Key takeaways
- Use structure to separate objectives and products.
- Combine automatic discovery with manual control.
- Name campaigns consistently.
- Keep the structure manageable.
Why structure matters
Without a clear structure, budgets and results blur together, and it becomes hard to tell which product, keyword or tactic is working. A good structure separates objectives, so each campaign has a purpose, a budget and a measure of success.
Automatic and manual targeting
Automatic campaigns let Amazon match your ads to relevant searches and products, which is useful for discovery. Manual campaigns let you choose keywords or targets and control bids more precisely. Many sellers use automatic campaigns to find terms and manual campaigns to scale what works.
Match types
Keyword targeting typically offers broad, phrase and exact match, which control how closely a search must match your keyword. Broad match reaches widely but can attract irrelevant queries, while exact match is tight and predictable. Combine them thoughtfully and add negative keywords.
- Broad: widest reach, needs monitoring
- Phrase: moderate control
- Exact: highest control
- Negatives: exclude waste
Group products sensibly
Group products with similar economics and goals in the same campaign. Mixing a high-margin product with a low-margin one under one budget makes it hard to set targets. Separate hero products from the long tail.
Separate objectives
Keep launch, defense of branded terms, conquest of competitor targets and general growth in separate campaigns. Each has a different target ACoS and bid approach.
Naming conventions
Use clear names that show product, ad type, targeting and objective. Consistent names make filtering and reporting much easier and help new team members understand the account.
Keep it simple enough to manage
A structure with hundreds of tiny campaigns can be impossible to maintain. Choose a level of detail that your team can review regularly.
A worked example
A seller with a mixed account reorganizes into campaigns per hero product, with automatic campaigns for discovery, manual exact campaigns for proven terms and a separate branded defense campaign. Reporting becomes clearer, and decisions about budget are quicker.
Common mistakes
Typical mistakes include putting everything in one campaign, using identical bids for unlike keywords and not adding negatives. Another is changing too many things at once.
Structure review checklist
Review quarterly: Does each campaign have a goal and a target? Are names consistent? Are products grouped by economics? Are negatives up to date? Are budgets aligned with priorities? Record changes.
Questions to ask before restructuring
What am I trying to improve, and how will I measure it? What will I lose in historical data? Who will manage the new structure? Plan the change, communicate it and compare results over a fair period.
Your next three steps
Use the next review to bring order to your account.
- Export campaigns and tag each with an objective and product group.
- Retire or merge campaigns that have no clear purpose.
- Adopt one naming convention and apply it to every new campaign.
Key terms
A few terms used above, in plain language.
- Campaign: a group of ads that share a budget and settings.
- Ad group: products and targets that are managed together inside a campaign.
- Search term: the exact words a shopper typed before clicking.
Frequently asked questions
How many campaigns do I need?
Enough to separate objectives and products, but few enough to manage well.
Should I start with automatic or manual?
Many sellers start with both: automatic for discovery and manual for control.
This guide is general information. Amazon's fees, policies and program rules change and vary by marketplace, so confirm current details in Seller Central and, for tax or legal questions, with a qualified adviser.