Amazon continues to release new tools that promise to help sellers make better decisions with their advertising and listings. One of the most powerful additions in recent years is the Amazon Search Query Performance Report, available through Brand Analytics.
Many sellers ask the same question:
Are Amazon Search Query Performance Reports actually a game-changer for ad targeting?
The short answer is yes—but only if you use them strategically.
If you treat them like just another report inside Seller Central, you may glance at the data and move on. However, if you use the insights properly, they can significantly improve Amazon PPC targeting, keyword strategy, and even organic rankings.
Let’s break down what the report is, why it matters, and how to use it to improve your Amazon advertising performance.
What the Amazon Search Query Performance Report Is
The Search Query Performance Report provides aggregated performance data for specific customer search queries on Amazon.
You can find it in Brand Analytics, and it offers insights into how shoppers interact with search results across the entire marketplace—not just your ads.
For each search query, the report provides metrics such as:
- Search query volume
- Total impressions
- Clicks
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Add-to-cart rate
- Purchases
- Conversion rate
Most importantly, the report shows how your brand performs relative to the entire marketplace for each search term.
This is a major upgrade from traditional Amazon advertising reports.
Historically, advertisers relied on Search Term Reports from Amazon PPC campaigns. Those reports only show data after a shopper clicks on your ad.
The Search Query Performance Report shows the bigger picture, including traffic you may not be capturing.
That difference makes the report incredibly valuable for advertisers looking to grow.
Why This Data Matters for Advertisers
In ecommerce marketing, everything begins with understanding where the opportunity lies.
The Search Query Performance Report helps answer three critical questions:
- Which keywords have the most customer demand?
- Where is your brand underperforming in search results?
- Which keywords deserve more advertising budget?
For example, imagine you sell a collagen peptide supplement.
When reviewing the report, you might see the following data:
- Search query: collagen peptides
- Very high search volume
- Your brand share of clicks: 2%
- Your brand share of purchases: 1%
This tells you something important.
Customers are actively searching for this product category—but they are purchasing from competitors instead of you.
That insight creates an immediate action plan. Either:
- Your ads are not appearing frequently enough, or
- Your listing is not competitive enough to convert shoppers.
Either way, the report reveals a clear opportunity for growth.
How the Report Improves Amazon PPC Targeting
Most Amazon advertisers build campaigns using a combination of:
- Keyword research tools
- Automatic campaigns
- Competitor analysis
- Past search term reports
These strategies work well, but they often rely on partial data.
The Search Query Performance Report provides actual marketplace demand data, which can lead to much smarter advertising decisions.
Here are three practical ways to use the report for better targeting.
- Identify High-Demand Keywords You’re Missing
Start by looking for search queries that have:
- High search volume
- Low click share for your brand
These are keywords where customers are actively searching, but your brand is barely visible.
If shoppers are searching thousands of times per week and your products rarely appear, you are likely missing significant revenue opportunities.
When you find these keywords, consider building dedicated campaigns such as:
- Exact match campaigns
- Phrase match campaigns
- Sponsored Brand campaigns
- Product targeting campaigns
The goal is to increase visibility for keywords that clearly have strong demand.
- Double Down on Winning Keywords
Next, identify keywords where your brand already performs well.
Look for queries where you have:
- High click share
- High purchase share
These are your winning keywords.
When customers already prefer your product for a particular search term, the strategy becomes simple:
Increase your visibility even further.
You can accomplish this by:
- Increasing bids
- Expanding match types
- Launching Sponsored Brand ads
- Running Sponsored Display campaigns
The goal is to dominate search results for keywords where you already convert well.
More visibility for winning keywords typically leads to more profitable growth.
- Identify Listing Optimization Opportunities
Another valuable insight from the Search Query Performance Report is identifying conversion problems.
If the report shows:
- High click share
- Low purchase share
This usually signals a listing optimization issue.
In other words, customers are interested enough to click—but something is preventing them from completing the purchase.
Common issues include:
- Uncompetitive pricing
- Poor product images
- Weak product titles
- Lack of strong bullet points
- Low review counts
- Weak A+ content
Advertising can drive traffic, but if the listing doesn’t convert, your campaigns will struggle to be profitable.
