With millions of shoppers turning to Walmart.com, it’s becoming a go-to marketplace for online sellers. To stay competitive, many brands are turning to paid advertising to boost their product visibility. One powerful way to do that is through Walmart’s native ad platform, which allows you to promote your listings directly within search results and product pages.
Whether you’re an established seller or just starting out, learning how these ads work can give your listings the edge they need. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about running effective advertising campaigns on Walmart’s marketplace — from how they function to what it costs and how to get the most out of your spend.
What Are Walmart Sponsored Products?
Walmart Sponsored Products are a type of paid advertising that allows sellers to promote their listings directly within Walmart’s online marketplace. These ads appear alongside organic listings on high-traffic areas such as search results, category pages, product detail pages, and even the cart page — making it easier for sellers to increase visibility and drive sales.
Unlike traditional advertising, Walmart Sponsored Ads operate on a pay-per-click (PPC) model. This means you only pay when a shopper clicks on your ad, not just when it’s displayed. It’s an efficient, performance-based strategy that helps maximize your advertising budget while reaching highly targeted customers.
These campaigns are available to both first-party (1P) suppliers and third-party (3P) Walmart Marketplace sellers. Whether you’re launching a new product or looking to boost traffic to your top-performing SKUs, Walmart PPC advertising offers a smart solution to reach purchase-ready consumers at the right time.
In essence, Walmart Sponsored Products provide sellers with an opportunity to enhance discoverability and increase conversion rates in a highly competitive retail environment.
Why Should You Invest in Walmart Sponsored Ads?
Investing in Walmart Sponsored Ads is one of the most effective ways to scale your presence and sales on the Walmart Marketplace. As competition intensifies and organic reach becomes harder to maintain, paid advertising ensures your listings stay visible to high-intent shoppers.
Here are several reasons why sellers — especially those serious about growth — should consider leveraging Walmart Sponsored Products:
1. Massive Marketplace Reach
Walmart.com attracts over 120 million unique monthly visitors, making it one of the largest online retail platforms in the U.S. If you’re not tapping into this traffic, you’re leaving opportunity on the table. Walmart Sponsored Ads let you place your products in front of millions of shoppers actively searching for what you offer.
2. Appear Where Buyers Are Looking
With Sponsored Product ads, your listings can surface in the most valuable areas on the platform—top search results, product pages, and category listings. These placements are typically reserved for high-ranking organic listings, but with Walmart PPC, you can compete regardless of your current sales velocity or reviews.
3. Boost Sales for New or Underperforming Products
If you’re launching a new product or trying to move slow inventory, Walmart Sponsored Products provide instant visibility and a faster path to conversions. Since these ads target buyers already searching for similar items, conversion rates tend to be higher than untargeted advertising.
4. Pay Only When You Get Clicks
The PPC model is cost-effective because you’re not paying for impressions—you only pay when someone actually clicks your ad. That means every dollar goes toward attracting a potential customer, and you maintain full control over your daily or campaign-level ad spend.
5. Strengthen Your Organic Ranking
Walmart’s algorithm takes sales velocity into account when determining organic rankings. By using Walmart Sponsored Ads to drive sales, you indirectly improve your listing’s long-term organic visibility. More clicks and conversions signal product relevance to the platform, helping you rise in unpaid search results over time.
6. Real-Time Performance Insights
With the Walmart Connect advertising dashboard, you get detailed metrics on ad performance: impressions, clicks, conversions, return on ad spend (ROAS), and more. These insights help refine your campaigns and identify what’s working—so you can double down on successful strategies and cut the waste.
Types of Walmart Sponsored Product Campaigns
Walmart offers a variety of Sponsored Products campaign types that cater to different business needs and goals. Whether you’re aiming for broad exposure or trying to target a niche audience, these campaign options provide the flexibility to customize your strategy. Let’s explore the main types of Walmart Sponsored Ads you can use.
1. Automatic Campaigns
An Automatic Campaign is ideal for sellers who are new to Walmart advertising or don’t want to spend time optimizing keywords. With this type of campaign, Walmart automatically targets relevant search queries based on your product’s attributes, like title, description, and category.
