7 Ways to Save Money in Google Ads

Running Google Ads can be an incredibly effective way to drive traffic, generate leads, and increase sales. However, without a smart approach, the costs can add up quickly, especially in competitive industries. To ensure you’re getting the most out of your ad spend, it’s essential to implement strategies that reduce wasted budget and improve ad efficiency. In this guide, we’ll cover 7 practical ways to save money in Google Ads while still achieving your campaign goals.

1. Use Negative Keywords to Exclude Irrelevant Traffic

One of the most effective ways to save money in Google Ads is by implementing a negative keyword strategy. Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing up in searches that aren’t relevant to your business, which can help you avoid clicks that don’t convert.

• Example: If you’re advertising high-end fitness equipment, you might want to add “free,” “cheap,” and “DIY” as negative keywords to filter out users who are unlikely to make a purchase.
• How to Implement: Regularly review the Search Terms Report to identify irrelevant keywords users are searching for. Add any unwanted terms to your negative keywords list to prevent your ads from showing up for those searches.

Using negative keywords helps keep your budget focused on users with a higher intent to convert, ultimately increasing your ROI.

2. Optimize Your Ad Schedule

Not all times of the day or week are equally effective for reaching your target audience. Running ads 24/7 can lead to wasted budget on times when your potential customers are not actively searching or engaging with ads.

• Example: A B2B business might find that its audience is more active during standard working hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), whereas an e-commerce brand might get better results in the evenings and on weekends.
• How to Implement: Use Ad Schedule in Google Ads to view performance data for different days and times. Set your ads to show only during the highest-performing times, and adjust your bid modifiers to prioritize your budget for peak engagement hours.

By optimizing your ad schedule, you can allocate your budget where it’s likely to generate the most engagement and conversions.

3. Leverage Geo-Targeting for Localized Ads

If your business operates in specific regions or if certain areas perform better than others, using geo-targeting can significantly improve the efficiency of your ad spend. By focusing on high-performing locations, you can avoid spending money on clicks from areas with lower conversion rates.

• Example: If a local restaurant wants to attract nearby customers, targeting only their city and excluding distant locations can reduce wasted ad spend.
• How to Implement: In the Google Ads Location Settings, select the areas where you want your ads to appear. Use geographic bid adjustments to increase bids for high-performing regions and decrease or exclude bids in areas that don’t perform as well.

Geo-targeting helps you tailor your ad spend to areas where your audience is most likely to convert, saving money and improving ROI.

4. Create Compelling and Relevant Ad Copy

Effective ad copy not only drives clicks but also attracts clicks from the right users. When your ad copy is compelling and relevant, it can lead to higher click-through rates (CTR), which boosts your Quality Score and reduces your cost per click.

• Example: Using specific calls-to-action (CTAs) like “Book a Free Consultation” or “Shop Fall Deals” attracts users with clear intent, which can lead to higher conversion rates.
• How to Implement: Include primary keywords in your headlines and descriptions to increase relevance. Add value-driven CTAs that align with user intent, and A/B test different versions of your ad copy to identify what resonates best with your audience.

Higher Quality Scores from relevant ad copy lead to lower CPCs and better ad placements, allowing you to get more results from your budget.

5. Set Up Conversion Tracking to Measure Success

Conversion tracking is essential for understanding which keywords, ads, and campaigns are delivering the best results. Without conversion tracking, you could be spending money on ads that don’t generate any tangible results.

• Example: By tracking conversions, an e-commerce business can see which products are driving sales and adjust bids accordingly to focus on profitable items.
• How to Implement: Set up conversion tracking in Google Ads by defining conversion actions that align with your business goals (e.g., purchases, sign-ups, or form submissions). Analyze conversion data regularly to identify high-performing keywords and ads.

Accurate conversion data allows you to allocate budget more effectively, cutting spending on underperforming areas and investing more in ads that drive results.

6. Use Automated Bidding with Smart Bidding Strategies

Automated bidding, particularly Smart Bidding, can help save money by adjusting bids based on real-time signals, such as device, location, and time of day. Smart Bidding uses machine learning to optimize for specific goals, such as target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) or target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend).

• Example: If your goal is to generate leads, using Target CPA bidding will optimize your bids to stay within your desired cost per lead.
• How to Implement: In the Google Ads Bidding Strategy settings, choose a Smart Bidding option that aligns with your goals. Set realistic target CPA or ROAS goals, and let Google’s algorithm manage your bids for optimal performance.

Automated bidding can lead to significant cost savings by reducing the amount of manual bid adjustments and improving overall bid efficiency.

7. Regularly Review and Optimize Your Keyword List

Over time, some keywords may become less relevant or too competitive, eating up a large portion of your budget without yielding the desired results. Regularly reviewing your keyword list ensures that your budget is spent on high-intent keywords that deliver conversions.

• Example: A marketing agency might find that generic terms like “digital marketing” are too broad and expensive. Instead, targeting niche phrases like “small business marketing solutions” may lead to more qualified clicks at a lower cost.
• How to Implement: Use the Search Terms Report in Google Ads to review keyword performance and identify underperforming keywords. Pause or remove keywords that aren’t converting, and add new, long-tail keywords that capture specific intent.

Optimizing your keyword list keeps your budget focused on keywords that are more likely to drive conversions, reducing waste and increasing ROI.

Conclusion

Google Ads can be a powerful driver of traffic and sales, but only if managed strategically. By implementing these seven money-saving strategies—from using negative keywords to leveraging automated bidding and optimizing ad schedules—you can ensure that every dollar spent works harder for your business. By focusing your budget on high-performing areas and minimizing waste, you’ll not only save money but also see better results from your campaigns.

Need help getting the most out of your Google Ads budget? At Socially Savvy Solutions, we specialize in optimizing ad campaigns for maximum ROI. Whether you’re new to Google Ads or looking to improve your current strategy, we’re here to help! Contact us today for a free consultation and start saving on your ad spend.