How to Build a Weekly Cleanup Plan for Amazon Search Terms

Creating a structured weekly cleanup plan for Amazon search terms helps Amazon sellers and PPC managers minimize wasted ad spend and improve campaign efficiency. By monitoring search term performance, identifying irrelevant or underperforming queries, and taking timely action, advertisers can maintain better control over budgets and drive more profitable results in their Amazon Ads accounts.

Reduce wasted budget and boost your Amazon PPC results

Maintaining a disciplined weekly cleanup plan for Amazon search terms is essential for sellers and PPC managers who want to keep ad spend efficient and campaigns performing at their best. A regular process ensures that you quickly identify and act on underperforming or unwanted search queries before they drain your advertising budget. This guide walks you through building a reliable weekly routine, with actionable steps and expert tips for keeping your Amazon Ads account on track.

What You'll Need

Amazon Negative Keyword Tool by Todoza – Designed to help you find and manage search terms to reduce wasted spend efficiently.
Access to Amazon Ads Search Terms reports
Spreadsheet software or campaign notes system

Visualizing Your Search Term Cleanup Workflow

Start your weekly process by mapping out the flow: extract reports, review in your analytics tool or the Amazon Negative Keyword Tool, identify key clean-up targets, and assign each action. Using a centralized dashboard or a spreadsheet ensures that no data point is missed and key team members stay accountable throughout the routine.

Step 1: Gather Search Term Data

Begin each week by exporting the latest Search Terms report from your Amazon Ads account. This report gives you detailed insights into which customer queries have triggered your ads, along with key metrics such as spend, orders, conversions, and ACOS. Save the report in your tracking system to build week-over-week visibility and compare changes over time. Consistently pulling recent data is critical for spotting problematic trends early.

Step 2: Review Performance Metrics

Track key Amazon Ads metrics every week—including impressions, clicks, spend, orders, ROAS, and conversion rates. Focus on finding queries that consume budget without producing conversions, or those with a high cost per order. This analysis tells you which search terms are candidates for cleanup and which should be given more attention or higher bids for better performance.

Step 3: Identify Low-Performing and Irrelevant Terms

Identify underperforming or irrelevant search terms by filtering for queries that haven’t generated sales over several weeks or those with ACOS far above your target. Also, look for search terms that are unrelated to your products—these often come from broad or phrase match types. If you use the Amazon Negative Keyword Tool by Todoza, the tool evaluates your campaign data to flag search terms that likely need negation or bid adjustment, helping you efficiently prioritize cleanup.

Step 4: Take Action—Negate or Adjust Bids

Negate wasteful queries and adjust bids promptly on underperforming terms. Add poor-performing or irrelevant search terms as negative keywords to keep your ads from showing for wasteful traffic. For queries with potential but high costs, consider reducing bids to control spend rather than completely blocking them. Always double-check if a term is driving sales in any campaign before negating, to avoid lost revenue.

Step 5: Log Actions and Set Reminders

Document actions and keep a recurring calendar for your weekly cleanup process. Write down which terms were negated or had bids changed. Keeping clear records ensures team alignment, supports long-term optimization, and helps identify recurring issues or missed opportunities. Scheduling dedicated time each week makes this routine more consistent and effective.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Always use campaign-specific performance signals, not just fixed thresholds, as metrics can vary by product category and season. Don’t delete terms without checking campaign impact—removing a term too soon can cut off profitable traffic. Involve your wider team for cross-marketplace accounts, and use tools like Todoza’s solution to streamline workflows but retain final approval on all changes. Track sudden changes in sales or ACOS each week as these often signal keyword mismanagement or competitive shifts.

Why Weekly Cleanups Drive Amazon PPC Success

Frequent search term cleanup helps Amazon advertisers respond quickly to wasted ad spend, changing trends, and new competitive dynamics. Making this a recurring habit drives better budget efficiency, campaign focus, and long-term profitability in a fast-moving marketplace.