The Brutal Truth About Amazon FBA (And How to Pivot to D2C)

Welcome back to the PPC Den podcast! Today we’re catching up with Francis Leger, co-owner of GS Plant Foods, to talk about the harsh realities of selling on Amazon in 2026.Let's be honest, the days of easily launching a profitable product from your bedroom with fifty bucks are long gone. Francis gets totally real about why Amazon has become such a frustrating and expensive barrier to entry, complete with random listing suspensions and endless bureaucratic headaches. Because of this margin squeeze, his two-person team is actively pivoting to build out their own independent D2C website.Instead of just playing around with trendy AI tools, Francis shares a brilliant, practical approach: look at your daily workflow and hand the tedious stuff over to a computer. He even shares a great story about how they built a custom script to automatically check their Amazon Buy Box across all 50 states to catch sneaky account issues instantly. Grab a coffee and join us for a really honest, refreshing conversation about surviving and thriving in e-commerce today.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:00 - Intro02:40 - Why building a Shopify D2C website is now an absolute must04:02 - Why you can no longer start on Amazon with just $5006:30 - The nightmare of arbitrary Amazon delistings 15:21 - How we built a custom AI script to check our Buy Box in all 50 states19:47 - Stop asking "What can AI do?" and look at your org chart instead25:25 - The danger of building yourself a job instead of a business30:44 - How to get a business to run itself 33:23 - The one thing you can never outsource to AI36:47 - Why the fundamentals of business haven't changed in 100 years42:10 - Outro🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingCheck out Francis Leger and GS Plant Foods at gsplantfoods.com — where healthy plants (and smart business decisions) are always in season.Successful Ecommerce Entrepreneur On Business, Scaling 10x, and Finding the Right PartnersHow to Find Products That Sell OrganicallyHow To Use Psychology To Master Amazon PPC (Classic)Who to hire for your Amazon Growth Team  (Classic)What’s the Best Way to Manage an Amazon Brand? Exploring Agency Strategies📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Francis LegerSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

Have you ever scaled your Amazon PPC campaigns only to watch your organic sales completely drop off? In this episode, Michael and Amazon advertising expert Brent Zahradnik tackle a fantastic listener question where a brand's ad sales tripled, but their organic sales actually decreased year-over-year.They dive deep into the real reasons behind this frustrating scenario, exploring whether aggressive ad spend is truly cannibalizing organic placements or if there are other hidden factors at play, such as shrinking overall search volume or overspending on highly dominant branded keywords. It is a common fear for Amazon sellers and PPC managers alike, but the reality of how the algorithm balances paid and organic traffic is rarely straightforward. To help you navigate this exact problem, the guys break down the actionable strategies and metrics you need to measure true ad incrementality.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​00:00 - Intro01:50 - Listener Question: Ad Sales Tripled, Organic Dropped04:05 - What is a "Healthy" Organic vs. Paid Sales Ratio?06:00 - Defining PPC Cannibalization & Incrementality08:10 - Scenario A: Overspending on Branded Keywords10:20 - Scenario B & C: Did PPC Save the Brand or Did the Market Shrink?15:30 - How to Fix It Step 1: Track Organic vs. Paid Percentage16:44 - Why Historic Rank Tracking Still Matters19:10 - Step 2: Using Search Query Performance Data22:15 - Step 3: Running a Holdout Test with AMC26:24 - Final Verdict: Does PPC Actually Cannibalize 100% of Sales?27:50 - Where to Find Brent🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingWhere to find Brent Zahradnik of SellerPlexManaging Amazon Ads in Tough Times to Protect Your Organic SalesHow to Find Products That Sell OrganicallyHow Can I Grow My Organic Sales Percentage For Amazon PPC Campaigns?📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Brent ZahradnikSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

Are your Amazon sales dropping and your ACoS skyrocketing? Before you take a sledgehammer to your PPC campaigns, you need to look under the hood of your business.In this episode, Michael sits down with Elizabeth Greene from Junglr to discuss why the biggest threats to your Amazon advertising performance usually have nothing to do with your ads. They break down the exact weekly "push-pull" diagnostic report they use to uncover 5 hidden operational issues that are secretly draining your ad budget and killing your profit margins.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​00:00 - Intro02:15 - Why Non-PPC Issues Are Your Biggest Ad Problem 04:00 - The "Push-Pull" Report: Junglr’s Weekly Diagnostic Flow 12:27 - Issue #1: Inventory & The "45-Day Coverage" Sweet Spot 18:43 - Issue #2: Hidden Buy Box & Regional Shipping Problems 22:51 - Agency Scope of Work: Should Ad Agencies Fix Operations? 27:34 - Issue #3: How Pricing Changes Destroy Sales Velocity 33:12 - Issue #4: Catalog Chaos & Variation Splits Wasting Ad Spend 35:00 - Issue #5: Why High Return Rates Secretly Kill Your Profitability🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingWhere to find Elizabeth Greene from Junglr10 Steps to Maximize Amazon FBA Inventory LimitsHow Do I Evaluate Amazon Buyers’ Activity After Black Friday-Cyber Monday?Tackle 70% Wasted Spend with N-Gram Laddering in Amazon Ads📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Elizabeth GreeneSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

