Many sellers struggle with SP ads not because they can’t click buttons, but because they don’t understand the structure and logic behind them. This post breaks down:

  • Where SP ads actually show up

  • What each targeting type does

  • How to create a campaign step by step

Suitable for beginners and intermediate sellers who want a systematic review.

1. Where do SP ads appear?

SP ads appear on keyword search results pages and product detail pages. They look like organic results but are labeled “Sponsored.”

1.1 Top of search (first position)

Highest intent, most competitive placement. Usually the most expensive CPC.

1.2 Rest of search (other positions on search results pages)

Still high traffic, but conversion varies significantly.

1.3 Product detail pages

More about “intercepting traffic” and cross‑sell. These placements include above the fold, below the buy box, and among customer reviews.

2. Automatic vs manual targeting – what each does

2.1 Automatic targeting

Amazon uses your listing content (title, bullets, A+, backend search terms) to match your product to relevant customer searches or product pages. No keywords or ASINs are entered manually.

Important: Keyword placement matters – title > bullets > A+ > backend search terms.

Four match types:

  • Close match – customer search is closely related to your product. Example: your product is “noise cancelling earbuds,” customer searches “wireless noise cancelling earbuds.”

  • Loose match – customer search is broadly related. Example: your product is “noise cancelling earbuds,” customer searches “over the ear headphones.”

  • Substitutes – customer views a product similar to yours (e.g., different brand of noise cancelling earbuds).

  • Complements – customer views a product often used with yours (e.g., headphones and a carrying case).

When to use auto campaigns: New product discovery, testing listings, keyword mining, low‑cost traffic.

2.2 Manual targeting

You actively choose keywords or ASINs to target.

Keyword targeting – organize keywords by traffic volume and competition:

  • Long‑tail keywords (low volume, lower CPC)

  • Medium volume keywords

  • Head terms (high volume, high competition)

Match types:

  • Broad match – keywords in any order, including synonyms, plurals, related terms. Example: keyword “bluetooth earbuds” may match “wireless earbuds bluetooth.”

  • Phrase match – exact word order, plus additional words before or after. Example: “bluetooth earbuds” matches “bluetooth earbuds for iphone.”

  • Exact match – only the exact keyword (or singular/plural). Example: “bluetooth earbuds” matches only “bluetooth earbuds” or “bluetooth earbud.”

Product targeting – target specific ASINs or categories. Use this to compete directly on competitor detail pages.

Category targeting – target an entire category, optionally refined by brand, price, rating, or Prime status. Useful when your listing has enough reviews to compete.

3. How to create an SP campaign step by step

Path: Advertising → Campaign Manager → Create campaign → Sponsored Products

3.1 Campaign & ad group naming

I name campaigns like “Product – Manual – Exact” or “Product – Auto – Close.” Use whatever works for you.

3.2 Marketplace

Select “Amazon sites” unless you specifically want B2B (Amazon Business).

3.3 Add products

Double‑check ASIN/SKU. Only add items that are in stock.

3.4 Choose targeting type – automatic or manual

3.5 Automatic targeting setup

  • Select which match types to run (recommended for new products: start with close match only, add others later)

  • Set base bid

3.6 Manual targeting setup

Keyword targeting

  • Enter keywords, choose match type (broad / phrase / exact)

  • I recommend one match type per campaign for cleaner data

  • Adjust bid per keyword as needed

Product targeting

  • Category targeting – refine by price, rating, etc. (e.g., target products priced higher than yours or rated lower)

  • ASIN targeting – target specific ASINs where you have an advantage (better price, higher rating)

3.7 Negative targeting

  • Negative keywords – can be phrase or exact match (optional initially)

  • Negative product targeting – exclude specific brands or ASINs

3.8 Bidding strategy

For new products, start with fixed bids. It gives you consistent control.

Example: base bid $1, no placement adjustments → you pay ~$1 per click.

3.9 Placement adjustments (bid modifiers)

You can increase bids for specific placements up to 900%.

Example with fixed bidding: base bid $1, top‑of‑search +10% → actual CPC = $1.10.

Example with up & down bidding: base bid $1, top‑of‑search +10%, and Amazon applies up to 100% upward adjustment → actual CPC could reach $2.20.

Audience adjustments (viewers, remarketing, brand shoppers) – usually not for new products.

3.10 Campaign settings

  • Set daily budget

  • Optionally group campaigns into portfolios

3.11 Cross‑marketplace syncing

Generally leave unchecked unless you have a specific reason.

3.12 Seasonal bid increases

You can increase bids up to 100% for high‑traffic days (Valentine’s Day, Prime Day, etc.). This stacks with placement and audience adjustments.

Final thought

There’s no single “correct” SP ad strategy. But if you understand the structure and logic, you’ll avoid burning money in the wrong direction.