Pros: Minimal setup and ongoing management, Walmart handles targeting.
Cons: Less control over which search queries trigger your ads.
Automatic campaigns are particularly useful for beginners or sellers looking to gather data on which keywords and product placements perform best without dedicating too much time to manual adjustments.
2. Manual Campaigns
For more advanced sellers, Manual Campaigns give you complete control over your ad targeting. You can choose specific keywords, adjust bids, and tailor your ad strategy for different products or categories. With Walmart PPC in manual mode, you’re actively selecting the search terms you want to target, so it’s ideal for optimizing for high-performing keywords and boosting your listings for specific queries.
Pros: Greater control over keyword selection and bid strategy.
Cons: Requires more effort and regular optimization.
Manual campaigns are particularly useful for products that already have strong organic rankings, allowing you to boost them further through well-researched keywords.
3. Product Targeting Campaigns
Product targeting campaigns let you focus your ads on specific products rather than keywords. This means you can target a competitor’s products or complementary items in Walmart’s catalog, positioning your products alongside theirs in search results or product detail pages.
Pros: Directly targets relevant products, ideal for competitive or complementary products.
Cons: Limited to product-based targeting rather than broader keyword searches.
This campaign type is a great choice for sellers looking to capitalize on competitor products, ensuring their ads are visible to shoppers browsing similar items.
4. Custom Campaigns
Custom Campaigns allow you to experiment with unique combinations of keywords, bids, and targeting strategies. By using custom campaigns, you can create highly tailored strategies based on your products’ performance data and shopper behavior.
Pros: Highly flexible and customizable to your needs.
Cons: Requires a deep understanding of the platform and campaign analytics.
Custom campaigns are best for sellers who have experience with Walmart PPC and want to take their advertising to the next level by experimenting with different ad structures.
Where Do Walmart Sponsored Products Appear?
Understanding where Walmart Sponsored Products appear on the platform is crucial for shaping your advertising strategy. The placement of your ads directly impacts visibility and, ultimately, your sales. Here’s a breakdown of the key locations where Walmart Sponsored Ads can be featured:
1. Search Results Pages
The most common location for Walmart Sponsored Products is at the top of search results. When a shopper searches for a product, sponsored listings will appear at the top of the page, sometimes above the organic listings. These ads are labeled as “sponsored” to differentiate them from organic listings.
Benefit: High visibility and immediate exposure for products that match the search intent.
Placement: Appears at the very top of the search results page.
Having your products in this prime location increases the likelihood that shoppers will click on your ads, driving more traffic to your listings.
2. Product Detail Pages
Another key placement for Walmart Sponsored Ads is within the product detail pages. Ads for similar or complementary products are shown on the side or bottom of the page, allowing you to target customers who are already interested in a particular product category.
Benefit: Captures the attention of users who are already considering a purchase.
Placement: Typically shown below the product details, on the right side, or at the bottom of the page.
This placement allows you to engage with customers who may be comparing products and can help you stand out as an alternative choice.
3. On Walmart’s Mobile App
For sellers targeting mobile users, Walmart Sponsored Products are also visible on the Walmart mobile app. As mobile shopping continues to rise, ensuring your products appear in mobile search results or product detail pages is key.
Benefit: Access to a growing segment of mobile shoppers.
Placement: Similar to the desktop site, but optimized for a mobile shopping experience.
Mobile app ads are typically shown in a format that is easy to view and navigate, giving your products the opportunity to capture attention wherever users are shopping.
4. Carousel Placement
The Carousel feature is a horizontal scroll of sponsored products that appears across several sections on Walmart’s website, such as the search results page and product detail pages. These carousels allow users to scroll through multiple product listings within a small ad space.
Benefit: Engages customers by offering them a variety of products in a visually appealing format.
Placement: Visible on both desktop and mobile platforms, appearing above the organic listings or within specific product categories.
Carousel ads offer an opportunity to showcase several products in one ad space, which can increase your chances of capturing shopper interest and expanding visibility.