As I often tell ecommerce clients:
Traffic without conversion is just expensive curiosity.
How This Report Helps Organic Rankings
The Search Query Performance Report is not just useful for advertising. It can also improve your organic ranking strategy.
When you identify keywords that have:
- High search volume
- Strong conversion potential
Those keywords should appear within your product listing, including:
- Product titles
- Bullet points
- Backend search terms
- A+ content
Amazon’s algorithm tends to reward products that consistently convert well for specific search queries.
When your ads generate sales for a keyword and your listing is optimized around that keyword, you can gradually improve organic ranking positions.
Over time, this creates a powerful growth cycle where:
Ads drive sales → rankings improve → organic traffic increases.
A Common Mistake Sellers Make
One mistake sellers often make when reviewing the report is assuming that the highest-volume keywords are always the best targets.
Search volume alone does not guarantee profitability.
Some keywords attract shoppers who are still researching, comparing, or browsing.
Instead, focus on keywords where:
- Your product is highly relevant
- Conversion rates are strong
- Competition is manageable
In many cases, the most profitable opportunities come from mid-volume keywords with strong purchase intent.
These keywords are often easier—and less expensive—to dominate with advertising.
Final Thoughts
So, are Amazon Search Query Performance Reports a game-changer for ad targeting?
They certainly can be.
When used properly, they help sellers:
- Identify high-opportunity keywords
- Allocate advertising budgets more effectively
- Improve product listing conversions
- Strengthen organic ranking strategies
However, the report itself does not grow your business.
The real value comes from how you apply the insights to your advertising and listing optimization strategy.
As with any ecommerce tool, success comes from making smarter decisions with the data available.
Because in the world of ecommerce advertising, the goal remains the same:
Make each click count.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Amazon Search Query Performance Report?
The Amazon Search Query Performance Report is a Brand Analytics report that provides aggregated data about how customers interact with search results for specific keywords. It shows metrics such as search query volume, clicks, add-to-cart rates, purchases, and conversion rates. The report also compares your brand’s performance against the overall marketplace, helping sellers identify opportunities to improve advertising and product visibility.
- Where can I find the Amazon Search Query Performance Report?
You can find the Search Query Performance Report inside Amazon Seller Central under Brand Analytics. This feature is available to sellers who are enrolled in the Amazon Brand Registry. Once inside Brand Analytics, you can view keyword-level data that shows how shoppers interact with search results across Amazon.
- How is the Search Query Performance Report different from the Amazon Search Term Report?
The Search Term Report in Amazon advertising only shows data related to clicks generated by your ads. In contrast, the Search Query Performance Report provides marketplace-level data, including total search volume and how your brand performs relative to all other sellers. This broader view allows advertisers to identify untapped keyword opportunities and understand where they may be losing potential sales.
- How can the Search Query Performance Report improve Amazon PPC campaigns?
The report helps advertisers improve Amazon PPC targeting by identifying high-demand keywords where their brand has low visibility. Sellers can use this information to create new campaigns, adjust bids, and focus ad spend on search queries that have strong demand but limited brand exposure. This can lead to more efficient ad spend and improved campaign performance.
- What metrics should sellers focus on in the Search Query Performance Report?
Key metrics to review include:
- Search query volume – Indicates customer demand for a keyword
- Click share – Shows how often shoppers click your products compared to competitors
- Purchase share – Shows how many purchases your brand receives for a keyword
- Add-to-cart rate – Indicates buying intent
Together, these metrics help sellers identify keyword opportunities and optimize both advertising and product listings.
- Can the Search Query Performance Report help improve organic rankings on Amazon?
Yes. By identifying high-performing keywords and optimizing product listings for those terms, sellers can improve their organic ranking potential. When ads drive conversions for specific keywords and listings are optimized around those terms, Amazon’s algorithm may reward the product with better organic placement over time.
- Who can access the Amazon Search Query Performance Report?
The Search Query Performance Report is available to sellers enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry. Brand Registry provides access to Brand Analytics tools that offer deeper insights into customer search behavior and marketplace trends. Sellers without Brand Registry will not have access to this report.
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.
