Amazon PPC Campaign Structure: Best Practices That Actually Work

Introduction: Why Campaign Structure Determines Your Success

Most Amazon sellers treat PPC campaign structure as an afterthought—a costly mistake that compounds over time. Poor structure doesn’t just make management difficult; it actively prevents optimization, wastes budget, and limits growth potential. The difference between a well-structured account generating 15% ACoS and a chaotic one burning through budget at 50% ACoS often comes down to organization, not strategy.

Think of campaign structure as the foundation of a house. You can have beautiful furniture and expensive appliances, but if the foundation is flawed, everything eventually crumbles. Similarly, you can have perfect keywords and compelling ads, but without proper structure, optimization becomes impossible and scaling becomes chaotic.

This comprehensive guide reveals the exact campaign structures used by seven-figure Amazon sellers. We’ll cover everything from naming conventions to portfolio strategies, ensuring you have a scalable framework that grows with your business. Whether you’re managing one product or one thousand, these principles will transform your PPC from a necessary evil into a profit-generating machine.

The Architecture of Success: Understanding Campaign Hierarchy

The Three Levels of Organization

Amazon PPC operates on three hierarchical levels, each serving a distinct purpose:

Portfolios act as your highest organizational level, grouping related campaigns for budget control and performance tracking. Think of portfolios as departments in your advertising agency—each with its own budget, goals, and performance metrics. Most sellers underutilize portfolios, missing opportunities for strategic budget allocation and performance analysis.
Campaigns represent your strategic units, each with specific objectives, settings, and budgets. A campaign might focus on branded keywords, competitor targeting, or product launches. The key is ensuring each campaign has one clear purpose—multi-purpose campaigns become impossible to optimize effectively.
Ad Groups contain your tactical elements—keywords and products. While Amazon allows multiple ad groups per campaign, best practice suggests one ad group per campaign for Sponsored Products. This 1:1 relationship provides maximum control and clarity in optimization.

Portfolio Strategies That Scale

Organize portfolios by business logic, not arbitrary groupings:

By Product Category: If you sell yoga mats and water bottles, separate portfolios allow different ACoS targets and budget allocations. Yoga mats might tolerate 30% ACoS for market share, while water bottles require 20% for profitability.
By Campaign Objective: Create portfolios for “Launch,” “Grow,” “Profit,” and “Liquidation” campaigns. This allows lifecycle-based management where products move between portfolios as they mature.
By Profitability Tier: Separate “Hero” products (highly profitable), “Stable” products (break-even), and “Test” products (experimental). Allocate 60% of budget to Heroes, 30% to Stable, and 10% to Tests.
By Season or Event: For seasonal sellers, create portfolios for “Q4 Holiday,” “Prime Day,” “Back to School.” This enables year-over-year comparison and seasonal budget planning.

The Single Keyword Ad Group (SKAG) Method: Maximum Control

Why SKAGs Dominate Professional PPC

The Single Keyword Ad Group structure—adapted from Google Ads—provides unparalleled control over your Amazon PPC. Instead of grouping 20-50 keywords in one ad group, each keyword gets its own campaign. While this creates more campaigns, the benefits far outweigh the management overhead:

Precise Bid Control: Each keyword can have its optimal bid without affecting others. Your high-converting “yoga mat for beginners” can bid $2.00 while “exercise mat” bids $0.75, without compromise.
Clear Performance Visibility: Attribution becomes crystal clear. You know exactly which keyword drives each sale, enabling surgical optimization.
Budget Protection: High-spending keywords can’t drain budget from promising ones. Each campaign has protected budget allocation.
Negative Keyword Precision: You can negative match variations without affecting the primary keyword, preventing overlap and competition.

