# PPC Keyword Research

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**Difficulty:** 🔴 Advanced · **Reading time:** \~15 min
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**Open this page in your dashboard:** [**Go to PPC Keyword Research \[BETA\] →**](https://dashboard.sellermagnet.com/ppc/keyword-research)
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**BETA:** The PPC Manager is currently in beta. Some features may behave unexpectedly or change based on user feedback. Please report any issues at <info@sellermagnet.com>.
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## 📋 Overview

The **Keyword Research** tool uses the Amazon Advertising API to discover keyword opportunities for any ASIN : even products you do not sell. Enter one or more ASINs, and SellerMagnet returns up to **200 keyword suggestions** with bid recommendations, impression share data, and match type breakdowns.

> **Why Keyword Research Matters:** Launching campaigns without keyword research is like opening a store without putting up a sign. Sellers who invest 30 minutes in pre-launch keyword research typically achieve 20-40% lower ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale) in their first month compared to those who rely solely on auto campaigns.

***

## How to Use

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#### Step 1: Configure Your Search

| Field           | Description                                            | Default |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------- |
| **Marketplace** | Select the marketplace to research keywords in         | .       |
| **ASINs**       | Enter one or more ASINs, separated by commas           | :       |
| **Sort By**     | Rank results by Clicks, Conversions, or Amazon default | Clicks  |
| **Max Results** | Number of keywords to return: 50, 100, or 200          | 200     |

> **Pro Tip : Finding ASINs to Research:** Do not just research your own ASIN. Open Amazon, search for your main keyword, and copy the ASINs of the top 3-5 organic results. These competitors are already ranking for relevant terms, and their keyword data will reveal opportunities you may be missing.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Important:** ASINs must belong to the same marketplace you selected. An ASIN from Amazon.com will not return results when you search in the Amazon.de marketplace.
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**How to Find Competitor ASINs**

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#### Step 1

Go to the Amazon marketplace you are targeting (e.g., amazon.de)
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#### Step 2

Search for your primary keyword (e.g., "knoblauchpresse edelstahl")
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#### Step 3

Open the top 3-5 organic results
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#### Step 4

Copy the ASIN from each product URL (the 10-character alphanumeric code, e.g., B08XYZ1234)
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#### Step 5

Paste them into the ASINs field, separated by commas
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#### Step 2: Click "Discover Keywords"

SellerMagnet queries the Amazon Advertising API and returns keyword suggestions based on the ASINs you entered.

> **Processing Time:** Results typically appear within 5-15 seconds. If you entered multiple ASINs, the tool queries each one and merges the results. Larger requests (200 keywords, 5+ ASINs) may take slightly longer.
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#### Step 3: Analyze Results

Review the results using the KPI summary, charts, and detailed table below.
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***

## Results Summary

After discovering keywords, **4 KPI cards** appear:

| Card                     | Description                                              |
| ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Keywords Found**       | Total number of keyword suggestions returned             |
| **ASINs Analyzed**       | Number of ASINs included in the analysis                 |
| **Avg Suggested Bid**    | Average recommended bid across all keywords (with range) |
| **Avg Impression Share** | Average impression share percentage                      |

### Understanding Your KPI Cards

> **What is Impression Share?** Impression share represents the percentage of total impressions your ad could receive for a given keyword. An impression share of 15% means your ad is showing for 15 out of every 100 searches for that keyword. Higher impression share means greater visibility but also higher competition and cost.

**Example KPI snapshot for a garlic press ASIN (Amazon.de):**

| Card                     | Value                | Interpretation                                         |
| ------------------------ | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Keywords Found**       | 187                  | Strong discovery: plenty of opportunities to evaluate  |
| **ASINs Analyzed**       | 4                    | Your ASIN + 3 competitors                              |
| **Avg Suggested Bid**    | EUR 0.72 (0.31-1.45) | Moderate competition: bids are manageable              |
| **Avg Impression Share** | 8.3%                 | Room to grow: increasing bids could capture more share |

> **Quick Win:** If the Avg Suggested Bid is significantly lower than your current bids, you may be overbidding. If it is higher, you may be missing impressions by bidding too low. Use this as a calibration benchmark.

