Mapping Customer Intent Across Amazon Touchpoints: How It Should Shape Your Media Mix

Not every click on Amazon signifies the same level of intent. Therefore, it can be tempting to treat customer journeys as either linear or interchangeable. However, for businesses, failing to differentiate between Amazon touchpoints often results in campaigns that underperform, leading to inconsistent conversion rates.

At Market Rocket, our strategies are developed based on actual customer behaviour, not mere assumptions. This approach involves building an Amazon media mix that reflects the customer’s journey, their goals, and how they interact with the platform. Below is a breakdown of this approach across the key surfaces:

Search: Signals of Interest

Amazon search data offers more than just keywords; it reveals how buyers are actually thinking. For instance, are shoppers merely browsing with a general interest, or are they comparing known options? Perhaps they are searching with urgency, demonstrating clear purchase intent. Keywords are grouped by intent tiers: awareness, consideration, and conversion. Campaign structures are then built based on these tiers. A high-volume generic term, while excellent for brand exposure, will not achieve the same Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) as a branded or long-tail query. Therefore, campaign strategies are mapped to these distinctive customer behaviours rather than simply focusing on bid pressure or keyword size.

Product Detail Pages: Decision Points

Once a shopper reaches the Product Detail Page (PDP), the purpose of the content changes significantly. At this stage, the goal is no longer simply to capture attention; instead, it is about securing the final sale. So, the PDP content must meet the ad’s expectations that brought the shopper there. For instance, if a shopper arrives from a Sponsored Brand campaign that emphasises value or speed, it is crucial to strongly reiterate that exact message. The product title, bullet points, and imagery should all reinforce this message. Furthermore, trust signals are essential for conversion. Early on, elements such as customer reviews, accreditations, clear delivery windows, or unwavering guarantees should be prominently displayed. Finally, A+ content must be carefully structured to actively drive conversion, not just to serve as an information dump.

Brand Storefronts: Navigational Intent

Shoppers arriving via a Sponsored Brand ad or off-Amazon traffic are often still in an exploratory phase. For example, they might be comparing different product types or searching for a product. bundles. In other instances, they could simply be trying to gain a greater appreciation for the brand itself. Therefore, Stores are structured to help shoppers quickly locate what they need. This could involve filtering products by use case, showcasing bestsellers, or presenting entry-level Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) prominently. This approach is more than just branding. It is about ensuring journey continuity and actively guiding shoppers’ behaviours. When executed properly, a well-designed Store supports a higher average order value and delivers cross-sell opportunities far beyond what a single Product Detail Page (PDP) alone can achieve.

Subscribe & Save: Retention Mechanics

Subscribe & Save is significantly more than just a simple tick box. It offers a vital window into a product’s repeat purchase potential. In helping brands, the focus is on leveraging Subscribe & Save to effectively encourage repeat purchases. We manage this process in a manner that completely complements the brand’s established pricing and margin strategy. Strategies may include bundling products, adjusting the subscription incentive offered, or using on-listing messaging to actively nudge signups. Importantly, the process involves a thorough analysis of which products are eligible and which shoppers are successfully converting. This critical insight is then fed into the brand’s wider retention strategies.

DSP and Retargeting: Reinforcement

The Amazon media ecosystem offers a powerful feature: the ability to retarget customers based on their behaviour, moving beyond simple demographics. Accordingly, DSP campaigns are structured around audience segmentation that reflects what customers have or have not done. 

For instance, this approach includes several key groups:

Individuals who viewed the Product Detail Page (PDP) but did not add items to their basket.

Shoppers who purchased from a competitor but browsed your listing

Each segment gets a tailored message, and that message aligns with their point in the journey. Timing, creativity, and calls to action all change accordingly.

Why It Matters

Many brands invest in Amazon ads. However, they do so without first considering the customer’s actual activity at each touchpoint. This is a crucial mistake. If the ad’s messaging, format, and creative do not align with the customer’s mindset, the ad will fail to convert. No matter how well-targeted the ad is, this statement remains true. By mapping media formats to customer intent and then aligning product pages, the shopfront, Subscribe & Save setups, and DSP campaigns to support that journey, the result moves from fragmented tactics to a strategic ecosystem. Therefore, the focus is not simply on generating traffic. Instead, it is about building journeys that genuinely convert. This requires a profound understanding of where each shopper is in their purchasing process.

Want to see your Amazon performance skyrocket?  Book a call with our team or email us at amazon@marketrocket.co.uk to take your brand to the next level.