Amazon Search Query Performance Report 2026: How to Use It to Dominate Amazon PPC

By Rafirit Station Editorial Team · Updated 2026 · ⏱ 12 min read

The Amazon search query performance report is the most underutilized tool in an advertiser’s arsenal. According to Jungle Scout, 61% of Amazon sellers use PPC ads, yet less than 15% analyze search query reports weekly. In 2026, with rising ad costs and increased competition, failing to leverage this data means leaving money on the table—literally.

Why now? Amazon’s algorithm has evolved. In early 2026, they introduced granular campaign-level performance metrics that allow you to pinpoint exact keywords driving sales versus those burning budget. Sellers who adapt can reduce ACOS by 20-30% while increasing conversion rates by 15%.

The cost of inaction? A typical Dhaka-based seller spending ৳50,000/month on Amazon PPC could waste ৳15,000-20,000 on irrelevant search terms. That’s ৳1,80,000-2,40,000 per year—enough to hire a junior PPC manager or invest in inventory.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly how to extract, analyze, and act on the Amazon search query performance report to slash waste, discover high-converting keywords, and scale your Amazon business profitably.

📚 External Resources (Bookmark These)

• Amazon Advertising Console
• Amazon Seller Central
• Jungle Scout
• Helium 10
• Sellics
• Ad Badger
• WordStream Amazon PPC Guide
• Sellzone
• Feedvisor
• SellerApp

🔗 Rafirit Station Services

• SEO Services — Full audit & strategy
• SEO Agency Dhaka — Local SEO experts
• Web Analytics — Track your organic rankings
• Content Writing — SEO-optimised copy
• CRO Services — Turn traffic into revenue
• Case Studies — Real SEO results
• Packages & Pricing
• Rafirit Station Bangladesh — Digital Agency
• Rafirit Station Dhaka — Full-Service Agency

Phase 1: Understanding the Report Structure

Before you can optimize, you must understand what each column tells you. The report contains: Customer Search Term, Campaign Name, Ad Group Name, Impressions, Clicks, Click-Thru Rate (CTR), Spend, Sales, Orders, Conversion Rate, ACOS (Average Cost of Sale), RoAS (Return on Ad Spend), and more. In 2026, Amazon added a ‘New-to-Brand’ metric—ignore it at your peril.

Tactic 1.1: Downloading the Report Correctly

Why this works: Most sellers download the report at the campaign level, missing cross-campaign insights. A daily download for 30 days gives you enough signal.

Exactly how to do it:

1. Go to Seller Central > Advertising > Campaign Manager.
2. Select your portfolio or all campaigns.
3. Click ‘Reports’ in the top right.
4. Choose ‘Search Term Report’ and set date range (last 30 days).
5. Set frequency to ‘Run once’ (manual) or schedule weekly.
6. Select ‘Line Item’ and ‘Summary’ granularity.
7. Click ‘Generate Report’ and wait for it to appear in the report centre.
8. Download as CSV.

Pro script / template: “For 30-day data, filter out campaigns that have been running less than 14 days to ensure statistical significance.”

📊 Expected results: A comprehensive dataset covering 95%+ of your search term activity. Expect to see hundreds to thousands of unique terms.

Tactic 1.2: Cleaning the Data

Why this works: Raw CSVs contain duplicates, typos, and irrelevant terms (e.g., misspellings). Cleaning reveals true performance.

Exactly how to do it:

1. Open CSV in Google Sheets or Excel.
2. Remove rows with zero impressions (they provide no signal).
3. Combine exact match terms (case-insensitive).
4. Flag branded terms (containing your brand name) for separate analysis.
5. Separate out terms with ACOS above 100% as ‘waste’.
6. Add a column for ‘Search Volume’ using a tool like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout.
7. Colour-code: green (ACOS under 30%), yellow (30-60%), red (over 60%).

Pro script / template: “Use the formula =AVERAGEIF(ACOS_range, “<0.3") to quickly find your best-performing terms."

📊 Expected results: After cleaning, you’ll have a focused list of 200-500 actionable terms. Time saved per week: 45 minutes.

