It’s never been more challenging to stand out on Amazon.
The stats seem stacked against newer sellers: Amazon has over 9.5 million sellers around the world. Roughly 2,000 new sellers join every day. More sellers are turning to advertising to get seen, which is steadily driving up the cost-per-click (CPC) for Amazon ads.
Amazon ads are getting more sophisticated, too. Sellers must learn about, understand, and manage multiple ad formats, including:
- Sponsored Products
- Sponsored Brands
- Sponsored Display
- Sponsored TV
- Brand Stores
Without a strategic approach, smaller sellers risk throwing money at things like sponsored product ads or sponsored displays that don’t stick.
Okay. Deep breath. We’re here to help you out.
Today, we’re going to focus on Sponsored Brands—previously known as headline search ads—and how to make ones that stick in your target audience’s mind. Whether you’re an Amazon FBA seller, an Amazon store owner, or an Amazon FBA marketer, this one’s for you.
What are Amazon headline search ads?
An Amazon Sponsored Brand ad, aka headline search ad, showcases your brand logo, custom headline, and products at the top of a search results page.
Usually, a headline search ad includes the following components:
- Your brand logo
- Headline
- Link to your store page
- Large image or autoplay video showcasing one (or several) of your products
- Space for multiple images and links to products your brand sells
Here’s a quick example. We typed “bookshelf” into the search bar. This headline search ad for IRONCK popped up at the top of the Amazon search results page.
For Amazon FBA and FBM sellers alike, these ads give potential customers a quick, up-close, media-rich look at your brand.
They can appear in four key places:
- Top and bottom of the search results page
- Middle of the search results page
- Product detail page
- Shopper’s Amazon homepage
This unmatched visibility makes Sponsored Brands ads incredibly valuable for building brand awareness and leading shoppers straight to your Amazon products.
Done well, they grab attention and drive click-through rates.
Done poorly, these pay-per-click ads can drive up your ad spend with little to show for it.
So how can you make sure to create a high-quality Sponsored Brands ad?
Let’s get into it.
How to build a headline search ad (including research)
The first step to building a headline search ad is to register for Amazon ads if you haven’t already.
This step involves choosing which country you want to advertise in, along with what types of products you’ll sell.
After you do this, the steps are fairly straightforward:
- Log into your Amazon seller account. Click “Create Campaign” and pick Sponsored Brands.
- Name your campaign. Give your ad campaign a name and choose the start and end date (or go with an open-ended campaign) and set your daily budget for ad spend.
- Set a goal. Pick a campaign goal that best lines up with what you want to get out of your ad campaign.
- Choose your ad format. Decide on one or all of the three ad formats offered:
- Product collection: Promote 3 or more products
- Store spotlight: Send traffic to your storefront
- Video ad format: Feature a single product using an autoplay video (Tip: Amazon has a video builder tool to make this part super easy if you do want to use an autoplay video in your headline search ad.)
- Pick a landing page. Tell Amazon where to drive your shoppers: to your Brand Store on Amazon or directly to a product detail page.
- Build your ad creative. Upload your brand logo, create a compelling headline, choose a custom image or video, and customize the order of the products that’ll appear in your headline search ad.
- Select your targeting method. Decide whether to use:
- Keyword targeting: Shows your ads based on specific search terms customers enter, capturing high-intent traffic from relevant searches.
- Product targeting: Places your ads on specific product detail pages or categories, targeting customers browsing similar or complementary products.
- Define your bids. Tell Amazon the maximum amount you’re okay paying when a shopper clicks on your ad—typically, the more competitive, the better chance your ad has of showing up in search results.
- Submit your ad for review. Amazon will review it and either publish it or reject it within 72 hours!
One of the most important steps here is #6: building your ad creative. Let’s dig a bit deeper into how you can optimize your display ads during this step and really ramp up your passive income.
Ways to optimize your headline search ad
Your display ad’s visuals and ad copy have an important job. They must be compelling enough to sell your product, or at least get viewers to click. Amazon advertising will only work for you if you put effort into this step.
Here are our top tips:
- Do your keyword research. Tools like Ahrefs have a feature where you can specifically search for keywords people are looking for on Amazon. Use it to find at least 25 keywords to sprinkle naturally throughout your ad campaign.
- Use AI with care. It’s tempting to let ChatGPT do all the work for you, but resist the urge. As an Amazon FBM and FBA tool, AI can help get you past writer’s block and provide a nice framework to build your ad copy on. But don’t just copy and paste from your favorite generative AI tool. Instead, copy, paste, and revise the copy with your unique, human touch until it sounds compelling to you. For images, our advice is the same. Use AI to help you make it, and then refine, refine, refine.
- Split test your ad creative. A/B tests are crucial to making sure your target audience actually connects with the images and copy in your sponsored brands campaign. Just as you’d optimize your Amazon product listings, do the same with your ad creative. This makes a huge difference in your Amazon CTR (click-through rate).
- Optimize your campaign via bidding. Play around with the bid amounts, especially in the early days of your ad. The goal is Amazon PPC optimization to improve ad performance and control advertising cost of sales (ACOS). Higher bids increase visibility, while lower bids help manage spend on underperforming targets.
