Start with your own data. Use the Search Query Performance (SQP) report to see which searches already lead shoppers to buy from you and where you’re losing share, and the Sponsored Products search term report to see which terms convert at a cost you can afford. Then score each term and put your budget and listing copy behind the winners.
Search volume alone doesn’t pay the bills. A huge keyword where shoppers buy someone else costs you money. A smaller one where you convert well can carry a product.
Your two best keyword sources
Search Query Performance
- In Brand Analytics (Brand Registry required)
- Shows the market for each search: impressions, clicks, add-to-carts, purchases
- Shows your brand’s share at each step
- Covers organic and paid together
Search term report
- In the Amazon Ads console (Sponsored Products)
- Shows the exact searches that triggered your ads
- Spend, clicks, orders and sales per term
- Tells you what a sale costs on each term
Step by step: from reports to a keyword list
- Pull SQP for the last 4–12 weeksDownload it at the ASIN or brand level. Sort by search query volume so the biggest searches sit on top.
- Find your funnel leaksFor each query, compare your click share to your purchase share. High clicks but low purchases usually means a listing or price problem. Low impressions but strong purchase share means room to grow visibility.
- Pull the search term reportUse the same date range. Filter to terms with at least a few clicks so you’re not judging on noise.
- Work out cost per saleFor each search term, divide spend by orders. Compare it to what you can afford to pay for a sale on that product.
- Merge and scorePut both sources in one sheet, one row per term, and score each one with the table below.
- Act on itMove winners to exact-match campaigns, write the top terms into your title and bullets, add losers as negatives, and recheck in two to four weeks.
A simple scoring sheet
| Signal | Where it comes from | What “good” looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Search volume | SQP | Enough searches to matter for this product |
| Purchase share vs click share | SQP | Purchase share equal to or above click share |
| Conversion rate | Search term report | At or above your product’s average |
| Cost per sale | Search term report | Below your break-even ad cost |
| Relevance | Your judgement | Shopper would be happy with your product |
What to do with each type of keyword
| Keyword type | What you see | Next move |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | Converts well, cost per sale under break-even | Exact match, higher bid, title or first bullet |
| Leaky | Lots of clicks, few purchases | Fix listing, images, price or reviews first |
| Hidden gem | Strong purchase share, low impressions | Raise bids, add to listing copy |
| Loser | Spends, rarely sells, low relevance | Negative keyword, drop from copy |
Where tools still help
Keyword tools are useful before launch, when you have no data, and for finding long-tail terms your ads haven’t reached yet. Treat them as a starting list. Your own reports decide what stays. Our keyword research tools guide sorts the main options.
How CommerceKind runs keyword research
Our in-house team builds keyword maps from your SQP, search term and Brand Analytics data, then carries the winners into both your listings and your PPC. We review them weekly alongside your ads.
See how it fits into our Amazon SEO service, or read how we use Search Query Performance to grow share.
FAQ
What makes an Amazon keyword profitable?
A keyword is profitable when shoppers who search it buy your product at a cost you can afford. That means enough search volume, a conversion rate close to or above the market for that term, and an ad cost per sale below your break-even point.
What is the Search Query Performance report?
A Brand Analytics report in Seller Central for brand-registered sellers. For each search query it shows total market impressions, clicks, add-to-carts and purchases, and your brand’s share of each step.
Where do I find the Amazon search term report?
In the Amazon Ads console, under Sponsored Products reports. It lists the actual searches shoppers typed that triggered your ads, with impressions, clicks, spend, orders and sales.
Do I still need keyword research tools?
They help you find new terms and estimate volume, especially before launch. But once you have sales, your own SQP and search term data are the best guide to which keywords pay.
How often should I review keywords?
Look at search terms every week for ads. Review SQP monthly, or weekly in peak season, to spot terms where your share is falling or growing.