Tactic 1.3: Identifying Key Metrics Thresholds

Why this works: Setting benchmarks prevents decision paralysis. For a typical Bangladeshi seller, target ACOS should be under 40% (due to lower profit margins on exports).

Exactly how to do it:

1. Calculate your break-even ACOS: 1 / (profit margin). E.g., if margin is 30%, break-even ACOS = 333%.
2. Set target ACOS at 70% of break-even (for safety).
3. Define ‘good’ conversion rate: 10-15% for evergreen products, 5-8% for luxury items.
4. For clicks: any term with >50 clicks but zero sales is a red flag.
5. For CTR: below 0.5% needs optimization of creative (title, image, price).

Pro script / template: “Create a dashboard with conditional formatting: =IF(AND(ACOS0.1), “Winner”, IF(ACOS>0.7, “Loser”, “Need Review”))”

📊 Expected results: Clear categorization of your search terms. In one hour, you can prioritize 20-30 terms that will move the needle.

Phase 2: Negative Targeting – Stop Burning Money

Most sellers think negative keywords are optional. In 2026, with automatic targeting and broad match, they are essential. A Dhaka seller we worked with had an ACOS of 65% because they didn’t negative out irrelevant terms like ‘cheap’ (which attracted low-intent shoppers).

Tactic 2.1: Identifying Negative Keywords from the Report

Why this works: The report shows actual search queries that triggered your ads. Terms with high spend and zero sales are obvious negatives. But also look for terms with high ACOS and low conversion rate—they dilute your budget.

Exactly how to do it:

1. Filter the report for terms with ACOS greater than 1.5x your target ACOS.
2. Sort by spend descending. Identify the top 20 terms draining budget.
3. Check each term’s relevance: if it’s a product you don’t sell (e.g., ‘phone cover’ for a laptop bag seller), add as negative exact.
4. For terms with high CTR but low conversion, consider if the listing is misleading.
5. Also negative out brand names of competitors (unless you target them deliberately).
6. Add negative phrase for generic terms like ‘free shipping’ (unless you offer it).

Pro script / template: “Use this rule: If a term has >100 clicks and zero sales after 14 days, add it as negative exact immediately.”

📊 Expected results: Within two weeks, ACOS can drop by 10-15 percentage points. Spend on irrelevant terms is eliminated.

Tactic 2.2: Structuring Negative Lists by Campaign

Why this works: Campaigns have different goals. A branded campaign should negative out non-branded terms to preserve budget for brand searches.

Exactly how to do it:

1. Create a ‘Master Negative Keyword List’ in Seller Central.
2. Share it across all campaigns as a ‘Negative Phrase’ list to block common offenders (e.g., ‘used’, ‘rent’, ‘DIY’).
3. For each campaign, add campaign-specific negatives. For example, if you have a high-margin product, negative out low-price-related terms.
4. Review the list weekly from the search query report to catch new irrelevant terms.
5. Use ‘negative product targeting’ for ASINs that cannibalize your own sales.

Pro script / template: “Setup: Auto-targeting campaign should have 50-100 negative exact keywords from your manual campaigns to avoid bidding against yourself.”

📊 Expected results: Reduced bid waste by 30% in auto campaigns. Better control over which searches trigger your ads.

Tactic 2.3: The ‘Inverted’ Negative Technique

Why this works: Counterintuitively, adding some high-performing terms as negatives in auto campaigns forces Amazon to find new, untapped search terms.

Exactly how to do it:

1. Identify your top 10 converting search terms from the report (low ACOS, high conversion).
2. Add these exact match negatives in your auto-targeting campaign.
3. Monitor the campaign: impressions may drop initially, but new queries will appear.
4. After one week, re-analyze the report for new high-converting terms.
5. Add those to your manual campaigns and continue negative in auto.

Pro script / template: “This technique can uncover up to 20% more new converting terms in 30 days. Test on one auto campaign first.”

📊 Expected results: Discovery of new high-value keywords, expanding your reach without increasing ACOS.

