What is the difference between a keyword and a search term on Amazon?

A keyword is what you bid on; a search term is what the shopper actually typed. They are not always the same — bidding on 'wireless earbuds' can match 'wireless earbuds for running'. The report shows the gap between what you targeted and what Amazon matched you to.

Where do I find the Amazon Search Term Report?

In Amazon Ads: Reports, choose Sponsored Products, select Search Term Report, set a date range, and download. Avoid very short windows unless the account has high volume.

How often should I check the search term report?

Usually weekly during active optimization, then less often once performance stabilizes. Reviewing too rarely lets weak terms burn budget for weeks.

Should I only focus on terms with orders?

No. High-spend non-converting terms are often just as important — that is where wasted budget hides. A term with no orders has no useful ACOS, so spend and clicks matter more.

Does every non-converting search term need to become a negative?

No. Some need more data first. Negating too aggressively can cut terms that would have converted. It depends on context, price, and how much the term has cost.

How does the search term report lower ACOS?

It reveals wasted spend, surfaces promotable winners, and gradually improves campaign structure. Lower ACOS comes from repeating that loop, not one dramatic change.

Amazon Search Term Report: Read It Right, Cut Your ACOS | AMZTool

The Amazon search term report shows what shoppers actually typed — not just what you bid on. Here's how I read it with a 4-bucket framework to cut wasted spend and lower ACOS.

What is AMZTool?

Instead of creating Amazon ad campaigns one by one in Seller Central, AMZTool lets you build campaigns visually — keywords, ASIN targeting, auto targeting — and export Amazon-ready files in minutes. Works for 5 products or 500. No API needed.

Features

Visual campaign builder for Sponsored Products
Keyword targeting with exact, phrase, and broad match types
ASIN targeting (product targeting) for competitor and complementary products
Auto targeting with per-group bid control (close match, loose match, substitutes, complements)
Negative keywords and negative ASINs
Dictionary feature — save and reuse SKUs, portfolios, keyword groups
History — auto-save every generation, restore and re-edit anytime
Generates Amazon's official 30-column bulk sheet format

Pricing

Free: 12 generations/month — no credit card required
Basic ($9.90/mo): 70 generations/month
Pro ($19.90/mo): Unlimited generations

Why AMZTool?

AMZTool is purpose-built for one thing: generating Amazon SP bulk sheets fast. It's not a full-suite tool like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout. It's a focused, lightweight tool for sellers who know what campaigns they want and just need the files done without Excel formatting headaches.

Works with all Amazon marketplaces worldwide (US, UK, DE, JP, CA, AU, and more).

How to use the Amazon search term report to optimize Sponsored Products — reading shopper search terms to cut wasted spend and lower ACOS.

Keyword versus search term on Amazon PPC — one keyword you bid on can trigger many different shopper search terms.

The Amazon search term report metrics to read first — customer search term, clicks, orders, spend, and ACOS.

The four-bucket Amazon search term framework — winners, potentials, money drains, and irrelevant terms, each with its own action.

A weekly Amazon search term review process — sort by spend, flag non-converting spend, promote winners, negate irrelevant terms.