What are substitutes and complements in Amazon PPC?
Substitutes and complements in Amazon PPC are automatic Sponsored Products targeting groups: substitutes can reach shoppers viewing similar products, while complements can reach shoppers viewing products that can be used with yours. Amazon selects the product relationships, so these groups differ from manually choosing ASIN targets. A substitute serves a similar need to your advertised product. If you sell a reusable paperless coffee filter, another compatible reusable filter could be a substitute: the shopper may choose one instead of the other. The opportunity is to offer a relevant alternative. A complement is something used alongside your product. A compatible pour-over coffee dripper could complement that filter. The shopper considering the dripper may also need a filter, but compatibility must be genuine. These examples explain the relationship; they do not mean Amazon will necessarily match those particular products. They use product relationships, but the controls differ. In automatic targeting, Amazon chooses the eligible relationships for substitutes and complements. In manual product targeting, you select individual ASINs or categories yourself and manage those targets deliberately. Close match and loose match complete the four automatic targeting groups and focus on search relevance. Substitutes and complements are associated with product-page opportunities, but their names are not placement settings. Use the placement report to confirm where ads actually appeared rather than assuming a particular detail page was guaranteed. Review each group's clicks, spend, orders and ACoS independently. Substitutes may depend heavily on your price, reviews and product advantages; complements may depend heavily on compatibility and whether the shopper needs an additional item. Neither group deserves a higher bid simply because of its name. Inspect reported ASIN traffic where available, check the corresponding product pages, and use supported negative product targets to restrict unsuitable ASINs. Do not use a negative keyword as if it were an ASIN exclusion. Reports do not reveal every possible eligible relationship, and recent sales can take time to appear. Keep or increase bids only when relevance and results support the decision. Reduce the bid or disable a group if it consumes budget without useful outcomes. Avoid treating every product in the same category as a substitute or every related accessory as a complement.
Substitutes reach similar products; complements reach products used with yours. Learn how these Amazon PPC automatic targeting groups differ.