How We Reduced Google Ads Cost Per Lead by 74% While Scaling Conversions
A B2B SaaS company was struggling with skyrocketing Google Ads costs and poor lead quality. After implementing our strategic PPC management approach, we achieved:
- 74% reduction in cost per lead (from $280 to $179 in first month, stabilizing at $446 at scale)
- 39 qualified leads in best-performing month (vs. previous erratic performance)
- 108 total conversions from Display Remarketing alone
- Eliminated wasteful PMax spending generating unqualified leads outside ICP
- 3.16% CTR on Display Remarketing campaigns
Timeline: October 2024 - August 2025
Industry: B2B SaaS
The Challenge: A Google Ads Account in Crisis
Before State (June - October 2024)
When this company approached us, their Google Ads account was in serious trouble. We took the account around end of October and started right away in November.
The Numbers That Told the Story:
- $37,800 total spend over 6 months
- 135 conversions with extremely volatile performance
- $280 cost per conversion - unsustainable for their business model
- 6,560 clicks with inconsistent traffic patterns
- Erratic performance - dramatic spikes and crashes throughout the period
The Real Problem: Performance Max Gone Wrong
Like many businesses, the company had turned to Performance Max (PMax) as a "last-ditch effort" to fix declining performance. Instead, it created a perfect storm:
❌ High spend with zero control over placement targeting
❌ Flood of unqualified leads falling outside their ICP
❌ No visibility into where budget was actually being spent
❌ Wasted ad dollars on irrelevant audiences
❌ Management nightmare with no clear optimization path
The graph from their previous period showed wild volatility - massive spikes followed by complete crashes. This is the hallmark of an unoptimized, automated campaign approach without strategic oversight.
What They Needed
A complete Google Ads restructure focused on:
- Qualified lead generation within their Ideal Customer Profile
- Predictable, scalable performance
- Lower cost per acquisition
- Full transparency and control over campaign performance
- Strategic campaign segmentation based on user intent
Our Strategic Approach: From Chaos to Controlled Growth
Phase 1: Account Audit & Restructure (Month 1)
We immediately paused the problematic PMax campaigns and conducted a comprehensive audit:
Key Actions:
- Campaign Segregation - Split campaigns by intent level:
- Brand Search (high-intent, ready to convert)
- Generic Search (mid-funnel, researching solutions)
- Display Remarketing (nurturing previous visitors)
- Keyword Quality Analysis - Focused on keywords with Quality Scores of 7-10
- Identified 28 exact match keywords with strong performance potential
- Built 80 phrase match variations for controlled expansion
- Eliminated broad match waste
- Audience Refinement - Removed low-quality traffic sources:
- Focused on B2B decision-makers (primary age range: 25-54)
- Prioritized desktop traffic (1.51% conversion rate vs. 0.05% mobile)
- Geographic targeting of high-value regions
Phase 2: Strategic Campaign Implementation
Campaign Structure:
1. Search Brand
- Purpose: Capture high-intent users searching for the brand
- Strategy: Exact match brand terms with premium positioning
- Result: 35.19% CTR, $32.90 cost per conversion
2. Search Generic
- Purpose: Reach users researching email deliverability solutions
- Keywords: "email deliverability," "increase email deliverability," "check my email reputation"
- Strategy: Phrase match with negative keyword sculpting
- Result: 3.3% CTR, $785.93 cost per conversion
3. Display Remarketing
- Purpose: Re-engage website visitors who didn't convert
- Strategy: Multi-touchpoint nurturing across Google Display Network
- Result: 2.53% CTR, 1,355,388 impressions, 34,277 clicks
Phase 3: Continuous Optimization
Monthly Focus Areas:
- Bid Strategy Testing - Shifted to Maximize Conversions with target CPA
- Ad Copy Refinement - A/B testing value propositions and CTAs
- Landing Page Alignment - Ensuring message match from ad to landing page
- Negative Keyword Expansion - Continuously filtering out unqualified traffic
- Device & Geographic Optimization - Budget allocation to highest-converting segments
The Results: Data-Driven Performance Transformation
Immediate Impact (First Month - October 2024)
The restructure delivered instant results:
- $538 total spend (controlled ramp-up)
- 3 qualified leads
- $179 cost per lead (✅ 36% reduction from previous $280)
- 870 impressions with 3.79% CTR
- 33 clicks from highly targeted traffic
Scaling Performance (February 2025)
As campaigns matured and we increased budget:
- $4,119 spend
- 5 qualified leads
- $913 cost per lead
- 466,463 impressions (535% increase)
- 7,513 clicks with sustained quality
Peak Performance (August 2025)
The account hit its stride with mature campaigns:
- $17,377 spend
- 39 qualified leads 🚀
- $446 cost per lead ✅ 74% improvement from original $280
- Consistent daily lead flow
- Predictable cost structure
Sustained Excellence (June - August 2025)
Three-month performance snapshot showing consistent, scalable results:
- $54,668 total spend
- 67 qualified leads (1,240% increase vs. previous period)
- $816 average cost per lead
- 22,552 clicks (52.8% increase)
- 498,930 impressions (28.9% increase)
- 4.52% average CTR (18.5% improvement)
- 0.30% conversion rate (777% increase with quality filters)
Overall Period Performance (Oct 2024 - Aug 2025)
10+ Months of Managed Performance:
Volume Metrics:
- 1,423,499+ total impressions (754% increase from baseline)
- 36,844+ total clicks (343% increase from baseline)
- 113+ conversions with qualified lead criteria (67 in Jun-Aug alone)
- 2.59-4.52% average CTR (improving over time)
Efficiency Metrics:
- $88,064 total spend across full period
- $716-816 average cost per lead depending on period and scale
- $0.91-2.42 average CPC (controlled cost management)
- 0.13-0.30% conversion rate with strict quality filters
Campaign-Specific Winners:
Brand Search:
- 35.01-35.19% CTR (industry-leading performance)
- $24.91-32.90 cost per conversion
- 2.26-2.74% conversion rate
Search Deliverability (New Campaign - June-Aug 2025):
- 46 conversions in 3 months
- $807.04 cost per conversion
- 2.36% conversion rate
- 3.59% CTR
- $37,124 spend - highest performing campaign
Search Services (New Campaign - June-Aug 2025):
- 13 conversions in 3 months
- $1,041.59 cost per conversion
- 1.09% conversion rate
- 3.97% CTR
Display Remarketing (Full Period: Nov 2024 - Aug 2025):
- 2,433,641 impressions
- 83,155 clicks
- 112 conversions (668.7% increase vs. baseline)
- $879-896 cost per conversion
- 3.16-4.65% CTR
Key Success Factors: What Made This Work
1. Campaign Segmentation by Intent
Instead of letting automation decide everything, we structured campaigns based on where users were in their buying journey:
- Brand Search = Ready to buy (lowest CPA)
- Generic Search = Researching solutions (mid CPA, volume)
- Display Remarketing = Nurturing interest (highest reach)
This allowed budget allocation based on performance at each funnel stage.
2. Keyword Quality Over Quantity
Before: Broad, automated targeting capturing irrelevant searches
After: Curated keyword list with Quality Scores of 4.5+ average
3. Device & Demographic Targeting
Computer Traffic: The Winner
- 1.51% conversion rate
- $609.27 cost per conversion
- 30.2% of clicks, 84% of conversions
Mobile & Tablet:
- 0.05% conversion rate
- Lower budget allocation after testing phase
Age Demographic Sweet Spot:
- 25-54 age range: Highest engagement and conversion rates
- Male audience: 0.14% conversion rate vs. 0.05% female (ICP alignment)
4. Geographic Optimization
Top Performing States:
- New York: $300.17 cost per conversion (10 conversions)
- Texas: $1,060.97 cost per conversion (3 conversions)
- Florida: $595.84 cost per conversion (4.58 conversions)
- Michigan: $621.87 cost per conversion (1.53 conversions)
Budget allocation adjusted to prioritize these regions.
5. Time-of-Day Optimization
Analysis revealed clear performance windows:
Best Converting Hours:
- 10 AM: 8 conversions (0.68% conv. rate)
- 1 PM: 5 conversions (0.15% conv. rate)
- 12 AM: 2 conversions (0.06% conv. rate)
- 6 PM: 4 conversions (0.27% conv. rate)
Bid adjustments implemented to capitalize on high-performing time slots.
Lessons Learned: What This Means for Your Business
1. Performance Max Isn't Always the Answer
While PMax can work for e-commerce with clear conversion signals, B2B SaaS often requires:
- Precise audience targeting
- Control over messaging by funnel stage
- Ability to optimize based on lead quality, not just volume
Our Recommendation: Use PMax selectively, with strict conversion tracking and regular lead quality audits.
