https://thinkcartology.com/blog Amazon growth insights, advertising strategy, and AMA replays from the Cartology team. en-us Thu, 17 Sep 2026 19:23:37 GMT https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-team-cant-scale-if-theyre-stuck-asking-for-permission https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-team-cant-scale-if-theyre-stuck-asking-for-permission Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Here’s what most agencies get wrong: they train account managers to follow the playbook, not write it. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-ad-strategy-isnt-broken-your-communication-is https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-ad-strategy-isnt-broken-your-communication-is Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT You’re mid-Prime Day. Performance is soft. The ROAS isn’t there. Your team sees it. But no one says anything. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/stop-guessing-start-owning-the-math https://thinkcartology.com/blog/stop-guessing-start-owning-the-math Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT There’s no Amazon crystal ball. (Unless you’re Elizabeth Greene, in which case you’ve built the next best thing—a custom alert system that would make Jeff himself nod in approval.) AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-is-a-mirror-what-did-you-see https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-is-a-mirror-what-did-you-see Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Prime Day’s over. The dust has settled. And now comes the part that actually matters: what did it reveal about your business? AMA Amazon Tools Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-ops-are-costing-you-more-than-you-think https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-ops-are-costing-you-more-than-you-think Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT If your team can’t tell a flat file from a flat tire, we’ve got bigger problems. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/still-selling-like-its-2019-your-playbooks-outdated https://thinkcartology.com/blog/still-selling-like-its-2019-your-playbooks-outdated Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Retail media is no longer a competitive advantage. It’s the baseline. But too many brands are still stuck optimizing for impressions like it’s a 2019 beauty pageant. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-ads-dont-work-because-your-strategy-doesnt https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-ads-dont-work-because-your-strategy-doesnt Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT You can blame the algorithm all you want. But if your ad isn’t converting, chances are it’s not the bid. It’s the foundation. Bad PDP? Irrelevant targeting? Confusing offer? That’s not an ad issue. That’s a strategy issue. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-fatigue-is-real-heres-how-to-beat-it https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-fatigue-is-real-heres-how-to-beat-it Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Prime Day Isn’t A Surprise. Your Strategy Shouldn’t Be Either. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-isnt-just-for-big-brands https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-isnt-just-for-big-brands Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Small brands, listen up: Prime Day isn’t just a discount parade for the top 1%. You can absolutely win—it just takes planning. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/should-you-launch-a-brand-on-amazon-in-2026 https://thinkcartology.com/blog/should-you-launch-a-brand-on-amazon-in-2026 Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Yes. But not the way people think. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/how-to-respond-when-amazon-suspends-you https://thinkcartology.com/blog/how-to-respond-when-amazon-suspends-you Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Don’t Panic. Do This Instead. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-prep-why-inventory-is-your-first-campaign https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-prep-why-inventory-is-your-first-campaign Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT You can’t win Prime Day if you’re out of stock. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/how-to-survive-the-tariff-shuffle https://thinkcartology.com/blog/how-to-survive-the-tariff-shuffle Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT The headline news isn’t the whole story. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/how-to-not-screw-up-prime-day https://thinkcartology.com/blog/how-to-not-screw-up-prime-day Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Prime Day isn’t a surprise anymore. But somehow, every year, brands act like it is. They scramble. They guess. They miss out. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-retail-media-why-ad-spend-is-not-a-tax-it-is-trade-sp https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-retail-media-why-ad-spend-is-not-a-tax-it-is-trade-sp Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Brands Call Amazon Advertising a Tax. It Is Actually the Most Accountable Trade Spend Ever Created. AMA Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prosper-show-2025-what-amazon-brands-actually-needed-to-hear https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prosper-show-2025-what-amazon-brands-actually-needed-to-hear Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Most Conference Talks Leave Brands with Inspiration and No Direction. This One Was Different. AMA Amazon Tools Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-marketing-cloud-custom-audiences-how-to-use-them-righ https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-marketing-cloud-custom-audiences-how-to-use-them-righ Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon Marketing