In this episode, I talk about how Amazon sellers can go beyond just looking at sales and start using PPC and search query data to understand their true market share. I show how you can track changes in search volume, impressions, clicks, conversions, and your share of purchases to see if your ads are actually helping you grow compared to the rest of the market. By grounding your PPC data with market insights, you can make smarter decisions, adjust campaigns when needed, and stay ahead of competitors.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:05 – Most PPC managers check only sales0:17 – Better question: Did PPC grow your market share?0:27 – Comparing sales vs. market trends1:00 – Using search query data to track performance2:05 – How to access search query data in AdBadger3:22 – Tracking search volume and impressions over time5:00 – Measuring brand impression and click share6:55 – Comparing market vs. brand conversion rate8:04 – Understanding purchase share and market impact10:44 – Combining search data with ranking data11:57 – How to tell your PPC story with market context12:12 – Using this data to make smarter Amazon decisions🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingTraining PPC Managers Who Can Train OthersHow do I Increase My Amazon Market Share?Unlock Your Business’s Growth Potential With Amazon’s Market Analysis Tools📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

Humans vs. AI?! Marketing by Emma’s Emma Schermer Tamir sits down with Michael to discuss how to elevate your copywriting. They talk about the rise of AI, finding humility in your writing, premium A+ content, and more! A great episode for those looking to boost efficiency and quality in their marketing and copywriting. This episode is a rerelease of one of our most popular episodes. Please note the resources and link section for any relevant updates.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:00 - What to expect in this episode3:10 - What’s New With Emma11:05 - The Journey Through AI17:45 - Has AI Changed Your Process?24:06 - Thinking About Goals26:22 - How Can I Elevate My Copywriting?32:35 - First Steps47:15 - Where You Can Find Emma🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingWhere to find Emma, Marketing By EmmaHow Can I Use ChatGPT To Advance My Amazon PPC Campaign?12 Free Amazon Features Every Brand Should Be Using!How To Use Bulk Operations On Amazon To Crush Your CompetitionBalancing Amazon PPC Optimization And ExpansionHow Do I Create Data-Driven Product Pages On Amazon?📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Emma Schermer TamirSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno

Is your Amazon strategy spread too thin? In this episode, Michael is joined by Noemi Bolojan (CEO of ScaleWave) to cut through the noise of 2026. After a chaotic few years, the biggest trend for successful sellers isn't doing more—it's doing fewer things at a 10/10 level.We’re diving deep into the "5+1 Essential Skills" you need to master to actually move the needle this year. From the "lifeblood" of your business (Inventory Management) to the hidden goldmine in your Brand Analytics, we break down exactly where to focus your energy so you can stop guessing and start growing.Stop being an "inch deep" in a hundred activities. Tune in to learn how to go miles deep on the metrics that matter.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​00:00 - Intro: The Art of Simplification in 202605:10 - Top 5 Skills to Grow on Amazon06:03 - Skill #1: Inventory Management (The Lifeblood)12:50 - Skill #2: Aligning PPC with Business Goals22:45 - Skill #3: SKU-Based Profit Analytics29:25 - Skill #4: Tracking Non-Converting Spend36:05 - Skill #5: Masterful Bid & Budget Management42:25 - Bonus Skill: Decoding Search Query Data46:50 - Where to Find Noemi🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingWhere to find  Noemi BolojanScale WaveHow Do I Perfect My Amazon Inventory Management?How to align team goals using Amazon PPC data tools?What is the SKU Economics Report and How It Boosts Amazon Ads?Non-Converting Spend: Misunderstood or Mismanaged? A Closer Look at Your PPC CampaignsAdvanced Amazon PPC Bid Optimization5 Ways Search Query Data Boosts Sales📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Noemi BolojanSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno

This episode is really about one thing: deciding when “no sales yet” actually means something. Because in real accounts, non-converting spend isn’t some small inefficiency. It’s often 30 percent of spend. Sometimes it’s 50. I’ve seen it hit 80 percent. Ten thousand dollars in ad spend, eight thousand going to search terms that never convert.What changes the way you look at this is separating converting behavior from non-converting behavior. If you include all the wasted spend in your averages, you end up judging new keywords against a broken baseline. Instead, you want to look at what your converting traffic normally does and use that as your benchmark.Another big takeaway is that not all keywords deserve the same level of patience. Branded terms might convert every couple of clicks. Competitor terms might need fifty clicks before you see a sale. If you use one rule across the board, you’ll end up killing keywords that were slow, not bad.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:28 – How many clicks before negating1:07 – Non-converting spend pain2:39 – Clicks Per Sale (CPS)3:18 – Conversion rate → CPS math4:03 – Account-level CPS misleading5:22 – High-intent traffic benchmark7:46 – Brand / generic / competitor terms8:09 – CPS by keyword type9:31 – Measuring search terms vs CPS9:45 – 75%-150% CPS range10:15 – 1.5× CPS decision point10:39 – Pulling CPS from search term report11:09 – Keyword failure options11:29 – One rule beats no rule🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingHow N-gram analysis found a keyword with 200 clicks and 1 orderWhat Should I Do About Invalid Clicks in Amazon PPC?3 Filters to Use Weekly in Your Search Term Report on Amazon📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

