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Most Amazon sellers approach hiring a PPC consultant backwards.

They focus on pricing, promises, and personality instead of diving into the strategic frameworks and proven systems that actually drive results.

We’ve managed over $3.31 billion in revenue for our partners and consistently deliver an 84% average year-over-year profit increase. Through this experience, we’ve identified the critical questions that separate consultants who deliver measurable outcomes from those who simply manage your ad spend.

Here’s exactly what to ask – and the answers you have the right to expect from a consultant who can truly scale your business.

Foundational Questions

1. “Can you walk me through your exact campaign structure framework for brands with multiple products.”

What you’re really asking: Do they have a systematic approach to organizing campaigns for maximum efficiency and performance?

Red flag answers:

• Vague responses about “it depends on the product”
• Generic mentions of campaign types without strategic reasoning
• No clear structure or methodology

What exceptional consultants say: They’ll outline a specific framework. For example:

• Exact Match Brand Defense campaigns for brand protection
• Product-specific Sponsored Products campaigns with tight keyword grouping
• Category-level Sponsored Brands campaigns for broader awareness
• Strategic DSP campaigns targeting competitor audiences

Look for consultants who explain how they organize campaigns to provide clear data attribution and optimization opportunities.

2. “How do you balance short-term sales velocity with long-term profitability in your optimization process?”

What you’re really asking: Can they think strategically beyond immediate ROAS?

Red flag answers:

• Focus only on lowering ACOS without considering sales impact
• No mention of organic ranking benefits from paid advertising
• Inability to explain the relationship between ad spend and long-term growth

What exceptional consultants say: They understand the flywheel effect of Amazon advertising:

• Initial aggressive spending to build sales velocity and organic rankings
• Strategic keyword harvesting from auto campaigns to build targeted manual campaigns
• Gradual optimization toward sustainable target ACOS while maintaining growth
• Investment periods during product launches or seasonal pushes

They’ll reference specific metrics like Total Advertising Cost of Sales (TACOS) and explain how they balance immediate profitability with market share growth.

The Technical Expertise Questions

3. “When you encounter a high ACOS campaign that’s driving strong sales, what’s your exact diagnostic process?”

What you’re really asking: Do they have a systematic troubleshooting methodology?

Red flag answers:

• Immediate suggestion to pause campaigns or drastically reduce bids
• No mention of data analysis or performance attribution
• Generic advice about “optimizing keywords”

What exceptional consultants say: They’ll outline a specific diagnostic framework:

Data Analysis

• Review search term reports for wasted spend
• Analyze conversion rates by keyword match type
• Examine time-of-day and day-of-week performance

Strategic Optimization

• Implement negative keywords to eliminate irrelevant traffic
• Adjust bids based on keyword performance, not blanket reductions
• Test different ad copy and landing page combinations

Attribution Assessment

• Consider organic ranking improvements from ad spend
• Evaluate customer lifetime value, not just immediate conversion
• Assess overall business impact beyond advertising metrics

4. “Describe a specific failing campaign you’ve turned around and the exact steps you took.”

What you’re really asking: Can they demonstrate real problem-solving ability with concrete examples?

Red flag answers:

• Vague success stories without specific metrics
• No clear methodology or systematic approach
• Inability to explain what was actually failing and why

What exceptional consultants say: They’ll provide a detailed case study:

The Problem: “A supplement brand was spending $15,000 monthly with a 67% ACOS and declining sales.”

The Analysis: “We discovered 40% of spend was going to irrelevant broad match keywords, and their product listings weren’t optimized for the traffic they were receiving.”

The Solution:

• Implemented 200+ negative keywords to eliminate waste
• Restructured campaigns into tightly themed ad groups
• Coordinated with listing optimization to improve conversion rates
• Shifted budget allocation from broad match to exact match high-performers

The Results: “Within 60 days, ACOS dropped to 28% while increasing sales by 45%.”

The Strategic Thinking Questions

5. “How do you approach keyword research and bidding for a brand in a competitive category?”

What you’re really asking: Do they understand competitive dynamics and have advanced targeting strategies?

Red flag answers:

• Reliance on basic keyword tools without strategic insight
• No mention of competitive analysis or market positioning
• Simple bidding strategies without nuance

What exceptional consultants say: They’ll explain their systematic approach:

Keyword Research Framework:

• Competitor analysis using tools like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout
• Search volume vs. competition assessment to identify opportunity gaps
• Long-tail keyword discovery from customer search behavior
• Seasonal keyword planning based on historical data

Bidding Strategy:

• Aggressive bidding on high-converting branded terms
• Strategic bidding on competitor keywords where appropriate
• Conservative bidding on broad terms with optimization based on performance
• Dynamic bidding adjustments based on conversion data

6. “How do you determine budget allocation across Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display campaigns?”

What you’re really asking: Do they understand the strategic role of each ad type?