Cloud Custom Audiences Are Not a Growth Engine. They Are a Precision Tool. The Difference Matters. AMA Amazon Tools Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-category-changes-the-silent-sales-killer-most-brands https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-category-changes-the-silent-sales-killer-most-brands Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon Moved Your Product to a Different Category. Your Traffic Dropped. You Had No Idea. AMA Amazon Tools Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-tariffs-2025-how-ecommerce-brands-should-actually-res https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-tariffs-2025-how-ecommerce-brands-should-actually-res Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Every Tariff Announcement Sends Amazon Sellers Into Panic Mode. That Is the Wrong Response. AMA Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-marketing-strategy-cut-the-jargon-keep-what-works https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-marketing-strategy-cut-the-jargon-keep-what-works Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon Marketing Gets Overcomplicated on Purpose. Here Is What Actually Matters. AMA Amazon Tools Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-ai-search-how-rufus-is-changing-what-gets-found https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-ai-search-how-rufus-is-changing-what-gets-found Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Keyword Era Is Not Over. It Is No Longer Sufficient. AMA Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/brands-pour-budget-into-amazon-ads-and-wonder-why-performanc https://thinkcartology.com/blog/brands-pour-budget-into-amazon-ads-and-wonder-why-performanc Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The most common conversation in underperforming Amazon accounts is about advertising. Which campaigns to adjust, which bids to change, which keywords to add. That conversation is often a distraction from the actual problem, which is sitting in the catalog. AMA Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-rufus-is-not-a-threat-to-brands-that-have-been-doing https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-rufus-is-not-a-threat-to-brands-that-have-been-doing Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon’s Rufus is an AI-powered search assistant built into the Amazon shopping experience. It analyzes shopper intent and connects buyers with the products most relevant to what they are trying to accomplish, surfacing results based on how clearly and accurately a listing communicates the produc... AMA Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/a-weak-amazon-listing-does-not-just-hurt-conversions-it-unde https://thinkcartology.com/blog/a-weak-amazon-listing-does-not-just-hurt-conversions-it-unde Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Increasing ad budget on a product with a weak listing does not improve results. It accelerates the exposure of every gap the listing has, at greater cost. Low-quality images, bullet points that list features without addressing purchase objections, and missing A+ Content all cost conversion rate, ... AMA Michael Maher Live https://thinkcartology.com/blog/why-unmanaged-amazon-ad-campaigns-are-a-budget-drain https://thinkcartology.com/blog/why-unmanaged-amazon-ad-campaigns-are-a-budget-drain Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT A campaign launched with the right structure, the right keywords, and the right bids will drift over time without active management. Search terms that were irrelevant at launch become relevant as the category shifts. Keywords that were converting at an efficient rate become unprofitable as compet... AMA Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/why-amazon-roas-obsession-is-costing-brands-long-term-growth https://thinkcartology.com/blog/why-amazon-roas-obsession-is-costing-brands-long-term-growth Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT RoAS Measures Efficiency. It Does Not Measure Growth. AMA Michael Maher Live https://thinkcartology.com/blog/the-brands-winning-on-amazon-are-not-just-buying-visibility https://thinkcartology.com/blog/the-brands-winning-on-amazon-are-not-just-buying-visibility Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Every brand on Amazon that runs ads is paying for visibility. The question is whether that spend is building something that persists when the campaign pauses, or whether the brand disappears from search the moment the budget runs out. AMA Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-advertising-mistakes-that-burn-budget-without-results https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-advertising-mistakes-that-burn-budget-without-results Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The most common response to underperforming Amazon advertising is increasing the budget. The logic makes sense on the surface: more spend should produce more results. In practice, it usually just produces more of whatever problem already existed, at greater cost. AMA Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/if-your-definition-of-success-is-rank-and-revenue-you-are-me https://thinkcartology.com/blog/if-your-definition-of-success-is-rank-and-revenue-you-are-me Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Organic rank and total revenue are the two numbers most Amazon brands check first. Both are useful. Neither tells the full story of whether a brand is building something sustainable or just holding a position that a better-funded competitor will eventually take. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/you-cannot-out-price-chinese-sellers-on-amazon-here-is-what https://thinkcartology.com/blog/you-cannot-out-price-chinese-sellers-on-amazon-here-is-what Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Chinese sellers operating on Amazon have structural cost advantages that most domestic and private label brands cannot replicate. Direct manufacturing access, subsidized logistics, and razor-thin margin tolerance built into their business model from the start make price-based competition a losing... AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-product-differentiation-how-to-stand-out-and-win-sale https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-product-differentiation-how-to-stand-out-and-win-sale Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT A product that works as advertised is the baseline. It is what every brand on Amazon claims to offer. A functional, reliable product earns the right to compete. It does not automatically earn the sale. AMA Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-product-is-not-the-problem-your-listing-might-be https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-product-is-not-the-problem-your-listing-might-be Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Driving traffic to a weak listing does not fix the listing. It exposes every gap at scale. Low-quality images, bullet points that describe features without answering the real purchase question, and missing A+ Content all cost conversion rate, and conversion rate is one of the primary signals Amaz... AMA Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazons-data-tells-you-what-you-did-third-party-tools-tell-y https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazons-data-tells-you-what-you-did-third-party-tools-tell-y Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon Seller Central provides accurate, detailed data on everything a brand does on the platform. Sales by SKU, conversion rates, keyword performance, ad spend, review velocity. For understanding what is happening inside a brand’s own account, it is the right starting point. AMA Amazon Tools https://thinkcartology.com/blog/page-one-rankings-feel-good-market-share-tells-the-truth https://thinkcartology.com/blog/page-one-rankings-feel-good-market-share-tells-the-truth Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT A product can hold a top-three position for a high-volume keyword and still be losing ground in the category. Rank tells the brand where it shows up in search. It does not tell the brand how often it wins the sale when it shows up, how that compares to every competitor on the same page, or whethe... AMA Michael Maher Live Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/black-friday-on-amazon-is-not-won-on-black-friday https://thinkcartology.com/blog/black-friday-on-amazon-is-not-won-on-black-friday Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the highest-traffic, highest-competition days of the Amazon calendar. The brands that show up with strong placement on those days did not get there by increasing bids on November 28th. They got there by building rank, optimizing listings, and structuring campaign... AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-add-to-cart-rate-what-it-tells-you-before-you-discoun https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-add-to-cart-rate-what-it-tells-you-before-you-discoun Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Before a shopper buys, they add to cart. That action is one of the clearest indicators of purchase intent available in Amazon’s reporting, and most brands scroll past it without a second look. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-market-share-how-to-measure-and-grow-it https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-market-share-how-to-measure-and-grow-it Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT A product can rank on page one for a high-volume keyword and still be losing ground in the category. Rank shows where a listing appears. It does not show how often that appearance results in a click, and it definitely does not show how often a click results in a purchase compared to every other b... AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/why-amazon-roas-is-the-wrong-metric-to-chase https://thinkcartology.com/blog/why-amazon-roas-is-the-wrong-metric-to-chase Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT RoAS is one of the most watched metrics in Amazon advertising. It is also one of the most misleading when it becomes the only metric a brand manages toward. AMA Michael Maher Live https://thinkcartology.com/blog/using-ai-to-analyze-amazon-reviews-and-improve-your-product https://thinkcartology.com/blog/using-ai-to-analyze-amazon-reviews-and-improve-your-product Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Shoppers leave detailed, unfiltered feedback in Amazon reviews every day. They describe what they expected, what surprised them, what frustrated them, and what made them come back for a second purchase. For brands willing to read that data carefully, it is one of the most useful inputs available ... AMA Amazon Tools Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-ai-listing-tools-how-to-use-them-without-losing-contr https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-ai-listing-tools-how-to-use-them-without-losing-contr Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon has rolled out generative AI capabilities in Seller Central that can produce titles, bullet points, and descriptions from a basic product input. For sellers managing large catalogs or rebuilding listings under time pressure, the speed is genuinely useful. AMA Amazon Tools Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-to-holiday-season-amazon-ad-strategy-that-compound https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-to-holiday-season-amazon-ad-strategy-that-compound Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Prime Day was built to address the summer sales slump. The holiday season is the biggest retail window of the year. Most Amazon brands treat them as separate campaigns to execute and move on from. The brands consistently outperforming their category treat them as linked chapters in the same growt... AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/social-media-for-amazon-sellers-what-actually-works https://thinkcartology.com/blog/social-media-for-amazon-sellers-what-actually-works Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT A lot of Amazon brands are on social media. Most of them are not getting much out of it. The reason is not the platform. It is the absence of any clear connection between what gets posted and what the brand is actually trying to accomplish on Amazon. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-vendor-central-to-seller-central-what-to-do-now https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-vendor-central-to-seller-central-what-to-do-now Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon has been systematically pulling smaller brands off its Vendor Central platform, shifting focus to larger, higher-margin accounts. For brands on the receiving end of that decision, the immediate reaction is panic. The smarter response is a plan. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/most-brands-blow-prime-day-budget https://thinkcartology.com/blog/most-brands-blow-prime-day-budget Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Most Brands Blow Their Prime Day Budget Before Noon AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/shopper-who-almost-bought https://thinkcartology.com/blog/shopper-who-almost-bought Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Shopper Who Almost Bought Is Your Highest-Value Target on Amazon AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-amazon-strategy https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-amazon-strategy Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Prime Day Amazon Strategy: Listings and Ads That Convert AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-brand-growth-beyond-marketplace https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-brand-growth-beyond-marketplace Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon Brand Growth Beyond the Marketplace AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-holiday-ad-strategy https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-holiday-ad-strategy Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon Holiday Ad Strategy: Black Friday and Beyond AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-listing-can-be-perfect https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-listing-can-be-perfect Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Your Listing Can Be Perfect And Still Won't Show Up AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/discounts-capture-demand-awareness-creates-it https://thinkcartology.com/blog/discounts-capture-demand-awareness-creates-it Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Discounts Capture Demand. Awareness Creates It. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-start-acting-now https://thinkcartology.com/blog/prime-day-start-acting-now Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Prime Day Is Months Away. Start Acting Now. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/watch-your-conversion-rate https://thinkcartology.com/blog/watch-your-conversion-rate Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Watch your conversion rate. It tells you everything. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/steal-prime-day-strategies https://thinkcartology.com/blog/steal-prime-day-strategies Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Steal These Strategies to Boost Your Sales on Prime Day: Straight from the Experts AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-dynamic-pricing https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-dynamic-pricing Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon Does Not Price Match. And That Changes How Brands Compete. AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/retail-has-always-been-data-driven https://thinkcartology.com/blog/retail-has-always-been-data-driven Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Retail Has Always Been Data-Driven: AI Didn't Change Retail AMA https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-prime-day-strategy-2026 https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-prime-day-strategy-2026 Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon Prime Day Strategy 2026: How Competitors Respond to Amazon's Secrecy AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-no-longer-prep-labeling-service https://thinkcartology.com/blog/amazon-no-longer-prep-labeling-service Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Amazon Is No Longer Your Prep and Labeling Service AMA Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/ai-monetization-always-comes-back-to-ads https://thinkcartology.com/blog/ai-monetization-always-comes-back-to-ads Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT AI Monetization Always Comes Back to Ads AMA https://thinkcartology.com/blog/why-smartscout-sits-at-top-of-tool-stack https://thinkcartology.com/blog/why-smartscout-sits-at-top-of-tool-stack Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Why SmartScout Sits at the Top of Our Tool Stack AMA Amazon Tools https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-roas-looks-great https://thinkcartology.com/blog/your-roas-looks-great Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Your RoAS Looks Great. So Why Aren't You Growing? AMA https://thinkcartology.com/blog/hero-image-front-door https://thinkcartology.com/blog/hero-image-front-door Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Your Hero Image Is Your Front Door Hot Amazon Topics https://thinkcartology.com/blog/first-party-data-secret-weapon https://thinkcartology.com/blog/first-party-data-secret-weapon Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT First-Party Data is Your Secret Weapon. Here's How to Use It. Hot Amazon Topics