5. Buy Box
In Walmart’s marketplace, the Buy Box refers to the section of the product page where shoppers can add items to their cart. Sponsored products can sometimes appear in the Buy Box, especially if you’re targeting high-demand items or are competing in a competitive product category.
Benefit: Increased visibility in a critical part of the product page, where many shoppers make their purchase decisions.
Placement: On the right-hand side of the product detail page, typically near the “Add to Cart” button.
Appearing in the Buy Box gives your product a higher chance of being purchased, as this is the area where customers make their final buying decision.
6. Walmart’s Homepage and Special Promotions
From time to time, Walmart features Sponsored Products on their homepage or during special promotions. These promotions are often seasonal or related to specific sales events like Black Friday or back-to-school season.
Benefit: Increased exposure during high-traffic events.
Placement: Typically featured on Walmart’s main homepage or in special promotional categories.
Appearing on Walmart’s homepage or during sales events gives your products a chance to gain even more visibility, especially during high-conversion periods.
Cost of Advertising on Walmart Marketplace
When considering Walmart Sponsored Products, understanding the costs associated with these campaigns is crucial for managing your advertising budget effectively. Walmart offers a cost-per-click (CPC) model, meaning you’ll only pay when a customer clicks on your sponsored product ad. This model helps you control your spending by only paying for direct engagement with your listings.
Here’s a closer look at the key factors influencing the cost of Walmart Sponsored Ads:
1. Cost-Per-Click (CPC)
Walmart’s advertising platform operates on a CPC basis, which means you pay for each click that your ad receives. The cost per click can vary depending on several factors, including competition within your product category, the relevance of your ad, and how much you’re willing to bid for specific keywords.
Factors affecting CPC:
Bid Amount: Your bid amount plays a significant role in how often your ad is shown and its placement.
Competition: Highly competitive product categories tend to have higher CPC rates.
Relevance and Quality Score: Walmart uses an algorithm to determine the relevance of your ad to the keywords and products being searched. The more relevant your ad is, the lower your CPC may be.
The average CPC for Walmart ads varies but typically ranges between $0.25 to $1.50, depending on these factors.
2. Budget and Campaign Types
You can set a daily budget for your campaigns, which will help ensure that you don’t overspend. Walmart allows you to select from different types of campaigns, including:
Sponsored Products Campaigns: These are the most common and allow you to target specific products with CPC bids.
Sponsored Brands Campaigns: Although still in beta, these campaigns allow you to feature a brand name and logo in your ads, potentially costing more than regular product campaigns.
Sponsored Display Ads: These ads are designed to target shoppers across Walmart’s network, extending the reach of your sponsored campaigns.
By setting a daily budget, you can control how much you’re willing to spend over the course of a day. Walmart will adjust your ad exposure based on the budget you set, ensuring you stay within your limits.
3. Auction System and Bidding Strategy
Walmart uses an auction system for its ad placement, where sellers bid for ad placement based on keywords and categories. The higher your bid, the more likely your ad will be shown, particularly in prime spots like the top of the search results or the Buy Box.
You can choose from two types of bidding strategies:
Manual Bidding: You select the bid amounts for specific keywords or product listings.
Automatic Bidding: Walmart automatically adjusts your bids to help maximize your visibility within your budget.
Choosing the right bidding strategy can make a big difference in terms of visibility and overall cost.
4. Sponsored Products Budget Allocation
Walmart allows you to allocate your ad spend across different product categories. You can create individual campaigns for specific products or group similar products together. This gives you control over where and how your budget is spent. For example:
High-Value Products: Allocate more budget to high-ticket items or products with higher margins.
Low-Competition Products: Allocate smaller budgets for less competitive products with lower CPC.
Proper allocation can help you balance your costs and ensure that your budget is working to its fullest potential.
5. Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM) for Display Ads
Walmart is expanding its Display Ads offering, which operates on a CPM model, meaning you pay for every thousand impressions your ad receives, even if customers do not click on the ad. This is a great option for sellers looking to increase brand visibility and awareness.
CPM Model: While it’s different from the CPC model, it’s a great choice for driving awareness of your products to a broader audience.