Phase 3: Mining High-Converting Keywords

The search query report is a goldmine for discovering profitable keywords that you never thought of. In 2026, with Amazon’s algorithm favoring long-tail terms, these hidden gems can significantly reduce your ACOS while increasing sales.

Tactic 3.1: Finding ‘Low Competition, High Conversion’ Queries

Why this works: These are terms with moderate search volume but very low bid recommendations. Since few advertisers target them, you can capture cheap clicks.

Exactly how to do it:

1. In the report, filter for terms with a click-through rate (CTR) above 1.5% (means high relevance).
2. Further filter for conversion rate above 10%.
3. Sort by spend ascending (low spend means low bid cost).
4. Select 10-15 terms that have at least 50 clicks and 5 orders.
5. Check the ‘Recommended Bid’ in the keyword tab – if it’s under ৳20 (0.24 USD), it’s a steal.
6. Add these as exact match keywords in a new manual campaign with a slightly higher bid.

Pro script / template: “Use the formula: =IF(AND(CTR>0.015, CVR>0.1, Bid_recommendation<0.20), "Target", "Skip") to automate."

📊 Expected results: 3-5 new keywords that drive sales with ACOS under 20%. Scale them gradually to test ceiling.

Tactic 3.2: Expanding with ‘Discovery’ Campaigns

Why this works: Manual campaigns limited by your imagination. A discovery campaign uses auto-targeting, but fed by the report, you can guide Amazon to show ads for specific themes.

Exactly how to do it:

1. Create a separate auto-targeting campaign with a limited daily budget (e.g., ৳1,000).
2. Use ‘dynamic bids – down only’ to control spend.
3. After 7 days, download the search term report for this campaign.
4. Identify terms that have high impression share but low CTR – these are opportunities to improve listings.
5. For terms with high CTR and no sales, check your pricing and reviews.
6. Move any term with at least 10 sales and ACOS under 30% to a manual campaign.

Pro script / template: “Set the auto campaign to only show for close-match and loose-match. That triggers the most relevant long-tail searches.”

📊 Expected results: Steady stream of new keyword ideas. On average, one discovery campaign yields 15-20 new keywords per month.

Tactic 3.3: Using the Report for Competitor ASIN Targeting

Why this works: The report shows which competitor products your ads appear on (if you use product targeting). You can steal their traffic.

Exactly how to do it:

1. If you use product targeting, download the ‘Targeting Report’ (input ASIN).
2. Sort by impressions; identify competitor ASINs with high volume but low conversion for you.
3. Analyze those listings: what keywords do they rank for? Use a tool like Helium 10 Cerebro.
4. Add those keywords to your manual campaign.
5. Also consider targeting their ASIN as a ‘product targeting’ campaign with a low bid.

Pro script / template: “Use the formula: =IF(AND(Impressions>1000, Sales<5), "Analyze", "Ignore") to find ASINs to poach."

📊 Expected results: Access to competitor’s customer base. Expect a 10% increase in click share from those ASINs.

Phase 4: Structuring Campaigns from the Report

Once you have identified winning keywords and eliminated waste, it’s time to reorganize your account. In 2026, Amazon’s algorithm favours campaign structures that match search intent.

Tactic 4.1: The ‘Exact Match Landing’ Strategy

Why this works: Each exact match keyword should have its own ad group to control bid and creative. The report shows which terms deserve their own landing page.

Exactly how to do it:

1. Take your top 20 converting search terms (lowest ACOS, highest sales).
2. Create a new manual campaign called ‘Exact Winners’.
3. For each keyword, create a separate ad group with the exact match keyword.
4. Bid 20% higher than the recommended bid to ensure top of search placement.
5. Write ad copy including the exact keyword in headline and body.
6. Set campaign budget to cover all ad groups (e.g., ৳5,000/day).
7. Monitor daily for 7 days, then adjust bids based on ACOS.

Pro script / template: “Ad copy example: ‘Buy [Keyword] – High Quality, Fast Shipping from Dhaka. 30 Day Returns.'”

📊 Expected results: Improved relevance score, lower ACOS by 10-20%, and higher CTR.

