Search Query Performance vs PPC Search Term Reports

Two Reports That Sellers Often Confuse

I've seen sellers compare Search Query Performance against the PPC Search Term Report and wonder:

Why don't the numbers match?

Because they aren't designed to measure the same thing.

Amazon itself has clarified that SQP provides a broader view of organic and paid search behaviour, whereas the advertising Search Term Report covers search terms that produced advertising interaction.

Understanding that difference is important.

What the PPC Search Term Report Shows

The Search Term Report is advertising data. It answers:

What did shoppers search before interacting with my Sponsored Ads?

I use it for:

• Keyword harvesting
• Negative keywords
• Bid decisions
• PPC waste analysis
• Match-type optimisation

For example: a Broad campaign contains:

insulated bottle

But the customer searches:

1 litre insulated bottle for work

and buys. The Search Term Report reveals the actual customer query. That's potentially something I can harvest into Exact.

What SQP Shows

Search Query Performance takes a wider perspective. It helps me understand how my brand or ASIN participates in Amazon search overall.

I can analyse the journey through:

Impression → Click → Basket Add → Purchase

This allows me to evaluate search opportunity beyond just paid ads.

A Simple Difference

I think of them like this:

Search Term Report = What is my advertising doing?

SQP = How is my product performing within Amazon search?

Both are incredibly useful. But for different purposes.

Example: Strong PPC but Weak Market Share

Suppose a keyword performs brilliantly in PPC. Good CVR. Good ACoS. Strong ROAS.

But SQP shows you still capture a very small proportion of total query purchases.

That tells me:

The keyword works — but we may still have room to grow.

Potential actions:

• Increase Exact coverage
• Improve organic ranking
• Analyse placement
• Improve listing
• Monitor competitors

Example: PPC Looks Weak but SQP Shows Strong Organic Performance

The opposite can happen. Perhaps a keyword has disappointing PPC ACoS. But SQP suggests the ASIN already performs strongly organically.

Do we need to bid aggressively? Maybe. Maybe not.

The decision depends on:

• Organic ranking
• Defensive strategy
• Margin
• Competitor pressure
• Total sales

That's why looking at one report alone can be misleading.

Combine the Reports

One of the most useful analyses is matching queries across:

SQP + Search Term Report

Then review:

• Amazon query demand
• Brand/ASIN share
• PPC spend
• PPC sales
• CTR
• CVR
• ACoS
• Organic opportunity

This gives a much richer picture.

Where I Can Help

This type of cross-report analysis is where Amazon data becomes genuinely powerful. I help sellers move from:

“Here's my report.”

to:

“Here's what the report means and what we're going to change.”

That can include PPC restructuring, keyword harvesting, listing optimisation and organic ranking strategy.