The cost for display ads is typically higher than CPC ads, but it may be worth considering if you want to maximize brand exposure.
How to Get Started with Walmart Sponsored Products
Getting started with Walmart Sponsored Products requires understanding Walmart’s ad platform, setting up your account, and creating effective campaigns that will drive traffic to your products. While it might seem overwhelming at first, breaking it down into clear steps can help you navigate through the process. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you get started.
1. Ensure You Have a Verified Walmart Seller Account
Before you can access Walmart’s ad platform, you must have an active seller account on Walmart Marketplace. Here’s what you need to ensure:
Verified Account: Your Walmart Seller account must be approved by Walmart. This means you need to provide the necessary business information, and your products must be aligned with Walmart’s marketplace standards.
Competitive Pricing: Walmart’s advertising platform favors sellers who offer competitive pricing. Ensure your prices are attractive to potential buyers while still allowing for healthy profit margins.
Dependable Shipping Practices: Walmart values speed and reliability when it comes to shipping. The faster your products are delivered to customers, the better your chances of appearing in Walmart Sponsored Ads.
Positive Reviews: Reviews play a significant role in your success on Walmart Marketplace. Make sure to maintain a high seller rating to boost your chances of qualifying for ads.
Once you’ve completed these steps, you’re ready to dive into the advertising features. However, it’s essential to keep in mind that only certain products are eligible for promotion via Walmart Sponsored Products.
2. Walmart Ad Center and Third-Party Platforms
Sellers can manage Walmart Sponsored Ads through two main avenues:
Walmart Ad Center: The simplest option for most sellers, especially if you’re just starting. The Walmart Ad Center allows you to manage your campaigns directly within Walmart’s platform, making it easy to track performance and adjust bids. This is the ideal tool for most sellers who want to manage their campaigns without third-party assistance.
Third-Party AdTech Platforms: If you prefer advanced features or if you’re an experienced seller, you can leverage third-party platforms that are part of the Walmart Connect Partner Network. These tools can provide more granular control, advanced reporting features, and the ability to scale your ad campaigns more efficiently.
Whether you use Walmart’s own platform or third-party tools depends on your level of expertise and your advertising needs.
3. Choosing the Right Products to Promote
Walmart has specific criteria for the products that will be advertised in the Sponsored Products campaigns. For example:
In-Stock Products Only: Out-of-stock products will not be advertised through Walmart Sponsored Products. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that your products are always available for sale.
Win the Buy Box: Products that win the Buy Box on Walmart will have the best chance of being promoted. This means your listing should be optimized with competitive pricing, positive reviews, and reliable shipping.
Published Status: Only products that are listed and published on the marketplace are eligible for advertising.
Category Relevance: Products must be in the same category as the customer’s search query to ensure that they are shown to the right audience.
To ensure that your products appear in highly valuable ad spaces like the in-search grid, these criteria must be met. This is where most sellers find the highest return on investment.
4. Setting Up Your Walmart Sponsored Product Campaign
Once you have your seller account in place and know which products you want to advertise, it’s time to set up your campaign. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the steps:
Step 1: Log In to Walmart Connect
You must log into the Walmart Connect Portal using your seller credentials. If you don’t have access to this portal yet, you’ll need to apply for it through your seller account.
Step 2: Define Your Campaign Goals
Once inside the portal, create your first campaign by choosing your objective. Typically, Walmart sellers choose Sponsored Products to increase product visibility. However, you can also choose other campaign types such as Sponsored Brands or Sponsored Display Ads depending on your needs.
Step 3: Set Your Budget and Bid Limits
Now, it’s time to define your budget and bid strategy. You can set:
Daily Budget: The amount you are willing to spend per day on your ads. This helps keep your spending within control.
Bid Limits: The amount you are willing to pay per click. This influences how often and where your ads will appear.
For example, if your daily budget is $30 and your bid limit is $0.30 per click, your campaign can receive up to 100 clicks per day (as long as your bid is competitive).
