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Are Amazon Sponsored Ads Worth It: 2025 Insights

Written by Denny Smolinski | Dec 21, 2024 3:16:00 AM

In 2024, Amazon remains a leader in e-commerce, offering sellers unmatched visibility through its Amazon PPC platform. While Amazon PPC can boost sales and increase brand exposure in a great way, it may not be the perfect fit for every business. To help you decide, we’ve outlined the key pros and cons of using Amazon PPC. Ready to find out if it’s the right strategy for you? Let’s dive in!

 

 

Why Amazon Sponsored Ads Are a Game-Changer in 2025

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Amazon Sponsored Ads are reshaping the eCommerce landscape in 2025, becoming an essential tool for sellers navigating the fiercely competitive Amazon marketplace. With millions of active shoppers, standing out with a new product is more challenging than ever. Sponsored Ads offer a powerful solution by boosting visibility, enhancing brand recognition, and driving sales—key factors in a brand’s success trajectory.

As competition intensifies, strategic ad placement has become critical. Amazon’s evolving ad formats—Sponsored Products, Brands, and Amazon PPC advertising Display Ads—allow sellers to target potential customers with precision. These ads ensure higher visibility and help sellers stay ahead by effectively positioning their products to capture attention. In today’s crowded marketplace, mastering Sponsored Ads is no longer optional—it’s a game-changer for success.

What Are the Benefits of Amazon Sponsored Ads?

Amazon Sponsored Ads offer a powerful way to boost product visibility, drive sales, and improve organic rankings in a competitive Amazon business marketplace. The brands ads also enhance brand exposure and authority through customizable ad formats. We'll explore these benefits in detail below.

Enhanced product visibility

Amazon Sponsored Ads boost product visibility by strategically placing ads in key locations, such as search results and product pages. These ads target specific shopping queries or products, ensuring your product appears when customers search relevant terms. With prominent positioning and increased impressions from keyword targeting, Sponsored Ads help maximize visibility and attract more potential buyers.

Targeted Advertising

Amazon Sponsored Ads offer precise targeting through selected keywords, helping you reach specific shopper groups. With a cost-per-click (CPC) model, you only pay when someone clicks your ad, boosting ROI. The use of buyer intent data ensures your ads reach likely buyers, increasing conversions. You can also customize your bid and daily budget to align with your marketing strategy, giving you control over your advertising efforts.

Improved sales and organic ranking

It is no secret that Amazon's product sales and organic ranking are strengthened through sponsored ads. Below are the key factors that contribute to this:

Sales Velocity: An increased sales velocity through sponsored ads generally contributes to a higher organic ranking. As Amazon's algorithm gives weight to sales velocity, each successful sale from an ad reinforces this aspect.

Boosted Ranking: Regular running of ads helps maintain high positions in search results, organically enhancing product visibility and potentially boosting sales.

Halo Effect: By targeting an expansive list of relevant keywords through continual ad campaigns, sellers can exploit what can be called a 'halo effect.' This concept implies that the organic reach of your product gradually broadens over time, culminating in improved sales.

Notably, consistent ad management coupled with sophisticated review strategies and competitive pricing can further enhance the potential for sales and organic ranking improvement.

Brand Exposure

Amazon Sponsored Ads are a powerful tool for boosting brand exposure in a crowded marketplace. These ads increase visibility by ensuring a brand's products appear in relevant searches and product lists, reaching a wider audience of Amazon visitors. More frequent appearances translate to higher awareness and a greater chance of conversion.

Customizable ad formats, such as sponsored brand ads, allow brands to align their messaging with their identity, strengthening their overall image. By amplifying brand visibility and targeting the right customers, Amazon Sponsored Ads help brands significantly enhance their presence and attract more potential buyers.

Custom Ad Formats for Better Reach

Amazon Sponsored Ads offers custom ad formats to meet different marketing goals. These include Sponsored Products, Sponsored brand ads, and Sponsored Display Ads, each serving different needs in the advertising strategy. Learn more about these ad formats below.

