What is one of the most competitive spaces you have ever been to?

Some of you will say it was the space in front of Apple’s stores for the newest iPhone. Or the last concert of your favorite band.

For Amazonians, it is the Top-of-search (ToS) advertising position.

What are ToS and ToS Impression Share (ToS IS), and why are they so important?

• Top-of-search is the first advertising line of placements before your organic positions. It almost guarantees your ad a higher Click-Through-Rate (CTR) and Conversion Rate (CVR) than a non-sponsored one.

If you are utilizing your ads correctly, the only ToS positions you spend your advertising budget on should be relevant. There is no need to invest in less relevant keywords (KWs) because buyers click on the most valuable, regardless of whether it’s sponsored or not.

• Top-of-search Impression Share shows how many impressions (on a % basis) of all the searches in a particular KW your placement has received on ToS.

Example: If your ToS IS gets 20%, you know that you have been in the ToS position for 20% of the time for a chosen period. Your competitors and other listings have been there for the rest 80% of the time.

Usually, for the best KWs, you can increase your bids to keep them up longer and drop your Average-Cost-of-Sales (ACoS) to get more sales. If your KW converts well, you put it in a position where it converts better than your competitors. Overall, it’s a good move for your organic ranking.

ToS gives us an excellent understanding of the market within a chosen KW. You can decide if it is worth pushing more or consider another KW where ads would be more beneficial and relevant for your performance.

Advertising on ToS is cost-effective if you play the game with a proper strategy and have the budget to do it.