Amazon.ca is one of the most important sales channels for Canadian e-commerce brands, and advertising is how most products get discovered there. Amazon PPC can grow sales quickly, but without structure it can also eat your margins.
Quick answer: Amazon PPC for Canadian sellers works best with a clear campaign structure across Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display, listings that are optimised before you advertise, regular search term reviews, and decisions based on ACoS and TACoS that match your profit margins.
The three main Amazon ad types
- Sponsored Products: ads for individual products that appear in search results and on product pages. This is where most sellers start and where most sales come from.
- Sponsored Brands: ads featuring your logo, a custom headline and several products, or a video. They need Amazon Brand Registry.
- Sponsored Display: ads that reach shoppers on and off Amazon based on their browsing, often used for retargeting.
Fix your listings before you spend
Advertising sends traffic, but your listing converts it. Before scaling PPC, make sure each product has a keyword-rich title, clear bullet points, high-quality images, A+ content if you are brand registered, competitive pricing and enough reviews to build trust.
A simple campaign structure
- Automatic campaigns to discover which search terms shoppers use.
- Manual exact match campaigns for proven, converting keywords, where you control bids tightly.
- Manual phrase and broad campaigns to find new keyword variations.
- Product targeting campaigns that place your ads on competitor or complementary product pages.
- Brand defence campaigns on your own brand terms so competitors cannot take those sales cheaply.
Know your numbers: ACoS and TACoS
- ACoS (advertising cost of sales) is ad spend divided by ad-attributed sales. It shows how efficient your ads are.
- TACoS (total advertising cost of sales) is ad spend divided by total sales, including organic. It shows whether ads are growing your whole business.
- Set a target ACoS based on your profit margin. A product with a high margin can afford a higher ACoS than a low-margin product.
Weekly optimisation habits
- Review the search term report and move converting terms into exact match campaigns.
- Add irrelevant or unprofitable terms as negative keywords.
- Adjust bids based on conversion rate and target ACoS.
- Watch inventory; running out of stock hurts both ads and organic ranking.
Canadian marketplace tips
- Search volume on Amazon.ca is smaller than Amazon.com, so expect fewer impressions and adjust budgets accordingly.
- Consider bilingual listings and keywords for Quebec shoppers.
- Plan around Canadian shopping peaks such as Prime Day, Black Friday, Boxing Day and back-to-school.
Key takeaways
- Optimise listings first; PPC amplifies what is already there.
- Structure campaigns so you can control bids on proven keywords.
- Manage to ACoS and TACoS targets based on real margins.
Learn about our Amazon account management services.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good ACoS on Amazon?
There is no universal number. A good ACoS is one below your break-even point, which depends on your profit margin. Higher-margin products can afford a higher ACoS than low-margin ones.
What is the difference between ACoS and TACoS?
ACoS compares ad spend to sales driven by ads. TACoS compares ad spend to all sales, including organic, and shows whether advertising is growing the business overall.
Do I need Brand Registry for Amazon ads?
You can run Sponsored Products without it, but Sponsored Brands, Stores and A+ content require Amazon Brand Registry.
Want help putting this into practice? Book a free strategy call with Angeles Marketing, a Toronto digital marketing agency, or call +1 647-739-1798.
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