If you run Amazon ads, your success depends on knowing what shoppers actually type into the search bar. Amazon Search Term Report helps with this.
When you read this report correctly, it tells you:
- Which keywords are making you money
- Which ones are draining your budget
- Where new growth opportunities exist
The issue is that reading the data is not easy. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly what the Amazon Search Term Report is, what each metric means, and how to read it in a way that improves your results.
What Is the Amazon Search Term Report?
The Amazon Search Term Report is an advertising report that shows the actual customer search queries that triggered your ads within a selected time period. It’s available inside the advertising console.
It is different from your keyword list.
Your keyword list shows what you targeted. The Search Term Report shows what customers actually typed.
What Information Does the Search Term Report Contain?
The report gives you a clear view of how customers interact with your ads after searching. Key data points typically include impressions, clicks, spend, sales, and the actual search term that triggered the ad.
From Brand Analytics (for brand-registered sellers), you may also see broader marketplace data such as the most popular search terms, search frequency rank, and the top three ASINs customers clicked after searching a term. For each of those top products, Amazon shows click share and conversion share.
Together, these metrics help you answer important questions:
- What are shoppers actually typing?
- Which searches bring traffic but no sales?
- Which terms drive profitable conversions?
- Which competitors dominate certain keywords?
The report usually covers up to 60 days of data, so regular downloads are important if you want to track trends over time.
What Is Search Frequency Rank (SFR)?
Search Frequency Rank is Amazon’s way of measuring how popular a search term is compared to all other search terms during a specific time period.
A lower number means higher popularity. For example, a term ranked #50 is searched far more often than a term ranked #5,000.
It is important to remember that SFR is a relative rank, not a search volume. Amazon does not tell you the exact number of searches. Instead, it shows where the term stands in the popularity ladder.
You can use SFR to quickly spot high-demand keywords, but make sure to always combine it with conversion data before increasing bids.
What Are Click Share and Conversion Share?
Click share and conversion share appear in Brand Analytics data and help you understand competitive performance on a keyword.
Click share is the percentage of total clicks that a product receives after customers search a specific term. It shows how much of the traffic a product captures.
Conversion share is the percentage of total purchases that a product receives after customers search that term. It shows how much of the buying activity the product wins.
These two metrics are independent. A product can have lower click share but higher conversion share if it converts very well once shoppers land on the listing.
When you review these numbers, you can quickly see which competitors attract attention and which ones actually close the sale.
How to Download Search Term Report Amazon
Step 1: Log in to your Amazon Seller Central account and open the Advertising tab.
Step 2: Go to Measurement & Reporting and select Sponsored ads reports.
Step 3: Choose your campaign type. Most sellers start with Sponsored Products because it usually contains the most actionable keyword data. Open the Reports area.
Step 4: Select Search Term Report, choose your date range, select your file format, and run the report. Many advertisers review the last 30 to 60 days to get enough data for decisions.
Step 5: Once ready, download the CSV file.
How to Analyze Amazon Search Term Report
When you first open the file, it can feel overwhelming. The key is to review it in a structured way instead of scanning randomly.
Start by sorting for conversions. Look for search terms that generate sales at a healthy ACoS. These are your winners. You should usually move these terms into exact match campaigns and consider increasing bids carefully.
You can then move on to finding high-spend terms with few or no sales. These are budget leaks. If the clicks are high but conversions are low, consider lowering bids or adding them as negative keywords.
Then review terms with strong click-through rates but weak conversion. This often signals a listing problem. Shoppers are interested enough to click, but something on the product page stops them from buying.
Finally, watch for new search phrases that you are not targeting yet. The report often reveals profitable long-tail keywords that keyword tools miss.
Why You Should Use the Search Term Report
The biggest benefit of the Search Term Report is clarity. It removes guesswork and shows exactly how your ads interact with real customer behavior.
By reviewing the report regularly, you can discover new keywords, cut wasted ad spend, improve targeting, and increase profitability. Many sellers who analyze the report weekly see lower ACoS and less wasted budget.
It also helps you understand search intent. Instead of guessing what shoppers want, you see the exact language they use.
Over time, this leads to better campaigns and stronger organic rankings.
Using the Report to Find New Keywords
One of the most powerful uses of the report is keyword discovery. High-converting search terms should be added to your manual campaigns and, when relevant, included in your product listings.
Long-tail keywords are especially valuable. They often have lower competition and higher conversion rates because the shopper intent is clearer.
You should also review competitor-driven terms that appear frequently. If similar products gain traction on certain keywords, those terms may be worth testing in your campaigns.
Always validate new keywords with performance data before scaling spend.
Using the Report to Build Negative Keywords
Not every search term deserves your budget. The report makes it easy to spot wasted spend.
Look for terms with many clicks but no sales, irrelevant phrases that do not match your product, and broad keywords that attract low-intent traffic.
Adding these as negative keywords helps tighten targeting and improve overall efficiency. Over time, this step alone can significantly reduce wasted ad spend.
Make negative keyword reviews part of your weekly routine.
Using the Report for Product and Market Insights
Beyond ad optimization, the report can reveal useful market intelligence.
By studying top-performing search terms and the products that dominate them, you can identify pricing patterns, shipping expectations, and listing quality standards in your niche.
The report can also hint at new product opportunities. If you see strong demand for related items with manageable competition, it may be worth exploring product expansion.
Tracking the report over time also helps you spot trends, seasonality shifts, and rising keywords before competitors react.
Is the Search Term Report Free?
Yes. Amazon provides the Search Term Report at no cost inside the advertising console. However, the file comes as raw data, usually in CSV format. You will need to filter, sort, and analyze the data yourself or use third-party tools to visualize it.
Search Term Report vs. Other Amazon Reports
The Search Term Report focuses on actual customer queries and ad performance. It tells you what shoppers typed and how your ads responded.
Brand Analytics Search Terms provides broader marketplace insight, including search frequency rank and top-clicked ASINs across Amazon.
The Search Query Performance dashboard goes deeper into brand-level query performance but is limited to top queries tied to your brand.
Most advanced sellers use these reports together.
Summary
The Amazon Search Term Report is one of the most important tools for improving ad performance. It shows the real search queries customers use, along with how those searches translate into clicks and sales.
Ready to stop guessing and start scaling? Enso Brands helps Amazon sellers turn messy ad data into clear, profitable growth strategies. From keyword optimization to full account management, our team focuses on what actually drives sales. Contact us today for more information about our services.
