Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out! Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on your fitness supplement business. It sounds like you're in a common spot - good traction, but hitting a wall with your current Google Ads setup. I've seen this a bunch of times.
We'll need to look at the Keyword Audit...
First off, that broad match is almost certainly the root cause. It's like casting a huge net and hoping you catch the right fish. You're likely getting clicks from folks who are vaguely interested in fitness but aren't really your target customer. A keyword audit is paramount, and it's often an eye-opener. Get into the nitty-gritty of the search terms people are using that trigger your ads. You'll probably find a load of irrelevant stuff that's just bleeding your budget dry.
Actionable step: Download your search term report from Google Ads. Filter by cost and start identifying terms that are clearly irrelevant. Think about variations, synonyms, and related terms that also need to be excluded. This forms the basis of your negative keyword list.
Regarding that negative keyword list, its gotta be comprehensive. It's not a one-and-done thing. You'll need to keep monitoring it and adding to it regularly. Think of it as a living document that protects your ad spend. Common mistakes are being too general or not thinking about all the possible variations of irrelevant terms. I have seen people use broad match and negative keywords thinking this will help them, but it is not enough. When you have budget issues, using the correct match types is essential.
I'd say you need to re-evaluate your Bidding Strategy...
Okay, so bidding. You mentioned wanting to drop your CPA to $20 or less. That's a good goal, but it needs a strategic approach. Jumping straight to Target CPA bidding might not be the best move, especially if you don't have a lot of conversion data. Google's AI needs data to learn and optimise effectively. If you're only getting a handful of conversions a week, it's going to struggle.
What I'd suggest is starting with Enhanced CPC (ECPC). This gives you some level of automated bidding while still allowing you to retain control. ECPC adjusts your bids based on the likelihood of a conversion. As you gather more data, you can then transition to Target CPA.
But before you do that, make sure your conversion tracking is set up accurately. Are you tracking all the important actions on your website that lead to a sale? Things like add-to-carts, initiated checkouts, and completed purchases. Accurate tracking is the foundation of effective bidding.
You probably should look into Audience Targeting...
Don't underestimate the power of audience targeting. It's a way to refine your targeting and get your ads in front of people who are more likely to be interested in your products. A few options here:
- Remarketing Lists: Target people who have previously visited your website. They're already familiar with your brand and products, so they're warmer leads.
- Customer Match: Upload your email list and target your existing customers. This can be a cost-effective way to drive repeat purchases or introduce new products.
- Interest-Based Audiences: Target people based on their interests and hobbies. This can be a good way to reach new customers who are interested in fitness and supplements.
The key is to test different audiences and see what works best for you. Don't just set it and forget it. Keep tweaking your audience targeting based on the data you're seeing. I remember one campaign for an outdoor equipment client where we drove 18k website visitors by testing different audiences.
You'll need to optimise for conversions...
The best ad platform is where the target audience can best be reached with the ad platform’s available targeting options. This applies to your supplements business. This is where you can accurately pinpoint your ideal customer, and fine-tune your bidding strategy so that you only target the users that will be most valuable to you.
Wrong ad platform = wrong targeting = difficult to achieve results. To optimise performance, I’d always split test creative and targeting within the same campaign. Look at your performance metrics, where do people drop off? Do you have really low CTRs and high CPCs? -> Your ad copy/product images likely need work.
I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:
| Area | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Perform a thorough keyword audit, create a comprehensive negative keyword list, and use match types more effectively. |
| Bidding | Start with Enhanced CPC, then transition to Target CPA once you have enough conversion data. Ensure accurate conversion tracking is in place. |
| Audience Targeting | Implement remarketing lists, customer match, and interest-based audiences. Test and refine your audience targeting based on performance data. |
Dropping your CPA by 33% is a big ask. It might not be possible straight away, just to be realistic. A lot depends on your competition, the overall market conditions, and the quality of your website and products. But by implementing the strategies I've outlined, you'll be in a much better position to achieve your goals.
Paid advertising, it's an ongoing process of testing, optimising, and refining. It's not a set-and-forget thing. You need to constantly monitor your campaigns, analyse the data, and make adjustments as needed. Don't get disheartened if you don't see immediate results. Just keep tweaking and improving.
One last thing, you may benefit from working with someone with expertise in scaling campaigns. I remember one client, a medical job matching SaaS, where we reduced their Cost Per User Acquisition from £100 to £7 using Meta Ads and Google Ads. It's not easy trying to optimise, and it may save you money in the long run.
Hope this helps! Feel free to book in a free consultation, we can review your strategy and account together which usually is super helpful.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
