A Comprehensive Guide to Conducting an Amazon PPC Campaign Audit

Amazon PPC campaigns are an essential part of any successful e-commerce strategy. They allow sellers to increase their product visibility, drive traffic to their listings, and ultimately boost sales. However, managing Amazon PPC campaigns can be time-consuming and challenging, especially for sellers who are new to the platform. 

This is where conducting an Amazon PPC campaign audit comes into play. By performing an audit, you can identify areas for improvement, optimize your campaigns, and increase your return on ad spend (ROAS). In this article, we will guide you through the steps to conduct an Amazon PPC campaign audit.

1: Review Your Campaign Structure

The first step in conducting an Amazon PPC audit is to review your campaign structure. You need to ensure that your campaigns are organized in a logical manner and that your ad groups are targeting relevant keywords. Here are some factors to consider when reviewing your campaign structure:

Campaign structure: 

Ensure that your campaigns are structured in a way that makes sense for your business. For example, you can organize your campaigns based on product category, brand, or sales goals.

Ad groups: 

Make sure that your ad groups are targeting relevant keywords and have a clear focus. Avoid creating ad groups with too many keywords, as this can dilute your ad relevance and lower your CTR.

Keyword targeting: 

Check that your keyword targeting is relevant to your products and matches the customer’s search intent. Use Amazon’s keyword research tools to identify new keywords and negative keywords to exclude irrelevant searches.

2: Analyze Your Keyword Performance

The next step is to analyze your keyword performance. You need to identify which keywords are driving the most clicks and conversions, and which ones are not performing well. Here are some factors to consider when analyzing your keyword performance:

Keyword match types: 

Check that you are using the appropriate keyword match types for your campaigns. Broad match keywords can generate a lot of clicks but may have a lower conversion rate, while exact match keywords can be more targeted but may have a lower search volume.

Keyword bids: 

Review your keyword bids and ensure that you are not overbidding on keywords that are not driving sales. Use Amazon’s bid optimization tools to adjust your bids and improve your ad performance.

Negative keywords: 

Make sure that you are using negative keywords to exclude irrelevant searches. Negative keywords can help you save money on ad spend and improve your ad relevance.

3: Evaluate Your Ad Copy and Creatives

The third step is to evaluate your ad copy and creatives. You need to ensure that your ad copy is compelling, your images are high-quality, and your ad formats are optimized for different devices. Here are some factors to consider when evaluating your ad copy and creatives:

Ad copy: 

Check that your ad copy is clear, and concise, and highlights the unique features and benefits of your products. Use call-to-action (CTA) phrases to encourage customers to click on your ads and make a purchase.

Product images: 

Ensure that your product images are high-quality and showcase your products in the best possible light. Use images that are relevant to the search query and highlight the key features and benefits of your products.

Ad formats: 

Review your ad formats and ensure that they are optimized for different devices. For example, you can create mobile-optimized ads that are shorter and more concise, or use video ads to showcase your products in action.

4: Monitor Your Campaign Metrics

The final step is to monitor your campaign metrics. You need to track your key performance indicators (KPIs) and identify areas for improvement. Here are some metrics to consider when monitoring your campaign performance:

Impressions: This metric measures the number of times your ad was displayed to customers.

Click-through rate (CTR): This metric measures the percentage of customers who clicked on your ad after seeing it.

Cost per click (CPC): This metric measures the average cost of each click on your ad.

Conversion rate (CR): This metric measures the percentage of customers who made a purchase after clicking on your ad.

Return on ad spends (ROAS): This metric measures the revenue generated from your ads compared to the cost of running them.

By monitoring these metrics, you can identify which campaigns and ad groups are performing well and which ones need improvement. You can also adjust your bidding strategy and budget allocation to maximize your ROAS.

In addition to the four steps outlined above, there are some additional factors to consider when conducting an Amazon PPC campaign audit. These include reviewing your targeting options, analyzing your campaign settings, and evaluating your ad placement.

Targeting Options:

Amazon offers a variety of targeting options to help you reach your ideal customers. These include automatic targeting, which allows Amazon to target your ads based on customer search queries and product details, and manual targeting, which allows you to choose specific keywords and product categories to target. 

When conducting your audit, it’s important to review your targeting options and make sure you are using the most appropriate targeting strategy for your business. You may also want to experiment with different targeting options to see which ones work best for your campaigns.

Campaign Settings:

Amazon offers a range of campaign settings that can impact the performance of your ads. These include your campaign start and end dates, your ad scheduling, your budget and bidding strategy, and your ad placements. When conducting your audit, make sure you review these settings and ensure that they are aligned with your business goals. 

For example, you may want to adjust your bidding strategy to focus on campaigns with a higher ROI or adjust your ad placements to target customers on specific devices or platforms.

Ad Placement:

Finally, it’s important to evaluate your ad placement when conducting your Amazon PPC campaign audit. Amazon offers a range of ad placements, including product detail pages, search results pages, and sponsored brands. 

By analyzing your ad placement data, you can identify which placements are generating the most clicks and conversions and adjust your ad placement strategy accordingly. For example, you may want to focus on placements that are more likely to result in a sale or adjust your ad creative to better fit the placement.

In conclusion, conducting an Amazon PPC campaign audit is essential for optimizing your ad performance and maximizing your ROI. By following the steps outlined in this article and considering additional factors such as targeting options, campaign settings, and ad placement, you can identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to improve your campaigns. Remember to regularly review your campaigns and adjust your strategy to stay ahead of the competition and maximize your sales.