The Full Question:
Hi Heath
Based on what you said about keyword clustering would the algorithm view the following keywords as a single keyword? If I had them all in a single ad group should I wait over time to see which performs the best and reduce the bids accordingly, or will they benefit from increased traffic by duplicating them?
: -
bathing massage combo with pet grooming glove
bathing massage combo and pet grooming glove
bathing massage combo with pets grooming glove
bathing massage combo with pet grooming gloves
bathing massage combo and pet grooming gloves
bathing massage combo and pet grooming glove
bathing massage combo and pets grooming glove
Thanks
The Answer:
The algorithm would likely regard each one of those keywords as being the same. The suggested bid would also be the same, if it is not, then this is because the algorithm sees them as being different.
There are two strategies - you can either choose one of those keywords and force the algorithm to drive all of its search terms to that (if it is the only one in the ad group, obviously) - this is the easiest to manage as there is only one keyword to bid on. Or, you can put them all into a single ad group and see which ones the algorithm drives traffic to the most.
You might then have multiple variations of the same keyword, and over time you will want to keep an eye on their performance. Unfortunately, the algorithm doesn't always behave in a way that we think is rational, so giving it a choice can be a good idea and it seems that bidding on duplicates gives a sign of intent that this is an important keyword. I personally don't like duplicated keywords within the same ad group but don't have a problem with duplication across different ad campaigns.
Ultimately, I am trying to explain that when they are viewed as the same, and if you had a campaign with 100 keywords in it, and all of the variations mentioned above, you could easily lose sight of this duplication. As campaigns mature, duplication within an ad group can lose money because one of the variations will perform better than others, therefore the others will cost you additional cash which would have been unnecessary.
Keyword Clustering Affecting Search Volume
You also might want to consider their search volume. If, for example, you have decided to channel cash through keywords with over 5,000 searches per month you might look at the following group and not give them priority.
The following keywords have their monthly search volume in brackets.
bathing massage combo with pet grooming glove [500]
bathing massage combo and pet grooming glove [300]
bathing massage combo with pets grooming glove [1,000]
bathing massage combo with pet grooming gloves [1,500]
bathing massage combo and pet grooming gloves [700]
bathing massage combo and pet grooming glove [1,500]
bathing massage combo and pets grooming glove [700]
The above group of keywords would have a collective monthly search volume of 6,200 meeting your benchmark of 5,000, however, individually they each have less than 1,500 and might be overlooked.
Keyword Clustering Affecting Negative Keywords
I don't use negative exact keywords much. I have other blog posts explaining why in detail but I would prefer to bid manage them wherever possible, unless they are wasting money and are irrelevant search terms with no sales.
Let's say the following keywords are in the same ad group but with different performances (in brackets).
bathing massage combo and pet grooming gloves [1 sale at 95% ACoS]
bathing massage combo and pet grooming glove [3 sales at 29% ACoS]
If I made the first keyword a negative match, it would also block the second keyword as the algorithm regards them as the same. What we see as a difference is just noise to the algorithm which it ignores. It only looks at the Root and Modifier parts of a phrase when answering a search query.
If a seller uses negative match keywords across multiple campaigns especially when duplicated in Auto and Manual campaigns it can signal to the algorithm that you don't want your product to show at all for that search phrase, and your organic rank for relevant keywords can plummet.
I hope that helps.
Need help with your Amazon PPC Management?
If you can't stand the stress of managing them anymore, or you wish you could get on and focus on what you love about your Amazon work, feel free to get in touch at heath AT amazonalchemist.com. I might be able to help.
Tags - Amazon keyword duplication - Amazon PPC keywords - Amazon Ads Keyword Duplication - Should I negative match keywords in Amazon PPC? - Amazon PPC Management - Amazon Sponsored Ad Management
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