  1. Sponsored Products: Ideal for boosting product visibility in search results and driving sales by targeting shoppers already looking for similar items.
  2. Sponsored Brands: Focuses on increasing brand awareness by showcasing multiple products or a brand’s logo at the top of search results, driving traffic to your store.
  3. Sponsored Display Ads: Perfect for retargeting customers who’ve previously viewed your products, encouraging them to complete their purchase across Amazon and other websites.

These formats help sellers target specific goals like visibility, brand recognition, and retargeting, ensuring effective and tailored advertising strategies.

Targeting the Right Keywords

Keywords are crucial for targeting the right buyers. Amazon ads offer Broad Match, Phrase Match, and Exact Match options:

  • Broad Match: General keywords with lower costs but less relevance. Long-tail variations can keep costs low and broaden exposure, though conversions may be lower.
  • Phrase Match: More specific and targeted, ideal for products like “Tennis Shoes.”
  • Exact Match: Exact match type shows ads only for searches matching your exact keyword, like “ Women’s Shoes for Winter red”, offering higher precision but fewer impressions.

The Power of Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords - specific and longer phrases that users search for when nearing a purchase decision or seeking detailed information - can be potent tools in PPC advertising. Here's why:

Precision: Long-tail keywords focus on niche markets and detailed queries, capturing users with clearer intent. This level of precision results in more cost-effective advertising.

Less Competition: As long-tail keywords are highly specific, they often face less competition. This enables greater visibility and higher chances for your ad to be seen.

High Conversion Rates: People using long-tail searches usually seek something precise. As such, they have more probability of making a purchase, leading to higher conversion rates.

Thus, using long-tail keywords can help you tap into precise consumer searches, leading to a more targeted ad campaign and better overall results.

Product Targeting Options

Product targeting options like competitor ASIN targeting and category targeting are effective ways to boost conversion rates. By targeting specific competitor products, sellers can reach customers already interested in similar items, increasing the likelihood of conversion. 

Category targeting expands reach by displaying ads to customers browsing within a relevant product category, tapping into a wider audience with a potential interest in the product. Both strategies enhance product visibility and attract customers who are more likely to purchase, leading to higher conversion rates.

Effective Campaign Optimization Strategies

Allow your campaigns to run for at least two weeks before making any adjustments. This gives Amazon enough time to collect data on your campaign's performance.

Before optimizing, calculate your break-even Advertising Cost of Sales (ACoS). ACoS is the percentage of revenue generated per dollar spent on ads. 

ACoS calculation formula:

ACoS = (Ad Spend / Ad Revenue ) x 100

 

Once you know your target ACoS, you can decide which keywords to keep and which to exclude. Optimization varies depending on whether you're using automatic or manual targeting campaigns.

Optimizing Automatic Targeting Campaigns

In your campaign manager, review the summary to see key metrics like spend, sales, ACoS, and impressions. Click on your automatic ad group to view targeted search terms, including clicks, spend, sales, and ACoS.

Worst-Performing Keywords:
Identify keywords with many clicks but no sales (e.g., 10+ clicks, 0 sales). Remove them using negative targeting to reduce spend.

Best-Performing Keywords:
Find keywords with low ACoS and high sales. Move these to a manual targeting campaign for better bid control.

Optimizing Manual Targeting Campaigns

Transfer high-performing keywords from your automatic campaign to a manual one, using exact match for better control.

Sort by spend and adjust bids:

  • Lower bids for keywords with over 30% ACoS or poor performance.
  • Increase bids for keywords with low impressions but strong relevance or low ACoS.
  • Pause bids on high-click, high-ACoS keywords.

Repeat this process weekly to optimize and improve campaign performance over time.

How to Set Up a Sponsored Products Ad? Example for Manual Targeting Campaign.

  1. Go to Seller Central > Advertising > Campaign Manager > Create Campaign.
  2. Select Sponsored Products under Choose your campaign type.
  3. Enter campaign details: name, date range, budget, bidding strategy, keywords, and targeting type.
  4. Select Dynamic Bids, down only for bidding strategy.