***

## Visual Analysis

* **Match Type Distribution** (Pie Chart): Breakdown of Broad, Phrase, and Exact match keywords
* **Bid Distribution** (Bar Chart): Histogram showing how suggested bids cluster across price ranges

### How to Read the Charts

**Match Type Distribution:** A healthy keyword set typically shows a balanced distribution. If you see 80%+ Broad match keywords, the API is signaling that exact-match competition is low for your product niche, which can be an opportunity.

**Bid Distribution:** Look for clusters. If most bids fall in the EUR 0.30-0.60 range with a few outliers above EUR 1.50, the outliers are likely high-competition, high-volume head terms. The cluster represents the "sweet spot" where you can get good traffic at reasonable cost.

| Bid Range       | What It Signals                                                     |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Under EUR 0.30  | Low competition: often long-tail or niche terms                     |
| EUR 0.30 - 0.80 | Moderate competition: the volume sweet spot for most sellers        |
| EUR 0.80 - 1.50 | High competition: head terms with strong search volume              |
| Above EUR 1.50  | Very high competition: dominated by large brands, proceed carefully |

***

## Results Table

![SellerMagnet PPC Keyword Research](/files/WXJ5OdvCsvHmaEsk9vm8)

Results are organized in **4 tabs** with badge counts:

| Tab        | Shows                      |
| ---------- | -------------------------- |
| **All**    | All discovered keywords    |
| **Broad**  | Broad match keywords only  |
| **Phrase** | Phrase match keywords only |
| **Exact**  | Exact match keywords only  |

### Table Columns

| Column               | Description                                    |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| **#**                | Rank / index                                   |
| **Keyword**          | The keyword text                               |
| **Match Type**       | BROAD, PHRASE, or EXACT (color-coded badge)    |
| **Suggested Bid**    | Amazon's recommended bid amount                |
| **Bid Range**        | Min - Max recommended bid                      |
| **Impression Share** | Estimated impression share percentage          |
| **Impression Rank**  | Position relative to other advertisers         |
| **Translation**      | Transliteration (for non-English marketplaces) |

The table supports **real-time search filtering**, **column sorting**, and **pagination**.

> **Translation Column:** When researching keywords in non-English marketplaces (e.g., Amazon.de, Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.it), the Translation column shows a transliteration or translation to help you understand keywords in unfamiliar languages. This is especially valuable when analyzing competitor ASINs in foreign markets.

### How to Analyze the Results Table Effectively

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**Step-by-Step Analysis Workflow:**

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#### Sort by Suggested Bid

**Sort by Suggested Bid** (descending) to see the most competitive (and usually highest-volume) keywords first
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#### Filter to Exact Match

**Filter to Exact Match** tab to find your most targeted opportunities
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#### Look for keywords with high Impression Share

**Look for keywords with high Impression Share** (above 10%), these are terms where you can realistically compete
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#### Search for your brand name

**Search for your brand name:** if it appears, you should be bidding on it to protect your brand traffic
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#### Note the Bid Range

**Note the Bid Range:** a narrow range (e.g., EUR 0.50-0.60) signals stable competition; a wide range (e.g., EUR 0.20-1.80) signals volatile bidding
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***

## 📤 Export

Click **Export CSV** to download all discovered keywords with their bid data, match types, and impression metrics.

> **Pro Tip : Export Workflow:** After exporting, open the CSV in a spreadsheet and add a "Priority" column. Mark keywords as High (relevant + high bid), Medium (relevant + moderate bid), or Low (tangential relevance). Use this prioritized list when building your campaigns to focus budget on the most promising terms first.

***

## Use Cases

| Scenario                | How to Use                                                |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Pre-launch research** | Enter your product ASIN before creating campaigns         |
| **Competitor analysis** | Enter competitor ASINs to discover their keyword targets  |
| **Niche exploration**   | Research ASINs in new product categories you are entering |
| **Campaign seeding**    | Bulk-discover keywords to populate new campaigns          |

### Detailed Use Case Scenarios

#### Scenario 1: Pre-Launch Research for a New Product

> **Situation:** You are launching a silicone baking mat set on Amazon.com. Your ASIN is B0EXAMPLE1. You have not run any PPC campaigns yet and have no search term data.
>
> **Action:**
>
> 1. Enter your ASIN (B0EXAMPLE1) plus the top 3 competitor ASINs from page 1 of Amazon search results for "silicone baking mat"
> 2. Set marketplace to Amazon.com, Sort By to Clicks, Max Results to 200
> 3. Click Discover Keywords
>
> **Result:** You receive 183 keyword suggestions. The top 10 by suggested bid include "silicone baking mat set", "non-stick baking mat", "macaron baking mat", and "silicone pastry mat." You now have a complete keyword foundation to build your first Sponsored Products campaign.
>
> **Next Step:** Export the CSV, prioritize the top 30-50 keywords, create an Exact Match campaign for the top 15, and a Phrase Match campaign for the next 15-20.