In this episode, Michael sits down with Sean of Spillover Commerce to talk about thinking beyond Amazon.They discuss the difference between being an Amazon seller and being a true e-commerce brand. Why does that gap matter? And why not every product — or every brand — should be treated the same across Amazon, Shopify, and Meta.Sean breaks down when Meta ads actually make sense for Amazon brands, and how off-Amazon traffic can spill over into Amazon sales. They also talk about product-market fit by platform. Why some products work on Amazon but struggle on Meta. And why product iteration often beats endless ad optimization.If you sell on Amazon and you’re curious about Meta ads, this episode will help you think more clearly about the next step.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​00:00 - Meet Sean Stone of Spillover Commerce02:45 - Using ChatGPT to challenge your thinking06:30 - Amazon sellers vs real e-commerce brands10:40 - Which products work on Amazon vs Shopify14:10 -  When scaling ad spend actually makes sense17:55 - How Meta ads increase Amazon sales20:45 - Shopify + Amazon done right (real brand example)25:00 - Why follower count doesn’t equal demand28:20 -  Product-market fit by platform31:50 - Price, size, and offer iteration35:40 -  When Amazon brands should run Meta ads38:45 - Meta ads vs Amazon ads (different playbooks)42:10 - Final takeaway: thinking beyond Seller Central🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ See How Spillover Commerce Achieved $74K Profit SwingFind Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingToday’s guest is Sean Stone of Spillover Commerce🛒 Are you ready to escape Amazon dependency?Crack Q4 2025 with AMC Audiences & Deals4 Techniques Working for Amazon PPC in 2025Finding Your Zone of Possibility for Amazon PPC RankingsHow can you quickly and efficiently improve your Amazon listing?How Can I Grow My Organic Sales Percentage For Amazon PPC Campaigns?📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Sean StoneSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno

In this episode, with Abe Chomali we explore how to make your PPC truly work for your business, rather than just moving numbers around in Amazon Seller Central.We talk about SOPs, automation, and checklists essential tools for efficient work. But simply following rules isn’t enough. You need to combine them with flexible strategic thinking so that every campaign delivers real results for your business.In this episode, you’ll learn why “optimizing numbers” doesn’t always equal real profit, how SOPs and automation can support rather than limit strategic decisions, and practical approaches to turn Amazon PPC into a growth tool rather than a routine task.A tip from Badger Den: don’t be afraid of flexibility even within the strictest processes – that’s exactly what makes PPC profitable.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​00:00 – Life in New Jersey and the winter quiet08:10 – The disconnect between high-level goals and button-pushing11:35 – Why copying winning keywords to new products fails15:56 – The Danger of being a "Yes Man" in client relationships18:21 – Balancing authority with empathy22:19 – Technical Skills vs. Client Relations24:53 – Why rigid SOPs don't work for Amazon PPC27:47 – Moving from robotic tasks to strategic curiosity30:47 – How to bridge the gap between clients and technicians34:31 – Why top marketers must always ask "Why?"39:04 – Where to find Abe Chomali🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingToday’s guest is Abe Chomali from RightClick AdvisorsWhat is the role of data in Amazon campaign management?The PPC Tasks We Put on Our Project Management ToolsHow to develop a successful client relationship?How to Tell a Story with Amazon PPC Data to Boost Client Satisfaction📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Abe ChomaliSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno

In this episode, Michael Erickson Facchin and Mansour Norouzi break down the biggest Amazon Ads updates following UnBox 2025. They talk about why the first half of the year felt tougher for many sellers, how to read market signals the right way, and how new tools — from the unified ad console and advanced reporting to AI assistants in DSP and AMC — can help brands make smarter decisions, stay profitable, and position themselves for growth heading into 2026.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​00:00 — Intro 05:40 — Update #1: Unified Ad Console (DSP & Sponsored Ads)09:47 — Update #2: New Powerful Reporting & 15-Month Lookback11:51 — Update #3: Ads Agent (AI Assistant for DSP)19:26 — Update #4: Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) AI Assistant23:05 — Update #5: Sponsored Brand Reserve Share of Voice33:00 — Update #6: AI-Curated Sponsored Brand Collections37:40 — Update #7: AI-Powered Product Prompts & Rufus Integration47:00 — Update #8: Sponsored Product Video (Rated 10/10 Impact)52:00 — Update #9: Creative Agent for Video/Image Generation53:18 — Update #10: Advanced Brand Store Analytics54:45 — Summary🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingOur guest today is Mansour Norouzi at Incrementum DigitalGetting the Most out of Amazon Reporting Why AI Will Be Your New Assistant on AmazonAmazon Marketing Cloud: Retarget Viewers & Cart AbandonersAmazon Product Page Optimization in a Rufus AI WorldCreative Optimization and Partnerships with Roku for Amazon Video Campaigns📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Mansour NorouziSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno