Let’s not sugarcoat it.
Running Google Ads when you don’t have a clear strategy feels like gambling. You set a budget, hope for the best, and watch your money vanish faster than it came.
That was me once. I used to think, “If I make at least what I spent, that’s a win, right?”
Wrong.
Spending $100 and getting back $100 is not a win. You’re breaking even at best, and losing money after you count in product costs, taxes, or time spent managing ads. I needed to find a smarter way.
And after years of running ads for all types of businesses — fashion, SaaS, real estate, fitness, you name it — I cracked the system.
Now, I regularly hit 5x, 6x, even 8x ROAS. That means every $100 I spend gives me $800 in return. And no, I’m not a wizard. I just follow a repeatable system.
Here it is — explained in the simplest way possible.
1. Run Search Term Audits (AKA: Cut the Noise)
Think of your ad budget like a garden hose. If there are tiny holes (wasted clicks), your water (money) leaks out. You want every drop to count.
That’s why I regularly check search terms — the exact words people typed into Google before clicking my ad.
If I find terms that:
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Have a click-through rate (CTR) lower than 8%
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Or got zero conversions
…I remove them or mark them as negative keywords.
Example:
If I’m selling running shoes and my ad is showing for “free running app” or “running memes” — that’s wasted spend. Those people aren’t buyers.
Just doing this one thing every week saves me hundreds of dollars over time.
2. Calculate Your CPA Cap (Know What You Can Afford to Pay)
Imagine selling a product for $200. After manufacturing, packaging, shipping, taxes, and customer support — your profit is only $70.
Now ask yourself: can you afford to pay $80 for a sale?
Nope. You’ll be in the red.
So before running any ads, I calculate my True CPA Cap — which means:
“What’s the maximum I can spend to acquire one paying customer… and still make money?”
Knowing this number changes everything. It becomes my north star for budgeting, bidding, and scaling decisions.
3. Segment Campaigns by Intent (Don’t Treat Everyone the Same)
Different people search Google with different levels of seriousness.
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Someone searching “Nike Air Max size 9 near me” is likely ready to buy
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But someone searching “Are Nike shoes comfortable” is still researching
So I separate campaigns based on this:
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Exact match keywords = Highest intent (show ads only if the search matches my keyword exactly)
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Phrase match = Medium intent (looser but still relevant)
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Broad match = Only when I’ve got solid data
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Remarketing = For people who visited but didn’t buy
This allows me to craft custom messages for each group. It’s like talking differently to a stranger, a friend, and a repeat customer.
4. Start With Value-Based Bidding (And Don’t Be Greedy at First)
If you break even at 2x ROAS (spend $100, make $200), don’t expect Google to give you 10x right away.
I usually start by setting my Target ROAS at 4, which is 2x my breakeven. It gives Google room to find the right buyers while still keeping things profitable.
Only after I’ve hit at least 50 conversions do I start tightening the ROAS target to scale up further.
5. Write Ads Like You’re Talking to a Friend, Not a Robot
Your ad isn’t a billboard. It’s a short conversation.
Here’s the structure I follow:
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Problem – What pain is the customer facing?
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Agitate – Why is it a big deal?
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Solution – How can you help?
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Proof – Why should they trust you?
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Call to action – What should they do next?
Example:
“Tired of spending on ads that don’t convert? You’re not alone. We’ve helped 100+ businesses get real results. Let’s get your ROI back on track.”
Simple. Personal. Clear.
6. Your Landing Page Should Be Like a Helpful Salesperson
The ad gets their attention. The landing page seals the deal.
When someone clicks, I ask myself:
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Does the page load fast? (especially on mobile)
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Is the headline clear?
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Is there one obvious next step? (buy now, book a call, etc.)
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Is there trust? (testimonials, reviews, badges)
If any of those are missing, people bounce — and my ad budget burns for nothing.
7. Layer Your Audiences for Precision Targeting
Basic targeting is like saying “show this to all men aged 30-45.”
But advanced targeting is like saying:
“Show this ad to men aged 30-45, who like fitness, AND have visited my site in the last 30 days.”
By layering interest, demographics, and behavior — I show ads only to people who actually care.
Result? Fewer wasted impressions, more qualified clicks.
8. Adjust Based on Device (Don’t Treat Desktop and Mobile the Same)
If I notice that conversions from mobile users are 30% higher, I increase mobile bids by 15–25%.
You don’t have to treat every device the same. Let the data guide you.
Sometimes, desktop users just browse. Mobile users buy while lying in bed.
9. Use the 2×2 Automation Matrix (It’s My Secret Weapon)
Here’s a trick I use to make quick decisions:
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If ROAS < 2 AND CTR < 1.5% → Pause the ad
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If ROAS > 4 AND conversion rate > 3% → Increase budget
This helps me react fast without overthinking every data point.
10. Monitor Impression Share (Know How Often You’re Showing Up)
Impression share tells you how often your ad shows when someone searches your keyword.
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Below 60%? You’re missing out — raise your bid or budget
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Above 80%? You’ve saturated — start testing new, broader keywords
This keeps your reach growing in a healthy way.
11. Do a 5-3-1 Weekly Clean-Up
Every Friday, I do this:
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Cut 5 worst-performing keywords
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Pause 3 low-performing ads
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Remove 1 bad placement (from Display or YouTube)
I call it the 5-3-1 Method — it keeps your ad account lean, clean, and effective.
12. Expand Match Types Only When Deserved
I don’t go broad match just for fun. I only add modified broad match keywords when my exact match keywords are hitting at least 75% of my ROAS goal.
This way, I’m not risking budget on uncertain queries until I know what works.
13. Use Audience Expansion to Clone Your Winners
Once I find a campaign that’s crushing it — I duplicate it and target lookalike audiences:
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1% similarity
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3% similarity
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5% similarity
Sometimes, the 1% audience performs better than the original!
14. Split Your Creatives into Performance Tiers
Here’s my breakdown:
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60% of the budget goes to proven ads
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30% goes to new ideas
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10% goes to wild, experimental creatives
This keeps performance steady while still allowing room for discovery.
15. Avoid Ad Fatigue by Refreshing Creatives Regularly
If your audience sees the same ad again and again, they stop noticing it.
So I rotate:
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Images
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Headlines
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Descriptions
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Call to actions
This keeps engagement fresh and performance strong.
16. Split Your Budget Smartly in the First 7 Days
When launching a new campaign, I do:
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80% to Google Search
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15% to Display Network
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5% to YouTube
From Day 8 onward, I shift the budget based on results — pushing more money toward what’s working best.
Final Words: You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
Everything I shared above is from real experience. No fluff, no theory — just what works.
And hey, if all of this feels like too much to do alone?
I get it.
That’s exactly why I built Friendly Marketer — to help people like you scale without the headache. I’ve done this 1,000+ times. I know the shortcuts, I know the traps, and I know what makes campaigns actually profitable.
So if you’re tired of trying to figure out Google Ads on your own…
👉 Contact me at Friendly Marketer. Let’s grow your business together — profitably.