Stop fighting just for the top of the search page.
It sounds provocative, because Sponsored Products remain one of the most powerful drivers of intent and revenue on Amazon.
However, the real opportunity lies in what we do after that first interaction.
In many of the accounts we manage, success doesn’t come from choosing between Sponsored Ads and DSP, it comes from aligning them. The strongest strategies start with close collaboration between DSP and Sponsored Ads teams. Together, we analyze keyword-level performance to detect something very specific: high engagement, low conversion keywords.
These are the search terms where users are clearly interested – strong CTR, solid Detail Page View Rate – but for some reason, they don’t convert.
Instead of increasing bids blindly or pausing the terms to protect efficiency, we ask a different question:
What if the click wasn’t the end of the story?
The real challenge behind high CPCs
In competitive categories, top-tier keywords are expensive. Staying profitable while competing for premium placements can feel like a constant balancing act.
But high CPCs also generate something extremely valuable: intent data.
Every search interaction gives us insight into what customers are looking for, what categories they’re exploring, and how they behave before purchasing. The mistake many brands make is treating Search as a single-touchpoint channel, expecting immediate conversion or nothing.
In reality, most users need more than one exposure before switching brands or committing to a product. Especially when the product requires investigation, comparison, or additional reassurance.
Search captures intent.
AMC audiences through DSP allows us to continue the conversation.
From search data to strategic mid-funnel activation
This is where Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) becomes a powerful connector.
By partnering closely with Sponsored Ads counterparts, we identify:
- Keywords with strong engagement but weaker conversion
- “Search but no Click” users
- “Click but no Purchase” users
- Seasonal search terms trending upward
These signals often indicate interest without commitment. Sometimes the product needs more explanation. Sometimes the category requires more consideration. Sometimes the timing simply wasn’t right.
Instead of abandoning those users, we harvest that search behavior through AMC and activate tailored audiences via DSP.
And this is where the pivot happens.
On the search results page, the environment is transactional and competitive. On DSP, we gain flexibility. We can show lifestyle creatives that build aspiration, videos that explain product benefits, informative statics that answer common objections, or responsive e-commerce ads that remind users of the product they previously explored.
We move from “Buy now” to “Here’s why.”
What this looks like in practice
While this approach is applicable across categories, one clear example comes from a Beauty client that we currently manage and we recently started testing out these audiences with them.
By activating an AMC Search Keywords audience – built from high-engagement search terms – we achieved:
- £5.5K in ad spend
- £15.2K in ad sales
- 88% New-to-Brand customers
Even more interesting, efficiency improved over time. CPM decreased from £3.79 in Q4 2025 to £2.65 in 2026 year-to-date, and CPC improved from £7.53 to £4.25.
Seasonality naturally plays a role, but the audience logic is continuously refreshed based on monthly keyword trend analysis. The strategy evolves with demand.
Another example came during Christmas with a “Gifting Search Keywords” AMC audience. Instead of overpaying to win every seasonal click in Sponsored Products, we captured users who searched for gifting-related terms but didn’t convert immediately and re-engaged them via DSP with the following results:
- £1K in ad spend
- £10.8K in ad sales
- 21% New-to-Brand customers (goal included encouraging existing customers to repurchase as gifts)
Efficiency remained strong, with a £2.99 CPM and £2.85 CPC.
Seasonal keyword harvesting proved that high-intent search moments don’t need to convert instantly to be valuable.
But what about incrementality?
Mid-funnel activation only makes sense if it drives total growth – not just duplicated conversions.
This is where AMC’s precision becomes essential.
When activating these audiences through DSP, we can exclude users who already purchased or added to cart. We can refine logic to avoid overserving customers who are highly likely to convert organically. The goal isn’t to chase everyone who searched – it’s to focus on those who showed intent but still need an additional touchpoint.
By doing so, we protect budgets and prioritize incremental impact.
The result isn’t just improved efficiency at the keyword level. It’s broader customer acquisition, stronger brand equity outside the commodity search environment, and incremental sales from users competitors may have given up on after the first interaction.
High CPCs on Sponsored Products don’t have to be a profitability ceiling. They can be an investment in high-quality intent data.
When DSP and Sponsored Ads work together – identifying engagement gaps, leveraging AMC audiences, and continuing the conversation mid-funnel – the “lost” searcher is no longer lost.
They’re simply waiting for the next touchpoint.
