5 PPC Optimisations I’ve Personally Used to Boost Campaign Performance

As a marketing professional who’s been deep in the trenches of PPC for years, I know exactly how frustrating it can be when your campaigns feel like they’ve plateaued. You’ve got the budget, the targeting, and the creative all lined up, but somehow, performance just isn’t where you want it to be. 

Over the years, I’ve tested, tweaked, and experimented with countless PPC strategies. Some were instant game changers, others however, not so much. But there are a few proven tactics I now go back to time and again because they consistently deliver better click-through rates, stronger conversions, and higher returns. 

Here are five optimisations I’ve personally implemented for clients that you can start using today. 

Location-Based Ad Copy – Speak Directly to Your Audience

One of the simplest yet most effective changes I’ve made in campaigns is adding location-specific copy to ads. For example, instead of saying “Get A Quote In Your Area”, I’ll say “Get A Quote In Rosedale”. It’s possible to include the location where someone is searching from in the ad copy. That single tweak can make a world of difference. 

Why? Because people respond when they feel like you’re talking directly to them. It gives your ad an instant sense of relevance.

Years ago, implementing this meant messing around with business data uploads and location feeds. Now, it’s much easier with built-in tools, so there’s no excuse not to try it. Every time I’ve rolled this out, I’ve seen higher engagement from local audiences.

Turn Off Search Partner Networks and Optimised Targeting

This is one of those “hidden budget drains” that I catch all the time in new account audits.

Search Partner Networks and Google’s Optimised Targeting often bring in clicks that look good on paper but don’t convert; many of them are even bots. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve seen spammy leads come from these placements.

The issue? You can’t see the performance of individual partner sites, so you have no control over where your ads appear. And Optimised Targeting can dilute your audience, especially on remarketing campaigns.

Whenever I switch these off, click quality improves immediately, and invalid click rates drop. That’s more budget going towards clicks that stand a chance of converting.

Don’t Over-Pin Your RSAs

I get why marketers pin headlines and descriptions in Responsive Search Ads. It feels like you’re keeping the brand message consistent. But I’ve learned the hard way that over-pinning can kill performance.

Google’s machine learning works best when it has flexibility. When I tested removing pinning entirely in a campaign, I saw a slight decrease in CTR, but conversion rates improved and CPCs went down.

Lesson learned: give the algorithm some breathing room.

Use Testimonials to Build Instant Trust

If your prospects don’t know you, they have no reason to believe your claims, unless you bring in proof.

I’ve had great success adding short testimonials or star ratings directly into ad descriptions. For instance, “Rated 4.9/5 by over 1,000 customers” gives instant credibility. People are far more likely to click when they see that others have already trusted you.

I’ve tested this multiple times across different industries, and every time, click-through rates increased.

Target Locations Individually for Smarter Bidding

This is one of my go-to budget optimisation tactics.

Instead of targeting an entire country, I’ll set up separate bids for individual cities or regions. This allows Google’s bidding algorithm to push harder where performance is strong and scale back where results are weaker.

The first time I tried this, I didn’t see a massive jump in CTR, but CPCs dropped and conversion rates went up. Cost per conversion decreased -17%. It’s a simple change that can have a big impact.

Final Thoughts

These aren’t just “best practices” I read online. Every single one of these tactics comes from hands-on testing and real client campaigns. And the best part? You can implement them quickly without a complete account overhaul.

If your PPC results have stalled, pick one of these strategies and test it this week. You might be surprised at how much of a difference a small tweak can make.

If you’d like to chat through your PPC challenges and get tailored recommendations, feel free to reach out to Shane, our PPC Account Director, at shane@legacycommunications.com.