Question

When reviewing search term reports, I noticed that some keywords are listed as ‘Other ASINs.’ Why does Amazon anonymize search terms, and how can I still optimize targeting?

Answer 1

 The label ‘Other ASINs’ in Amazon search term reports refers to anonymized data, amazon hides the exact search queries or product targets for certain impressions and clicks. This isn’t a glitch. It’s a privacy and data protection measure Amazon has rolled out in recent years. 

While you can’t see every search term, you can still gather insights and improve performance using these tactics:

1. Use Category and Brand-Level Targeting

• Instead of going after individual ASINs, group your targeting:

  • Target by category + refine by price range, star rating, Prime eligibility, etc.

  • Target by brands that are relevant competitors.

This helps fill the gap left by anonymized ASIN data.

2. Leverage Product Opportunity Explorer

• Amazon’s Product Opportunity Explorer (available in Seller Central) helps you discover related search terms and product clusters with demand — even if they don’t show up in your report.

3. Add High-Performing Known ASINs Manually

• Use tools like Helium 10, Jungle Scout, or Amazon Brand Analytics (if available) to research competing ASINs.

• Add them manually to your product targeting ad groups.

4. Monitor Category Benchmarks

• Within Amazon Ads reports or brand metrics (if brand-registered), look at category conversion rate averages.

• If your campaign underperforms while “Other ASINs” shows high impressions, consider refining your targeting or excluding weak performers.

5. Use Negative Targeting Broadly

• If certain themes or types of competitors consistently bring poor conversions even if anonymized use negative ASIN or category targeting to exclude them.

Bonus Tip:

Build a tracking sheet to monitor trends in "Other ASINs" over time. If clicks increase but conversions don’t, something’s off — this can help you shift spend to better-performing segments.