Module 9 · Lesson 3
Reading Reports & Diagnosing Problems
What you’ll learn
- The core reports and what each one answers
- How to tell an ad problem from a listing problem
- Diagnosing campaigns by their symptom
- The right fix for each symptom
Optimisation is really diagnosis — reading the data to find what’s actually wrong, then applying the right fix. Change the wrong lever and you waste weeks. This lesson makes you a better diagnostician.
The core reports
Search Term Report
The actual searches your ads showed for. Your source for negatives and keyword harvesting.
Placement Report
Performance by placement (In-grid, Carousel, Buy Box). Drives your multiplier decisions.
Product / Item Report
Performance per product. Reveals which listings convert and which drag.
Custom Reports
Build your own view — orders, units, sales, conversion rate, average CPC — to answer specific questions.
Ad problem or listing problem?
This single distinction saves more wasted spend than any other. Before you touch a bid, ask where the breakdown is:
- If a product gets clicks but few sales (50+ clicks, <3% CVR), the ad is doing its job — the listing is failing to convert. Fix the page, not the bid.
- If a product converts well but gets little traffic, the listing is fine — it’s an advertising issue (bid, keywords or budget).
Diagnose by symptom
Low impressions
Your bid is too low, keywords too narrow, or budget capped. → Raise bids, broaden keywords, or lift budget.
Impressions but low CTR
Your listing isn’t compelling in results, or the match is off. → Improve title/main image, or tighten targeting.
Clicks but low CVR
The product page isn’t closing. → Fix the listing: images, content, price, reviews, availability.
Winning but unprofitable
ACoS above margin. → Lower bids toward your max CPC, cut waste terms, or improve conversion.
Price and stock are silent killers
Two things ads can’t fix: an uncompetitive price (which can also cost you the Buy Box and stop ads entirely) and low stock. Always check these before blaming the campaign — they masquerade as advertising problems.
Quick recap
- Use the right report: Search Term for terms, Placement for multipliers, Product for listings.
- Separate ad problems from listing problems — clicks-but-no-sales is a listing issue.
- Diagnose by symptom: low impressions, low CTR, low CVR and unprofitable each have a distinct fix.
- Rule out price and stock first — they often masquerade as campaign problems.