In Amazon ads, overlapping keywords is a mistake that many sellers often make.
This situation not only wastes advertising budget, but may also affect the cost-effectiveness of ads (ACOS), and even lower the natural ranking of keywords.
So, how to effectively avoid this problem? Today I will share with you some practical optimization strategies.
01 What is overlapping keywords?
Overlapping keywords means that the same keyword is placed multiple times in ads. Common forms are:
① Broad match and precise match are set for the same keyword at the same time.
② The same keyword is repeatedly placed in multiple matching methods (broad, phrase, precise), and even multiple ads with the same matching method are opened.
For example:
Assume the keyword “AB”:
① Broad match ads run search terms such as “AB”, “ABC”, and “ABD”.
② Precise match ads run “AB” and “ABS”.
If two ads are opened at the same time, keyword competition and budget waste will occur.
02 The harm of overlapping keywords
- Waste of budget:
Multiple ads competing for the same keyword will increase the cost per click (CPC).
Even if the click volume increases, the conversion rate may decrease due to keyword duplication.
- Data confusion:
Broad and targeted ads compete with each other, making it difficult to evaluate which ad actually contributes to the conversion.
- Affected keyword performance:
Repeated delivery may lead to poor results for some ads, affecting the overall cost-to-performance ratio (ACOS).
03 Optimization case sharing: from overlap to streamlining
A seller once encountered the problem of repeated keyword delivery. The keyword “AB” was turned on in both broad and targeted ads at the same time, resulting in high advertising costs, requiring an investment of about US$60 per day, but the conversion effect was not ideal.
After optimization:
Streamline keyword settings, leaving only one broad match and one precise match.
Turn off unnecessary duplicate ads.
Result:
Advertising costs dropped from US$60 to US$15 per day.
The number of orders increased from 10 to 20.
The natural ranking increased, and the overall ACOS decreased steadily.
04 How to effectively avoid overlapping keyword delivery?
Method 1: Precisely negative keywords
In broad ads, perform negative matching on repeated keywords.
Operation steps:
- Broad match ads:
For the keyword “AB”, set it as negative precision in broad ads.
Broad ads only run long-tail words such as “ABC” and “ABD” to avoid competition with precise ads.
- Precise match ads:
Keep the core word “AB” and only run the original form to focus on high-intent conversion.
Effect:
Avoid broad ads and precise ads from occupying the “AB” ad space at the same time to reduce waste.
Method 2: Time-divided delivery
Avoid competition caused by keyword overlap by setting the delivery time of ads.
Operation steps:
Broad match ads: Set the delivery time to 1:00-3:00.
Precise match ads: Set the delivery time to 4:00-6:00.
Benefits:
Even if the keywords are repeated, direct competition is avoided because they belong to different time periods.
It can analyze the effect of each matching method more clearly, which is convenient for optimizing advertising strategies.
05 Why are these optimization strategies effective?
- Precisely negate keywords:
Avoid repeated delivery and concentrate advertising budget.
Long-tail keywords are widely used, core keywords are accurately used, the division of labor is clear, and the conversion rate is higher.
- Time-divided delivery:
Rationally use advertising budget to avoid competition during peak periods.
Clear data facilitates evaluation of advertising effects.
Example:
By precisely negating the extensive advertising of the “AB” keywords and adjusting the delivery time, a seller’s keyword natural ranking was improved from 20th to the homepage, and the average daily orders increased from 10 to 20, but the advertising cost was reduced by half.
06 Final words
Keyword overlap delivery is a common problem in advertising optimization, but it can be easily solved through the following strategies:
① Use precise negation to avoid keyword competition.
② Optimize advertising performance through time-divided delivery.
③ Check advertising settings regularly and close duplicate or invalid ads in time.
Optimizing advertising delivery can not only save budget, but also effectively improve natural ranking and order volume. Quickly review your advertising strategy to see if there is any keyword overlap!