Question me this about ASIN and keywords

[dgcasey]

I'd been reading that using an ASIN as a keyword was better than using the title of the book because it would be more precise. So, I conducted a small experiment. I looked at the top impression getter for a book title in one of my ads and added the ASIN as a keyword for that book. The results are astounding. The book title still gets thousands of impressions without fail. The ASIN? Zilch. Zero. Nada. Not one single impression after two weeks. Is there supposed to be some sort of secret on how to use the number?  I know we can't be expecting people to be searching for books by ASINs. I don't believe I've ever searched for a book that way and doubt anyone else does, too.

So, what would be the point of sticking an ASIN into a keyword slot in an ad if it's not going to bring up even one impression?

[Bill Hiatt]

I might be inclined to question the validity of the ideas that ASINs would be good keywords--and for exactly the reason you've indicated. Almost nobody searches by ASINs. The average customer is going to search by title if they know which book they're looking for. They aren't  likely to know the ASIN unless they're already staring at the product page.

Or am I missing something?

[notthatamanda]

If you want your ad to appear on a specific book, and even the specific format of that book, you can target that ASIN number via choosing the product to target rather than entering keywords.

[dgcasey]

If you want your ad to appear on a specific book, and even the specific format of that book, you can target that ASIN number via choosing the product to target rather than entering keywords.

Okay, I understand that, which is why I included the ASIN in my list of keywords. I wanted to see if I could get impressions for that one book by ASIN. I haven't got even one impression, even though the title still gets thousands of impressions. It doesn't seem to be working that way. One thing I did notice is that if I search by ASIN I don't get taken to the product page. I get a Search Results page and then have to click on the book to go to its page, which probably negates the ASIN in the keyword results of the ad.

One thing, I'm still capturing one of the first three or four spots in the Sponsored carousel on that book's page. But, they are all listed under the title keyword placement.

Curiouser and curiouser.
 

[notthatamanda]

Using ASIN number as a keyword is not the same as using product placement instead of keywords.  You can search for the product by the name of the book or by the ASIN number.

[Bill Hiatt]

Using ASIN number as a keyword is not the same as using product placement instead of keywords.  You can search for the product by the name of the book or by the ASIN number.

I just set up a new ad, so you'd think I would have remembered that, but no! I'd already forgotten it. Yes, you can do that with product placement.

I've sometimes wished that AMS would let us mix and match on all ad types. There are some things I'd like to target using products and categories, and some things I'd like to target using keywords. Of course, I can have two ads for the same book and often do, but it would be nice to have the flexibility.

[notthatamanda]

You can use a portfolio and group them together like that to make looking at them a little easier I guess.  It is kind of weird that they don't let you mix them.