Auto campaigns are Amazon's default recommendation for new sellers. They're also where most new sellers waste their budget. Here's how to make them actually work.
What Auto Campaigns Actually Do
Amazon picks the keywords and placements for you based on your listing. If your listing has weak keywords, your auto campaign will target weak keywords. Garbage in, garbage out.
Step 1: Fix Your Listing First
Before running any ads, optimize your listing:
- Keywords in title, bullets, and description
- High-quality main image
- Compelling bullet points
- Backend search terms filled out
Your auto campaign pulls from your listing. Make sure it has good material to work with.
Step 2: Set Realistic Bids
Amazon's suggested bids are often too high. Start at 50-75% of suggested. You can always raise bids later if you're not getting impressions.
Step 3: Harvest Keywords Weekly
The real purpose of auto campaigns is keyword discovery. Every week, check your search term report. Find converting keywords and move them to manual campaigns where you have more control.
Add non-converting keywords as negatives. You're paying for data. Use it.
Step 4: Segment by Match Type
Auto campaigns have four targeting groups: close match, loose match, substitutes, and complements. Create separate campaigns or ad groups for each so you can set different bids and budgets.
The Structure That Works
- Auto campaign for discovery (low budget, harvest keywords)
- Manual exact match for proven winners (higher budget)
- Manual broad/phrase for expansion (medium budget)
Auto campaigns should be a small part of your overall PPC strategy, not the whole thing.