#### Scenario 2: Competitor Keyword Spying

> **Situation:** You sell a premium stainless steel water bottle on Amazon.de. A new competitor just launched and is outranking you in organic search. You want to know which keywords they are targeting.
>
> **Action:**
>
> 1. Copy the competitor ASIN from their product page
> 2. Enter it into SellerMagnet Keyword Research along with your own ASIN
> 3. Set marketplace to Amazon.de, Max Results to 200
>
> **Result:** You discover 12 keywords that appear for the competitor but are not in your current campaigns, including "trinkflasche sport 1 liter" and "wasserflasche bpa frei." Several of these have low suggested bids (under EUR 0.40), indicating untapped opportunities.
>
> **Next Step:** Add these keywords to your existing campaigns as Phrase Match keywords and monitor performance over 2 weeks.

#### Scenario 3: Expanding into a New Marketplace

> **Situation:** You sell successfully on Amazon.com and want to expand to Amazon.co.uk. You need to understand UK search behavior and bid levels.
>
> **Action:**
>
> 1. Find your product category on Amazon.co.uk and identify 3-5 top-selling ASINs
> 2. Enter these ASINs and set marketplace to Amazon.co.uk
> 3. Review the Translation column to understand any British English keyword variations (e.g., "torch" vs. "flashlight")
>
> **Result:** You discover that UK shoppers use different terminology and that average bids are 20-30% lower than the US market. You also find several high-volume keywords with low impression share, signaling growth opportunities.

#### Scenario 4: Seasonal Campaign Preparation

> **Situation:** It is September and you want to prepare your PPC campaigns for Q4 holiday season. You sell kitchen gadgets on Amazon.com.
>
> **Action:**
>
> 1. Research your top 3 ASINs plus 3 competitor ASINs
> 2. Compare the current keyword suggestions with data you exported 3 months ago
> 3. Look for new seasonal terms appearing (e.g., "christmas gift for cook", "kitchen gift set")
>
> **Result:** You identify 15-20 seasonal keywords that were not present in your summer research. You create a dedicated seasonal campaign with these terms, ready to activate in early November.

***

## Campaign Seeding Strategy

![PPC Bid Rules: turn discovered keywords into automated bid actions](/files/AA8FNrIEyMb5Q9naoprN)

After discovering keywords, use this framework to build campaigns from your research results:

### Recommended Campaign Structure

| Campaign Type           | Keywords to Include                 | Match Type | Starting Bid Strategy              |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------- |
| **Brand Defense**       | Your brand name + variations        | Exact      | Suggested bid (protect your brand) |
| **Exact - High Intent** | Top 15-20 keywords by suggested bid | Exact      | Suggested bid + 10%                |
| **Phrase - Discovery**  | Next 20-30 keywords                 | Phrase     | Suggested bid                      |
| **Auto - Catch-All**    | None (Amazon chooses)               | Automatic  | 80% of avg suggested bid           |

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**Why This Structure Works:** Exact match campaigns give you precise control over your highest-value terms. Phrase match captures long-tail variations. Auto campaigns discover entirely new terms. Together, they form a complete funnel.
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**Budget Allocation Guideline:** Allocate 50% of your PPC budget to Exact match campaigns, 30% to Phrase match, and 20% to Auto/Broad. Adjust based on performance after 2-4 weeks of data.
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***

## Before and After: Real Impact Examples

### Example 1: Kitchen Gadget Seller: First Campaign Launch (Amazon.com)

**Without keyword research (Auto campaigns only):**

| Metric       | Month 1 Results |
| ------------ | --------------- |
| Total Spend  | USD 800         |
| ACoS         | 42.3%           |
| Orders       | 31              |
| Wasted Spend | USD 312 (39%)   |