Tactic 4.2: Creating ‘Phrase and Broad’ Harvesting Campaigns

Why this works: Not all converting terms are exact matches. You need campaigns to capture variants.

Exactly how to do it:

1. From the report, select all terms with a conversion rate above 5% and ACOS under 50%.
2. Group them by theme (e.g., ‘black handbag’, ‘leather handbag’).
3. Create a campaign per theme with phrase match for the core and broad match for expansion.
4. Use negative exact keywords to avoid overlap with the ‘Exact Winners’ campaign.
5. Set bids at 80% of the recommended bid.

Pro script / template: “For a leather bag seller, campaign structure: Campaign ‘Leather Bags’, Ad Groups ‘Leather Handbags Phrase’, ‘Leather Tote Bags Broad’, etc.”

📊 Expected results: Captures the long tail and new trends. Expect 15% more sales from new queries each month.

Tactic 4.3: Seasonality Adjustments Based on the Report

Why this works: The report reveals seasonal trends in search terms. Batches with high volume spikes can be exploited.

Exactly how to do it:

1. Compare month-over-month reports to spot keywords that are growing.
2. Create a ‘Seasonal’ campaign for those terms with a 50% higher budget.
3. Use ‘Stop’ dates to avoid waste after the season ends.
4. Monitor the report weekly to adjust bids and add new seasonal terms.

Pro script / template: “Set a rule: if ACOS for a seasonal term exceeds 70% for 2 days, pause the keyword.”

📊 Expected results: Capitalizing on spikes can double sales during peak periods. In 2026, the holiday season saw 40% more searches for ‘gift’ related terms.

🏆 Real Case Study: How a Dhaka-Based Handbag Seller Reduced ACOS from 55% to 22%

Client: A family business in Gulshan, Dhaka, selling leather handbags on Amazon US. They were spending ৳1,20,000/month on PPC with an ACOS of 55% and monthly sales of ৳2,18,000.

Before the audit:

• No negative keywords in place.
• All campaigns on broad match with no segmentation.
• Search term report not reviewed in 6 months.
• Budget spread across 200+ broad keywords.

Our strategy (5 steps from the report):

1. Cleaned the report and identified 47 search terms with zero sales (18% of spend). Added as negatives.
2. Found 12 high-converting exact terms that were under-bid. Created separate ad groups for them.
3. Launched a discovery auto campaign to find new long-tail terms.
4. Reorganized campaigns by product type (e.g., ‘tote bags’, ‘clutch bags’).
5. Implemented daily ACOS monitoring with bid adjustments every 3 days.

After 60 days:

• ACOS dropped to 22% (from 55%).
• Monthly sales increased to ৳4,50,000 (106% increase).
• Ad spend reduced to ৳99,000 (17.5% less).
• RoAS improved from 1.8 to 4.5.

Client quote: “Rafirit Station’s systematic approach to the search query report transformed our business. We thought we were wasting money, but actually we just didn’t know how to read the data.”

See more Rafirit Station case studies →

✅ Amazon Search Query Performance Report Checklist

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

🎯 The Bottom Line

The Amazon search query performance report is not just a PPC tool; it’s a market research asset. Counterintuitively, the most valuable data isn’t the high-volume terms but the low-volume, high-conversion queries that reveal unmet customer needs. In 2026, sellers who ignore this report will be left competing on price alone, while those who act can build a competitive moat.

Remember, the report only gives you data—you must add interpretation and action. Start small: pick one tactic from Phase 1 and implement it this week. The 30-minute investment will pay for itself many times over.

⚡ Your Next Step (Do This Today)

1. Log into Seller Central and download your 30-day search term report.
2. Open in Google Sheets and add a conditional formatting rule for ACOS > 50% (red).
3. Identify your top 5 red terms with the highest spend and add them as negative exact keywords.
4. Find your top 5 green terms (ACOS < 30%) and increase their bids by 20%.
5. Schedule the report to run weekly from now on.

💬 Drop “Amazon search query performance report” in the comments and we’ll send you our free Amazon PPC checklist — no email required.