Implementing SKAGs: The Practical Approach

Here’s how to structure SKAGs effectively:

Naming Convention: [Match Type] – [Keyword] – [ASIN] – [Date] Example: “EXACT – yoga mat non slip – B08XX123 – 2025.01”
Campaign Settings:
- One keyword per campaign
- One ad group per campaign
- All relevant product variations in the ad group
- Individual daily budgets based on keyword value
Match Type Separation: Create separate campaigns for each match type:
- EXACT – yoga mat non slip
- PHRASE – yoga mat non slip
- BROAD – yoga mat non slip
This triples your campaign count but provides precise control over how each match type performs.

The Modified SKAG: Balancing Control and Managability

For sellers with large catalogs, pure SKAGs can become unwieldy. The Modified SKAG groups 3-5 highly related keywords:

Thematic Grouping: Group keywords with identical intent:
- Campaign: “EXACT – Yoga Mat Size Variations”
- Keywords: “6ft yoga mat,” “extra long yoga mat,” “72 inch yoga mat”
Performance Tiers: Group by historical performance:
- Campaign: “EXACT – High Converters”
- Keywords: Your top 5 converting keywords with similar ACoS
This reduces campaign count by 70% while maintaining 80% of SKAG benefits.

Campaign Naming Conventions: The Language of Scale

Why Naming Matters More Than You Think

Proper naming conventions aren’t about organization OCD—they’re about scalability, reporting, and team collaboration. When you’re managing 50+ campaigns, finding the right campaign to edit shouldn’t take five minutes of scrolling and guessing.

The Universal Naming Formula

Adopt this structure for immediate clarity:

[Portfolio][CampaignType][TargetingMethod][ProductIdentifier][MatchType/Placement]_[Date]

Examples:

“LAUNCH_SP_AUTO_YogaMat_ALL_2025.01”
“PROFIT_SP_MAN_B08XX123_EXACT_2024.12”
“BRAND_SB_KW_AllProducts_PHRASE_2025.01”

Abbreviation Standards

Standardize abbreviations across your account:

Campaign Types:
- SP = Sponsored Products
- SB = Sponsored Brands
- SD = Sponsored Display
Targeting Methods:
- AUTO = Automatic
- MAN = Manual Keyword
- PAT = Product Targeting (ASIN)
- CAT = Category Targeting
Match Types:
- EX = Exact
- PHR = Phrase
- BR = Broad
Campaign Objectives:
- LCH = Launch
- GRW = Growth
- PRF = Profit
- LIQ = Liquidation
- DEF = Defensive

The Four-Pillar Campaign Structure: A Complete System

Pillar 1: Discovery Campaigns (Research Mode)

Discovery campaigns identify new opportunities using broad targeting:

Automatic Campaigns: Your keyword discovery engine
- Settings: All targeting groups enabled
- Bids: Conservative (50% of suggested)
- Budget: 10-15% of total PPC spend
- Optimization: Weekly harvest of converting search terms
Broad Match Research: Controlled exploration
- Keywords: 5-10 root keywords only
- Bids: 30% below exact match campaigns
- Negative Matches: Aggressive to prevent waste
- Purpose: Find new long-tail variations
Category Targeting: Competitor research
- Target: Competitor categories and brands
- Bids: Start at minimum ($0.30-0.50)
- Analysis: Which competitor audiences convert?

Pillar 2: Performance Campaigns (Profit Mode)

Performance campaigns monetize proven keywords:

Exact Match Champions: Your profit drivers
- Keywords: Only 2+ conversion keywords from Discovery
- Bids: Aggressive (100-120% of suggested)
- Budget: 50-60% of total PPC spend
- Optimization: Daily bid adjustments based on ACoS
Phrase Match Expansion: Controlled scaling
- Keywords: Successful exact match roots
- Bids: 80% of exact match bids
- Purpose: Capture close variations
- Management: Weekly negative additions

Pillar 3: Defensive Campaigns (Protection Mode)

Defensive campaigns protect your market position:

Brand Defense: Protecting your brand searches
- Keywords: Brand name, product names, variations
- Bids: Whatever it takes (ignore ACoS)
- Budget: Unlimited for profitable products
- Logic: Cheaper than losing customers to competitors
ASIN Defense: Owning your product pages
- Target: Your own ASINs
- Placement: Product pages only
- Bids: Premium to ensure top placement
- Result: Competitors can’t advertise on your listings

