How to Get Cheap Clicks in Google Ads

Almost every year the cost to advertise your business online increases. And for most of us, our primary objective on platforms like Google Ads is to run a profitable advertising account and make more money than we're spending after we factor in all of our costs. But in some instances, you simply need to drive cheap clicks. In this guide, I'm going to show you how to use different bid strategies and targeting settings to help you get the most clicks possible for your target audience and your given budget. And if you want to drive clicks that are completely free, check out my 7-day online marketing jumpstart doc.

Why Drive Cheap Clicks?

Why should you drive cheap clicks inside of Google Ads? Cheap clicks are not the ultimate goal of a successful advertising account. Typically, the end goal is to drive as much profit as possible within your budget. However, there are specific scenarios where driving cheap clicks can be beneficial.

(Side note - I created this article if you don't don't know what a click is)

When to Attempt to Get Cheap Clicks

Here are a few reasons you MIGHT want to focus on getting cheap clicks:

1. Testing New Designs and Calls to Action (CTA):

   • Maybe you've made some design tweaks or changes to CTAs and want to drive as much traffic as possible in a short time to see how they perform.

2. Improving Branding and Awareness:

   • You might be in a season where you're focusing on branding and need to drive awareness in a particular area.

3. Expanding Target Audience:

   • Perhaps you're exploring and broadening your targeting to see if there are other potential customers outside your usual audience.

For all the strategies we're about to review, I highly recommended setting up proper location targeting. This ensures you're targeting relevant service areas or product-selling regions instead of targeting globally. These strategies are aggressive in lowering CPC, which can sometimes lead to more junk traffic.

Search Campaign Strategies

Let's start with search campaigns.

Maximize Clicks Bid Strategy

To lower your CPC and drive as many clicks as possible, consider setting up Maximize Clicks as your bid strategy and target broad match keywords.

1. Setting Up Maximize Clicks:

   • In the bidding section, select "Maximize clicks".

   • Set a maximum CPC bid limit and set it really low.

This allows Google Ads to set your bids to get as many clicks as possible within your budget. Setting a maximum CPC bid limit helps cap each bid, offering system guardrails. Keep in mind if your keyword targeting is too narrow (using exact or phrase on specific keywords), you might not get any clicks if your max CPC bid limit is too low.

2. Targeting Broad Match Keywords:

   • Broad match keywords cast a wider net compared to phrase or exact match keywords.

   • Example: If the keyword is "low carb diet plan," broad match might include searches like "carb free foods" or "low calorie recipes."

Dynamic Search Ad Campaigns

Another strategy is setting up dynamic search ad campaigns, which differ from standard keyword-based campaigns.

How They Work

Dynamic search ads use your website content to target ads, filling gaps in your keyword-based campaigns. Google scans your website pages and matches them to relevant search terms.

Since dynamic search campaigns expand beyond specific keywords, you might see search terms unrelated to your target. However, due to the broader net, you might achieve a lower CPC.

Display Campaign Strategies

Maximize Clicks Bid Strategy

Similar to search campaigns, set up maximize clicks as your bid strategy in display campaigns.

1. Finding the Option:

   • Select the "select a bid strategy directly" option.

2. Optimized Targeting:

   
   

   • Turn on optimized targeting to allow Google to expand beyond your set targets within reason. (Again, this is only if you are looking to generate inexpensive clicks. Enabling automized targeting is one of many mistakes accounts make when their goal is efficiency / drive conversions. Keep off in most instances unless your goal is cheap clicks.)

      

Techniques for All Campaign Types

Ad Scheduling

Optimize Your Schedule:

• Analyze historical data to identify time periods with the lowest CPC and schedule your ads during those times.

• Example: Drive clicks during early morning or nighttime hours if these periods show lower costs.

Improving Quality Score

Ad quality is essential in determining your ad's position and CPC. A higher quality score means you pay less to appear in competitive spots.

1. Improve Click-Through Rate (CTR):

   • Better ad relevance and appealing text/images can improve your CTR.

2. Enhance Landing Page Experience:

   • Fast-loading pages with clear CTAs and relevant information improve user experience and quality scores.

Bonus Tip for New Accounts

Free Ad Credits

If you're new to Google Ads, you can get $500 or more in free ad credits when you spend your first $500. Check the Google Ads homepage or search for "Google Ads coupon" to find current offers.

Conclusion

The goal of a successful Google Ads account is to focus on profitability, not just low CPCs. However, if you're in a phase of experimenting with new designs, increasing brand awareness, or expanding your target audience, these strategies can help achieve cheaper clicks.