Step 4: Select Keywords and Targeting
Use Walmart’s Auto Targeting feature or manually select high-converting keywords for your products. These keywords should be closely related to what your target customers are searching for. By incorporating high-intent keywords, you can increase the likelihood of your products showing up in relevant search results.
5. Optimizing Your Walmart Sponsored Ads for Success
To maximize the performance of your Walmart Sponsored Products, it’s crucial to continuously optimize your campaigns. Here are some essential optimization strategies:
Keyword Research: Regularly update your keyword list to ensure you’re targeting the most relevant terms.
Improve Your Listings: Make sure your product listings are complete with high-quality images, well-written descriptions, and optimized titles.
A/B Testing: Run A/B tests on your ad copy and product images to identify which combinations lead to the best results.
Ad Copy and Visuals: Ensure your ad copy is clear and highlights the benefits of your product. Incorporating images or infographics can also help increase engagement.
Monitoring and optimizing your campaigns is an ongoing process. Use Walmart’s detailed reporting features to track key metrics like impressions, clicks, and conversions. This data will help you adjust your strategy and improve ROI over time.
Ways to Optimize Walmart Sponsored Products
Conduct Thorough Keyword Research:
Ensure your products are appearing for the most relevant and high-intent search terms. This helps attract the right audience.Set a Realistic Budget:
Align your ad spend with the goals you want to achieve. Your budget should match the level of visibility and sales you’re targeting.Adjust Bids Appropriately:
Set your bids at a level that balances competitiveness and cost-effectiveness. Ensure your bids give you the best chances for ad placement.Choose Between Manual and Automatic Targeting:
Decide if you want to control the keywords (manual) or let Walmart choose for you based on your product listings (automatic). Manual targeting offers more control, while automatic is easier for new sellers.Balance Walmart Ad Spend with Other Marketing Efforts:
Don’t rely solely on Walmart ads. Make sure your advertising strategy is balanced with other marketing efforts to optimize your overall spend.Optimize Product Listings:
Ensure your products have optimized titles, descriptions, and competitive prices to make them more attractive to buyers, resulting in higher conversions.
By following these optimization steps, you can increase your visibility, improve your ad performance, and maximize your ROI on Walmart Sponsored Products.
FAQ's
How do Walmart Sponsored Products work?
Walmart Sponsored Products allow sellers to promote their products directly on Walmart’s platform through paid ads. These ads are displayed on search results pages, product detail pages, and other relevant spots to boost product visibility and drive traffic to listings.
What’s the difference between manual and automatic targeting in Walmart Sponsored Products?
With manual targeting, sellers choose the specific keywords they want to target, giving them control over their campaigns. Automatic targeting, on the other hand, allows Walmart’s system to automatically match the ads with relevant search terms based on the product listing.
How much does it cost to advertise on Walmart Marketplace?
The cost of advertising on Walmart Marketplace depends on the seller’s budget and bidding strategy. Sellers can set a daily budget and bid amount, and the actual cost depends on factors like competition and ad placement. It’s a cost-per-click (CPC) model, meaning you only pay when a user clicks on your ad.
Can I track the performance of my Walmart Sponsored Products campaigns?
Yes, sellers can track their campaign performance using Walmart’s Ad Center. The platform provides essential metrics such as impressions, clicks, conversions, and ROAS (return on ad spend), helping sellers optimize their campaigns based on performance data.
What types of products are eligible for Walmart Sponsored Products ads?
Most products listed on Walmart Marketplace are eligible for Sponsored Products ads, as long as they meet specific criteria such as being in stock, having competitive pricing, and being listed under the correct product categories. Products must also be approved for Walmart’s marketplace.
Conclusion
Walmart Sponsored Products offer a powerful opportunity for sellers to enhance their visibility and drive more targeted traffic to their listings. By carefully optimizing your campaigns with the right keywords, budget, and bidding strategies, you can maximize your ROI and effectively promote your products. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your advertising strategy, leveraging Walmart’s advanced ad features will help you stay competitive in the eCommerce space. As you continue to monitor and optimize your ads, you’ll gain deeper insights into what works for your business, ensuring long-term growth and success on Walmart Marketplace.
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