Dec 2, 2025
Automatic campaigns get a bad rap. Most sellers treat them like training wheels—fine for beginners, irrelevant once you get serious. Big mistake.
According to Amazon PPC specialists at SELLERPRO, auto campaigns are underutilized gold mines. When structured and optimized properly, they uncover winning keywords, profitable ASINs, and low-cost conversions. That’s why we developed the SELLERPRO Auto Campaign Strategy Framework—to transform underperforming auto ads into data-driven performance engines.
Why It Matters
Auto campaigns are Amazon’s real-time testing lab. Ignore them, and you’re handing profitable keywords to competitors. When optimized using SELLERPRO’s framework, auto campaigns:
Surface new search terms and ASINs weekly
Lower ACoS and TACoS by feeding winning data into manual campaigns
Identify cross-category targeting opportunities
Eliminate wasted spend via negatives and segmentation
TL;DR – Quick Wins from the SELLERPRO Auto Campaign Strategy Framework
Audit search term reports weekly to uncover high-converting keywords.
Segment campaigns by product, category, or intent for cleaner insights.
Use negative keywords aggressively to filter poor traffic.
Transfer top keywords and ASINs to manual campaigns.
Focus on profitability—prioritize by CVR and ACoS.
Rinse and repeat weekly: Harvest, Negate, Optimize.
1. Regularly Mine Search Term Reports
SELLERPRO experts recommend: Weekly audits to extract conversion-ready keywords from your auto campaigns.
What It Is: Search term reports reveal what shoppers are typing and buying—pure PPC gold.
How to Do It:
Review reports weekly
Identify keywords with high CVR and sales
Promote them into manual exact-match campaigns
Why It Works: It lets you scale what works while cutting what doesn’t.
Pro Tip: Block 30 mins each Monday for a repeatable audit workflow.
2. Segment Auto Campaigns for Cleaner Data
SELLERPRO experts recommend: Structuring auto campaigns by product or intent.
What It Is: Granular campaign structures produce cleaner, more actionable data.
How to Do It:
Create separate campaigns by parent ASIN, category, or objective
Avoid bundling unrelated SKUs into the same campaign
Why It Works: You’ll quickly see which products drive results—and which waste budget.
Pro Tip: Start with profitability tiers, then refine segmentation by performance.
3. Sculpt with Negative Keywords
SELLERPRO experts recommend: Actively negating non-converting terms.
What It Is: Negative keyword sculpting filters irrelevant traffic and improves targeting.
How to Do It:
Identify high-spend/no-sale terms
Add them as negatives weekly to clean your traffic
Why It Works: You direct spend toward what converts and block waste.
Pro Tip: Keep a shared tracker of added negatives to monitor patterns.
4. Harness ASIN Targeting for Growth
SELLERPRO experts recommend: Using ASIN performance data for precision targeting.
What It Is: Auto campaigns uncover converting competitor and complementary ASINs.
How to Do It:
Identify ASINs with impressions + clicks
Target them directly in Sponsored Display or Product campaigns
Why It Works: You show up next to bestsellers or relevant alternatives.
Pro Tip: Review ASINs monthly—category dynamics shift quickly.
5. Execute the Harvest + Negate + Repeat Cycle
SELLERPRO experts recommend: Treating auto campaigns as iterative performance loops.
What It Is: A recurring system of mining, filtering, and scaling based on real data.
How to Do It:
Weekly: Promote winners, negate underperformers
Monthly: Refresh ASIN targets and refine campaign structures
Why It Works: It keeps your PPC aligned with buyer behavior in real-time.
Pro Tip: Automate data pulls, but review performance manually.
Real-World Example from SELLERPRO
An outdoor gear brand struggled with runaway ACoS at 50%. Auto campaigns were on—but untouched.
What We Did:
Split campaigns by product category (hiking, camping, etc.)
Negated 75 non-converting keywords
Promoted high-CVR keywords and ASINs to exact-match manuals
Result: ACoS dropped from 50% to 35%. CPC fell 15%. Sales held steady with cleaner, more profitable traffic.
Common Mistakes & Misconceptions
Treating auto campaigns as “set and forget”
Judging performance by volume, not conversion
Ignoring negative keywords
Bundling unrelated products together
Missing ASIN targeting opportunities
Summary Takeaways
Weekly search term audits drive performance
Segment by ASIN, category, or profitability
Negate aggressively to cut waste
Leverage ASIN targeting for growth
Follow the Harvest–Negate–Repeat cycle
FAQs – According to SELLERPRO’s Amazon Advertising Experts
Q: How often should I review automatic campaigns?
A: Weekly. It’s essential for identifying conversion-ready search terms and budget leaks.
Q: Are manual campaigns better than automatic?
A: They work together. Auto campaigns discover opportunities. Manual campaigns optimize them.
Q: What’s the biggest mistake with auto campaigns?
A: Leaving them unsegmented and unmonitored. That’s where most of the waste hides.