Imagine carefully selecting hundreds of keywords and dumping them all into a single Amazon ad group, expecting them to work like diligent bees bringing a steady stream of traffic and orders. Yet reality often proves harsh—budgets deplete rapidly while conversion rates remain disappointingly low. This is the trap of "keyword dumping." So how many keywords should each Amazon ad group contain? How can sellers avoid this common pitfall? This article reveals the answers to help you build effective Amazon advertising campaigns.
What Is Keyword Dumping?
Keyword dumping (also known as "product dumping") refers to the practice of cramming too many keywords or products into a single Amazon ad group. The most extreme cases involve ad groups containing 700 keywords—a clear misuse of Amazon's PPC system.
Many sellers fall into this trap by misusing SEO or keyword research tools. These tools are designed to provide expansive keyword suggestions for brainstorming purposes, not for direct insertion into ad groups. Sellers must carefully evaluate which keywords are truly relevant to their products and worth advertising investment.
Another scenario involves creating "research ad groups" to test large keyword batches. While keyword testing is valid, simultaneously evaluating too many keywords wastes budget and yields unclear, unactionable results.
Why Keyword Dumping Fails
While it might seem logical that more keywords equal broader coverage and higher success rates, the opposite proves true. Keyword dumping creates several negative consequences:
- It mixes different match types: Combining broad, phrase, and exact matches in one group creates management chaos. Each match type requires distinct negative keyword strategies and bidding approaches. Merging them prevents precise optimization.
- It obscures keyword strategy: Different keyword categories (brand vs. non-brand, high-converting vs. low-converting) demand separate treatment. Dumping blends them together, making targeted optimization impossible.
- It wastes keyword and product potential: Overcrowded ad groups prevent proper keyword evaluation. Most keywords receive insufficient impressions to assess performance, potentially burying high-value terms while perpetuating spending on poor performers.
- It drains budgets: Testing numerous keywords requires substantial funds. For example, testing 700 keywords at $20 each would cost $14,000—likely exhausting budgets before identifying winning terms.
- It creates disconnection between ads and keywords: Amazon doesn't provide reports showing which ads display for specific search terms. Disorganized ad groups make performance analysis impossible.
- It prevents proper ad group naming: Groups containing hundreds of products and keywords defy meaningful labeling, creating reporting confusion and operational inefficiencies.
The Optimal Number of Keywords Per Ad Group
Generally, 15-30 keywords per ad group works best, depending on match types. This isn't absolute—adjust based on products, audiences, and competition—but prevents resource waste and management headaches.
Keyword grouping principles:
- Relevance: Ensure all keywords strongly relate to your product.
- Similarity: Group semantically related keywords targeting similar audiences.
- Purchase stage: Separate keywords by buyer journey phases (e.g., brand terms vs. generic product searches).
Using negative keywords: Exclude irrelevant searches (e.g., adding "instant coffee" as a negative for premium coffee beans) to improve targeting and conserve budget.
Fixing Existing Keyword-Dumped Ad Groups
If you've already created overloaded ad groups, follow these steps:
- Remove worst-performing keywords: Eliminate terms with low click-through rates, poor conversions, or excessive costs.
- Move removed keywords to new groups: Retest them separately to identify potential hidden gems.
- Use new groups for research: Experiment with different match types, bids, and ad copy to reassess keyword potential.
Preventing Future Keyword Dumping
Adopt these strategies to avoid repetition:
- Stop importing massive keyword lists: Manually review research results, selecting only highly relevant terms.
- Strategically align products with keywords: Since Amazon doesn't report product-to-search-term matches, careful grouping prevents wasted spend.
- Scale according to budget: Smaller budgets require fewer keywords and products. Start small and expand gradually.
Conclusion
Keyword dumping represents a common Amazon PPC mistake that wastes budgets, underperforms, and potentially damages brands. Maintaining organized ad groups with appropriate keyword quantities ensures each term receives proper budget allocation and performance evaluation. Through disciplined keyword management, sellers can maximize advertising ROI and drive sustainable growth.