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Our Step-by-Step Process to Restructure PPC Campaigns for Higher Performance
Our Step-by-Step Process to Restructure PPC Campaigns for Higher Performance
George Reid
July 07, 2023
We often talk about the crucial role campaign structure plays in scaling up PPC revenue on Amazon.
Indeed, campaign restructuring is often one of the key factors behind the success stories we regularly share. Take, for instance, the recent case study we published, highlighting a 4.7x increase in PPC sales, with 10% lower ACOS.
Today, we'd like to share with you the process of how we tackled a recent account restructuring as part of our initial onboarding steps.
To begin with, here are three primary reasons why the existing campaigns were poorly structured:
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1. A mix of different Products in the same campaign:
With multiple products being advertised inside the same campaign, Amazon's algorithm tends to prioritize products that generate higher conversions or traffic, leading to uneven exposure for individual products.
Moreover, different products often have different performances such as click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and ACOS. By grouping them together, it becomes difficult to allocate Ad spend and bids appropriately for each product. It’s equally hard to track which keyword drives sales on which product in the group.
2. Mixed match types
Different match types have different reach and predictability. With Broad or phrase targeting, placement-level optimizations often generate unstable and unexpected outcomes, since campaigns could be consistently targeting new keywords which may or may not be relevant.
With exact match types, keyword targeting is highly controlled and placement level adjustments produce more stable results. By separating campaigns based on match types, it becomes possible to allocate higher budgets to those targeting specific and relevant keywords, compared to broadly targeted campaigns.
3. High Keyword Density
Like multiple products, campaigns tend to prioritize keywords with higher click-through rates and conversions. Additionally, it becomes difficult to determine which specific keywords are contributing to higher conversions, on the different placements (since this data is available at a campaign level).
By reducing the keyword density to 20, and employing a more focused approach, it becomes easier to track and optimize the performance of individual keywords, leading to improved overall campaign effectiveness.
How we restructured this account
Step 1. Product and keywords mapping
For campaigns with mixed products and keywords, we began by carefully mapping the products to their corresponding keywords. This was time-taking as Amazon data doesn’t explicitly mention which product sale originates from which keyword, but understanding the product is anyways a crucial step we follow every time.
Step 2. Segregating Match Types and limiting Keywords density.
To effectively segregate match types and reduce high keyword density, we implemented a simple 3 step process:
i. Exporting keywords: from the UI through the Export Button. This gives us the list of keywords and their current bids.
ii. Filtering by match type: Using filters, we categorized the keywords into broad, phrase, and exact match types.
iii. Grouping and Splitting: We then copied the keyword and bid details and split them into smaller, more manageable groups. This allowed us to create separate campaigns for each match type.
In this process, we also made sure to separate branded and non-branded keywords. As we create separate campaigns for them, indicated in the campaign naming, to control budget allocation on each.
Step 3. Upload using Bulk Files or Upload Template
We utilized the bulk file template to upload new campaigns in bulk. It simplifies the process and saves a lot of time by enabling us to upload multiple campaigns at once.
Alternatively, if you’re not familiar with the bulk operations, you can create a campaign from the UI and upload keywords in bulk using the keyword upload template (which can be downloaded from the “Add keywords” menu as in the below screenshot).
Ensuring minimum loss of momentum
When restructuring campaigns, minimizing the loss of momentum specifically on active campaigns, is a significant challenge. It typically takes around 1-2 weeks for new campaigns to gain traction, build momentum, and generate impressions and sales. To mitigate this challenge and maintain performance, we implemented the following strategies:
1. Retaining Good Performing Ads/Keywords/Match Types: To avoid an immediate drop in performance, we did not turn off product ads, keywords, or match types that were performing well in the existing campaigns. Instead, we gradually turned them off after a week, while simultaneously lowering bids. This approach allowed the new campaigns to receive a higher push from Amazon.
2. We leveraged existing campaigns for high-performing product/keywords/match types. While setting up new campaigns, we utilized the existing campaigns to leverage their performance history. We chose to keep the product ads/keywords/match type with the most activity in the last 14 days. We started by moving the less active ones to the new campaigns, ensuring a smoother transition and continuity of performance.
3. Higher Bidding on New Campaigns to give them a push: This approach increases the visibility and competitiveness of the new campaigns, allowing them to gain traction more quickly.
Finally, we followed a clear and structured campaign naming to effectively manage the new campaigns. ach campaign name indicates the specific product, match type, and keyword group, with a limit of up to 20 keywords per group.
Other learnings:
New “Overall Pick” tag on Amazon. Amazon has introduced a new tag called "Overall Pick," which highlights the number one preferred product for a listing. This tag is displayed in both sponsored and organic search results.[Read more].
Improve performance on high ACOS campaigns without turning them off. By lowering bids on underperforming targets and leaving the rest, one can maintain campaign performance without sacrificing potential success. [Read more].
Sponsored Brands video ads on streaming TV. You can now show your SB video ads before, during, and after streaming TV content on devices such as Fire TV. [Read more].
Thanks,
George
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