AI for Amazon PPC: Mining Search Terms & Negatives

TL;DR: Master Amazon PPC search terms using AI-driven insights to uncover high-performing keywords, eliminate wasted spend, and improve campaign profitability, especially critical for new and growing FBA sellers.

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

Note on marketplaces: This guide is specifically optimized for the US market.

Understanding Amazon PPC Search Terms vs. Keywords

One of the most common points of confusion among Amazon sellers, especially beginners, is the difference between Amazon PPC keywords and search terms. Keywords are the terms you proactively select and bid on in your Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, or Sponsored Display campaigns. These include match types like broad, phrase, and exact.

In contrast, search terms are the actual queries typed by shoppers into Amazon's search bar that triggered your ad to appear. For example, if you bid on the keyword "wireless earbuds," your ad might show up when someone searches "best Bluetooth earbuds for gym." That customer query "best Bluetooth earbuds for gym" is a search term.

This distinction is critical because it reveals real customer behavior. While your keyword strategy shapes your campaign setup, analyzing search terms shows you what's actually working, and what's draining your budget.

How to Access & Analyze the Amazon Search Term Report

To begin optimizing your campaigns, you need access to the Amazon Search Term Report, also known as the Search Query Performance Report. This report is available in Amazon Advertising Console under "Reports" > "Advertising Reports" > "Custom Reports."

You can generate two types of reports:

• Search Term Report (by keyword): Shows which customer search terms triggered your ads based on the keywords you're targeting.
• Search Term Report (by search term): Reveals performance metrics (impressions, clicks, spend, sales, ACOS) for each actual shopper query.

When analyzing the report, focus on three key metrics:

1. ACOS (Advertising Cost of Sale): Lower is better. High ACOS on a search term indicates poor ROI.
2. Conversion Rate: How often a search term leads to a sale. High conversion = high intent.
3. Spend vs. Sales: Identify terms with high spend but low sales, which may need negative keyword treatment.

Step-by-Step: Optimizing Campaigns Using Search Term Data

Now that you have the data, here's a proven 5-step process to turn search term insights into profitable actions:

Step 1: Identify High-Performing Search Terms

Look for search terms with:

• High conversion rate (≥10%)
• Low ACOS (≤20%)
• Multiple sales with moderate spend

These are golden opportunities. Promote them by adding them as exact or phrase match keywords in dedicated campaigns to gain more control and scale.

Step 2: Flag Underperforming Terms for Negatives

Search terms with high spend, zero sales, and high ACOS are draining your budget. Add these as negative keywords at the campaign or ad group level to prevent future impressions.

For example, if "cheap wireless earbuds" triggers your premium brand ad but converts poorly, add "cheap" as a negative keyword. Learn more in our complete guide to negative keywords.

Step 3: Group Similar Terms into Themed Campaigns

Use search term insights to build tightly themed campaigns. For instance, group all fitness-related queries ("workout earbuds," "sweatproof Bluetooth headphones") into a "Sports & Fitness" campaign with tailored ad copy and bids.

This improves relevance, Quality Score, and conversion rates. For advanced structuring, see our guide on Amazon PPC campaign structure.

Step 4: Adjust Bids Based on Search Term Performance

Increase bids on high-converting search terms to gain more visibility. Decrease or pause bids on low performers. Use dynamic bidding strategies (up and down) cautiously. Manual bids offer more control during optimization.

Step 5: Repeat Weekly

Search term analysis isn't a one-time task. Customer behavior evolves. Set a weekly cadence to review reports, update negatives, and promote winners. Consistency compounds results.

How AI Tools Supercharge Search Term Mining

Manually sifting through thousands of search terms is time-consuming and error-prone, especially for growth-stage brands running multiple campaigns. This is where AI-powered tools like SellerSprite transform efficiency.

SellerSprite's Search Query Performance Dashboard automatically categorizes search terms into:

• Profitable (high conversion, low ACOS)
• Break-even (moderate performance)
• Waste (high spend, no sales)

It also suggests:

• Which terms to add as keywords
• Which to negate
• Optimal bid adjustments

For example, one SellerSprite user scaled their ACOS from 45% to 28% in six weeks by automating search term review across 12 campaigns. Learn how in our deep dive on the Search Query Dashboard.

FAQ

Next Steps

References

• Amazon Advertising Search Term Report Guide View
• Keyword Research for Amazon PPC View
• How to Build Amazon PPC Exact Match Campaigns View