How to Increase Conversion Rate in Google Ads: 7 Proven Steps

Your Google Ads campaigns are getting clicks, but conversions? Not so much. You've watched your budget drain on traffic that never turns into customers, and you're starting to wonder if Google Ads is even worth it. Here's the thing: the problem isn't the platform—it's how you're using it.

Improving your Google Ads conversion rate comes down to tighter keyword targeting, better ad-to-landing page alignment, and ruthless optimization of your search terms. This guide walks you through seven actionable steps to turn more clicks into customers—without increasing your ad spend. Whether you're managing campaigns for clients or running your own ads, these tactics work across industries and budgets.

Let's get into it.

Step 1: Audit Your Search Terms Report and Kill the Junk

Your search terms report is where the truth lives. It shows you exactly what people typed before clicking your ad—and trust me, it's often wildly different from the keywords you're bidding on.

This is the #1 place to find wasted spend. You might be bidding on "digital marketing services," but if your search terms report shows clicks from "free digital marketing tools" or "digital marketing jobs near me," you're paying for traffic that will never convert. These irrelevant queries drain your budget while delivering zero return.

Here's how to systematically clean it up. Start by filtering your search terms report to show queries with at least 5-10 clicks but zero conversions. These are your prime suspects. Look for patterns: Are people searching for free alternatives? Job listings? Competitor names you don't want to bid on? DIY solutions when you sell done-for-you services?

Once you've identified the junk, add these terms as negative keywords. Be strategic about match types here too—if "free" is consistently attracting tire-kickers, add it as a broad match negative to block all variations. If specific phrases like "digital marketing course" are the problem, add them as phrase match negatives to maintain precision. Learning how to find negative keywords in Google Ads is essential for this process.

Don't just do this once and forget about it. New junk queries emerge constantly as Google's broad match gets creative with your keywords. Set a calendar reminder to review your search terms report weekly—it takes 10 minutes and can save hundreds of dollars.

Success indicator: Within 7 days of implementing negative keywords, you should see a noticeable reduction in irrelevant impressions and clicks. Your click-through rate might dip slightly (that's fine—you're cutting the fat), but your conversion rate should start climbing.

Step 2: Tighten Your Keyword Match Types

Match types control how loosely or tightly Google matches your keywords to actual search queries. And honestly? Most advertisers are giving Google way too much freedom here.

Broad match keywords cast the widest net, which sounds great until you realize you're paying for every loosely related search Google thinks is relevant. Phrase match gives you moderate control—your keyword phrase must appear in the query, but other words can surround it. Exact match (despite Google's recent changes) offers the tightest control over what triggers your ads. Understanding how keyword match type affects your Google Ads performance is crucial for making these decisions.

Here's the strategic play: if you're seeing decent impression volume but terrible conversion rates on a keyword, it's probably too broad. Check your search terms report for that specific keyword. Are the actual queries aligned with what you're offering? If not, shift from broad to phrase match. If phrase is still too loose, go exact.

Let's say you're running broad match on "project management software." Your search terms might include "free project management software," "project management software comparison," or "project management software for students." These searchers aren't ready to buy—they're researching or hunting for freebies. Switch to phrase match "+project +management +software" or exact match [project management software] to target people with clearer buying intent.

The trade-off? You'll get fewer impressions. But you'll get better impressions—from people actually likely to convert. Test this gradually. Don't shift everything to exact match overnight or you'll tank your traffic. Pick your worst-performing broad match keywords first and tighten them incrementally.

Success indicator: Within two weeks, you should see a higher click-to-conversion ratio on the keywords you've tightened. Your overall traffic might decrease slightly, but your cost per conversion should drop as you eliminate low-quality clicks.

Step 3: Align Ad Copy with High-Intent Keywords

Your ad copy needs to mirror what people are actually searching for. Sounds obvious, right? Yet I see campaigns all the time where someone searches "buy running shoes online" and the ad headline says "Athletic Footwear Collection."

