Amazon + Google Ads: driving and measuring external traffic
Amazon and Google are two walled gardens, so connecting them is about attribution, not a native pixel. The tool is Amazon Attribution, which measures Google Ads traffic sent to Amazon listings, and the brand referral bonus, which rewards it. This guide covers how iClick drives and measures external Google traffic to Amazon without flying blind.
A 47-point written audit of your Google, Meta or Shopping account, back in five business days.
Get your auditBook a callWhat this integration unlocks
- Measurement of Google Ads traffic sent to Amazon listings
- Amazon Attribution tags that report clicks, detail-page views, and sales
- Eligibility for the Amazon brand referral bonus on external traffic
- Insight into which Google campaigns actually drive Amazon sales
- A way to grow Amazon organic rank with off-platform demand
Setup steps
- 1
Set up Amazon Attribution
Amazon Attribution, available to brand-registered sellers, generates tagged links for external traffic sources. Create attribution tags for your Google Ads campaigns so clicks to your Amazon listings are measured.
Without attribution tags, Google-to-Amazon traffic is invisible, and you cannot tell which campaigns drive marketplace sales.
- 2
Use the tagged links as Google Ads destinations
Point your Google Ads final URLs at the Amazon Attribution tagged links so each campaign, ad group, or keyword can be measured separately. Structure the tags to match the granularity you want in reporting.
Test that the tagged link redirects correctly to the listing and that clicks register in the Amazon Attribution console.
- 3
Claim the brand referral bonus
Amazon's brand referral bonus rewards external traffic that converts by crediting back a share of referral fees. Enroll so the Google traffic you drive to Amazon earns that bonus, improving the economics of sending outside demand to the marketplace.
Confirm your attribution tags are linked so the bonus is credited to the right traffic.
- 4
Reconcile and interpret
Amazon Attribution reports clicks, detail-page views, add-to-carts, and purchases. Read these alongside Google Ads cost to compute a real cost per Amazon sale. Remember external traffic also feeds Amazon organic rank, so judge the effort on both direct sales and the rank lift, not direct return alone.
Common issues
Fix. You are sending traffic to a plain Amazon URL. Route it through Amazon Attribution tagged links so clicks and sales are reported against your Google campaigns.
Fix. Amazon Attribution and the brand referral bonus need Amazon Brand Registry. Complete brand registration before expecting to measure or be rewarded for external traffic.
Fix. Account for the brand referral bonus and the organic rank lift that external demand generates. External traffic often pays back through improved rank, not only immediate conversions.
Fix. Google and Amazon are separate systems and will not tie out perfectly. Use Amazon Attribution as the marketplace source of truth and Google Ads for cost, and accept some discrepancy.
Common questions
Want this checked on your own account?
A 47-point written audit of your Google, Meta, or Shopping account. Five business days, no sales call.
