How to Secure Top-of-Search Placement for Branded Keywords on Amazon

TL;DR

• Branded keywords are expensive on Amazon, and competitors aggressively bid on them, causing sellers to lose up to 80 percent of branded clicks in some categories.

• Organic ranking alone can’t protect your brand anymore because Sponsored Brands ads now sit above your best ASINs, making paid visibility essential.

• With Reserve Share of Voice, your ad consistently appears first whenever shoppers search your brand, giving predictable visibility across desktop and mobile.

• Only Brand Registered sellers running Sponsored Brands campaigns can reserve branded terms, and Amazon validates each keyword for ownership.

• Strong creatives, a polished Brand Store, and ongoing optimization help maximize performance and engagement from your reserved placements.

Every Amazon seller today is feeling the same pressure, even if no one says it out loud: branded keywords are expensive on Amazon, competitors are getting more aggressive, and holding your top spot is becoming harder by the day.

Shoppers still start their journey with a search, but the fight for visibility has turned into a full-time battle. One missed placement, and a competitor grabs the sale that should have been yours. That’s why protecting your branded searches is no longer optional; it is survival. This is exactly where top-of-search placement with Reserve Share of Voice changes the game. 

Instead of reacting to rising CPCs, unstable placements, and endless bid wars, sellers can now reserve the most valuable search position at a fixed price. This means predictable visibility, stronger brand control, and better protection of the customers already looking for you.

If you want consistent visibility on your branded terms, this guide breaks down everything you need to know.

Why does the top-of-search matter for sellers?

Top-of-search is the prime shelf space for your brand keywords on Amazon, the place where decisions are made in seconds. Research shows that 70% of Amazon shoppers begin their journey with a search, and 1 in 5 searches include a brand name. That means shoppers looking for your brand already have high intent and are the easiest to convert.

But if a competitor grabs that top spot, the shopper’s attention shifts instantly, and your conversions take the hit, even though they typed your brand name. Further, relying on organic ranking won’t save you anymore; Amazon’s ads-first layout pushes paid placements above your best-performing ASINs. 

This is exactly why you must actively protect branded keywords on Amazon. Securing top-of-search ensures you’re the first thing shoppers see, keeps rivals from hijacking your branded traffic, and preserves the trust your brand has already earned.

The challenge sellers face today with branded keyword protection

Amazon sellers today are fighting a real battle when it comes to protecting their branded keywords. Competitors keep bidding aggressively on your brand terms, which pushes up CPCs and pushes your products out of sight. 

In some busy categories, up to 80% of branded clicks are now landing on competitor listings, even when shoppers were clearly looking for you. That’s why it’s getting harder to secure brand keyword visibility on Amazon and keep your high-intent customers from drifting away. It’s frustrating, it’s expensive, and sellers feel this pressure every single day. Here are some challenges sellers face: 

• Competitors targeting your brand terms to steal high-intent traffic

• Rising CPCs that make even simple brand protection expensive

• Sponsored Brands placements are shifting constantly, even with strong bids

• Unstable visibility during peak hours, events, or high traffic days

• Manual bid changes are failing to secure a consistent top of search

• Sudden impression drops that happen without a clear explanation

• Organic ranking pushed down by multiple ad formats

• Competitors launching Sponsored Brands with aggressive budgets

• Losing warm buyers because your own brand ad does not show up on time

With all these challenges stacking up, sellers are now asking a simple question: What is the best way to defend brand searches on Amazon without constantly chasing bids and losing control of placements? 

Traditional tactics are no longer enough because competitors move faster, CPCs keep rising, and Sponsored Brands’ visibility changes by the hour. Sellers need a solution that locks in presence at the exact moment shoppers look for their brand. 

This is where Amazon’s new reserve Share of Voice becomes a breakthrough solution and gives brands a predictable, stable way to secure top-of-search.

What is the Amazon Reserve Share of Voice?

Amazon’s reserve Share of Voice is a new feature inside Sponsored Brands that lets you lock in top-of-search visibility for your branded keywords at a fixed price. Instead of fighting daily bid wars or hoping your ad shows up, you reserve that prime placement upfront.

When shoppers search for your brand, your ad consistently appears in the most visible spot, which strengthens trust and keeps competitors out of the way.

A simple example of the reserve share of voice for Sponsored Brands

It also gives you predictable costs and clearer planning since you know exactly what you are paying for that visibility. In simple terms, it offers a straightforward way to control one of the most important moments in the shopping journey, when customers actively search for your brand.

How does reserve Share of Voice help secure top-of-search?

Reserve Share of Voice gives sellers a simple and reliable way to secure top-of-search for their branded keywords without getting trapped in constant bid battles. Instead of guessing how much to bid or worrying about competitors jumping ahead, you reserve your branded terms upfront at a fixed price.

This creates predictable visibility every time shoppers search for your brand. It is one of the easiest ways to build an Amazon top-of-search strategy for brand terms that actually works in today’s competitive environment.