PickFu can help you optimize your ad creative, from your Amazon image stack to your product copy. Importantly, we can also help make sure everything you’ve written or created with a little help from AI sounds and looks human.
PickFu and Amazon e-commerce split testing: a mini case study
To illustrate what our tools can do, we grabbed two headline search ads for backpacks from Amazon. In this Amazon split testing session, we asked a group of 30 hikers which ad they found more compelling.
Option A features the brand’s bags and backpacks out in nature, along with product listings for backpacks of different colors (but the same style). In Option B, we see a reviewer or influencer talking about the brand’s packs, along with an assortment of different bag colors and styles.
The race between the two backpack brands was close.
Hikers who voted for Option A as their favorite had this to say about their reasoning:
- “[Option] A is better because I like the backpack more and the different colors, plus the video seemed like it would be more interesting and outdoor. I’m not sure how a lady inside her house is gonna show off a backpack.”
- “I chose [Option] A as the tagline, “They can hold everything but your free soul” is the best. Case closed. And I like showing just the bags as that is what the focal point is.”
- “I liked that this showed three packs which grabbed my attention plus it was easy to see that many colors were offered.”
In short, these hikers liked seeing three product listings in the ad versus just two. They also liked the absence of a reviewer/influencer in the video thumbnail. A few of them connected with the tagline, too.
But here’s what hikers who voted for Option B had to say:
- “Option B feels a bit more organic to me [as] it appears to be a real user testimonial about the backpack….I also like how B shows two distinct styles of backpacks, with multiple color options for each, while A shows three different colored bags that look to be the same in their essential features and construction.”
- “I think the ad with human input would make me more interested in buying it.”
- “Option B is my preference overall. Option A mentions the ‘free soul’ which is cute and cheeky but a bit over the top for my tastes.”
Essentially, the hikers who voted for Option B appreciate seeing a real person explore the backpack’s features. And they find the whole “free soul” tagline a little tacky.
With PickFu, you can explore more than just the votes and written feedback in a split test. We also provide tools like AI highlights and demographic breakdowns to help you understand the impact of your ad creative.
It’s always worth getting to know your qualitative data from every angle.
The demographic data for this poll showed something interesting: the age groups from 35 up through 65+ preferred Option A—the ad without the influencer/reviewer in it—by a majority or voted equally for Options A and B.
But the 25-34 age group gave Option B the majority.
Data like this can help you make strategic choices about your ad campaign. You could decide, for example, to show the ad with the influencer only to your younger audiences, and to focus on showing the product in nature to your older shoppers.
What makes a good headline search ad
A good headline search ad is compelling, has high-quality product images and copy, and is relevant to the target audience.
Run through this checklist before you publish your products campaign and you’ll get the results you need.
- Does my ad have a compelling headline? Your headline is the first thing customers see. Make it clear, engaging, and reflective of your brand. Focus on highlighting a unique value proposition, like a benefit or differentiator, to grab attention.
- Are my product images the best possible quality? Use professional, eye-catching images that showcase your products and all the details that make them amazing.
- Is my targeting relevant? Whether you’re using keyword or product targeting, make sure you show your ad to the right audience.
- How’s my bidding strategy going? Make sure you are prepared to evaluate and re-evaluate your bids to balance cost and visibility. Invest in high-performing keywords, but consistently refine your targeting for better conversions.
- Does my ad feel consistent with my brand? Like Amazon Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) design and EBC images, now known as A+ Content, your Sponsored Brand ad is an opportunity to tell your brand story. Use consistent colors, logos, and messaging to build recognition and trust.
- Do I have a strong call-to-action (CTA)? Encourage customers to take the next step with a clear and action-oriented CTA. Phrases like “Shop Now,” “Explore More,” or “Discover Your Favorites” work well.
Remember: you don’t have to build a perfect ad on your own. PickFu can help you get it just right before you invest a single penny into publishing the ad from your Seller Central dashboard. By making sure your products and ads are optimized, we can help reduce your Amazon FBA startup costs.
From split testing to open-ended surveys designed to gather feedback on your campaign, we do it all.
You can use our tools for other important tasks, too, like creating Amazon infographics, optimizing product photography, and even perfecting your global Amazon expansion strategy.
Sign up for free today to see how PickFu can help!
FAQs
What is top of search in Amazon ads?
Top of search results refers to the premium ad placements at the very top of Amazon search results pages. These spots provide maximum visibility for your products, making them highly competitive and ideal for driving clicks and conversions.
Who can use Sponsored Brands?
Sponsored Brands are available to sellers enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry, vendors, and agencies with an active Amazon account. This ad type is perfect for showcasing your brand, logo, and a curated selection of products to build recognition and boost sales.
How do I optimize my Headline Search Ads on Amazon for better performance?
To optimize Headline Search Ads, focus on using compelling headlines, professional visuals, and relevant keywords. Regularly test and refine your ad elements, leverage platforms like PickFu for feedback, and adjust bids to balance cost with visibility and conversions.
