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Wasted ad spend in Amazon PPC accounts for 30-41% of total advertising budgets. Cut waste immediately by implementing negative keywords, pruning non-converting search terms after 30 clicks, fixing match type distribution (60% exact, 30% phrase, 10% broad), adjusting dayparting schedules, and using the Profit Feedback Loop for bid optimization.

I Audited a 7-Figure Account Last Month—$86k Spent, $44k Wasted. That's Not Advertising. That's Arson.

Here's what gets me...

This seller was doing everything "right"—running auto campaigns, bidding on branded terms, following YouTube gurus.

Still bleeding $44,000 monthly.

That's $528,000 annually. Literally half a million dollars on fire.

And the worst part? He had no idea until I showed him the numbers.

If you're a 7-figure seller watching your TACoS climb while profits shrink, you're probably in the same boat. The average seller wastes 41% of their PPC budget without knowing it.

Let me show you exactly how to stop the bleeding.

Today.

The Real Cost of Your "Strategy"

Most sellers think wasted spend is just "the cost of doing business."

Bull.

Every wasted dollar is profit stolen from your pocket.

And if you're planning an exit in the next 12-24 months (like 73% of my clients), that waste is destroying your valuation.

Here's what I found in that $86k audit:

That's not a strategy.

That's negligence.

Want to burn through $100K in ad spend? Just copy this setup:

1. Negative Keywords: Your First $10k Back

Stop letting Amazon decide where your money goes.

I pulled a client's Search Term Report last week. Found this gem:

"Wooden spoon for kids under 5 dollars."

They sell $47 premium kitchen utensils.

156 clicks. Zero sales. $187 wasted.

Here's my Negative Keyword Audit Process:

Download your Search Term Report. Right now.

Look for:

One client added 847 negative keywords using my system.

Result: $9,800 monthly savings. TACoS dropped from 34% to 21%.

That's $117,600 back in their pocket annually.

2. The 30-Click Death Rule

Here's my non-negotiable rule:

30 clicks. No sale. It's dead.

Kill it.

"But Bernard, what if it needs more data?"

No. It doesn't.

At $1.04 average CPC, that's $31.20 per keyword.

If 100 keywords hit this threshold, you're burning $3,120.

I use what I call the Profit Feedback Loop:

One seller saved $5,200 monthly just following this rule.

No fancy software. No complex formulas.

Just discipline.

3. Your Match Types Are Backwards (And It's Costing You Thousands)

Every seller I audit has this wrong.

They run something like this: 70% broad, 20% phrase, 10% exact.

Backwards.

Here's the Profit-First Match Type Formula:

Why?

Broad match is where money goes to die.

Case study: Jake from Phoenix.

His broad campaigns: 47% ACOS. His exact campaigns: 19% ACOS.

We flipped his structure. Moved $8,000 monthly from broad to exact.

New overall ACOS: 24%.

That's $23,000 in additional profit. Per month.

4. Stop Advertising While People Sleep

Your ads run 24/7.

Your customers don't shop 24/7.

Pull your hourly sales data. I guarantee you'll find dead zones.

Here's what I found for a supplements brand:

See the problem?

The Dayparting Profit Play:

Cut bids 50% during dead hours.

Increase bids 25% during golden hours.

This client saved $3,100 monthly. Sales increased 8%.

Amazon makes this stupidly easy with budget rules.

Use them.

Real Client Results

5. The Bid Optimization Matrix (Stop Guessing, Start Profiting)

Most sellers adjust bids based on feelings.

"This seems too high."

"Let's try raising this one."

That's not management. That's gambling.

Here's my Bid Optimization Matrix:

Stars (ACOS <20%, 50+ orders/month):

Workhorses (ACOS 20-30%, steady volume):

Question Marks (New keywords, <14 days):

Dogs (ACOS >40%, consistent):

This system turned a $67k/month spend into $48k/month.

Sales dropped 3%.

Profit increased 41%.

Real Talk: What This Actually Means for Your Business

Let's do the math on YOUR account.

Say you spend $20,000/month on PPC.

Using my system:

Total: $9,000/month back in your pocket.

That's $108,000 annually.

Without losing a single sale.

That's not theory. That's what happened with Dan.

See his full case study here.

FAQ: The Questions Every 7-Figure Seller Asks Me

Q: Why is my TACoS so high even though my ACOS looks decent?

Your organic rank is tanking. High ACOS campaigns are cannibalizing your profitable keywords. Fix your match types first, then implement my Profit Loop system which was created to help you lower TACoS on Amazon.

Q: Should I pause all keywords above 40% ACOS immediately?

No. Check their organic impact first. Some high-ACOS keywords drive organic rank. But if they're above 40% after 100 orders with no organic lift? Kill them.

Q: How often should I audit my campaigns for waste?

Weekly for new campaigns. Bi-weekly for mature accounts. Set a recurring calendar reminder (ie. Tuesday 2 PM). Non-negotiable.

Q: What's the fastest way to identify wasted spend?

Download your 60-day Search Term Report. Sort by spend. Any term over $100 with zero sales is immediate waste. Start there.

Q: Can I do this myself or do I need software?

You can do this with Excel and discipline. But my Wasted Ad Spend Calculator makes it 10x faster. And it's free.

Your Money Is Literally Burning Right Now

While you read this, your campaigns are wasting money.

Every hour you wait costs you.

$20,000 monthly spend = $27 wasted per hour.

That's $648 while you sleep tonight.

Here's what you do RIGHT NOW:

Stop managing ads.

Start managing profit.

Get Your Amazon PPC wasted spend calculator here→

Book Your Free Profit Audit →

Watch Dan's $5,200/Month Transformation →

Because every day you wait is money you'll never get back.

-Bernard

P.S. - That seller with the $44k monthly waste? We cut it to $11k in 6 weeks. His TACoS dropped from 38% to 22%. He's selling the business next year for 2x what he thought possible. Could be you.

Works Cited

Internal Systems and Tools: