2026-06-09 · 7 min
Amazon Sponsored Brands Guide 2026: How to Use Headline Ads to Build Your Brand
Sponsored Brands ads appear at the top of search results with your logo, headline, and products. Here is how to use them effectively in 2026.
What Are Sponsored Brands Ads?
Sponsored Brands (formerly Headline Search Ads) appear at the top of Amazon search results, above organic listings and Sponsored Products ads. They display your brand logo, a custom headline, and up to three products. Clicking the logo or headline can take shoppers to your brand store or a custom landing page. Clicking a product image goes directly to that product page.
When to Use Sponsored Brands
Sponsored Brands work best when you have multiple products in a category and want to own the top of the search results page. A single-product seller gets less value from Sponsored Brands than a seller with three or more products in the same category, because the ad allows you to feature three products side by side. If your brand has recognition (buyers search for your brand name), Sponsored Brands on branded keywords capture those searches before competitors can intercept them with their Sponsored Products ads.
Campaign Structure
Create separate Sponsored Brands campaigns for: branded keyword defense (your brand name + product category), category terms (generic terms buyers use to find your type of product), and competitor terms (your competitors product names, if your product is a credible alternative). The headline copy should change to match the campaign theme: branded campaigns can use your brand name, category campaigns should focus on the buyer problem, competitor campaigns should highlight your differentiation.
The Brand Store
Sponsored Brands ads that link to your Amazon Brand Store give buyers a curated shopping experience rather than landing them directly on a single product page. Brand Stores are free to create and can include videos, lifestyle images, and custom category layouts. The conversion rate from Brand Store landing pages is typically lower than product page landing pages, but the average order value is higher because buyers browse multiple products. Test both destinations and measure revenue per click, not just conversion rate.
Bid Strategy
Sponsored Brands uses cost-per-click bidding. Start with bids at the suggested range, then adjust based on top-of-search impression share. If you are not appearing consistently at the top of search results for your most important keywords, your bid is too low. Sponsored Brands inventory at the top of search is limited to one ad per search, so competition is direct.