If you've spent time in Amazon Ads campaign settings, you've likely run into "Placement," including Top of Search. Here's what it is, and why bid adjustments are handled separately for this placement.
What is Placement?
The same keyword can trigger your ad in different spots. The main ones are Top of Search (the top of the first search results page), Rest of Search (everywhere else in search results), and Product Pages (other product detail pages). Amazon reports impressions, clicks, and performance separately for each of these.
Why Top of Search gets special treatment
The very top of the first search page is the first thing shoppers see, so click-through rate (CTR) there tends to run well above other placements. That higher click and conversion potential comes with more competition, though, which often means you need a higher bid to actually win that spot. That's why Amazon offers a Top of Search bid adjustment separate from your base bid — it lets you add a percentage on top of your standard bid specifically for this placement.
When to raise or lower the adjustment
Consider raising it: if a keyword is already converting well (solid orders, healthy ACOS) but your Top of Search impression share is low, increasing the bid adjustment can help you capture more of that top placement. This is also common early in a product launch when you want to build search ranking quickly.
Consider lowering it: if Top of Search is generating plenty of clicks but few of them convert, and ACOS there is noticeably higher than other placements, dialing back the adjustment is worth considering. If budget is tight and competition for Top of Search on a given keyword has gotten expensive, shifting more weight toward Rest of Search or Product Pages can be a reasonable alternative.
Let the placement report decide
Rather than assuming Top of Search is always the best spot, compare impressions, clicks, and ACOS by placement in the actual report before adjusting. Which placement performs best can vary by account depending on category and competitive intensity.
Key takeaway
Top of Search offers higher visibility and CTR, but also more competition. Raise the bid adjustment when conversions are strong but top placement share is low; lower it when clicks aren't converting. Either way, base the decision on the actual numbers in your Placement report.