Why Amazon Sales No Longer Belong to Amazon Alone

For brands selling on Amazon, success isn’t just about optimizing Amazon Ads—it’s about understanding Amazon sales attribution and how external media impacts conversions. Recent data shows that 42% of a brand’s Amazon sales come from non-Amazon media, yet many marketing directors still focus their advertising efforts exclusively within Amazon’s ecosystem.

Even more compelling, brands that measure Unified ROAS—which tracks revenue across multiple channels—see 45% higher returns than DTC-only ROAS for upper-funnel campaigns. This suggests that failing to properly attribute external traffic’s role in Amazon performance could lead to undervalued marketing efforts and misplaced ad spend.

To stay competitive, marketing directors must shift away from siloed attribution models and adopt a Unified ROAS approach that factors in all the ways customers discover and buy their products on Amazon. In this post, we’ll explore how Amazon sales attribution works, why non-Amazon media is driving conversions, and the best strategies to maximize external traffic’s impact on Amazon growth.

How Non-Amazon Media Boosts Amazon Sales

The Power of External Traffic in Amazon’s Algorithm

Amazon prioritizes products that drive consistent, high-converting external traffic. Listings that receive sales from sources like Google Ads, Meta Ads, influencer marketing, and email campaigns tend to see:

Higher organic ranking on Amazon search results

Better conversion rates (as external traffic is often more purchase-ready)

Lower cost per acquisition (CPA) compared to Amazon Ads alone

Pro Tip: Amazon even rewards brands with a 10% referral bonus when they drive traffic to Amazon from non-Amazon media through its Brand Referral Bonus Program.

Why Unified ROAS is 45% Higher than DTC-Only ROAS

Marketing directors often assess ROAS in silos—comparing Amazon ROAS and DTC ROAS separately. But that approach ignores the complete picture of how advertising dollars drive sales across different channels.

Here’s what happens when you shift to Unified ROAS:

Better budget allocation: You’ll see where ad spend truly drives revenue (not just where it’s last-click attributed).

More accurate performance insights: Rather than looking at Amazon Ads vs. Meta Ads in isolation, you’ll understand how they work together to increase total sales.

Stronger upper-funnel performance: Ads that introduce new customers to your brand (social media, YouTube, influencer marketing) are often undervalued in DTC-only models, but in Unified ROAS, their long-term impact is clear.

Key External Channels Driving Amazon Sales

Where does that 42% of Amazon sales from non-Amazon media come from? Here are the top-performing external channels:

Google Ads (Shopping & Search)

Google is still the first stop for product searches, with 59% of online shoppers starting their buying journey on search engines. A well-structured Google Shopping or Paid Search strategy can push high-intent traffic straight to your Amazon listings.

Pro Tip: Use Google Performance Max campaigns to automate ad placements across Google’s ecosystem while optimizing for purchases.

Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram)

With over 3 billion active users, Meta platforms are key for prospecting and retargeting. Many brands find that Meta’s AI-driven audience targeting outperforms Amazon Ads for finding new customers.

Pro Tip: Direct ad traffic to an Amazon Storefront or Amazon Attribution link to track conversion performance.

Influencer & Affiliate Marketing

Amazon’s algorithm favors external traffic, and influencers can provide highly qualified buyers who are already interested in your product. YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram creators have become major sales drivers for Amazon brands.

Pro Tip: Use Amazon Attribution links to measure the performance of influencer campaigns.

Email & SMS Marketing

Email and SMS campaigns are powerful for re-engaging past customers and driving seasonal promotions to Amazon.

Pro Tip: Use Amazon’s Brand Referral Bonus to increase profit margins on sales that originate from email campaigns.

How to Implement a Unified ROAS Strategy

Now that we understand the impact of external traffic, let’s break down the best way to implement a Unified ROAS model:

Track Performance Holistically

Stop looking at Amazon ROAS and DTC ROAS separately. Instead:

Use Amazon Attribution to track non-Amazon ad traffic.

Set up UTM tracking and Google Analytics to measure multi-channel conversions.

Calculate total ROAS across all channels, not just Amazon Ads.

Invest in Upper-Funnel Advertising

Instead of focusing only on bottom-funnel retargeting, allocate more budget to discovery-based channels like: YouTube Ads, TikTok & Instagram Reels, and Google Display Network.

These channels drive new top-of-funnel customers, leading to higher brand searches on Amazon and lower customer acquisition costs over time.

Use Amazon’s Tools to Your Advantage

Amazon provides built-in tools to make external media investment more profitable, including:

Brand Referral Bonus: Earn an extra 10% on sales from external traffic.

Amazon Attribution: Get detailed conversion data for non-Amazon media campaigns.

Amazon DSP (Demand-Side Platform): Retarget customers who engage with your brand off-Amazon.

Amazon Sales Attribution Main Takeaways

42% of Amazon sales are influenced by non-Amazon media—ignoring this is a significant missed opportunity.

Unified ROAS is 45% higher than DTC-only ROAS because it accounts for full-funnel performance across channels.

Brands should integrate Google Ads, Meta Ads, influencer, and email marketing to maximize Amazon sales growth.

Amazon’s tools (Attribution & Brand Referral Bonus) help track and monetize external traffic effectively.

Marketing directors must shift away from siloed thinking—the brands that embrace Unified ROAS will outgrow those that don’t.

Data source: Original Article