You can create an ad group with a custom name (e.g., based on match type).

  1. Choose products to advertise.
  2. Select keyword targeting (recommended for beginners).
  3. Add suggested keywords or input your own from keyword research.
  4. Increase the bid by 25% over the suggested amount for more impressions (if within budget).
  5.  Add negative keywords to exclude irrelevant or underperforming terms.
  6.  Click Launch Campaign to start.

 

Measuring Success - ROAS and Other Performance Metrics

To assess your ad campaign's success, focus on key metrics like Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). The metric help gauge ad effectiveness and profitability. Additionally, analyzing performance by product price and target type provides deeper insights into campaign success. Keep reading to learn more.

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is a key metric that helps measure the profitability of your Amazon ad campaigns.

The ROAS formula is the amount of revenue generated from an ad campaign divided by the amount spent on the campaign itself. 

A higher ROAS indicates better performance, while a lower ROAS may signal the need for optimization. 

Monitoring ROAS allows sellers to make informed decisions about where to allocate ad spending and refine their strategy to align with profitability goals. Optimizing ROAS is essential for maximizing the effectiveness of Amazon Sponsored Ads.

Understanding Performance by Product Price and Target Type

Product price directly impacts ROAS. Higher-priced products typically require more ad spending to achieve profitable results, while lower-priced products can yield quicker returns with less investment. Close match targeting helps improve ROAS by focusing ads on specific keywords or competitor products, attracting higher-quality traffic and reducing wasted ad spend. This targeted approach enhances profitability by aligning ad strategies with both product price and customer intent.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Amazon Sponsored Ads for Better Campaign Results

To run effective Sponsored Ads, avoid these common pitfalls:

1. “Set and Forget” Mentality

Amazon PPC campaigns need regular monitoring and optimization due to shifting trends, market demands, and competition. Neglecting them can lead to wasted ad spend. 

Monitor metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate (CVR), and average cost of sale (ACoS) regularly. Adjust bids, keywords, and product listings to optimize performance and prevent wasted ad spend.

 

2. Poor Keyword Strategy

Keywords are the backbone of PPC campaigns. Irrelevant or overly broad keywords can waste your budget. Conduct thorough keyword research and refine your list based on performance data. 

Focus on high-volume, low-competition keywords for better conversions, and add poorly performing terms to your negative keyword list to prevent wasteful spending.

 

3. Neglecting Negative Keywords

Negative keywords are essential for filtering out irrelevant searches and reducing wasted clicks. Without them, your ads may appear for unrelated queries, leading to low CTRs and increased ACoS. 

Continuously update your negative keyword list to ensure your ads target the right audience and maintain Amazon’s confidence in your product.

4. Unstructured Campaigns

Poorly organized campaigns and ad groups can hurt performance. Grouping unrelated products or keywords confuses shoppers and reduces ad relevance. Structure campaigns around clear objectives and use separate ad groups for different products or keyword types to improve control, tracking, and results.

5. Ignoring All Ad Types

Amazon offers Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display ads, each with unique benefits. Many sellers fail to use all three effectively. 

Sponsored Products boost visibility, Sponsored Brands build brand awareness, and Sponsored Displays target audiences on and off Amazon. A well-rounded strategy leveraging these options enhances results and aligns with various goals.

By addressing these mistakes, sellers can improve campaign efficiency, increase conversions, and maximize ROI.

 

The Potential Challenges of Amazon Sponsored Ads

Amazon Sponsored Ads offer many benefits but also present challenges. Managing PPC can be time-consuming and costly, particularly for smaller businesses with limited resources. 

Ongoing testing and optimization are necessary to stay competitive, and finding the right balance between profit margins and ad spend can be difficult. Let's explore these challenges further.

