Using Google Ads to Sell Amazon Products

Why Google Ads can be a smart way to sell Amazon products

Selling on Amazon is amazing for built-in traffic, but it also means competing in the same crowded aisle as everyone else. Google Ads gives you a different advantage: you can reach shoppers earlier, when they’re searching on Google with strong intent—then send them to your Amazon listing to buy.

The real unlock is measurement. Amazon Attribution is an Amazon Ads measurement solution designed to show the on-Amazon impact of marketing from non-Amazon channels (including Google). So instead of “hoping” Google Ads works, you can track what it actually does: detail page views, add-to-carts, and purchases tied back to the clicks you paid for.

First, clear up the confusion: two different meanings of “Sell Amazon Products”

This topic gets messy because “Sell Amazon Products” can mean two very different things:

• You are an Amazon seller (Brand Owner or Seller Central seller) driving traffic to your own listings.
• You are an affiliate/creator trying to promote Amazon products using special links.

This blog is mainly about the first scenario—brands and sellers using Google Ads for Amazon Products to increase sales of their own ASINs—because that’s where Amazon Attribution fits cleanly. If you’re doing the affiliate route, Google Ads can work, but policies and “thin/bridge page” issues come into play fast, and Amazon’s rules often require sending users to your site first rather than directly to Amazon.

The core system: Amazon Attribution + Google Ads

If there’s one thing to get right, it’s this: don’t run Google Ads to Amazon “blind.” Use Amazon Attribution so every campaign has a tracking link, and you can see whether the traffic is buying or just browsing.

Amazon describes Amazon Attribution as an advertising measurement solution that provides insight into the on-Amazon impact of marketing strategies across non-Amazon channels. In plain language, it connects the dots between your Google click and your Amazon outcome.

What Amazon Attribution helps you measure (practically)

When people talk about “off-Amazon traffic,” they often only measure clicks. But clicks alone are a vanity metric if buyers don’t convert on Amazon. Amazon Attribution is meant to show the impact beyond the click so you can optimize what’s actually driving purchases.

How Attribution tags usually get added to Google Ads

A common setup is generating an Amazon Attribution tag for Google Ads and implementing it in Google Ads using a tracking template (often at account or campaign level). Guides also mention that Amazon Attribution tags can support macros (so IDs can pass through dynamically for campaign/adgroup/creative tracking).

Translation: you can track performance by campaign, ad group, and even creative variation—without manually making a hundred separate links.

Can you use Google Shopping Ads for Amazon product listings?

This is one of the most asked questions: Can You Use Google Shopping Ads for Amazon Product? Technically, Shopping ads usually require a product feed and a verified domain/website experience (and in many cases, the Merchant Center setup is tied to a site you control). 

That’s why many sellers don’t run Shopping ads directly to Amazon listings and instead use a landing page strategy or focus on Google Search ads to Amazon.

Also, Google Ads policies can be strict about “thin” pages and destination quality, especially in affiliate-style setups, where a page exists mainly to bounce users elsewhere. If the path looks like “ad → thin page → Amazon,” disapprovals can happen under destination/insufficient original content expectations.

So yes, people talk about Shopping ads in the Amazon context—but for most Amazon sellers, Search campaigns are the cleaner starting point.

The traffic paths that actually work (pick one)

There are three common ways sellers run Google Ads for Amazon Products, and each has a different level of control and tracking.

Path A: Google Search Ad → Amazon listing (fastest)

This is the simplest route. You run Search ads for high-intent keywords and send the click to your Amazon product listing using your Amazon Attribution link. It’s straightforward, and you can get results quickly if your listing converts.

The downside is you have limited control over the shopping experience once they land on Amazon.

Path B: Google Search Ad → landing page → Amazon listing (most control)

This path gives you more control: you can pre-sell, educate, handle objections, and warm people up before they hit Amazon. The catch is you must make the landing page genuinely valuable (not a “bridge page”), because Google’s destination requirements can reject thin experiences—especially common in affiliate patterns.

If you choose this path, think “helpful page first,” not “click funnel.”

Path C: Google Ads → Storefront/collection page on Amazon (brand-friendly)

Some brands prefer pushing traffic to a brand storefront or a curated selection, especially if they have multiple hero products and want shoppers to browse. Amazon Attribution still helps measure outcomes from non-Amazon traffic sources.

How to run Google Ads for Amazon products (step-by-step)

Here’s the execution flow that keeps things clean and measurable.

Step 1: Make sure the Amazon side is ready to convert

Google Ads doesn’t “fix” a weak listing, it just sends more people to see it. Before spending heavily, ensure:

• The main image is strong and clear.
• Price makes sense for the category.
• Reviews and rating aren’t a red flag.
• Bullets answer real objections quickly.

Step 2: Set up Amazon Attribution

Amazon’s own description is clear: Amazon Attribution is built to measure non-Amazon marketing impact on Amazon performance. Create attribution links for the products/pages you’ll advertise, aligned to your campaign structure so reporting stays readable.

Step 3: Build a simple Google Search campaign first

Start with Search because it captures intent (people literally type what they want). Separate your campaigns by intent:

• “Brand” keywords (your brand name + product).
• “Competitor comparison” keywords (careful with trademark rules).
• “Category intent” keywords (best, buy, price, for + use case).

Step 4: Add the Attribution link properly in Google Ads

A common method is using the Amazon Attribution tag as a tracking URL template in Google Ads (account or campaign level), so the tracking parameters flow through consistently. This helps you avoid messy reporting where half the traffic is tagged and half is not.

Step 5: Watch search terms like a hawk (and cut fast)

If you’re paying for clicks that don’t convert on Amazon, don’t “wait it out.” Use attribution reporting to identify waste and tighten targeting.

What to track so you don’t waste money

When sellers try Google Ads and quit, it’s usually because they track the wrong thing. They’ll look at Google CTR and think they’re winning, while Amazon conversions quietly say otherwise.

Using Amazon Attribution, optimize around outcomes that matter on Amazon (not just clicks). Amazon’s documentation frames Attribution as a measurement solution to understand impact from non-Amazon channels, which is exactly what you need to judge ROI.

The most common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Let’s save you from the expensive learning curve.

Mistake 1: Sending cold traffic to a “meh” listing

If the listing doesn’t convert, the ad cost becomes a tax. Fix the listing first, then scale ads.

Mistake 2: Building a thin landing page that Google dislikes

Google Ads affiliate marketing guidance often warns that pages that mainly bounce visitors elsewhere (classic thin/bridge affiliate pages) can be disapproved under destination requirements / insufficient original content expectations. Even if you’re not an affiliate, the lesson is the same: make your page useful, original, and genuinely informative.

Mistake 3: Not tagging properly (so you never learn)

If your links aren’t tagged, you can’t separate “ads that feel good” from “ads that produce profit.” The whole point of Amazon Attribution is to measure off-Amazon campaigns and optimize with real feedback.

“Selling products to Amazon” vs “selling on Amazon” (quick reality check)

Sometimes people search Selling Products to Amazon when they actually mean becoming a vendor or supplying Amazon directly. That’s a different business model than running Google Ads to your Amazon listings as a third-party seller. This article is focused on using Google Ads to drive customers to buy your product on Amazon, measured via Amazon Attribution.

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