**With keyword research + structured campaigns:**

| Metric       | Month 1 Results |
| ------------ | --------------- |
| Total Spend  | USD 800         |
| ACoS         | 23.7%           |
| Orders       | 54              |
| Wasted Spend | USD 88 (11%)    |

**Difference:** 18.6 percentage points lower ACoS, 74% more orders, 72% less wasted spend.

### Example 2: Supplement Brand: Competitor Research Impact (Amazon.de)

| Metric                | Before Competitor Research | After Adding Competitor Keywords | Change  |
| --------------------- | -------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ------- |
| Keyword Count         | 42                         | 78                               | +86%    |
| Impressions (monthly) | 45,000                     | 82,000                           | +82%    |
| Orders (monthly)      | 120                        | 198                              | +65%    |
| ACoS                  | 21.4%                      | 19.8%                            | -1.6 pp |

**What changed:** Researched 5 competitor ASINs, discovered 36 new keywords, added them to Phrase and Exact match campaigns.

***

<details>

<summary><strong>⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid</strong></summary>

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* **Mistake 1: Only researching your own ASIN.** Your ASIN alone generates a limited keyword set. Always include 3-5 competitor ASINs to uncover keywords you would otherwise miss. Competitors who rank on page 1 have already validated which keywords drive traffic.
* **Mistake 2: Adding all 200 keywords to a single campaign.** This makes bid management impossible and dilutes your budget across too many terms. Instead, prioritize the top 30-50 most relevant keywords and create structured campaigns (see Campaign Seeding Strategy above).
* **Mistake 3: Ignoring the suggested bid range.** The suggested bid is an average. The bid range tells you the true competitive landscape. If the range is EUR 0.20-2.50, starting at the suggested bid of EUR 0.85 may not win enough auctions. Consider bidding in the upper quartile of the range for your most important keywords.
* **Mistake 4: Using keyword research once and never again.** Amazon's competitive landscape changes constantly. New competitors launch, seasonal trends shift, and customer search behavior evolves. Re-run keyword research quarterly at minimum, or monthly for fast-moving categories.
* **Mistake 5: Ignoring the Translation column in foreign marketplaces.** If you sell on Amazon.de but do not speak German, the Translation column is critical. Without it, you might add irrelevant keywords that look right in a foreign script but are actually unrelated to your product.
* **Mistake 6: Choosing the wrong Sort By option.** Sorting by Clicks shows you the highest-traffic keywords, while sorting by Conversions shows the most purchase-ready terms. For new product launches, sort by **Conversions** to prioritize buying intent. For brand awareness campaigns, sort by **Clicks**.
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</details>

\## 🔧 Troubleshooting

### "No keywords returned" or "0 Keywords Found"

* **Check the ASIN format:** ASINs must be exactly 10 characters, alphanumeric (e.g., B08XYZ1234). Make sure there are no extra spaces or characters.
* **Check the marketplace:** The ASIN must exist in the marketplace you selected. An Amazon.com ASIN will not work for Amazon.de.
* **ASIN may be too new:** If the product was just launched, Amazon may not have enough data to generate keyword suggestions. Try again in 1-2 weeks.
* **Category restrictions:** Some restricted categories may have limited keyword data in the API.

### "Very few keywords returned" (under 30)

* **Add more ASINs:** Research 3-5 competitor ASINs alongside your own. Each additional ASIN expands the keyword pool.
* **Increase Max Results:** Make sure you have set Max Results to 200.
* **Niche product:** Very niche or specialized products may genuinely have a small keyword universe. This is normal for highly specific items.

### "Suggested bids seem too high"

* **Compare with your actual CPC data.** Amazon's suggested bids are often higher than what you actually need to pay. They reflect the upper range of competitive bids, not the minimum to win auctions.
* **Start at 60-70% of the suggested bid** and increase gradually based on impression share and click volume.
* **High bids may signal a competitive keyword.** Consider whether the potential sales volume justifies the cost, or focus on lower-bid long-tail alternatives.

### "I do not see the Translation column"

* The Translation column only appears for non-English marketplaces (e.g., Amazon.de, Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.it, Amazon.es, Amazon.fr). If you are researching Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk, this column is hidden because translations are not needed.

### "Results are different from last time I researched"

* **This is expected.** Amazon's keyword suggestions are based on real-time market data. Competition levels, search volumes, and bid landscapes change daily. Re-running the same research a week later may yield different bid suggestions and even different keywords. This is why regular re-research is important.

***

## ❓ FAQ

<details>

<summary><strong>How many ASINs should I enter for the best results?</strong></summary>

3-5 ASINs is the sweet spot. One should be your own product, and the rest should be top competitors. More than 5-6 ASINs may slow processing without significantly improving the keyword pool.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Can I research ASINs from a different category than my product?</strong></summary>

Yes, and this can be a strategy. If you sell a yoga mat and also want to target people searching for yoga accessories, you can research ASINs for yoga blocks, yoga straps, or yoga sets. This reveals cross-selling keywords you would not find from your own ASIN alone.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>What does "Impression Rank" mean, and how should I use it?</strong></summary>

Impression Rank shows where your ad would appear relative to other advertisers for that keyword. A rank of 1-3 means high visibility (top of page), while a rank of 10+ means you would be buried below the fold. Use this to gauge how competitive a keyword is. High impression rank + low suggested bid = great opportunity.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>How do suggested bids relate to actual CPC I will pay?</strong></summary>

Suggested bids are Amazon's estimate of what you need to bid to be competitive. Your actual CPC (Cost Per Click) will almost always be lower than your bid, because Amazon uses a second-price auction system, you only pay slightly more than the next-highest bidder. Use suggested bids as a starting point and adjust based on your actual CPC data.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Should I use Broad, Phrase, or Exact match for keywords I discover?</strong></summary>

It depends on your strategy:

* **Exact Match:** Best for proven, high-intent keywords where you want full bid control
* **Phrase Match:** Good for keywords where you want to capture long-tail variations
* **Broad Match:** Use sparingly for discovery purposes; generates lots of irrelevant traffic that needs to be negated Most sellers see the best results starting with Exact Match for their top 15-20 keywords.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Can I use this tool to research keywords for Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display?</strong></summary>

The keyword suggestions are relevant for Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands campaigns. Sponsored Display uses product targeting rather than keyword targeting, so this tool is less directly applicable, though the keywords can inform your product targeting strategy.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>How often should I re-run keyword research?</strong></summary>

At minimum, quarterly. Monthly is better for competitive categories. Always re-run before major selling events (Prime Day, Black Friday, holiday season) to capture seasonal keywords.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Is there a limit to how many times I can run keyword research?</strong></summary>

There is no hard limit, but the tool queries the Amazon Advertising API, which has rate limits. If you are running many consecutive requests, you may experience brief delays. Space out your research sessions if you are analyzing a large number of ASINs.

</details>

***

## 💡 Tips

> **Pro tip:** Research 3-5 competitor ASINs alongside your own to discover keywords you might be missing. Export the results and cross-reference with your existing campaigns to find gaps.

{% hint style="info" icon="circle-info" %}
**Note:** Keyword research results come directly from Amazon's Advertising API. Suggested bids reflect current market conditions and competition levels, and may change from day to day.
{% endhint %}

> **Advanced Tip:** Run keyword research on the same set of ASINs once a month and compare the exported CSVs. New keywords that appear signal emerging search trends. Keywords that disappear may indicate declining demand. This longitudinal analysis gives you a competitive edge.

{% hint style="success" %}
**Multi-Marketplace Tip:** If you sell on multiple Amazon marketplaces, run keyword research separately for each one. Do not assume that translating your US keywords into German will give you the right keywords for Amazon.de. German shoppers search differently than American shoppers, even for the same product.
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{% hint style="info" %}
**Combine with Search Terms:** After your campaigns have been running for 2-4 weeks, use the **Search Terms** page to see which of your researched keywords are actually performing. Harvest the winners into Exact Match campaigns and negate the losers. This creates a continuous optimization loop: Research > Launch > Analyze > Optimize > Research again.
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***

## ➡️ What's Next?

{% content-ref url="/pages/AgCa0wMskRJ5quPLWZtg" %}
[PPC Bid Rules](/ppc-management-beta/ppc-manager-overview/ppc-bid-rules.md)
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{% content-ref url="/pages/EYVZo8o8rsyLvj6QVN1J" %}
[PPC Search Terms](/ppc-management-beta/ppc-manager-overview/ppc-search-terms.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}


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