most of the time people aren’t really clicking that it seems to be a bit more like a research thing like, you know. Yeah, so, point being you can’t really compare yourself your CTR to like the category. Or you can’t be like, how does our CTR stack up against other people’s?

You can’t really do that, but you can just look at out of all your impressions, your overall click through rate. So that can be really good. One other thing too, Andrew, you mentioned that you like doing clicks.

You said because that’s the thing we really can control. And it’s also a cost per click platform. So that or pay per click platform.

So that does make a lot of sense. I think the only thing to is that those impressions. People love to look at impressions, but frankly, I think impressions can be a bit of a vanity metric because these aren’t counting viewable impressions.

It’s all the impressions on page one. So if you’re all the way at the very bottom of that page, nobody’s ever going to see that like rarely are people going to scroll that far. And so it would look like your click through rates really, really bad.

And it’s not necessarily meaning that like your image is bad. Your listing is bad, whatever. But you’re just not appearing very high on search.

So you’re naturally going to get that those click through rates decrease. The farther people go down the page because there’s less and less viewability there. So just some else to keep in mind, which you know with with your brand.

That’s where I would think like when these click through rates are going up up up up up up up. There’s probably two things there. Like you said, you’re optimizing those listings.

You’re cleaning up those main images, making them more clicky. But you’re also probably ranking higher in search, which is why you’re you’re getting better click through rates as well.

This article is based on Episode 73 of That Amazon Ads Podcast. Subscribe for weekly Amazon PPC strategies.