The Situation
A SaaS client came to us with a painful problem: They were spending $65,000/month on Google Ads and Meta campaigns, but the ROI wasn’t adding up. Leads were coming in, but the cost per acquisition (CPA) was spiraling out of control.
Instead of “more budget, more clicks,” we decided to audit and optimize ruthlessly. Within 90 days, five tactical changes saved $42,000 — without hurting lead flow.
Tweak #1 — Kill the Zombie Keywords
We found dozens of keywords that were eating budget but driving zero conversions.
Examples included:
Broad terms like “software tools”
High-cost competitors with no realistic conversion
Irrelevant long-tails triggered by sloppy match types
By pausing 17 underperforming keywords and tightening match types, we cut wasted spend by $12,000/month.
Action tip: Audit your keyword report weekly. If it hasn’t been converted in 90 days and has high spend, kill it.
Tweak #2 — Tighten Geo-Targeting
The client was running campaigns globally, but 73% of conversions came from just 3 countries. We reallocated the budget to those markets, while excluding low-value regions.
Result → CTR improved by 22%, CPA dropped by 19%. Monthly savings: $8,000.
Action tip: If you don’t need global reach, don’t pay for it. Focus on where your best customers actually live.
Tweak #3 — Stop Overpaying for Top Position
The client was obsessed with ranking #1 on Google Search. The problem?
Top placement cost 35–40% more per click, but position #2 or #3 delivered nearly identical conversion rates.
We shifted the bidding strategy from “Maximize Position” to “Target CPA.”
Result → CPC dropped by 28%, and we saved $11,000 in the first month.
Action tip: Position #1 is ego. Position #2 can be profitable. Test it.
Tweak #4 — Ad Copy Stress-Test
Most ads had been running unchanged for 9+ months. Click-through rates were stagnant. We A/B tested 6 new ad variations with sharper hooks:
Old: “Get the Best Software Today”
New: “Cut Costs 32% With Smarter Software”
Result → CTR lifted by 34%, Quality Score improved, CPC decreased by 12%. Savings: $6,000/month.
Action tip: Never let ad copy go stale. Rotate every 6–8 weeks to protect Quality Score.
Tweak #5 — Retarget Smarter, Not Harder
The client was blasting retargeting ads to everyone who visited their site, regardless of intent.
We segmented:
Hot leads — cart abandoners, pricing page visitors → full retarget budget.
Cold visitors — blog readers, bounced users → capped frequency + smaller budget.
Result → retargeting CPA dropped 40%, with $5,000 in monthly savings.
Action tip: Treat retargeting audiences differently. Not all visitors deserve the same spend.
The Numbers After 90 Days
Ad spend saved: $42,000
CPA reduced: –31%
Lead volume: steady (no drop despite cuts)
Quality Score: improved across 80% of ad groups
Takeaways You Can Apply Today
Audit and pause keywords that don’t convert.
Narrow geo-targeting to your top-performing regions.
Don’t overpay for position #1 — test smarter bidding.
Keep ad copy fresh to protect CTR and Quality Score.
Retarget based on intent, not just visits.
Final Thought:
PPC waste hides in plain sight. With a few sharp tweaks, you can save thousands — and reinvest into the channels and audiences that actually drive growth.
