Johnathan outranks his Google Adwords competitors, even if his keyword bid is lower. Here’s how…

How PPC Expert Johnathan Dane Reduces CPC and Boosts Performance Without A/B Testing

PPC expert Johnathan Dane revealed an innovative strategy to significantly lower cost-per-click (CPC) while improving ad performance, all without relying on A/B testing. His method focuses on optimizing CTR, improving ad rank, and ultimately outranking competitors—even with lower keyword bids.

The Problem with Google’s Automation

When you create an ad group for a keyword phrase in Google Ads, Google often shows your ads for multiple search terms that don’t exactly match your chosen keyword phrase. While this automation might seem helpful, it can hurt your campaign’s performance by inflating your CPC and lowering your CTR—benefiting Google’s bottom line more than yours.

Johnathan’s Winning Strategy for Over Two Years

To combat these inefficiencies, Johnathan developed a structured and focused approach to PPC campaigns:

1. Create Separate Ad Groups for Each Keyword Phrase
   Instead of lumping multiple keywords into a single ad group, build a dedicated ad group for every individual keyword phrase. This structure allows for greater control and more targeted optimization.
2. Use Exact Match Keywords
   To ensure precision, format your keywords like this:
   • Phrase match: "Chicago CPA firm"
   • Exact match: [Chicago CPA firm]

   This eliminates unwanted variations and focuses your ads on highly relevant queries, improving both CTR and CPC.

3. Optimize Ad Copy with the Exact Keyword Phrase
   Include your exact keyword phrase in key areas of your ad:
   • Headline: Grab attention by matching user intent.
   • URL: Reinforce relevance by showing the keyword in your display URL.
   • First Line of Benefits: Highlight unique selling points directly related to the keyword.
   • Second Line of Call-to-Action: Encourage clicks by aligning your CTA with the user’s search intent.
4. Leverage Negative Keywords at the Ad Group Level
   Use the search term report to identify irrelevant queries that trigger your ads. Add these as negative keywords at the ad group level to filter out long-tail or unrelated searches. This prevents wasted ad spend and ensures your ads only show for the most valuable queries.

The Results: Dominate the Competition

By following this strategy, you can:

• Boost CTR: A tightly aligned ad structure improves click-through rates by showing more relevant ads.
• Reduce CPC: Exact match keywords and negative keyword filtering drive costs down.
• Outrank Competitors: Even with lower keyword bids, your optimized structure and content improve ad rank, helping you rise above rivals.

The Takeaway

Google’s automation may not always work in your favor. By taking control with Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) and following Johnathan’s structured approach, you can outperform competitors, improve ROI, and turn your campaigns into consistent profit generators.

For a detailed guide, visit KlientBoost’s SKAG strategy article.