Pillar 4: Conquest Campaigns (Attack Mode)

Conquest campaigns steal competitor traffic:

Competitor ASIN Targeting: Direct assault
- Target: Competitor ASINs with worse reviews or higher prices
- Bids: Conservative initially, increase if profitable
- Ad Copy: Highlight your advantages
- Expectation: Higher ACoS but valuable market share
Competitor Brand Keywords: Ethical piracy
- Keywords: Competitor brand names (where legal)
- Match Type: Exact only to control spend
- Bids: Test incrementally
- Note: Check trademark policies in your category

Advanced Structural Strategies: Beyond the Basics

The Dayparting Structure: Time-Based Optimization

Create separate campaigns for different time periods:

Peak Hours Campaign (6 PM – 11 PM):
- Higher bids for prime shopping hours
- Larger budgets to capture demand
- Focus on competitive keywords
Off-Peak Campaign (12 AM – 6 AM):
- Lower bids for budget efficiency
- Target long-tail keywords with less competition
- Maintain presence without overspending
Weekend Warrior Campaign:
- Increased budgets for Saturday/Sunday
- Target leisure shoppers with different keywords
- Adjust for category-specific patterns

The Graduation System: Keyword Lifecycle Management

Implement a systematic keyword progression:

Stage 1: Research (Automatic/Broad Campaigns)
- New keywords enter here
- Low bids, controlled budgets
- Graduate after 3 conversions
Stage 2: Testing (Phrase Match Campaigns)
- Graduated keywords with potential
- Moderate bids, moderate budgets
- Graduate after reaching target ACoS
Stage 3: Scaling (Exact Match Campaigns)
- Proven profitable keywords
- Aggressive bids, uncapped budgets
- Focus on impression share
Stage 4: Harvest (Low Bid Campaigns)
- Keywords past their prime
- Minimum bids to capture remnant traffic
- Maintain presence without significant spend

The Portfolio Budget Strategy: Smart Money Management

Structure portfolios for automatic budget optimization:

The 70-20-10 Rule:
- 70% to proven profitable campaigns
- 20% to testing and optimization
- 10% to experimental/launch campaigns
Dynamic Reallocation: Create rules for automatic budget shifting:
- If Portfolio A achieves <20% ACoS, increase budget 10%
- If Portfolio B exceeds 40% ACoS, decrease budget 10%
- Review and adjust rules monthly

Structural Solutions to Common Problems

Problem: Campaign Cannibalization

When multiple campaigns compete for the same traffic:

Solution: The Exclusion Hierarchy

Exact match campaigns get priority
Add exact negatives to phrase campaigns
Add phrase negatives to broad campaigns
Add all manual keywords as negatives to automatic

Implementation Example:

Exact Campaign: “yoga mat non slip”
Phrase Campaign: “yoga mat” (negative exact: “yoga mat non slip”)
Broad Campaign: “mat” (negative phrase: “yoga mat”)
Auto Campaign: (negative all manual keywords)

Problem: Budget Spreading Too Thin

When campaigns underspend due to fragmentation:

Solution: The Consolidation Framework

Identify campaigns with <50% budget utilization
Merge similar underperforming campaigns
Create “catch-all” campaigns for low-volume keywords
Implement portfolio-level budgets for flexibility

Problem: Losing Track of Optimizations

When you can’t remember what changed:

Solution: The Change Log System

Create a spreadsheet with columns: Date, Campaign, Change, Reason, Result
Update weekly during optimization sessions
Review monthly to identify successful patterns
Use campaign names with version numbers (v1, v2, v3)

Scaling Your Structure: From 1 to 100 Products

The Template Approach: Consistency at Scale

Create campaign templates for rapid deployment:

The Launch Template:

AUTO – Discovery – [Product] – All Match
EXACT – Brand Defense – [Product]
CAT – Competitor Target – [Product]
BROAD – Research – [Product] – Top 5 Keywords

