How We Reduced Google Ads Cost Per Lead by 74% While Scaling Conversions
Ljubcho Gjorgjioski
05 Dec 2025
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
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
Before State (June - November 2024)
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:
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 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.
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.
