In Amazon Ads, a keyword is what you bid on. A search term is what a shopper actually typed. One keyword can catch hundreds of different searches, and the difference between the two is where most of the waste — and most of the winners — sit.
The difference
| Keyword | Search term | |
|---|---|---|
| Who chooses it | You | The shopper |
| Where you see it | Your campaign’s targeting | The search term report |
| What controls it | Your bid and match type | Which of your keywords Amazon matched it to |
| Can you bid on it directly? | Yes | Only by adding it as a keyword |
An example
Say you bid on the broad-match keyword cozy mystery. Over a month, the search term report might show it caught searches like these (illustrative):
| Search term | Clicks | Orders | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| cozy mystery books with cats | 24 | 3 | Promote: add as an exact keyword |
| cozy mystery series kindle | 18 | 2 | Promote |
| mystery puzzle games | 15 | 0 | Negative phrase: “games” is the wrong reader |
| B0XXXXXXXX | 9 | 1 | A product page, not a search: promote as a product target |
One keyword, four very different searches. Without the search term report you would see one blended result and judge them all together.
Where to find your search terms
In the Amazon Ads console, under Reports, create a Sponsored Products Search term report. How to read it.
Turning search terms into keywords
When a search term sells, you can add it as an exact-match keyword so it gets its own bid. We tracked what happened to 2,846 keywords created this way (our study of 2,846 keywords). Three findings change the usual advice:
- One order is enough. Keywords from search terms with one, two or three orders performed the same.
- Ignore the search term’s ACOS. It had almost no relationship with the keyword’s ACOS afterwards.
- Expect a higher ACOS than the search term showed. Keywords from one-to-three-order terms ran at about 57%; only terms with eleven or more orders produced keywords around 38%.
When you promote a search term, add it as a negative exact in the campaign it came from, so your two campaigns don’t bid against each other for the same search.
AcosControl · Start freeSearch terms that sold, one click from a campaignAcosControl pulls out the search terms that made orders and aren’t a keyword yet, and lists the ones that only spend, ready to negate. Free tool · no sign-inSearch term harvesterFind the search terms that sold and are not keywords yet, straight from your report.Common questions
What is a search term on Amazon?
The exact words a shopper typed into Amazon’s search box before seeing and clicking your ad. Amazon shows them in the search term report, next to the keyword or target that matched each one.
What is the difference between a search term and a keyword in Amazon Ads?
A keyword is what you choose to bid on; a search term is what the customer typed. A broad or phrase keyword can match many different search terms, and each can perform very differently.
What is an example of a search term?
If you bid on the broad keyword “cozy mystery”, search terms might include “cozy mystery books with cats” or “cozy mystery series kindle”. Some will sell and some won’t, which is why you check them.
Why does my search term report show B0 codes?
A code like B0XXXXXXXX is a product (ASIN): the click came from that product’s page, not from a search. To bid there on purpose, add it as a product target.
When should I turn a search term into a keyword?
After its first order. In a study of 2,846 book keywords, those made from one-order search terms performed the same as those from two or three.
- Keywords are what you bid on; search terms are what shoppers typed.
- One keyword can catch many searches; the search term report separates them.
- Promote a search term after its first order; its ACOS before promotion predicts little.
- Add the promoted search as a negative exact where it came from.
- B0… search terms are product pages: promote them as product targets.