Which Metrics Matter When Adding Negative Keywords?
← Back to How to Harvest Winning Search Terms From Amazon Auto Campaigns
Quick answer
Negative keyword decisions in Amazon Ads should be driven by a small set of efficiency metrics: ACoS, ROAS, CPA, and conversion rate. A search term typically becomes a valid negative candidate when at least two of these signals show consistently poor performance over a meaningful window, reducing the risk of pausing a term too early.
If you are harvesting search terms from auto campaigns, the goal is not to negate every term with a single bad day. Instead, you want to separate true waste from terms that simply need more time or a bid adjustment.
Core performance metrics for negative keyword decisions
When reviewing search terms from auto campaigns, these four metrics give the clearest early signal:
- ACoS – ad cost as a share of sales.
- ROAS – revenue returned for each ad dollar.
- CPA – cost per attributed order.
- Conversion rate – orders divided by clicks.
A weak ACoS alone does not always justify a negative. If conversion rate and ROAS are also below target across enough clicks, the term is a stronger candidate.
How to use a multi-signal approach
Instead of cutting terms after a single poor day, compare the metrics against the campaign's own targets and maturity. A term with low clicks and an inflated ACoS may just need more data. A term with many clicks, low conversion, high CPA, and poor ROAS over several weeks is a much safer negative.
This is where a read-only analysis tool can help. The Amazon Negative Keyword Tool by Todoza classifies terms as negative candidates, bid-reduction opportunities, or pending more data based on multiple campaign-specific signals, so your team can approve changes rather than relying on automation.
When this matters
Multi-metric negative keyword review matters most when ad spend is high, click volume is sufficient, and you are managing multiple campaigns or accounts. In those cases, a premature negative can hide a term that would have converted with a lower bid, while a missed negative keeps wasting budget.
It also matters when you are sharing decisions with a team or client. Using ACoS, ROAS, CPA, and conversion rate together creates a clearer, repeatable reason for each negative keyword.
Related products
Related guides
Once you have a consistent metric-based process, harvesting winning search terms from Amazon auto campaigns becomes more predictable. The same discipline applies when reviewing bid reductions and pausing terms across broader campaign optimization. See the full guide on harvesting winning search terms from Amazon auto campaigns.