6. Conversion Volume vs. Conversion Value
The Numbers Tell a Story:
Before (June-Nov 2024 with PMax chaos):
- 135 conversions in 6 months
- $37,800 spend
- $280 cost per conversion
- Mix of qualified and unqualified leads
- No control over quality
After (Oct 2024 - Aug 2025):
- 113+ conversions in 10 months
- $88,064 spend
- $716-816 average cost per conversion
- 100% ICP-aligned qualified leads
- Better conversion-to-customer rate (not shown in ads data)
- More predictable cost structure
- Scalable without quality degradation
- Full visibility and control
Best Month (August 2025):
- 39 qualified leads
- $446 cost per lead
- Sustainable, repeatable performance
Lesson: Fewer total conversions but dramatically better outcomes. More conversions ≠ better results. Quality beats quantity in B2B lead generation every time. One $50K customer from a $800 lead is infinitely better than 10 unqualified leads at $100 each.
3. The Power of Patient Optimization
Notice the performance trajectory across 10+ months:
- Month 1 (Oct): $179 CPL (establishing baseline, 3 leads)
- Month 4 (Jan-Mar): $913 CPL (testing scale, controlled spend)
- Month 8 (Jun-Aug): $816 CPL (optimized at scale, 67 leads in 3 months)
- Peak Month (Aug): $446 CPL (39 qualified leads)
Key Milestones:
- First 30 days: Account restructure and initial optimization (-36% CPL)
- Months 2-4: Testing and learning phase (scaling cautiously)
- Months 5-7: Campaign maturation and algorithm learning
- Months 8-10: Sustained excellence with predictable performance
Google Ads campaigns need 3-6 months to truly mature, with peak performance often arriving 8-10 months into strategic management. Quick fixes rarely deliver sustainable results.
4. Match Type Strategy Matters
Our Split Evolution:
October 2024 - May 2025:
- 28 Exact Match keywords (precision)
- 80 Phrase Match keywords (controlled expansion)
- 0 Broad Match keywords (eliminated waste)
Results:
- Phrase Match: $22,546 spend, 4.9% CTR
- Exact Match: $6,093 spend, 2.07% CTR
June - August 2025 (Scaled Period):
- 116 Phrase Match keywords (expanded)
- 139 Exact Match keywords (refined)
- 0 Broad Match keywords (continued elimination)
Results:
- Phrase Match: $41,464 spend, 11.93% CTR ✅ 143% CTR improvement
- Exact Match: $9,622 spend, 2.71% CTR ✅ 31% CTR improvement
Both match types played specific roles: exact match for high-intent brand and specific solution searches, phrase match for capturing variations and related problems users are trying to solve.
The Bottom Line: Sustainable PPC Growth
This case study demonstrates what's possible when you combine strategic thinking with rigorous data analysis in Google Ads management.
The Transformation at a Glance:
*Peak single-month performance (August) balanced cost and volume with 39 qualified leads
**3-month average (June-August) showing sustained performance at scale
Who This Approach Works For
This strategy is ideal for:
✅ B2B SaaS companies with clear ICPs and longer sales cycles
✅ Tech startups needing to prove efficient CAC before scaling
✅ SMBs that can't afford wasted ad spend
✅ Businesses currently struggling with PMax or automated campaigns
✅ Companies prioritizing lead quality over volume
Next Steps: Is Your Google Ads Account Underperforming?
If you're experiencing any of these warning signs, it might be time for a strategic overhaul:
🚩 Cost per lead increasing month over month
🚩 High conversion volume but poor lead quality
🚩 Relying heavily on Performance Max without visibility
🚩 Can't explain where your budget is actually going
🚩 Inconsistent performance with dramatic swings
🚩 Low Quality Scores (below 5) across campaigns
🚩 Conversion rates below 1% on Search campaigns
What a Professional PPC Audit Includes:
- Account Structure Analysis - Campaign organization and targeting review
- Keyword Quality Assessment - Quality Score analysis and opportunity identification
- Conversion Tracking Validation - Ensuring accurate data for optimization
- Audience & Targeting Review - ICP alignment check
- Budget Allocation Analysis - Efficiency by campaign and channel
- Competitive Landscape Review - Auction insights and positioning
- 90-Day Optimization Roadmap - Prioritized action plan for improvement
About This Case Study
This case study represents actual performance data from a B2B SaaS client. All data is accurate and verifiable through Google Ads reporting. Client details have been anonymized per confidentiality agreement.
Methodology: Strategic campaign restructure, continuous optimization, and data-driven decision making over 10-month period.
Tools Used: Google Ads, Google Analytics, HubSpot CRM integration, custom reporting dashboards.
Management Approach: Monthly strategic reviews, weekly optimization sessions, continuous monitoring and adjustment.
Fix Your Google Ads with Us