My Google Ads costs are too high. How can I quickly lower CPC/CPA?

Fix measurement first: make sure conversions are tracked once (no duplicates), the right primary actions are selected, Enhanced Conversions are enabled, and Consent Mode v2 is properly implemented if you use a cookie banner. Improve relevance (message match): mirror the keyword in your ad headline and on the landing page. Tighten ad groups. Speed matters: improve mobile page speed and Core Web Vitals. Cut waste: add negative keywords (e.g., jobs, "free", irrelevant brand terms), refine locations/devices/schedules. Use Smart Bidding when ready: start with controlled bids; once data is stable, move to Target CPA/ROAS with realistic targets based on the last 30 days.

What is Quality Score and how do I improve it?

Quality Score (1-10) estimates ad relevance and usefulness. It's driven by expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience. To improve it: group keywords tightly, place the keyword in ad headlines and the page H1, align copy with search intent, speed up the page, and reduce bounce (clear value prop, fast load, clean UX). Why it matters: a higher QS usually lowers CPC and improves ad rank.

My conversion tracking seems broken (cookie banner/consent issues). What should I do?

Audit tags: use Google Tag Assistant/DebugView to confirm one conversion fires per action with correct values. Implement Consent Mode v2 correctly: map consent types and use Advanced/Basic modes so modeling can recover part of lost conversions. Enable Enhanced Conversions (hashed first-party data) and consider server-side tagging for more reliable collection. Align platforms: define the same primary conversion in Google Ads and GA4, and avoid double-counting soft events.

Should I use Broad match or stick to Phrase/Exact?

Early on or when budget control is key, start with Phrase/Exact to learn fast and protect spend. Use Broad match once you have solid conversion data and Smart Bidding (tCPA/tROAS) active. Always protect with a strong negative list. Review the Search Terms report weekly: keep what converts, block the rest. Test match types with Experiments before scaling.

How should I set budgets and bidding to stabilize CPA?

Pick one goal: Target CPA or Target ROAS (not both at once). Set targets from your actuals (e.g., last 30-day average CPA + 10–20% buffer). Allow learning: avoid frequent changes; give it 2–4 weeks. Right budget: aim for daily budget ≈ 10–20x your target CPA so the algorithm can learn. Reduce volatility: avoid big structural edits mid-flight; use dayparting and device/location adjustments based on data.

My Google Ads costs are too high. How can I quickly lower CPC/CPA?

Fix measurement first: make sure conversions are tracked once (no duplicates), the right primary actions are selected, Enhanced Conversions are enabled, and Consent Mode v2 is properly implemented if you use a cookie banner. Improve relevance (message match): mirror the keyword in your ad headline and on the landing page. Tighten ad groups. Speed matters: improve mobile page speed and Core Web Vitals. Cut waste: add negative keywords (e.g., jobs, “free”, irrelevant brand terms), refine locations/devices/schedules. Use Smart Bidding when ready: start with controlled bids; once data is stable, move to Target CPA/ROAS with realistic targets based on the last 30 days.

What is Quality Score and how do I improve it?

Quality Score (1–10) estimates ad relevance and usefulness. It’s driven by expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience. To improve it: group keywords tightly, place the keyword in ad headlines and the page H1, align copy with search intent, speed up the page, and reduce bounce (clear value prop, fast load, clean UX). Why it matters: a higher QS usually lowers CPC and improves ad rank.

My conversion tracking seems broken (cookie banner/consent issues). What should I do?

Audit tags: use Google Tag Assistant/DebugView to confirm one conversion fires per action with correct values. Implement Consent Mode v2 correctly: map consent types and use Advanced/Basic modes so modeling can recover part of lost conversions. Enable Enhanced Conversions (hashed first‑party data) and consider server‑side tagging for more reliable collection. Align platforms: define the same primary conversion in Google Ads and GA4, and avoid double-counting soft events

Should I use Broad match or stick to Phrase/Exact?

Early on or when budget control is key, start with Phrase/Exact to learn fast and protect spend. Use Broad match once you have solid conversion data and Smart Bidding (tCPA/tROAS) active. Always protect with a strong negative list. Review the Search Terms report weekly: keep what converts, block the rest. Test match types with Experiments before scaling.

How should I set budgets and bidding to stabilize CPA?

Pick one goal: Target CPA or Target ROAS (not both at once). Set targets from your actuals (e.g., last 30‑day average CPA + 10–20% buffer). Allow learning: avoid frequent changes; give it 2–4 weeks. Right budget: aim for daily budget ≈ 10–20× your target CPA so the algorithm can learn. Reduce volatility: avoid big structural edits mid-flight; use dayparting and device/location adjustments based on data.