A search-term report can contain hundreds or thousands of rows. The difficult part is not finding ACOS; it is deciding what action the data actually supports.
Start with relevance
Before looking at performance, ask whether the search term genuinely matches the product. An irrelevant term can be a negative candidate even before it accumulates the same amount of spend you would demand from a relevant term.
Use enough data
A common PPC mistake is making permanent decisions from tiny samples. One expensive click is frustrating, but it does not establish a reliable conversion rate. Set minimum click, spend or order thresholds so the rule reflects enough evidence.
Terms to consider scaling
Search terms with repeat orders, acceptable conversion and ACOS comfortably below your working target can be candidates for additional traffic. Scaling can mean a measured bid increase, moving a proven term into a more controlled campaign structure, or protecting budget so the campaign does not stop early.
Terms to keep watching
Some terms are profitable but do not yet have enough volume to justify aggressive changes. Keeping the bid stable while collecting more evidence is often better than constantly editing it.
Terms to reduce
If a relevant search term converts but ACOS is consistently above the level the product can support, a measured bid reduction can be more sensible than immediately blocking the traffic. The aim is to buy the same type of shopper at a more sustainable CPC.
Negative candidates
Negative keywords are most useful when they prevent spend you do not want to repeat. Strong candidates can include clearly irrelevant terms and relevant terms that have spent well beyond an evidence threshold without producing the outcome required.
Be careful with search terms that contribute to broader discovery or have too little data. Negating too early can remove future sales and useful search-term harvesting.
Look beyond ACOS
- CTR helps show whether shoppers find the ad relevant.
- CPC shows what each visit is costing.
- Conversion rate helps separate traffic quality from bid cost.
- ROAS is the inverse view of ACOS.
- Orders and spend tell you how much confidence to place in the ratios.
The strongest PPC process combines relevance, margin and evidence thresholds rather than relying on a single metric.
See our PPC and profit tools if you want a spreadsheet workflow that calculates the key ratios and flags possible next actions.
Useful next step: work out the product's advertising limit with the free Break-Even ACOS Calculator, then analyse larger exports with the PPC Search-Term Optimiser.
Independent seller resource. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Amazon. Advertising decisions remain the seller's responsibility.