One of the best ways to increase your profit when running Google ads is to lower your cost per click or CPC. Many top agencies offering website marketing services use this excellent strategy since it involves less investment or extensive resources. To decrease CPC, a few essential strategies must be followed. Once you master these strategies, you can apply them to any ad campaign and ensure the best ROI. So, what are these strategies? What are the benefits? Are they effective? Let's find it out in this blog post.
Top 5 Strategies to Reduce Cost Per Click
Reducing the cost per click allows you to decrease your ad spend. It increases the ROI and enables you to increase your revenue. Here are the top five proven strategies many agencies offering website marketing services use to lower your CPC.- Use long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords can make a huge difference in cutting ad costs. These phrases have three or more words, like "comfortable hiking boots for wide feet". They cost less because fewer people are bidding on them. Plus, they pull in a crowd that knows what they want, giving you a better chance of making a sale. When people use long-tail keywords, it's often a sign that they're ready to take action.
For example, someone searching 'cheap flights to Paris in January' is more likely to book a trip than typing 'flights.' That clear intent means your ads perform better, your Quality Score climbs, and Google rewards you with lower costs. Using these keywords takes some work, but it's worth it. Here are a few things you can do right away.
- Use tools like Ahref, Semrush, etc., to find phrases your audience uses.
- Group those phrases into small, focused ad sets.
- Write ads that match exactly what people are looking for.
- Use negative keywords to keep out the wrong traffic.
- Add negative keywords and constantly optimize them Negative keywords are your secret weapon for saving money on ads. You add These words or phrases to your campaigns to block irrelevant searches. For instance, if you sell premium leather bags, you should exclude terms like 'cheap' or 'DIY.' This will prevent your ads from showing up to people who aren't likely to buy and save you money on clicks that don't lead to sales. Adding and optimizing negative keywords isn't just a one-time job; it's an ongoing task. As a Google Ads agency in Montreal, we use a variety of tailored strategies. Look at your Search Terms report on your Google Ads account to spot keywords triggering your ads but bringing in no value. Add those to your negative keyword list to keep your campaign on track. The more refined your list, the better your ads perform. Regular updates to your negative keywords can also improve your Quality Score. This happens because Google sees your ads aligning better with user intent. Higher relevance means better ad placements at lower costs.
- Optimize your ad schedule for better CTR A well-optimized ad schedule can be a game-changer for reducing your CPC. Instead of running ads 24/7, show them when your audience is most active. For example, if you're targeting office workers, your best bet might be during lunch or evenings. By narrowing down the schedule, you save money on clicks that don't convert. Creating the proper ad schedule isn't about guessing. It's about using data for your ads. As a web marketing agency in Montreal, we do this consistently. Access your campaign reports to see when your clicks or conversions are highest. For example, weekends may perform better for you, and late-night clicks rarely lead to sales. Use these insights to fine-tune your schedule, ensuring you're spending ad dollars wisely. Optimizing your ad timing also helps boost engagement, leading to a better Quality Score. Better scores mean higher placements and lower CPCs. Combine this with other strategies, and you'll see better ROI without extra effort.
- Improve your ad's Quality Score
Boosting your Ad Quality Score is one of the most innovative ways to lower CPC. Google rewards ads with better Quality Scores by giving them better positions at a lower cost. The score hinges on three key things:
- Your ad relevance
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Improve your UX on ad landing pages
- Use keyword-rich headlines: Include targeted keywords in your ad headlines for better relevance.
- A/B test your ads: Test different ad copies to find what resonates best with your audience.
- Simplify navigation: Make sure your landing page is easy to use and has a clear call-to-action.
- Better mobile experience:Ensure your mobile-friendly landing pages load faster on all devices.
- Add ad extensions: Use callouts, site links, rich snippets, etc., to give users more reasons to click your ad.
- Keep your Ad Groups focused for higher relevance
Focusing your ad groups closely is a simple yet powerful way to reduce CPC and boost performance.
When your ad groups are tightly themed, Google recognizes the relevance between your keywords, ad copy, and landing pages. This leads to a higher Quality Score, lowering your costs. Plus, it makes managing your campaigns much easier and more effective. The idea is to group similar keywords together so that your ads can be laser-focused. For instance, instead of creating one broad ad group for 'shoes,' break it into smaller groups. You can create ad groups like 'running shoes,' 'formal shoes,' and 'hiking boots'. Each ad group should have targeted keywords and ad copy that speaks to those searches. As a web marketing agency in Montreal, we have found this to work exceptionally well for our clients. Here's how to fine-tune your ad groups for better results:
- Limit keywords per group: Stick to 5–10 closely related keywords to maintain focus.
- Write specific ads: Tailor your ad copy to match the intent of each keyword group.
- Use dynamic keyword insertion:Automatically insert the search term into your ad to make it more relevant.
- Review and refine:Regularly analyze performance and adjust keywords or ad copy. This will quickly improve results.