What is Amazon DSP?

Amazon DSP is a programmatic advertising platform that gives sellers in and outside of the marketplace the ability to serve display ads (e.g. banners) and video ads both on Amazon and on other websites/mobile apps devices that are owned by the company or partners. 

The platform enables advertisers  to leverage Amazon’s massive amount of first-party data on shopper behavior and purchase habits to serve ads and drive users back to Amazon listings or off Amazon websites.

Amazon Sponsored Products are similar to display ads in Google. Amazon Sellers can promote specific products on search results pages, and product detail pages, using sponsored product ads. These ads are the most popular among sellers for obvious reasons; when you have specific SKUs that perform well or fall into trending categories then you can boost visibility and sales by bidding on specific keywords related to these items.

All you have to do to get going with these Amazon ads is select the product(s) you want to promote, create the ad, and set your bid/daily budget. From there, the product ad will show up next to similar products in search results. 

Sponsored Brand ads typically appear at the top of Amazon search results, above the Sponsored ads, or can sometimes appear within the search results. When shoppers click your logo, they will be directed either to your storefront or a custom landing page. When they click on a product, they will be sent to that specific product page.

When it comes to formatting your ads, Amazon offers three options: Product Collection, Store Spotlight, and Video. 

The Product Collection format is great for boosting the visibility of products with lower organic or sponsored product ad impressions. You can feature up to 3 products in the ad and link to either to the product listing on your branded storefront or to a landing page that only includes the products in the ad. Linking to a landing page is a great way to increase sales on under-performing skus. If you do use the Product Collection format to increase visibility of under-performing products, include a high-performing product in the mix to improve your Click Through Rate (CTR) on the ad. 

The Store Spotlight is great for brands with a diverse sku catalogue that features items in multiple categories. In this format you can feature up to three full product categories as opposed to single products. When a shopper clicks on a product category, they will be taken to that product category within your Amazon storefront. 

The Video format includes a 15-30 second video that auto plays without sound. These ads are eye-catching and take up a lot of visual real-estate on the page. Video can be a big upfront investment, but it can be a major competitive advantage. 

Sponsored Display Ads are the new, modified version of Amazon’s former Product Display Ads (PDAs). They allow you to target shoppers both on and off-Amazon, which is key to gaining more visibility within the new A10 algorithm, which prioritizes off-Amazon traffic to your listings.

Sponsored Display ads target shoppers based on shopping history and audience profiles as opposed to keywords. You can still set your own budget, bidding against other sellers for ad placement (as opposed to keywords). Amazon offers two main options for targeting browsers: product targeting and audience building.

Product targeting allows you to target shoppers browsing similar products to yours. You can have your product advertised on a competitors’ listing or on complementary product listings. For example, advertise your barbeque sauce on a listing for smokers.

With audience-building you can create custom audiences based on a number of factors. You can choose to remark to shoppers who have viewed your product details page or products similar to yours. You can also build audiences based on interests, lifestyle, or life stage.

The great thing about Sponsored Display ads is that shoppers don’t have to be actively searching for or thinking about your product to see your ad. You can bring your brand back to the forefront of their mind while they’re looking at competitor listings or browsing third-party sites. 

Optimizing Amazon listings for SEO is a must for getting page views. Because organic search (SEO), paid Amazon advertising, and off-Amazon traffic are so closely tied together in Amazon’s algorithm, it’s important to have alignment among all of your marketing efforts.

Keyword research is the first step in optimizing your SEO on Amazon. Once you’ve identified your top keywords, incorporate them into the backend of your listing, into the title, and into the long description. “Keyword stuffing” will make for a poor user experience, a high bounce rate, and a low conversion rate, so make sure your copy is well-written and informative.

Finding keywords that are both highly relevant to your products and high-intent is key to optimizing your listing. The A10 algorithm determines rankings based on click-through rates and conversions, which can feel like a catch-22. You have to make sales to rank higher, and you have to rank higher to make sales. This is where a paid ad campaign that targets the same keywords can give your organic search a lift.

Amazon Live is a relatively new ad offering within the marketplace. It allows sellers to host a QVC-style live shopping experience. Viewers can ask the host questions through a chat feature and make purchases directly within the livestream. The video is streamed on the Amazon Live page and on the product details page of featured products.

As a Brand Registered Seller, you can set up your own Amazon Live account and set up the livestreams yourself, or you can partner with Amazon Influencers. There are benefits to both approaches, and to fully capitalize on Amazon Live’s potential, you should consider leveraging both.

Working with Amazon Influencers expands your reach, allowing you to get your products in front of new customers. It also lends credibility to your brand, as influencers are highly trusted by their followers. Hosting the livestream yourself allows your customers to follow you on Amazon, which strengthens your relationship with your most loyal customers. When you host a livestream from your account, it also shows up on the feature product listings, capturing more attention and driving more conversions.