Managing PPC advertising can be time-consuming and costly

Managing PPC advertising requires significant time and resources. It involves daily monitoring of ad performance, strategic planning based on market research, and regular optimization to improve reach and engagement. 

Continuous adjustments are necessary to adapt to changes in the marketplace. Additionally, increasing competition on Amazon has driven up ad prices, which can significantly impact operational costs, making it challenging for smaller businesses to balance these expenses while maintaining their market share.

Amazon Sponsored Ads require ongoing testing and optimization

Effective Amazon ad strategy relies on continuous testing and optimization. While necessary for the best results, this can be demanding. Regular monitoring helps identify underperforming keywords, requiring A/B testing to find the most effective ones. 

Ad budgets must also be adjusted based on cost-per-click trends, demanding rigorous data analysis. Additionally, bidding strategies need ongoing optimization to ensure a higher return on investment. This continuous improvement process can incur extra costs if outsourced or require significant time if managed internally.

Balancing Profit Margins with Ad Spend

Understanding the minimum Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is essential for aligning ad spend with profitability. This metric helps sellers determine the minimum revenue needed to cover ad costs and still generate a profit. 

By calculating the minimum ROAS, sellers can ensure that their ad spend is sustainable and doesn't exceed the profits generated from their campaigns. It serves as a benchmark for evaluating ad campaign effectiveness and allows sellers to make data-driven decisions, adjusting ad spend to maintain profitability while maximizing return on investment.

Maximize Your ROI with beBOLD’s Amazon Sponsored Ads Expertise

Amazon Sponsored Ads can significantly boost your brand’s visibility and sales, but maximizing their potential requires expert management. beBOLD Digital offers tailored Amazon Advertising services, including PPC campaign management and precise audience targeting, designed to meet your specific goals. Their team ensures your ad spend is optimized, driving the best results within your budget. 

Whether your aim is to increase sales, enhance brand awareness, or both, beBOLD Digital’s strategic approach delivers measurable success. Ready to elevate your Amazon ad campaigns? Get in touch with us today to start achieving your goals.

Conclusion

Amazon Sponsored Ads continue to be a valuable investment for sellers in 2025. With increasing competition on the platform, these ads play a crucial role in ensuring product visibility. Leveraging custom ad formats like Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display Ads can significantly enhance marketing reach.

Sellers can boost conversion rates effectively by strategically utilizing product targeting options such as competitor ASIN targeting and category targeting. Testing various ad types and targeting strategies allows sellers to refine their approach and maximize returns on ad spend. In conclusion, Amazon Sponsored Ads remain a worthwhile investment for sellers looking to thrive in the dynamic marketplace of 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Amazon ads profitable?

Yes, Amazon ads are profitable. An average Amazon seller achieves a 4.5x ROAS, meaning for every dollar invested in Amazon ads, you get $4.50 in revenue. However, the good news is that it's a highly beneficial tool driving enhanced visibility, improved organic ranking, amplified sales, and a lucrative return on investment.

How effective are sponsored ads?

With strategic placement within search results or on product detail pages, sponsored ads significantly improve product visibility. They target shopping queries or specific products, ensuring your ads are shown to potential customers at key moments in their purchasing journey, thus boosting chances of conversion.

Is PPC worth it on Amazon?

Yes, Amazon PPC ads, or pay-per-click (PPC) product ads, are worth investing in on Amazon. They allow you to reach millions of ready-to-buy customers, facilitate enhanced product visibility, and produce higher organic rankings. Moreover, these ads offer a high ROI, proving to be a highly efficient expenditure.

Should I buy Amazon ads?

Buying Amazon products ads is a smart move, particularly as competition continues escalating on the platform. The short answer is that Amazon ads give you effective visibility, targeting strategies, enhanced organic ranking, and competitive advantages, dramatically increasing the likelihood of your success in the Amazon marketplace.

Which Ad Type Is Best for High ROAS?

Sponsored products are typically best for high ROAS due to their direct link to product sales, driving better returns. Their visibility and direct impact on purchase decisions make them a top choice for maximizing ROAS.