Running a Google Ads campaign is one thing, but truly maximizing your return on investment (ROI) requires advanced strategies. If you’re already familiar with the basics of setting up ads, choosing keywords, and targeting audiences, it’s time to take your campaigns to the next level.
In this article, we’ll explore advanced Google Ads techniques that can help you reduce costs, increase conversions, and scale your results effectively.
1. Improve Quality Score to Lower Costs
Google assigns a Quality Score (1-10) to each keyword in your campaign, which affects:
- Ad Rank (position in search results)
- Cost-per-click (CPC) (higher scores = lower costs)
- Overall ad performance
How to Improve Your Quality Score
✅ Increase CTR (Click-Through Rate): Write compelling ads with clear CTAs.
✅ Make Ads Relevant to Keywords: Ensure your ad copy closely matches user search intent.
✅ Optimize Landing Pages: Make sure the destination page is fast, mobile-friendly, and relevant.
A Quality Score of 7 or higher can significantly reduce CPC while improving performance.
2. Use SKAGs (Single Keyword Ad Groups) for Precision
Most advertisers bundle multiple keywords into a single ad group, but a better strategy is to create Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs).
Why SKAGs Work Better
- Increases Relevance: Each ad is directly related to a single keyword.
- Improves Quality Score: Google rewards highly targeted ads.
- Boosts CTR and Conversion Rates: Ads match exactly what users are searching for.
How to Implement SKAGs
- Create a separate ad group for each keyword.
- Write ad copy that includes the exact keyword phrase.
- Direct traffic to a highly relevant landing page.
Though SKAGs require more work upfront, they increase efficiency and reduce wasted ad spend.
3. Implement Smart Bidding Strategies
Google Ads offers AI-powered bidding options to optimize campaigns. Instead of manually setting bids, Smart Bidding helps maximize conversions based on machine learning.
Best Smart Bidding Strategies for High ROI
- Maximize Conversions: Google adjusts bids to get the most conversions within your budget.
- Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Focuses on getting a specific return based on your goals.
- Enhanced CPC: Adjusts manual bids to improve conversion probability.
If you’re running multiple campaigns, experiment with different Smart Bidding options to see which performs best.
4. Use Remarketing to Convert Lost Visitors
Most website visitors don’t convert on their first visit. Remarketing helps bring them back by showing ads across Google’s network.
Best Remarketing Strategies
✅ Show Ads to Cart Abandoners: Target users who added products to their cart but didn’t complete checkout.
✅ Retarget High-Intent Visitors: Focus on users who visited product pages or spent time on key sections.
✅ Use Dynamic Remarketing: Show personalized ads featuring the exact products users viewed.
Remarketing keeps your brand top-of-mind and encourages users to complete their purchase or sign-up.
5. Optimize Ad Extensions for Higher CTR
Google Ads allows you to add extra information to your ads using ad extensions. These improve visibility and increase click-through rates.
Essential Ad Extensions to Use
- Sitelink Extensions: Direct users to specific landing pages.
- Call Extensions: Add a phone number for quick calls.
- Location Extensions: Display your business address and directions.
- Price Extensions: Show product pricing upfront to attract serious buyers.
Using multiple extensions makes ads more engaging and can improve your Ad Rank.
6. Use Competitor Bidding to Steal Market Share
Competitor bidding involves running ads on competitor brand names to capture their traffic.
Example of Competitor Bidding
- A Nike competitor could bid on “Nike running shoes” to appear in search results.
- A local dentist could bid on competitors’ clinic names to attract new patients.
⚠ Tip: Be careful not to use competitor names in your ad copy, as it may violate Google’s policies.
7. Track Conversions with Google Analytics
To maximize ROI, you need to track which ads and keywords are driving real revenue.
How to Set Up Conversion Tracking
- Install Google Ads Conversion Tracking on your website.
- Integrate Google Analytics with Google Ads.
- Track phone calls, form submissions, purchases, and other actions.
By analyzing conversion data, you can adjust bids, pause underperforming keywords, and scale winning campaigns.
8. A/B Test Everything (Ads, Landing Pages, Keywords)
Testing is crucial to improving ad performance. Run A/B tests on:
✅ Ad headlines and descriptions
✅ Call-to-action (CTA) wording
✅ Landing page designs
✅ Different keyword match types
By consistently testing and optimizing, you’ll improve ad performance and maximize profits.
Final Thoughts
Google Ads success isn’t just about launching campaigns—it’s about continuous optimization. By using Quality Score improvements, SKAGs, remarketing, Smart Bidding, and competitor bidding, you can reduce costs while increasing conversions.
Juliana Passioni is a traffic management specialist, passionate about digital marketing strategies and online performance. Always seeking improvement, she constantly studies the best market practices to optimize campaigns and achieve significant results.