The Optimization Schedule:

Day 1-7: Run templates without changes
Day 8-14: First optimization pass
Day 15-30: Weekly optimizations
Day 31+: Bi-weekly maintenance

The Bulk Management System

For 20+ products, individual management becomes impossible:

Tier-Based Management:

Tier 1 (Top 20% of products): Daily attention
Tier 2 (Middle 60%): Weekly optimization
Tier 3 (Bottom 20%): Monthly review only

Bulk Operations Priority:

Negative keyword additions (prevent waste)
Bid adjustments for over/under ACoS targets
Budget reallocation to performing campaigns
Keyword graduation from auto to manual
Pausing non-performing elements

International Expansion: Structural Considerations

The Market Replication Strategy

When expanding internationally, don’t start from scratch:

The 80/20 Translation:

80% of US structure transfers directly
20% requires localization
Start with exact translations of proven keywords
Add local variations discovered through automatic campaigns

Market-Specific Structures:

UK: Similar to US but add “whilst,” “colour” variations
Germany: Longer compound keywords, stricter brand bidding
Japan: Character limits affect naming conventions
Canada: Bilingual considerations for Quebec

The Currency Adjustment Framework

Structure campaigns to account for currency differences:

Bid Ratios by Market:

Set baseline bids as percentage of US bids
UK: 80-90% of US bids (GBP stronger)
Canada: 70-80% of US bids (CAD weaker)
Europe: 85-95% of US bids (EUR volatile)
Adjust monthly based on exchange rates

The Seasonal Structure: Preparing for Peak Periods

Q4 Holiday Architecture

October through December requires special structure:

The Triple-Layer Approach:

Layer 1: Evergreen Campaigns (Run year-round)
- Maintain normal structure and budgets
- Provides baseline performance comparison
- Ensures continuity after holiday surge
Layer 2: Holiday Boost Campaigns (October-December)
- Duplicate best performers with “HOLIDAY” prefix
- 2-3x higher budgets and bids
- Target gift-related keywords
- Pause January 1st
Layer 3: Event-Specific Campaigns (Black Friday, Cyber Monday)
- Ultra-aggressive budgets (5-10x normal)
- Maximum bids on top keywords
- Active only during event windows
- Accept higher ACoS for volume

Prime Day and Lightning Deal Structure

Create temporary campaigns for major events:

Pre-Event Campaigns (2 weeks before):
- Target “Prime Day deals” keywords
- Build awareness and wish lists
- Lower bids, informational focus
Event Campaigns (During Prime Day):
- Unlimited budgets on proven keywords
- Bid for top of search exclusively
- Focus on conversion, not ACoS
- Run 24/7 without dayparting
Post-Event Campaigns (1 week after):
- Target “missed Prime Day” searches
- Capture deal-seekers with regret
- Moderate bids and budgets
- Transition back to normal structure

Measurement and Optimization: Making Structure Work

The KPI Hierarchy: Measuring Structural Success

Different structural levels require different metrics:

Portfolio Level KPIs:
- Overall TACoS (Total Advertising Cost of Sale)
- Portfolio ROAS trends
- Budget utilization rate
- Month-over-month growth
Campaign Level KPIs:
- Individual campaign ACoS vs. target
- Click-through rate by campaign type
- Conversion rate by targeting method
- Cost per acquisition trends
Ad Group/Keyword Level KPIs:
- Keyword-specific profitability
- Search term relevance score
- Negative keyword efficiency
- Graduation rate (auto to manual)

The Optimization Calendar: Structured Improvement

Create a systematic optimization schedule:

Daily Tasks (15 minutes):
- Budget check and reallocation
- Pause keywords exceeding ACoS limits
- Activate paused profitable campaigns
Weekly Tasks (2 hours):
- Search term report analysis
- Negative keyword additions
- Bid adjustments based on performance
- Keyword graduation process
Monthly Tasks (4 hours):
- Complete structural audit
- Portfolio rebalancing
- Campaign consolidation/expansion
- Competitive analysis and adjustment
Quarterly Tasks (Full day):
- Strategic structure overhaul
- Seasonal planning and preparation
- Tool evaluation and integration
- Team training on new structures

