Want to burn money fast on Amazon?
Try bidding blind.
In 2025, that’s exactly what too many eCom sellers are doing by relying 100% on automation tools—or worse, clinging to old-school manual bidding without a strategy.
Here’s the truth:
🛠️ Automation has gotten way better.
🧠 Manual bidding still matters.
But neither works alone if your goal is more profit, not just more sales.
Let me break it down…
🚗 The Amazon Bidding Landscape in 2025
Amazon Ads now gives us four flavors of bid control:
- Manual Bidding – You set it. You own it. Great control, but time-consuming.
- Dynamic Bids – Down Only – Amazon reduces your bid if it thinks the click won’t convert.
- Dynamic Bids – Up and Down – Amazon adjusts both ways, up to 100%.
- Rule-Based + Third-Party Automation Tools – Think Perpetua, Teikametrics, Quartile, Pacvue… or Amazon’s own rule engines.
Each has a role. But here’s where the magic happens 👇
🧪 Story Time: Automation Gone Wild
A client came to me recently with a “set-it-and-forget-it” campaign powered by a well-known tool. Their ACOS was skyrocketing while sales plateaued.
Why?
Amazon was raising bids on every high-volume keyword—without regard for margins or stock levels. They were winning the bid war… and losing the profit game.
We switched them to a hybrid bidding strategy. Manual for hero SKUs, automation for the rest.
📈 Sales rose 23%. ACOS dropped 18%.
🧲 Profit came back. Fast.
⚙️ What’s New in Amazon Automation (and Still Broken)
BETTER IN 2025:
- AI tools now offer hourly bid changes and real-time keyword harvesting
- Amazon’s console includes built-in rule-based bidding for Sponsored Products
- Better integration with inventory and seasonality filters
STILL BROKEN:
- Automation doesn’t understand your margins
- Doesn’t react to stockouts or new launches fast enough
- Amazon optimizes for their revenue, not yours
Automation is smarter—but it’s still not psychic. 🧠
✋ When Manual Bidding Beats Robots
Manual isn’t dead. It’s just focused now.
Here’s when I always go manual:
- 🚀 New product launches
- 💰 High-margin or high-ACOS-sensitive SKUs
- 🔍 Niche keywords with low volume but high intent
- 🧪 Testing new ad types or targeting strategies
Manual wins when control beats speed. Think of it like driving stick on a curvy road—way more control than cruise control.
🤖 When Automation Is a No-Brainer
That said, you’d be crazy to manually bid across 1,000+ keywords for 500 SKUs.
Here’s where automation shines:
- ⚙️ Massive catalogs
- 🔄 Stable, evergreen products
- 🧭 High-volume, low-margin items
- 🔠 Branded keyword campaigns
- 🏷️ Category-level targeting (e.g., “Bluetooth headphones”)
Pro Tip: Automation only works if…
- You’ve got clean campaign structure 🧹
- Tight naming conventions 🧾
- Weekly oversight 👀 (yes, weekly—not monthly)
⚖️ Best of Both Worlds: The Hybrid Strategy
Here’s the hybrid setup we use at True Online Presence for our top clients:
Let Automation Handle:
- 🔠 Branded terms
- 📦 Bulk SKUs or accessories
- 🏷️ Category campaigns for visibility
- 🧑💻 Top-of-funnel discovery
Go Manual With:
- 🚀 New launches
- 🎯 ASIN targeting
- 🧊 Seasonal or limited inventory
- 💡 High-ROAS keyword groups
Think of automation as cruise control on the freeway.
Use manual when you’re making money moves.
🎯 So… What Actually Works in 2025?
It depends. 😅
✅ Got lots of products? Use automation for scale.
✅ Launching something new? Go manual.
✅ Want profitability? Use both—strategically.
👉 Automation = Scale
👉 Manual = Profit
Use both, and you’ve got power and precision.
Just like peanut butter and jelly. 🍞
💡 Big Lesson:
In 2025, bidding smart means mixing tech with tactics.
If you automate chaos, you just get faster chaos.
Instead, automate where it makes sense. Stay manual where precision matters.
That’s how we help clients scale to 6, 7, even 8 figures on Amazon while keeping ROAS in check.
“Let robots drive straight lines. Use your hands for the curves.” 🏎️
🔁 Your Turn!
💬 Got a question about Amazon bidding or PPC campaigns?
Drop it in the comments. I read every one.
📌 Like this post? Save it to your favorites.
⭐ Star it for future reference.
📤 Share it with a friend who’s tired of losing money to bad bidding.
And remember… Happy Marketing! 🎯
🧠 Amazon Bid Strategy Q&A
- What’s the best Amazon bid strategy for new products?
Manual bidding—so you control spend and monitor conversion closely. - Can I use automation with low-margin products?
Yes, if campaigns are tightly structured and monitored. - Are third-party tools better than Amazon’s own automation?
Often, yes—tools like Perpetua or Pacvue offer more granular control. - Should I use Dynamic Bids – Up & Down for all campaigns?
Not always. Use it for high-volume, proven-converting products. - How often should I check automated bids?
At least weekly. Automation needs regular oversight to avoid overspending. - Is rule-based bidding better than full AI automation?
It depends. Rule-based works great when you have specific triggers. - Can automation hurt my ROAS?
Yes—if it’s not aligned with your margins, stock levels, or goals.
Need Help with Amazon Ads? If you’re looking to maximize your Amazon ad returns, sometimes you need an expert who’s been there, done that. I’m Andy Splichal, author of Make Each Click Count and host of the Make Each Click Count podcast. Amazon’s PPC landscape can be overwhelming, but with the right guidance, you can make every dollar count, I’m here to help. Let’s make those clicks count!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andy Splichal is the founder and managing partner of True Online Presence, author of the Make Each Click Count book series, host of the Make Each Click Count podcast, founder of Make Each Click Count University and certified online marketing strategist with twenty plus years of experience helping companies increase their online presence and profitable revenues.
He was named to Best of Los Angeles Awards’ Most Fascinating 100 List in both 2020 and 2021. To find more information on Andy Splichal, visit trueonlinepresence.com or read The Full Story on his website or his blog, blog.trueonlinepresence.com.
