The Amazon Strategy No One Talks About: The Power of Search Equity
The Secret to Winning on Amazon Isn’t Just Ads—It’s Search Equity
Most brands on Amazon are locked in a never-ending battle of ad spend, trying to outbid competitors in a crowded marketplace. But here’s the real play: The brands that dominate Amazon don’t just spend smarter—they build search equity.
Amazon isn’t just an auction where the highest bidder wins. It’s an ecosystem that rewards visibility, relevance, and long-term customer engagement. If you’re only focused on immediate wins—more sales, more clicks, more impressions—you’re missing the bigger picture.
What is Search Equity (And Why Should You Care)?
Search equity is a product’s visibility in Amazon search—how well it ranks organically without excessive reliance on paid ads.
Paid ads can fuel short-term sales, but the real goal? Using ads to drive sustained organic ranking. Amazon’s algorithm prioritizes sustained sales velocity, strong conversion rates, and customer engagement, meaning the right advertising strategy doesn’t just drive sales—it builds a foundation for future success.
When brands focus only on short-term RoAS, they’re constantly renting visibility through ads instead of owning it through organic ranking. That’s an expensive game to play. The brands winning on Amazon today aren’t just spending more—they’re spending strategically to create long-term organic traction.
Why Does Search Equity Matter?
Let’s break it down. When your product has strong search equity:
✅ You rank higher organically, reducing reliance on paid traffic
✅ You maintain visibility even when ad budgets are reduced
✅ You get higher conversion rates since customers trust top-ranking products
✅ You spend less on ads over time while still driving consistent sales
Without search equity, you’re stuck in a cycle of constantly paying for the same traffic—a strategy that gets more expensive every year.
The Right Strategy: How to Build Search Equity
It’s not just about running ads—it’s about running ads with purpose. Here’s how to turn your ad spend into long-term visibility:
1️⃣ Structure Campaigns for Organic Growth
Prioritize high-converting, non-branded search terms that align with your product’s niche.
Use exact match keywords to drive relevance and boost ranking. Broad and phrase match are best for discovery, not direct ranking impact.
Minimize broad match discovery spending that doesn’t contribute to long-term ranking.
2️⃣ Optimize Product Listings for Conversions
Amazon’s algorithm rewards strong conversion rates. That means:
High-quality images & videos (Amazon can read text in images, so use them wisely)
Keyword-optimized but readable copy (this isn’t a keyword dump—balance SEO & persuasion)
A+ Content & Brand Story (Amazon rewards sellers who invest in enhanced content)
3️⃣ Measure the Right Metrics
Instead of obsessing over immediate RoAS, focus on:
📌 Organic ranking improvements (Are you moving up for key search terms?)
📌 Total Sales vs. Ad Sales (TACoS) ( Is your overall revenue growing, not just ad-driven sales?)
TACoS (Total Advertising Cost of Sale) = Ad spend / Total sales. A lower TACoS means your organic sales are doing the heavy lifting.
📌 Search query performance (Are you capturing share of relevant searches?)
📊 A health product brand we partnered with saw a 93.61% month-over-month sales growth after optimizing their organic visibility and ad strategy. See the full case study.
The Takeaway: Own Your Visibility, Don’t Just Rent It
Amazon isn’t about who can spend the most—it’s about who builds the most sustainable presence.
If you’re only thinking about ad spend in terms of RoAS, you’re leaving long-term revenue on the table. Invest in search equity, and you’ll spend less over time while maintaining high visibility.
Want to turn ad dollars into lasting results? Start playing the long game