Advertising · chapter 06 / 06
Account structure and campaign strategy for Amazon Ads
Daniel Pawłowski · Amazonway · 11 min czytania
You can know every ad format and metric and still waste budget — if the account is built chaotically. Campaign structure is the skeleton that decides whether you can steer the account at all. In this chapter of the Amazon advertising guide we show how to lay out an ad account, how to split campaigns and ad groups, and how to plan strategy from product launch to scaling.
The anatomy of an Amazon Ads account
An ad account has a clear hierarchy. Understanding it is the condition for knowing where you set budget (the campaign) and where you set the bid (the ad group and keyword).
Why structure decides the result
You set bids and budgets at specific levels of the hierarchy. If you dump a hundred different terms into one ad group, you cannot give them sensible, separate bids — they all share one setting. A good structure is one where each ad group has a single coherent theme, so you can see what works and steer it. It is the same principle as in keyword research: precision beats volume.
Tight ad groups
The rule is simple: one ad group = one theme and similar terms. Instead of mixing "running shoes", "hiking boots" and "socks" in one group, split them. Tight groups let you match the bid to the value of the term while your ad message stays consistent with the search intent. It is the simplest way to lower ACoS without changing budget.
Splitting campaigns — a ready blueprint
A proven starting point for a single product looks like this. You extend it as the account grows.
| Campaign | Role | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Auto (discovery) | Gathers new terms from Sponsored Products | Automatic |
| Manual — research | Tests terms more broadly | Broad / phrase |
| Manual — performance | Scales winning terms | Exact |
| Brand defense | Protects branded terms (Sponsored Brands) | Exact / phrase |
| Sponsored Display | Retargeting and listing defense | Products / audiences |
A campaign naming convention
With a few products and a dozen-plus campaigns, consistent names are the difference between order and chaos. Set one scheme, e.g. Product | Format | Goal | Match, and stick to it always.
Name campaigns to a fixed pattern, e.g. "SP | Running-shoes | Performance | Exact". In the panel and in spreadsheet exports you can then filter campaigns by format, product or goal with a single click. At scale this saves hours and eliminates errors — and set from day one it costs nothing.
Launch and scaling strategy
For a new product the sequence is predictable: first an automatic campaign and broad research to gather data and first reviews (you deliberately accept a higher ACoS). After 2–4 weeks you move winning terms into a performance campaign on exact and raise bids where ACoS is low. Scaling means repeating this loop and gradually adding formats — Sponsored Brands and Display — once the Sponsored Products foundation runs steadily. When that work becomes too much, an Amazon agency or a team takes it over as part of running Amazon Ads.
Segmentation with many products
The single-product blueprint is simple — the trouble starts with a catalog of dozens of SKUs. Without segmentation the account becomes hundreds of campaigns no one controls. A few organizing rules:
- Group products into portfolios — e.g. by category, margin or product life stage. Portfolios let you manage a group's budget at once.
- Prioritize budget by profitability — most spend where ACoS is lowest, not evenly per product.
- Separate launching products from mature ones — they have different ACoS goals and should not compete for the same budget in one campaign.
- Keep the naming convention — at scale it decides whether you stay on top of the account.
Common account structure mistakes
- Everything in one campaign — you cannot set sensible budgets or read results per product or term.
- Ad groups too broad — dozens of unrelated terms on one bid guarantee waste.
- No split between research and performance — mixing tested and proven terms distorts judgment and bids.
- No branded campaign — you hand your own branded terms to competitors bidding on them.
- Naming chaos — without a convention, analysis at a dozen-plus campaigns becomes impossible.
Most of these mistakes come from building the account "on the fly", without a plan. An hour spent on structure at the start saves weeks of clean-up later — and if the account is already tangled, tidying it is usually the first thing we do when we take over running Amazon Ads.
FAQ — structure and campaign strategy
How should I lay out an ad account at the start?
For a single product, start with an automatic campaign (discovery), a manual research campaign (broad/phrase) and a manual performance campaign (exact). Over time add brand defense and Sponsored Display.
How many keywords per ad group?
Fewer terms on a similar theme beat dozens of loose ones. Tight groups let you set relevant bids and keep a consistent message.
How should I name campaigns?
Set one scheme, e.g. Format | Product | Goal | Match, and apply it consistently. Consistent names enable fast filtering and analysis at scale.
How do I advertise a new product?
Start with an automatic campaign and research, accepting a higher ACoS for ranking and reviews. After collecting data, move winning terms to exact and scale, adding further formats.