Amazon isn’t just shifting strategy. It’s sending a message. In early 2025, Amazon officially pulled out of Google Shopping ads. The pay-to-play section of Google where sellers showcase products above the search results.
If you’re an Amazon seller who depends on traffic and visibility, this change isn’t just news. It impacts your margins, discoverability, and how you structure your listings.
Let’s get into what really happened, why it matters, and what you should do about it.
Why Did Amazon Leave Google Shopping?
Amazon had been increasingly relying on its own ad network(Amazon Ads) which crossed $47 billion in revenue last year. Compare that to Google Shopping, where Amazon was paying for placement on a platform it doesn’t control.
Sellers noticed Amazon’s ads quietly disappearing in late 2024. Internally, the reasoning was clear:
Google Shopping offered less value per dollar spent. Unlike Amazon Ads, where intent is high and user data is in-house, Google’s marketplace meant bidding against competition with no first-party control. That’s not a sustainable ad funnel for a platform built around retention and Prime membership.
Instead, Amazon is doubling down on Sponsored Products, DSP, and off-Amazon retargeting across platforms it owns or can track.
What Does This Mean for Your Amazon Store?
Amazon’s presence on Google gave third-party sellers a tailwind. When someone searched “wireless earbuds” on Google and clicked an Amazon ad, that visibility could trickle down to your listing via Amazon’s product recommendation engine or related search placements.
Now, Google Shopping results are dominated by Walmart, Target, and DTC brands. Amazon listings are gone. That means one less path for cold leads to land on your page.
And yes, that affects conversion. More than 52% of product searches still start on Google. If Amazon isn’t meeting buyers there, someone else will.
Will Amazon Ads Replace the Loss in Traffic?
Yes, with the exit from Google, Amazon is aggressively pushing in-platform advertising. Sponsored Brand placements, DSP retargeting, and even Amazon Influencer Program traffic are all scaling. But you’re now more dependent on Amazon Ads to get noticed.
That raises your ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale) and squeezes organic reach for sellers who don’t keep up.
To stay visible, sellers must refine ad targeting, manage budgets aggressively, and understand how Amazon ranks listings with or without paid support. That’s a different skill set than just having good SEO.
How Should Sellers Adjust Their Strategy?
Here’s what top-performing sellers are already doing:
- Doubling down on Amazon brand stores. Without Google Shopping feeding discovery, your brand presence inside Amazon matters more.
- Improving listing quality. Crisp titles, relevant keywords, and smart bullet formatting impact everything from ad relevance to ranking.
- Running smarter Sponsored Product campaigns. Set tighter budgets, test ad copy, and monitor competitor placements weekly.
- Using external traffic tactically. Influencer partnerships and off-Amazon content like TikTok and YouTube can now bridge the gap.
If you were relying on passive discoverability through Google-backed Amazon links, that cushion is gone. Your ad stack, your visuals, and your keyword targeting now need to work overtime.
What If You Sell in a Crowded Category?
Since Google is no longer a referral channel for Amazon, other retailers are jumping in. Walmart, Target, and Shopify sellers are happy to take that traffic. And Google’s algorithm prioritizes brands that participate in Shopping ads.
That puts pressure on crowded categories like home goods, electronics, and fitness. Your job isn’t just to survive the traffic drop. It’s to outmaneuver sellers who are investing in new tactics.
Smaller sellers should consider niche focus and retention tactics (like Subscribe & Save or bundles). You can’t outspend big brands, but you can out-strategize them.
What Are New Sellers Missing About This Shift?
Many new sellers assume Amazon controls the customer journey from end to end. Not anymore.
By quitting Google Shopping, Amazon gave up a major touchpoint in that journey. That makes your listing strategy, your ad structure, and your offer positioning more critical than ever.
The Amazon Flywheel (traffic > conversion > ranking > sales) now relies more on internal mechanics. Which means the margin of error is thinner. Poorly optimized listings or broad ad targeting will sink your visibility.
If you’re not measuring ACoS, tracking CTR, and refining backend keywords weekly, you’re behind.
How This Move Connects to Amazon’s Bigger Strategy
Amazon isn’t retreating. It’s consolidating. Google Shopping was a bridge to bring customers in. Amazon is now focused on building walls around its own ecosystem: Prime, Alexa, Amazon Ads, Buy with Prime.
The goal? Keep the customer loop internal. Control the data, the spend, the journey.
Sellers must understand that this means tighter policies, more ad pressure, and a bigger demand for optimization. It also creates opportunities for sellers who play the internal system better than their competition.
The move also connects to larger trends, including the impact of AI on search and product discovery. Amazon is investing heavily in AI-generated listing enhancements, predictive ad targeting, and smarter search rankings. The smarter your listings, the more Amazon helps you win.
Where You Might Be Losing Sales Without Realizing
If your store is getting less organic traffic, the root cause might not be your product. It might be Amazon’s reduced visibility from external platforms.
We’ve reviewed dozens of seller accounts post-Google shift and found the same story:
- Ad performance dipped.
- Impressions dropped.
- ACoS went up.
Fixing that means reviewing your targeting, updating your visuals, and tracking conversion per keyword.
Sellers who ignore this shift will keep losing to brands that restructured early.
Manage Amazon Helps Sellers Adapt, Not Just React
We don’t just manage your campaigns. We run your store like a data-driven business.
From auditing your listings products to monitoring ACoS trends, we help sellers navigate platform changes without burning budget. We adjust your Sponsored Product strategy, test DSP flows, and build automation so you don’t rely on outdated tactics.
If the Google Shopping exit caught you off guard, we’ll help catch you up and then push you ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Amazon stop running ads on Google Shopping?
Amazon pulled out of Google Shopping because the return on ad spend was lower than its own platform. It wanted more control over user data and ad placements, which it couldn’t get from Google.
How does this impact my product listings on Amazon?
This impacts your listings by removing a potential stream of discovery through Google searches. With less external traffic coming in, your listings must now compete harder inside Amazon’s own ecosystem.
What can I do to make up for the lost visibility?
You can focus on improving your in-platform advertising, optimizing your listings, and investing in off-Amazon traffic like influencer marketing or email campaigns.
Do sellers need to increase their ad budgets now?
Most likely yes. Since Amazon is investing more into its internal ads, competition for visibility has gone up. If your current ad budget isn’t performing well, it may need to be restructured or increased.
Can Manage Amazon help fix traffic or ad performance issues?
Yes. Manage Amazon works with sellers to improve ad structure, reduce ACoS, and optimize listings to stay competitive even after major policy changes like this.
Final Word
Walking away from Google Shopping wasn’t a retreat. It was a full shift toward owning the entire customer experience. That puts the pressure on sellers to refine what they can control: ads, listings, pricing, and presence.
This is where things get tactical. At Manage Amazon, we work directly with sellers who don’t want to fall behind every time Amazon makes a policy move. We help you respond with precision, not panic. If you’re unsure what to fix or how to scale, we’re here to make the next step easier and smarter.