That disconnect kills conversions. When searchers see their exact query reflected in your ad, they instantly know you're relevant. This isn't just about clicks—it directly impacts your Quality Score, which affects both your ad position and how much you pay per click. If you're struggling with ad positioning, check out strategies to improve your Google Ads ad rank quickly.

Start by writing headlines that echo the searcher's exact language. If your top-converting keyword is "email marketing automation for small business," your headline should be "Email Marketing Automation for Small Business" or "Automate Email Marketing for Your Small Business." Don't get cute with creative rewording—clarity beats cleverness every time.

Dynamic keyword insertion can help here, but use it carefully. It automatically inserts the searcher's query into your ad copy, which sounds perfect until someone searches something weird and your ad says "We Specialize in Free Sketchy Marketing Tactics." Set sensible default text and review what's actually showing before you scale it.

Beyond headlines, make sure your description lines reinforce the promise. If your headline promises "24/7 Customer Support," your description better mention support availability. If you're advertising "No Contract Required," say it in the ad—don't make people hunt for that information on your landing page. Improving ad relevance in Google Ads can significantly reduce your CPC while boosting conversions.

The goal is zero cognitive friction. Someone searches, sees their exact need in your ad, clicks, and finds exactly what they expected. Every mismatch along that path is a conversion killer.

Success indicator: You should see improved click-through rates within days as your ads become more relevant to searches. Within 2-3 weeks, watch for Quality Score improvements on the keywords where you've tightened ad relevance. Higher Quality Scores mean lower costs and better ad positions—a double win.

Step 4: Fix Your Landing Page Experience

Your ad just made a promise. Now your landing page needs to keep it. This is where most conversion rate problems actually live—not in the ad account, but in the disconnect between what you advertised and what people find when they click.

The disconnect problem is simple: if your ad says "Get a Free SEO Audit" and your landing page is a generic homepage with no mention of the audit, people bounce. They feel tricked, confused, or both. Message match is critical—your landing page headline should echo your ad headline almost word-for-word.

Beyond message match, your landing page needs three things to convert: speed, clarity, and a clear call-to-action. Speed matters more than most people realize. Google considers mobile page speed in Quality Score calculations, and users abandon slow pages before they even load. If your landing page takes more than three seconds to load, you're losing conversions before anyone sees your offer.

Clarity means visitors understand what you're offering and why it matters within five seconds of landing. No jargon, no buried value propositions, no confusing navigation. One clear headline, one supporting subheadline, and one obvious next step. That's it.

Your call-to-action should be unmissable. "Get Started," "Download Now," "Request a Quote"—whatever the conversion action is, make it prominent and repeat it if the page is long. Don't make people hunt for how to take the next step.

Remove friction wherever possible. If you're asking for information in a form, only request what you absolutely need. Every extra field costs you conversions. If you're selling a product, make sure pricing is clear—hiding it creates distrust. If you promise something in the ad, deliver it immediately on the landing page. Understanding conversion rate optimization in Google Ads helps you identify these friction points systematically.

Success indicator: Track your bounce rate and on-page conversion rate separately from your Google Ads conversion rate. A good landing page should have a bounce rate below 50% and convert at least 2-5% of visitors (industry dependent). If you're getting clicks but high bounce rates, your landing page is the problem—not your ads.

Step 5: Segment Campaigns by Intent Level

Lumping all your keywords into one campaign is like throwing everyone who walks past your store into the same sales conversation—regardless of whether they're ready to buy or just browsing. It tanks your conversion rate because you're treating very different searchers the same way.

Campaign segmentation by intent level solves this. Create separate campaigns for branded searches (people looking specifically for your company), high-intent commercial searches (people ready to buy), and research-phase informational searches (people still learning). Each group needs different messaging, different landing pages, and different bid strategies. If you're new to this, our guide on how to create a search campaign in Google Ads covers the fundamentals.

Branded searches convert like crazy—someone searching your company name is already familiar with you and likely close to conversion. These deserve their own campaign with higher bids to protect against competitors bidding on your brand. Your ad copy here can be simpler because awareness isn't the issue—you just need to capture the click.

