Warning: Your Amazon Ads Are Wasting Budget Without Proper Keyword Harvesting

Welcome to our Amazon Audit series, where we highlight mistakes brands don’t even realize they’re making. One major miss we often spot? Brands overlooking keyword harvesting. They’re sitting on high-performing search terms that could supercharge their results but aren’t using them. More than just a missed opportunity—it’s wasted spend and lost sales. In this post, we’ll show you how keyword harvesting can turn things around, help you reach the right customers, and make sure every dollar you spend pulls its weight. Let’s dive in!

In the next section, we’ll cover the essentials of keyword harvesting—what it is, why it’s vital for success, and how you can start implementing it to get more out of your ad budget.

What is Keyword Harvesting?

Keyword harvesting is the process of identifying and collecting the most relevant and high-performing search terms that customers use to find your product on Amazon. This involves analyzing search term reports to find keywords that drive clicks and conversions.

Once identified, these terms can be targeted in ad campaigns with different match types (exact, phrase, or broad), enabling more control over bids and ad visibility. This practice helps refine ad strategies, improve campaign efficiency, and drive better sales by focusing on keywords proven to work.

Once identified, you can target these terms directly using three match types:

Exact match Precise control, higher relevance

Your ad shows only when a customer searches for your specific keyword or close variations. It gives you the most control but limits reach.

For example: If you target the term “dog leash,” your ad will show only when someone searches for “dog leash” or very close variants like “dog leashes.”

Phrase match Slightly broader, flexible targeting

Your ad appears when the search includes your keyword in the same order, but it can have additional words before or after. It balances control with flexibility.

For example: Targeting “organic vitamin C” will show your ad for searches like “buy organic vitamin C” or “organic vitamin C supplements,” but not “organic supplements for immunity.”

Broad match Widest net, more discovery

Your ad triggers for any search related to your keyword, including synonyms and variations. It casts the widest net, allowing for greater discovery but less precision.

For example: Targeting “face cream” may trigger ads for related searches like “skincare cream,” “moisturizer for dry skin,” or “best anti-aging creams.”

Reviewing search terms regularly ensures you’re always refining your strategy and only investing in what works. Think of it as tuning an engine for optimal performance—small adjustments lead to bigger results.

How to Segment High-Performing Search Terms

Once you’ve identified your best-performing search terms, the next step is segmentation for better targeting. Start by grouping terms by product category—for example, separate searches for cat vs. dog products to ensure your ads speak directly to each audience.

You can also segment by customer intent: someone searching “best dog leash” is likely researching, while “buy dog leash now” signals they’re ready to purchase. Tailor your messaging and bids to match where they are in the buying cycle.

Seasonal segmentation is another opportunity. Focus on timely keywords like “immune support” in winter or “hydrating face cream” during colder months to capture relevant traffic when demand spikes.

Run a Variety of Campaigns

To maximize the impact of your segmented keywords, diversify your campaigns:

1. Automatic Campaigns: Let Amazon discover new search terms by automatically targeting relevant keywords.
2. Category Campaigns: Target specific product categories for broader visibility.
3. Branded Campaigns: Capture brand-aware customers by focusing on keywords related to your brand name.

This multi-campaign approach ensures you’re covering all angles while continually refining your strategy for better performance.

Why Long-Tail Keywords Matter

After segmenting your search terms, diving deeper into long-tail keywords can give you a competitive edge. These are specific, multi-word phrases that target niche audiences, such as “organic vitamin C for immune support” instead of just “vitamin C.” Long-tail keywords bring several advantages:

• Lower competition: Fewer advertisers bid on these terms, making them more cost-effective.
• Higher relevance: They match the intent of customers who know exactly what they’re looking for, leading to better conversions.

Here’s how you can discover and target them effectively:

1. Use Amazon Search Term Reports: Review your search term data to spot longer, more specific phrases that customers are using to find your products.
2. Leverage Keyword Research Tools: Tools like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout can help uncover long-tail keywords with lower competition.
3. Analyze Customer Questions: Look at customer reviews and Q&A sections to identify common terms and concerns that can be targeted.
4. Test Long-Tail Variations: Start targeting these keywords in exact or phrase match ads.

Maximize Search Term Impact With A/B Testing

Once you’ve identified your top search terms, it’s time to test how they perform across different ad formats.

1. Sponsored Brands vs. Sponsored Products: Run your exact match terms in both formats to see which drives more clicks and conversions. Sponsored Brands can help build awareness, while Sponsored Products typically focus on sales.
2. Experiment with Placement and Creative: Test where your ads appear (top of search vs. product pages) and try different creatives (headlines, images) to find the combination that generates the most engagement.

Consistent A/B testing ensures you’re maximizing the potential of each search term across different ad types.

Search Term Negation: How to Boost Ad Efficiency

Of course, not all search terms are winners. By using search term negation, you can filter out irrelevant or poorly performing keywords that waste your ad budget.

1. Identify low-performing terms: Regularly review your search term reports to find keywords that drive clicks but don’t convert.
2. Use negative keyword lists: Add these terms to your negative keyword list to prevent your ads from showing up for irrelevant searches.

Negating low-quality terms ensures your ads target the right audience, improving overall efficiency and ROI. Unfortunately, many brands fail to negate search terms as well.

Likewise, if you notice certain keywords consistently receive low impressions, consider reviewing them alongside low-converting terms.

Ongoing Optimization: Keeping Your Ads Performing at Their Best

Search term harvesting is never a one-off task—it demands ongoing refinement. Use performance data to adjust bids: increase bids on high-converting terms and lower them on underperformers. Regularly analyze search term reports to stay aligned with evolving customer behavior.

1. Refine bids using performance data: Analyze the conversion rates and sales generated by specific search terms. Increase bids on top performers and lower bids on underperformers.
2. Regular search term analysis: Stay on top of your search term reports, as customer behavior and trends evolve. Regular adjustments based on fresh data will ensure your ads stay relevant and cost-effective, driving long-term growth.

With Amazon’s new Target Promotion tool (launched July 2024), you can now automate this process. The tool promotes high-performing targets and optimizes bids and budget allocation, helping you maximize ad spend efficiency while reducing waste on low-performing terms. This ensures your campaigns stay relevant and profitable.

Take Control of Your Amazon Ad Strategy

Search term harvesting, segmentation, long-tail keywords, and ongoing optimization are powerful strategies that can significantly improve your ad performance. But to truly maximize your $25k+ monthly ad spend, you need a customized approach based on your unique data.

That’s where we come in. At Incrementum Digital, we offer a free Amazon advertising audit to help identify untapped opportunities and refine your strategy. Ready to scale? 

Sign up today and take the first step toward more efficient, high-performing campaigns.