Running Amazon PPC campaigns is essential if you want to stay competitive on the world’s biggest eCommerce platform — but only if you’re doing it right. At Peakhawks, we’ve audited countless PPC accounts, and the truth is: most sellers are leaving money on the table.

In this blog, we’ll break down 5 common PPC mistakes Amazon sellers make, and more importantly, how you can avoid them to boost performance and profitability.

1. Not Structuring Campaigns Properly

One of the biggest mistakes we see is messy or unorganized campaign structures. Sellers often throw all their products into one campaign, leading to poor data visibility and wasted spend.

✅ What to Do Instead:
Group similar products together and break campaigns into branded, competitor, and category keywords. This gives you more control over your targeting and budget allocation.

2. Ignoring Search Term Reports

Search term reports are gold. They tell you exactly what shoppers are typing before clicking your ads. Ignoring these means you’re missing opportunities to cut wasted spend and double down on converting keywords.

✅ What to Do Instead:
Review your search term reports weekly. Add converting search terms as keywords, and block irrelevant ones as negative keywords.

3. Overbidding on Broad Match Keywords

While broad match can help with discovery, over-reliance on it (especially at high bids) can cause your ACoS to shoot through the roof.

✅ What to Do Instead:
Start with broad match, but monitor it closely. Gradually shift to phrase and exact match for high-performing keywords to maintain control and efficiency.

4. Not Running Sponsored Brand or Display Ads

Many sellers stick to Sponsored Products only. That’s a mistake — especially in competitive categories like Beauty, Home, and Nutrition where brand presence matters.

✅ What to Do Instead:
Incorporate Sponsored Brand and Sponsored Display ads to build awareness, dominate search results, and retarget potential buyers.

5. Not Testing or Updating Ad Creatives

Set it and forget it doesn’t work in PPC. If your creatives don’t evolve, your click-through and conversion rates will suffer over time.

✅ What to Do Instead:
Test different versions of your main image, headline, and A+ content. Small changes can bring big improvements.

🔍 Final Thoughts

Amazon PPC isn’t just about spending more — it’s about spending smarter. Whether you’re a new seller or scaling an established brand, avoiding these common mistakes can help you get the most out of your ad budget.

Need help managing or auditing your PPC campaigns?
👉 Let Peakhawks take the guesswork out of your growth.

We specialize in data-driven PPC management for competitive categories like Home & Kitchen, Beauty, Nutrition, and more.