Which Metrics Should I Focus On in Close Match Analysis?
← Back to Amazon Automatic Campaigns: How to Analyse Close Match Performance
Quick answer
Close match analysis is the process of reviewing Amazon automatic campaign data through five core metrics: spend, sales, return on ad spend (ROAS), advertising cost of sale (ACoS), and the frequency of inefficient search terms. These metrics work together to show whether close match targeting is generating profitable orders or consuming budget on queries that rarely convert. Focusing on them helps advertisers detect waste and prioritize optimization decisions without relying on impressions alone.
While impressions and clicks can provide context, they do not tell you whether close match traffic is profitable. The most useful close match reviews start with actual spend and revenue, then use ROAS and ACoS to judge efficiency and search term frequency to find the specific queries causing waste.
Start with spend, sales, and waste signals
Review total spend and sales first. Close match can generate high traffic volume, but the goal is to understand whether that volume is converting. Compare spend against sales over the same period to see if campaign activity is paying for itself. Low sales with high spend often points to broad matching problems or a need for negative keywords.
For a clearer view, use a dashboard that consolidates these fields. Amazon Ads Dashboard by Todoza tracks ad spend, sales, and wasted spend across accounts, which helps you spot close match losses without manually combining multiple reports.
Use ROAS and ACoS as efficiency filters
ROAS shows how much revenue is returned for each dollar spent, while ACoS expresses ad spend as a percentage of sales. For close match, segment these values by search term rather than looking only at campaign totals. A term with strong ROAS may deserve a higher bid, while a term with high ACoS and repeated clicks may need to be added as a negative keyword.
- ROAS below target can indicate wasted spend on low-intent queries.
- ACoS above your break-even threshold should trigger review, not automatic panic.
- Evaluate both metrics over enough clicks to avoid overreacting to small samples.
Track inefficient search term frequency
Frequency matters because a single wasted click is less important than the same irrelevant query consuming budget every week. Sort close match search terms by spend and count how often each appears with low or no orders. Repeated low-performing terms are strong candidates for negative keywords or bid reductions.
When this matters: if close match shows many irrelevant queries over several days, frequent waste signals suggest the campaign structure or bid settings need review before pausing the entire targeting group.
Related products
Related guides
Focusing on spend, sales, ROAS, ACoS, and inefficient search term frequency turns close match analysis from a raw report review into a decision-making process. These metrics directly support the broader goal covered in our guide to Amazon automatic campaign close match performance, helping you reduce waste and allocate budget to the queries that actually drive orders.