Tools and Software: Automating Structure

Native Amazon Tools

Maximize built-in features before adding complexity:

Portfolio Budgets: Use Amazon’s portfolio budget feature to automatically redistribute spend between campaigns based on performance.
Automated Rules: Create rules for common optimizations:
- Pause keywords with 50+ clicks, 0 conversions
- Increase bids 10% when ACoS < target
- Decrease bids 10% when ACoS > target by 20%
Bulk Operations: Use bulk sheets for structural changes:
- Export all campaigns weekly
- Make changes in Excel with formulas
- Re-import for instant updates
- Maintain version control

Third-Party Structure Tools

When native tools aren’t enough:

For Organization:
- Perpetua: Excellent campaign organization and automation
- Pacvue: Enterprise-level structure management
- Sellerize: Visual campaign builders and templates
For Analysis:
- DataHawk: Structure performance analytics
- Intentwise: Cross-portfolio reporting
- PPC Scope: Visual campaign mapping
For Automation:
- Scale Insights: Algorithmic structure optimization
- BidX: Rule-based structural management
- Teikametrics: AI-powered structure suggestions

Building Your Tool Stack

Layer tools based on business growth:

Phase 1 ($0-10K monthly revenue):
- Amazon native tools only
- Excel/Google Sheets for analysis
- Manual optimization and structure
Phase 2 ($10-50K monthly revenue):
- Add keyword research tool (Helium 10)
- Basic automation tool (Sellozo)
- Maintain manual structure control
Phase 3 ($50K+ monthly revenue):
- Full automation suite (Perpetua/Pacvue)
- Advanced analytics (DataHawk)
- Consider agency management

Case Studies: Structure in Action

Case Study 1: The Chaos to Clarity Transformation

Client Profile: Kitchen gadget seller, 15 products, $50K monthly revenue

Before:

3 campaigns total (“All Products Auto,” “Manual,” “Brand”)
45% ACoS, declining sales
No visibility into product performance

Restructure Process:

Created portfolios by product category
Implemented SKAG structure for top 30 keywords
Separated automatic campaigns by product
Added defensive and conquest campaigns

After (90 days):

127 organized campaigns
28% ACoS
40% sales increase
Clear optimization path

Case Study 2: The International Expansion

Client Profile: Fitness equipment brand, US success expanding to UK/DE

Challenge: Replicate US success internationally without starting over

Structure Solution:

Cloned US campaign structure to UK/DE
Translated keywords maintaining structure
Created market-specific portfolios
Implemented currency-adjusted bid rules

Results:

UK profitable in 45 days (vs. 120 days for US)
Germany reached target ACoS in 60 days
70% time savings on international management

Case Study 3: The Seasonal Seller

Client Profile: Christmas decoration seller, 80% of sales in Q4

Problem: Couldn’t scale efficiently during peak season

Structural Innovation:

Created “Always On” base structure
Built “Q4 Boost” parallel structure
Developed “Event Surge” temporary campaigns
Implemented automated budget rules

Outcome:

250% Q4 revenue increase
Maintained 22% ACoS during peak (vs. 35% previous year)
Smooth transition back to off-season

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Mistake 1: Over-Complicating Too Early
- The Problem: Creating 100 campaigns for 5 products
- The Solution: Start simple, expand based on data
- The Rule: One campaign per product until $1,000 monthly spend
Mistake 2: Inconsistent Naming Evolution
- The Problem: Changing naming conventions mid-stream
- The Solution: Document and stick to your system
- The Tool: Create a naming convention guide document
Mistake 3: Ignoring Portfolio Power
- The Problem: Managing campaigns individually
- The Solution: Think in portfolio strategies
- The Benefit: 50% less management time
Mistake 4: Static Structure Syndrome
- The Problem: Never evolving structure with business growth
- The Solution: Quarterly structure audits
- The Metric: If management takes >2 hours daily, restructure
Mistake 5: Platform Mixing
- The Problem: Applying Google Ads structure to Amazon
- The Solution: Respect platform differences
- The Key: Amazon shoppers have buying intent; structure accordingly

