If you have noticed your cost per click (CPC) increasing week after week, you are not alone. Rising CPCs can quickly limit the number of clicks and conversions you get from your Google Ads budget.

The good news is that there are practical steps you can take to reduce your CPC without sacrificing performance.

Here are four proven strategies to help you lower your CPCs and improve overall ad efficiency.

1. Improve Your Quality Score

Your Quality Score plays a major role in determining how much you pay per click. While it cannot guarantee lower CPCs, because Google Ads runs on an auction model, it can apply downward pressure on your costs.

If more competitors start bidding on your keywords or switch to Smart Bidding, prices can rise regardless of your Quality Score.

However, improving it remains one of the best long-term strategies for CPC efficiency.

How to Improve Quality Score

Ad Relevance
Make sure your ad copy closely matches the intent of your keywords. Use dynamic keyword insertion where appropriate to tailor your ads to search intent.

Landing Page Experience
Optimise your landing pages for speed, mobile performance, and relevance.

For example, if your ad promotes “Men’s Black Trail Running Shoes,” ensure the landing page showcases that exact product, not a general collection page.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Write compelling ad copy with strong calls to action. Use ad extensions like sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets to boost engagement and relevance.

2. Test Broad Match Keywords

Account data over time shows that broad match targeting can often deliver lower CPCs. However, it requires balance and careful monitoring.

Be sure to run some tests first BEFORE fully committing to Broad match keywords as in some cases the best set-up is still [Exact Match] keywords.

While reducing CPC is important, remember that your ultimate goal is to generate sales and conversions, not just cheaper clicks.

A strong approach is to combine exact match and broad match keywords in the same ad group. This helps Google’s AI understand search intent more effectively, as broad match targeting now uses other keywords in the ad group as signals.

This strategy allows you to expand reach and lower average CPC, while maintaining relevance.

3. Target Problem or Solution Keywords

Another effective strategy is to target problem-based or solution-focused keywords. These are search terms that describe the problem your product solves rather than the product itself.

For example:

• “Cleansing facial wash” might cost $7.19 per click

• “Best skincare routine for oily skin” might cost $3.06 per click

By targeting solution-based searches, you often reach users earlier in their buying journey. Conversions may take longer, but these keywords typically have lower CPCs because they are less competitive.

This approach is especially useful for brands looking to build awareness while managing ad spend.

4. Diversify Your Campaign Types

Relying solely on one campaign type, such as Search, can drive up CPC due to competition. To reduce costs and reach users across more touchpoints, diversify your campaigns.

How to Implement

• Combine Search, Shopping, Display, and Performance Max campaigns

• Use different campaign types to target users at various stages of the sales funnel

• Analyse performance by campaign type to allocate budget where CPCs and conversions are most efficient

Diversifying your campaign mix helps distribute spend more effectively, reduce competition pressure, and improve your overall cost per acquisition.

Final Thoughts

Reducing your CPC in Google Ads is not just about spending less. It is about improving quality, relevance, and data-driven targeting to get more conversions from every dollar spent.

Start by improving your Quality Score, testing new keyword match types, targeting problem-based searches, and diversifying your campaigns.

When executed together, these steps can significantly reduce CPC while improving performance.

Have a great week,

Aaron

• Monday 10th November, 8pm AEST: The Risks of Smart Bidding in Google Ads
• Wednesday 12th November, 8pm AEST: Outdated Google Ads Strategies
  
  

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