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Published September 21, 2024
eBay Ads

What Is Promoted Listings Standard vs Advanced on eBay?

eBay Promoted Listings Standard charges only on sale. Promoted Listings Advanced works like a keyword auction. Here is how each works and when to use which format.

eBay Promoted Listings come in two types. Standard and Advanced. Both increase visibility for your listings, but they work differently and cost differently.

Promoted Listings Standard is cost-per-sale. You set an ad rate as a percentage of the final sale price, and you only pay when the item sells. If your ad rate is 5% and the item sells for $100, you pay $5 in ad fees.

Standard placements show up in eBay search results marked as Sponsored. Your listing gets moved higher in search rankings, which increases visibility. You control the ad rate, and higher rates usually get better placement.

Promoted Listings Advanced is cost-per-click. You bid on keywords, and you pay every time someone clicks your ad, whether they buy or not. This works more like Google Ads than traditional eBay advertising.

Advanced placements show up both on eBay and on external sites like Google Shopping. You can target specific keywords and adjust bids based on performance. Advanced gives you more control but requires active management.

Use Standard if you want simple set-it-and-forget-it promotion. You only pay when you make a sale, so there is no risk of wasting money on clicks that do not convert. The downside is less control over keyword targeting.

Use Advanced if you want to scale aggressively and you are comfortable managing keyword bids. Advanced works better for high-volume sellers who want to expand beyond eBay's organic search traffic.

Common Questions

What ad rate should I set for eBay Promoted Listings Standard?
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eBay provides suggested ad rates based on category and competition. Starting at the suggested rate gives your listings competitive visibility. You can adjust rates based on performance data over time, increasing for listings with strong sell-through rates and decreasing for categories where your organic position is already strong.
Can eBay ads work alongside Amazon and Google advertising?
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Yes, and for multi-platform e-commerce sellers, eBay advertising complements rather than competes with Amazon and Google. eBay reaches buyers who specifically choose the marketplace, often because of pricing, collectibility, or buyer protection preferences. The audiences have meaningful overlap but eBay also captures buyers who are not finding what they want on Amazon.
How do I track the performance of my eBay Promoted Listings?
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eBay Seller Hub provides campaign-level reporting for both PLS and PLA including impressions, clicks, promoted listing fee, and sales attributed to promoted listings. For PLS you can see total ad fees as a percentage of revenue. For PLA you can access keyword-level performance data and search term reports similar to Google Ads.
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