Red flag answers:

• Equal budget splits without strategic reasoning
• Focus on only one campaign type
• No mention of funnel strategy or customer journey

What exceptional consultants say: They’ll explain their allocation framework:

Amazon Sponsored Products (60-70% of budget):

• Primary driver of immediate sales and organic ranking
• Highest ROI for most brands
• Best for testing new keywords and products

Amazon Sponsored Brands (20-30% of budget):

• Brand awareness and cross-selling opportunities
• Higher-funnel targeting for long-term growth
• Premium placement value

Amazon Sponsored Display (5-15% of budget):

• Retargeting and competitor audience capture
• Product targeting for similar items
• Lower-cost brand exposure

They’ll also explain how they adjust these allocations based on your specific goals, competition level, and seasonal factors.

The Accountability Questions

7. “What specific metrics do you track and how do you report on campaign success?”

What you’re really asking: Are they focused on metrics that actually matter to your business?

Red flag answers:

• Focus only on ACOS without context
• Infrequent or unclear reporting
• No mention of business impact beyond advertising metrics

What exceptional consultants say: They’ll outline comprehensive tracking:

Core Advertising Metrics:

• ACOS and TACOS trends
• Click-through rates and conversion rates
• Cost per acquisition by campaign type
• Revenue per click and keyword performance

Business Impact Metrics:

• Organic ranking improvements
• Overall sales velocity changes
• Market share growth in target categories
• Customer lifetime value from advertising

Reporting Framework:

• Weekly performance summaries with key insights
• Monthly strategic reviews with optimization recommendations
• Quarterly business impact assessments
• Real-time dashboard access for ongoing monitoring

8. “How do you handle competitors bidding on our brand terms?”

What you’re really asking: Do they understand brand protection strategy?

Red flag answers:

• Passive approach without defensive strategy
• No mention of brand registry or trademark protection
• Focus only on bidding wars without strategic alternatives

What exceptional consultants say: They’ll explain their brand defense system:

Immediate Actions:

• Aggressive bidding on exact match brand terms
• Comprehensive negative keyword lists for competitors
• Brand Registry for enhanced protection

Strategic Approaches:

• Listing optimization to improve organic ranking and reduce reliance on ads
• Customer education through enhanced brand content
• Competitive intelligence to understand competitor strategies

Long-term Protection:

• Brand building through consistent messaging and experience
• Customer loyalty programs to reduce competitive vulnerability
• Legal protection where appropriate for trademark violations

The Scalability Questions

9. “How do you optimize for international marketplaces and seasonal fluctuations?”

What you’re really asking: Can they handle complex, multi-market strategies?

Red flag answers:

• No experience with international markets
• Generic seasonal approaches without data backing
• Inability to explain cultural or market differences

What exceptional consultants say: They’ll demonstrate sophisticated market understanding:

International Optimization:

• Market-specific keyword research accounting for local search behavior
• Cultural adaptation of ad copy and targeting
• Currency and competition analysis for appropriate bidding
• Local holiday and seasonal calendar integration

Seasonal Strategy:

• Historical data analysis to predict seasonal patterns
• Inventory-based budget allocation to prevent stockouts
• Competitor activity monitoring during peak periods
• Progressive scaling rather than dramatic budget swings

10. “What data would you analyze before recommending we scale our ad spend?”

What you’re really asking: Are they data-driven in their scaling recommendations?

Red flag answers:

• Suggestions to increase budgets without analysis
• Focus only on current performance without scalability assessment
• No mention of inventory or operational capacity

What exceptional consultants say: They’ll outline their scaling framework:

Performance Analysis:

• Keyword headroom assessment to identify expansion opportunities
• Conversion rate stability across increased traffic volumes
• Market share potential in target categories
• Seasonal demand forecasting for timing optimization

Operational Readiness:

• Inventory capacity to handle increased sales
• Listing optimization status to maximize conversion
• Customer service capacity to maintain ratings
• Fulfillment capability to maintain Prime eligibility

Risk Assessment:

• Competitive landscape analysis for sustainable growth
• Profit margin protection during scaling phases
• Market saturation indicators to avoid diminishing returns

The Bottom Line

The right PPC consultant is able to completely build out a systematic growth strategy for your business.

They understand that Amazon advertising is a complex ecosystem where every decision impacts not just immediate ROAS, but long-term organic rankings, brand positioning, and sustainable profitability.

Here’s what separates exceptional consultants:

• Systems-driven approach rather than ad-hoc optimization
• Business impact focus beyond just advertising metrics
• Strategic thinking that balances short-term and long-term goals
• Proven frameworks for handling complex challenges
• Data-backed decision making with clear attribution

Most importantly, they should be able to articulate exactly how their work contributes to your overall business growth, not just lower advertising costs.

How Canopy Management Can Help

At Canopy Management, we’ve developed proprietary systems that consistently deliver results. Our partners achieve an 84% average year-over-year profit increase because we focus on building sustainable, scalable advertising strategies that drive real business growth.

Our approach combines human expertise with custom-built technology to deliver the kind of systematic results that transform Amazon businesses.

Ready to partner with a team that has the systems and expertise to scale your brand?

Let’s discuss how our proven frameworks can accelerate your growth. Schedule a strategy session with our team to discover exactly how we can help you achieve the results you’re looking for.

Canopy Management is a full-service marketing agency for Amazon, Walmart, and TikTok sellers. Our team consists of multi-million dollar, omni-channel entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and award-winning experts. When you consider the many ways that Canopy Management can help you grow your business, you’ll see why selling on Amazon is much easier “under the Canopy.”