Amazon sellers have access to more data than ever before…but most of it still tells only half the story. Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) changes that.
With AMC, brands can see how shoppers move from discovery to purchase, uncovering the hidden queries that influence conversion. When used the right way, these insights can help you expand your keyword strategy and turn untapped shopper searches into profitable Sponsored Products campaigns.
Let’s break down how that works, and how you can use it to scale smarter with AI Precision + Human Intuition.
Read more: Using AMC Cohorts to Calibrate Frequency Caps in Amazon DSP
Key Insights
- AMC reveals the full shopper journey. It shows every search and interaction leading up to a purchase, not just the last click.
- You can use path-to-purchase data to expand keywords. These insights help you find high-intent search terms that improve Sponsored Product performance.
- Trellis makes it simple. By combining AMC-level analytics with automation, you can act on keyword data instantly and scale profitably.
Check out our Success Stories to learn how Trellis has helped brands grow profitably with data-driven advertising and automation.
What Is Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) and Why It Matters?
Amazon Marketing Cloud is a secure, privacy-safe analytics platform that gives advertisers a full view of the shopper journey. Instead of showing surface metrics, like impressions, clicks, and ACoS, AMC connects the dots between what shoppers see, search, and buy across multiple ad types and time frames.
In simple terms:
- It collects event-level data (anonymized, of course).
- It helps you understand what happens between a shopper’s first impression and their final purchase.
- It provides custom insights through SQL-based queries or pre-built dashboards.
For advertisers, that means finally being able to answer questions like:
- What searches led to a purchase?
- How long did it take for a shopper to convert?
- Which ad types drive the most efficient conversions?
With AMC, sellers move from guessing which keywords work to knowing which ones drive real sales.
Get started with actionable insights right now: Use our Keyword Discovery Tool to uncover new, high-performing search terms for your products and campaigns.
What is a Keyword Strategy with Path-to-Purchase Data
Most advertisers rely on Search Term Reports to find new keywords. These reports are helpful, but they only show the last search term a shopper used before clicking your ad or buying your product.
That’s a problem. It means you’re missing all the earlier searches that shaped that buyer’s decision.
For example, imagine a shopper buys your “stainless steel water bottle.”
You might see that keyword in your Search Term Report—but AMC might reveal that before that purchase, they searched for:
- “BPA-free bottle”
- “Reusable gym bottle”
- “Eco-friendly tumbler”
Those early queries show how a buyer thinks before purchase. When you uncover those path-to-purchase searches, you can use them to build more complete, and profitable, keyword lists.
Read more: What are Amazon Negative Keywords?
That’s what we mean by AMC-powered keyword expansion.
How Does AMC-Powered Keyword Expansion Work?
Turning AMC data into Sponsored Product performance takes a few clear steps. Let’s walk through them.
Step 1: Extract Path-to-Purchase Queries
Start by querying AMC for search and purchase events. You can use Amazon’s SQL templates or a partner tool to surface all the queries shoppers used before they viewed or bought your products.
Focus on repeated terms and sequences. For example, you might see that buyers who eventually purchased “collagen peptides” first searched for “joint health supplements” or “post-workout recovery.” These are valuable discovery terms you may not be targeting yet.
Step 2: Identify High-Intent Opportunities
Not all queries are equal. The key is finding the ones that show high intent and conversion potential.
Here’s how to filter your list:
- Frequency: How often does the query appear in purchase journeys?
- Relevance: Is it related to your product’s category or features?
- Competition: Are your competitors already bidding on it heavily?
- Conversion association: How closely is it tied to purchases or add-to-cart events?
Step 3: Turn Insights Into Sponsored Products Campaigns
Now it’s time to act. Add your new keywords to your Sponsored Products campaigns, organized by funnel stage (awareness, consideration, purchase).
- Use broad or phrase match for early-stage terms.
- Use exact match for mid-to-late funnel keywords.
- Apply negative keywords to avoid wasting spend on unrelated queries.
With Trellis, these steps become automated. Our platform adjusts bids dynamically based on performance, ensuring you invest in high-performing terms and cut back on waste. Over time, you’ll see your ACoS drop and your sales volume grow.
Read more: Building Full-Funnel Amazon PPC with Sponsored Brands Video + DSP Overlays
Why Do AMC Insights Drive Higher Profitability?
AMC doesn’t just add keywords…it adds context. When you target search terms informed by full-funnel data, your campaigns become both smarter and more efficient.
Here’s why this drives profitability:
- Better intent targeting: You reach shoppers earlier in their decision-making process.
- Lower wasted spend: You stop bidding on low-value terms.
- Higher conversion rates: You attract buyers who are already primed to purchase.
- Smarter automation: AMC insights feed directly into AI tools like Trellis, creating a continuous learning loop.
Many brands that apply AMC insights report double-digit improvements in ad efficiency and incremental revenue. It’s not about spending more, it’s about spending smarter.
Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Even seasoned advertisers face hurdles with AMC. Let’s cover a few and how to handle them.
AMC Access and Complexity
AMC isn’t built into Seller Central. You need access through Amazon DSP or a registered partner. For many brands, that’s a barrier, but Trellis simplifies it. Our integrated dashboards bring AMC-style insights directly into your reporting, no code required.
Data Overload and Interpretation
AMC data can feel overwhelming. It’s a lot of SQL, a lot of tables, and a lot of possibilities. Instead of pulling every metric, focus on actionable insights, queries tied to purchases, repeat buyers, or add-to-cart events. Trellis automates this filtering, translating raw data into decisions.
Balancing Automation With Strategy
Automation can execute fast, but it still needs direction. That’s where AI Precision + Human Intuition comes in. Let automation handle bid adjustments and pacing. Use your team’s experience to set goals, refine targeting, and interpret results. It’s a partnership between data and decision-making.
Example of an AMC Query to Conversion
A mid-sized supplement brand noticed slowing growth on its top-performing Sponsored Products campaign. Using AMC, they discovered that many of their eventual buyers had first searched for “vegan preworkout” and “natural muscle recovery.”
They added those terms as new keywords and built a small discovery campaign around them.
Within six weeks:
- Click-through rate increased by 18%
- ACoS dropped by 12%
- Overall sales grew by 9%
These weren’t random guesses. They were data-backed keywords identified through AMC insights and scaled automatically.
How Can Trellis Help With AMC-Powered Keyword Expansion?
Trellis gives you everything you need to turn AMC insights into action.
- Automated Keyword Management: Trellis identifies profitable search terms and adds them to your campaigns automatically.
- Real-Time Bid Adjustments: Our AI dynamically shifts bids based on performance and profitability, saving time and protecting your margins.
- Full-Funnel Visibility: Trellis connects ad, pricing, and content data—so you can see how every keyword drives actual sales.
- Built-In Analytics: You get an easy-to-read dashboard showing how your AMC-derived keywords perform over time.
With Trellis, AMC data becomes clear, actionable, and profitable.
Ready to put your data to work? Book a demo today and see how Trellis can help your brand grow smarter.
In Summary
Amazon Marketing Cloud gives advertisers a clear view of the full shopper journey, from the first search to the final purchase. By analyzing path-to-purchase data, brands can uncover hidden, high-intent keywords that traditional search term reports miss.
Turning those insights into Sponsored Products campaigns helps improve targeting, lower wasted ad spend, and reach customers earlier in their decision process. The result is smarter keyword expansion and more profitable advertising built on real shopper behavior, not guesswork.
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