Search Term Harvesting Explained
Search term harvesting is identifying high-performing search terms from auto ad campaigns and moving them into manual campaigns for better control over bids and budgets, optimizing ad performance. This method enhances ad effectiveness by focusing on successful terms, while negative keyword matching excludes underperforming terms, preventing wasted ad spend and improving overall ROI.
Availability: Intentwise Ad Optimizer (Amazon Ads)
Steps for setting up search term harvesting
Navigation: Under Settings, go to Automated Rules and click on the "+ New Rule" button.
Input the following:
Rule Name: [insert custom rule name]
Target: [Search Terms]
Action Type: [Add as keyword/product target]
Criteria: [Add your criteria]
Using Data From: [Set lookback window]
Frequency: [Runs once, daily, weekly, or monthly]
Day(s) the rule runs: [Select day(s) of week]
Time: [Set the time of day the rule runs]
Add Mapping: Once saved, the Campaign and Ad Group Mapping file needs to be edited and uploaded. To proceed, select Upload Mapping:
Download the Mapping Template.
Edit the Search Term Mapping file: To create the Campaign and Ad Group Mapping, insert the Source Campaign and the Destination Campaign Names, determine the Match Type, and Add as Negative to Source.
Mapping Spreadsheet - 4-column breakdown below:
Source: Where you want the search term data to originate from
Insert your Source Campaign, Ad Group, and Campaign Type
Destination: The location where new Keywords/Product Targets will be added
Insert your Destination Campaign, Ad Group, and Campaign Type
Match Type: Based on the Destination Campaign and Ad Group, confirm the Match Type - Exact, Phrase, Broad, and Modified Broad by inputting the letter "Y" in the appropriate cell.
For ASINs/Product Targets, you can leave this field blank.
Add as Negative to Source: Determine what Negative Match Type you want added to the Source Campaign - Keyword Exact, Keyword Phrase and Product Target by inputting the letter "Y" in the appropriate cell
For ease, your account Campaign and ad Group names are accessible via a secondary tab within the spreadsheet, allowing you to copy and paste. Within this tab, you can view all of your existing campaign structures that could be used for search term harvesting.
Upload Mapping: Once the Mapping is defined, save the file and upload the spreadsheet. The Mapping will populate and begin processing based on the rules criteria. Once uploaded, the rule will begin to run as set within the criteria and mapping.
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How to update search term harvesting mapping file
If you need to update your existing mapping file for search term harvesting, you can follow the steps below:
Under Automated Rules, go to your search term harvesting rule. Select the pencil icon to edit the rule.
Click on the "Upload Mapping" button.
Download Template: The downloaded file will have all the previous mapping uploads you have entered for the selected rule.
Make edits to the file and re-upload the mapping file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the CPC of the newly added keyword?
We use the average CPC based on the lookback period you provided in the rule.
How do I add a product targeting match type?
When working with ASINs, product targeting will be automatically designated on the backend. You can leave the match type blank for these campaigns.
Are placement modifiers considered in search term harvesting?
Yes, placement modifiers are factored into the bid calculation when harvesting keywords from search terms. The bid is calculated using this formula:
(1.2 × Search Term Avg CPC) / (1 + (placement percentage / 100))
The placement percentage is the higher value between "Top of Search" and "Product Page" placement settings in the destination campaign.
Example Calculations:
Case 1:
Search Term Avg CPC: 0.24
Placement Settings: Not defined
Bid Value: (1.2 × 0.24) / (1 + 0) = 0.29
Case 2:
Search Term Avg CPC: 0.82
Top of Search Placement: 30%
Product Page Placement: 20%
Placement Percentage Used: 30% (higher value)
Bid Value: (1.2 × 0.82) / (1 + 0.3) = 0.75
This approach ensures the bid value adapts to maximize performance based on placement settings.