Here’s how the setup works in practice. You choose the exact match branded keywords you want to protect, then reserve them directly in the ads console. Once reserved, your Sponsored Brands ad automatically appears in the top-of-search placement across desktop and mobile whenever customers type those terms. 

You don’t need to redesign creatives or build anything new. Your existing Sponsored Brands assets, like your logo, headline, collection ad, or video, plug in smoothly. Shoppers searching for your brand consistently see your ad first, your visibility stays stable, and planning becomes far easier because you know exactly what you’re paying to protect your brand presence.

Pro tip: Reserve your branded keywords before big events like launches, seasonal peaks, or Prime Day. This guarantees you hold top-of-search when shopper intent is highest, and keep brand ads visible during peak traffic and so that competitors can’t grab your traffic.

How to qualify and launch your campaign?

Reserve Share of Voice is only available to sellers who are officially enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry and already eligible to run Sponsored Brands campaigns. According to the latest Amazon Sponsored Brands updates for 2025, this feature is designed to give real brand owners tighter control over how their brand appears in search results. 

It also ensures competitors cannot reserve your branded terms or block your visibility. If you’re a registered brand with access to Sponsored Brands, you can start reserving your branded keywords and secure consistent top-of-search placement, keeping your brand front and center where it matters most.

Eligibility criteria:

• You must be enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry.

• Your campaign must use a Sponsored Brands ad format (logo, headline, collection ad, or video).

• Only branded keywords directly tied to your brand or trademarked products can be reserved.

• All keywords must pass Amazon’s brand validation check.

• Any rejected keywords can be appealed through the “Contact us for help” option in the Ads Console.

How to launch a Sponsored Brands campaign: Step-by-step setup overview

Secure Your Brand Keywords with Sponsored Brands’ Reserve Share of Voice

• Create a new campaign: Go to the Amazon Ads console and start a Sponsored Brands campaign.

• Select your goal: Choose “Reserve Share of Voice” to get fixed pricing and top-of-search placement with Reserve Share of Voice for your branded keywords.

• Add branded keywords: Amazon checks eligibility and shows estimated traffic and costs for each term.

• Choose your reservation period: Pick a campaign flight (30–90 days) based on launches, promotions, or seasonal peaks.

• Upload creatives: Use your existing logo, headline, product collections, or video to make your brand stand out at the top of search.

Best practices to improve brand discoverability on Amazon

Strong creative plays a huge role in how well your reserve Share of Voice campaigns perform. Since this feature gives you a fixed price on top-of-search Amazon ads, your creative becomes the deciding factor in whether shoppers click, explore, and convert. When people search for your brand, they expect clarity, trust, and relevance. Your creative should deliver that in seconds.

1. Put your brand front and center

Start with a clear, visible logo so shoppers instantly know it is your brand. Keep your headline short and aligned with your branded keyword. For example, if someone searches for “GlowSkin,” a clean headline like “Explore new GlowSkin essentials” works better than a promotional slogan. Stick to your brand colors and tone so your ads feel familiar and consistent.

2. Highlight the products shoppers love most

Highlight your top sellers or hero products. Shoppers searching your brand are already warm, so show them what they most likely want. For example, if your hero item is a stainless steel bottle, use a crisp lifestyle image of it on a desk or in a gym bag. This instantly lifts engagement.

3. Keep your message clear, simple, and relevant

Match your message to the shopper intent behind the reserved keyword. If they type your brand plus a product type, such as “BrewHaven coffee maker,” keep the ad focused on that product line. This also helps reduce brand keyword CPC on Amazon because relevance improves click efficiency.

4. Guide shoppers to a strong, well-built Brand Store

Link your ad to a polished Brand Store so shoppers experience a smooth Amazon brand search funnel optimization. Make sure the Store has clear sections, updated images, and featured items.

5. Update and improve your creatives regularly

Update creatives for seasonal events or new launches. A simple A/B test for your lifestyle image vs product only can show what your audience prefers. Review CTR and Order per Search to refine what works best.

Pro tip: Use video creatives alongside your reserved keywords to make your products stand out and grab the attention of shoppers who are ready to buy.

Tracking your top-of-search impression share shows how much visibility your reserved branded keywords are getting, while CTR highlights shopper engagement. Consistent, high-visibility placements drive real performance, such as more orders, new-to-brand sales, and recaptured opportunities. The insights you gain help you make smarter decisions on how to spend on Amazon advertising for maximum impact.

Bottom line

Securing top-of-search for your branded keywords is essential for protecting your brand, driving conversions, and staying ahead of competitors. With reserve Share of Voice, sellers can lock in visibility, control costs, and ensure their brand consistently appears where shoppers are ready to buy. 

Pairing this with strong creatives, video, and a polished Brand Store maximizes engagement and performance. For sellers looking to make the most of this opportunity, expert support can make a huge difference.

The Amazon advertising management services from eStore Factory help brands plan, launch, and optimize their reserve Share of Voice campaigns efficiently, ensuring predictable visibility, higher CTRs, and better ROI.