Future-Proofing Your Structure

Preparing for Amazon’s Evolution

Amazon PPC evolves rapidly. Build flexible structures:

Modular Campaigns: Create campaigns that can be easily modified or replaced without affecting others
Clear Documentation: Maintain a structure guide that new team members can follow
Regular Audits: Schedule quarterly reviews to incorporate new features and strategies

The AI Integration Plan

As Amazon introduces more AI features:

Hybrid Structure: Maintain manual control while testing AI recommendations in parallel
Performance Comparison: Run identical products in AI vs. manual structures
Gradual Adoption: Implement AI features one portfolio at a time

Scaling for Exit

If planning to sell your business:

Clean Structure: Organized campaigns increase business value
Documentation: Create SOPs for campaign management
Performance History: Maintain clear records showing structural improvements
Transferability: Ensure structure works without your daily involvement

Your 30-Day Implementation Plan

Week 1: Audit and Planning

Days 1-3: Document current structure
- List all campaigns and their purposes
- Identify overlaps and gaps
- Calculate current performance metrics
Days 4-7: Design new structure
- Create portfolio strategy
- Design naming conventions
- Plan migration approach

Week 2: Foundation Building

Days 8-10: Create portfolios
- Implement portfolio structure
- Set portfolio budgets
- Assign existing campaigns
Days 11-14: Rename and reorganize
- Implement naming conventions
- Consolidate redundant campaigns
- Document all changes

Week 3: Optimization and Expansion

Days 15-18: Build missing pieces
- Launch defensive campaigns
- Create conquest campaigns
- Add discovery campaigns
Days 19-21: Implement negatives
- Add negative keywords to prevent overlap
- Create negative keyword lists
- Apply across campaigns

Week 4: Automation and Refinement

Days 22-25: Set up automation
- Create bid rules
- Implement budget rules
- Schedule regular reports
Days 26-30: Monitor and adjust
- Track performance changes
- Make minor adjustments
- Document lessons learned

Conclusion: Structure as Competitive Advantage

Most Amazon sellers view campaign structure as a necessary evil—something to set up once and forget. This mindset leaves money on the table and creates management nightmares as businesses grow. The sellers who dominate their categories understand that structure isn’t just organization—it’s strategy.

A well-structured account becomes a competitive advantage. While competitors waste time searching for campaigns and making blind optimizations, you’ll execute strategic changes in minutes. While they struggle to scale during peak seasons, your structure automatically adapts. While they burn budget on overlapping keywords, your structure ensures every dollar has a purpose.

The structures outlined in this guide aren’t theoretical—they’re battle-tested by sellers generating millions in revenue. They’ve been refined through thousands of hours of optimization and millions of dollars in ad spend. Whether you adopt them wholesale or adapt them to your needs, the principles remain constant: clarity, scalability, and purposefulness.

Remember: Perfect structure doesn’t exist, but chaotic structure guarantees failure. Start with the basics, implement consistently, and evolve based on data. Your future self—the one managing 10x your current revenue—will thank you for the foundation you build today.

The best time to restructure was when you started. The second-best time is now. Your products deserve a structure that maximizes their potential. Your business deserves a foundation that enables growth. And you deserve a system that makes management enjoyable rather than overwhelming.

Take action today. Choose one structural improvement from this guide and implement it. Then another. Then another. Within 30 days, you’ll have transformed your Amazon PPC from a necessary burden into a competitive advantage that drives predictable, profitable growth.

Ready to restructure your campaigns? Download our free Campaign Structure Template and Migration Checklist to ensure a smooth transition to a scalable, profitable PPC structure.