Amazon ad spend has become one of the most powerful growth levers at the disposal of e-commerce sellers. But with the platform continuously evolving, new features and default options are cropping up—maybe without even sellers realizing how they influence performance. Case in point: the “Increase Search” feature that is enabled when you create a new Sponsored Products campaign.
At face value, this might seem like another Amazon optimization tool designed to let sellers capture more traffic. In reality, it can really affect your ad spend, conversion rates, and bottom-line profitability if not taken care of.
What Is the “Increase Search” Option?
When you set up a new Sponsored Products campaign, Amazon enables the “Increase Search” feature by default. This doesn’t just display your ads within Amazon’s marketplace. Instead, it expands their reach to external sites, partner apps, and third-party networks that Amazon works with.
The reasoning is straightforward: greater visibility should, logically, translate to greater sales. In reality, however, such off-Amazon placements don’t necessarily coincide with purchase intent. While Amazon shoppers browse with buy intent, that is not necessarily the case for partner site audiences.
The result? You may end up paying for extra clicks that look like “traffic,” but don’t translate into meaningful conversions.
Why This Matters for Your ACoS
Every seller knows that ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sales) is one of the most important metrics to watch. If your ads are spending more than they earn, scaling becomes nearly impossible.
Because external placements often attract less-qualified traffic, your conversion rate drops while clicks keep adding up. This drives your ACoS higher and reduces the efficiency of your campaigns.
For brands running on tight margins—or scaling with precise PPC strategies—this default setting can quietly drain budgets without showing a clear return.
How to Take Control of This Setting
The good news is that fixing this issue only takes a couple of minutes, but it requires awareness. Many sellers don’t even realize this feature is enabled until they review campaign data and notice unexplained inefficiencies.
Here’s how you can adjust it:
- Go to Campaign Manager in Amazon Seller Central.
- Open the campaign you’ve created (or any existing campaign where the option may be active).
- Scroll to the Settings section and look for Increase Search.
- Uncheck it and select the alternative option provided.
- Save your changes.
This gives you more control over where your ads are displayed and ensures your budget is spent primarily on Amazon traffic—where purchase intent is highest.
A Word of Caution
Before you rush to turn this setting off across every campaign, it’s worth approaching the change strategically. If your campaigns are currently stable, and ACoS is performing within your targets, don’t disrupt the system all at once.
Instead, start with campaigns where ACoS is unusually high or performance has been inconsistent. Turn off “Increase Search” in those campaigns first and monitor the results over time. If you see improved efficiency, you can gradually roll out the change across your portfolio.
This measured approach helps maintain campaign stability and prevents sudden shifts that could confuse Amazon’s algorithm or reset learning phases.
I’ve seen multiple brands unknowingly bleed thousands of dollars through this setting. While Amazon frames it as a way to boost reach, the truth is that sellers often end up paying for low-intent clicks outside of the platform.
For me, profitability always outweighs vanity metrics like impressions. If ads aren’t converting, it doesn’t matter how many extra people “see” them. Turning off “Increase Search” where needed has consistently tightened ACoS and put brands back in control of their ad strategy.
Final Thoughts
Amazon automation can assist, yet it does not always assist sellers the most. The “Increase Search” setting demonstrates just how much impact small, less than obvious selections have on how well your campaign performs.
If you are committed to getting the most out of your PPC budget, take a few minutes right now to go over your campaigns and investigate this setting.
Experiment small, observe the outcome, and then experiment large when you notice improvements.
On Amazon, top sellers are not those who simply allow the system to dictate everything.
They remain active, plan ahead, and maintain control of their campaigns.
