Smart adjustments that stop wasted spend and boost ROI — fast
Google Ads can be a powerful growth engine — or a money drain. For many small businesses, campaigns burn through budgets without delivering the leads or sales they expect. But the good news is: you don’t need a full campaign overhaul to see better performance.
With just a few precise changes, you can start cutting wasted spend and improving ROI almost instantly. These five quick wins are how agencies like REALTOP help clients reduce ad costs fast — without sacrificing results.
1. Pause Dead Weight Keywords Immediately
Not all keywords are created equal. If you’re paying for traffic that doesn’t convert, you’re throwing away budget.
- Identify keywords with high spend and zero conversions
- Use your Search Terms Report weekly
- Pause or remove anything that isn’t contributing to ROI
- Focus on high-converting exact and phrase match terms
One campaign we audited paused just five underperformers and saw a 31% drop in cost-per-lead within days — no loss in lead volume.
2. Add Negative Keywords Daily
Every wasted click is a wasted dollar. Negative keywords are your best defense against irrelevant traffic.
An auto dealer campaign saved over 50% in monthly ad spend after excluding terms like “DIY,” “cheap,” and competitor brand names. These keywords attract the wrong audience and burn through budget.
Agencies check the Search Terms Report almost daily. A few minutes spent adding negatives can save thousands long term.
3. Restrict Low-Converting Zip Codes
Local doesn’t always mean profitable. Use location reports to remove regions that don’t perform.
A home services client paused six underperforming zip codes and reinvested in their best areas. The result? A 2.5Ă— increase in lead volume with zero increase in ad spend.
Hyper-local targeting is one of the fastest ways to cut waste and scale what works.
4. Limit Your Ad Schedule to Peak Hours
Most conversions happen during business hours — not at midnight. Adjust your ad schedule to match customer behavior.
- Run ads only when your sales team is available
- Pause late-night and weekend delivery if conversions are low
- Use hour-of-day reports to spot low-performing windows
- Focus spend on your “money hours” — when clicks lead to sales
One local client saw a 61% improvement in cost per acquisition by cutting overnight and weekend ads in just one week.
5. Turn Off Display in Search Campaigns
Search campaigns shouldn’t serve display ads — but Google defaults to it. Unless you’ve turned it off manually, you’re likely wasting impressions.
- Go to campaign settings
- Uncheck “Include Display Network”
- Monitor bounce rates before and after — you’ll see the difference
- Run Display as a separate campaign with its own strategy
One ecommerce brand reduced bounce rates by 40% and improved lead quality just by removing Display from Search.
The Bottom Line
Cutting Google Ads costs doesn’t mean scaling back — it means spending smarter. These five quick actions are what agencies like REALTOP do every day to protect budget and drive stronger ROI.
If your campaigns feel like a money drain instead of a growth engine, it’s time to take a better approach.
Book your free strategy session with REALTOP and let’s put your ad dollars to better use.
Explore insights and strategies from Nik, a digital marketing contributor at RealTop. Browse expert articles on SEO, paid ads, AI, and eCommerce trends.
