We often see questions about Sponsored Products and how to optimize keywords here on the Seller Forums. What keywords are best? How often should they be updated?

They, admittedly, can be a bit of a mystery so we’ve pulled together a few tips and tricks that might help.

Let’s start by defining what a keyword is:

• Keywords are the word combinations and phrases you bid on in the campaign manager that match up with customer shopping queries.
• Customer shopping queries are the words and phrases that Amazon customers use to look for products.
• Keyword bids are available for Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands.
• Keywords are added to ad groups and apply to all products in that ad group.

Next let’s talk about how to find keywords:

• Leverage Sponsored Products automatic campaigns. Learn which keywords perform best by using the search term report.
• Be specific. Create campaigns by using combinations that clearly define your product’s characteristics. For example, instead of “white” “wood” and “chair,” use “white chair” and “wood chair.”
• Include your brand name. Build brand awareness and protect top placements.
• Keep organic relevancy. Add keywords you’ve used in your product detail page copy.

Finally, how can you can you continually optimize your campaigns for success?

• Check in on your campaigns often. We suggest optimizing your keywords weekly or every two weeks to ensure your campaigns and keywords are remaining relevant.
• Adjust your budget allocation. Do some campaigns perform better than others? Take a look at those keywords and try leaning in a bit harder with your bids there. Are some campaigns falling flat? Rather than increasing budget right away, maybe pause them or try adjusting the keywords.
• Choose the right products to advertise. While this post is all about keywords, your keywords are only as strong as your listings. Ensure your detail pages are in top condition to ensure your listing quality supports your advertising quality.

You can learn more about Sponsored Products and keyword optimization by visiting the following links from the Amazon Ads Learning Console:

• Setting up your keyword targeting in sponsored ads
• Tips for optimizing your keywords strategy
• Best practices for your Sponsored Products ads
• Optimize your campaign

Be sure to comment and share your own tips and tricks for optimizing your Sponsored Ad campaigns.