High-intent commercial keywords include phrases like "buy," "best," "hire," "get a quote," or specific product names. These searchers know what they want and are comparing options. They need clear differentiation—why you over competitors—and a frictionless path to conversion. Bid aggressively here because these are your money keywords. Knowing how to pick the best keywords for Google Ads helps you identify these high-value terms.

Research-phase keywords include "how to," "what is," "guide," or comparison searches. These people aren't ready to buy yet, but they're valuable for building awareness and capturing them early in the journey. Bid conservatively, send them to educational content rather than hard-sell landing pages, and set up remarketing to bring them back when they're ready to convert.

Budget allocation should reflect conversion potential. If 80% of your conversions come from high-intent commercial keywords, allocate budget accordingly. Don't spread your spend evenly across all campaign types—that's leaving money on the table.

Success indicator: Within a month of segmenting campaigns, you should see clear performance differentiation. Your branded campaign should have conversion rates of 15-30%, high-intent commercial campaigns around 5-15%, and research-phase campaigns around 1-3%. If the numbers aren't distinct, your segmentation isn't tight enough.

Step 6: Optimize Bidding for Conversions, Not Clicks

If you're still using manual CPC bidding and optimizing for clicks, you're playing the wrong game. Clicks don't pay the bills—conversions do. Shifting to conversion-focused bidding strategies tells Google to prioritize the clicks most likely to convert, not just the cheapest clicks available.

Google's Smart Bidding strategies use machine learning to adjust bids in real-time based on conversion likelihood. The two most useful for most advertisers are Target CPA (cost per acquisition) and Maximize Conversions. Target CPA lets you set a specific cost-per-conversion goal, and Google adjusts bids to hit that target. Maximize Conversions tells Google to get you as many conversions as possible within your budget. For a deeper dive, explore what bid optimization in Google Ads really means for your campaigns.

Here's the catch: these strategies need data to work. Google generally recommends at least 30 conversions per month in a campaign before switching to Smart Bidding. Without enough conversion data, the algorithm is guessing, and you'll see erratic performance. If you're not there yet, stick with manual CPC or Enhanced CPC while you build conversion history.

When you're ready to switch, set realistic targets based on your historical data. If your average cost per conversion over the past 90 days is $50, don't set a Target CPA of $20—you'll starve the campaign of traffic. Start with a target slightly better than your current average (maybe $45) and let the algorithm optimize from there.

Give it time. Smart Bidding strategies need a learning period—usually 1-2 weeks—where performance might fluctuate as Google's algorithm figures out what works. Don't panic and switch back to manual bidding after three days of weird performance. Let it learn.

Monitor closely, but don't micromanage. Check performance weekly, not daily. Make small adjustments to your target CPA if needed, but avoid constant tinkering. The algorithm works best when you give it consistent parameters and let it optimize.

Success indicator: After the learning period, you should see a lower cost per conversion while maintaining or growing conversion volume. If your cost per conversion increases or volume drops significantly after a month, your target might be too aggressive or you might not have enough conversion data for Smart Bidding to work effectively.

Step 7: Test, Measure, and Iterate Weekly

Conversion rate optimization isn't a one-time project—it's a weekly discipline. The advertisers who consistently win are the ones who show up every week, review performance, make small improvements, and compound those gains over time.

Set up a simple weekly optimization routine. Block 30-60 minutes every Monday (or whatever day works) to review your campaigns. Check your key metrics: conversion rate, cost per conversion, Quality Score, and click-through rate. Look for trends—what's improving, what's declining, and why. Learning how to read Google Ads reports properly makes this analysis much more effective.

Your search terms report should be part of this weekly routine. New junk queries appear constantly, and catching them early prevents wasted spend. Add negative keywords, pause underperforming keywords, and increase bids on winners. Small adjustments every week prevent big problems from building up.

A/B test your ads systematically, but don't spread your budget too thin. Test one variable at a time—headline, description, or call-to-action—so you know what actually moved the needle. Run tests until you have statistical significance (usually at least 100 clicks per variation), then implement the winner and start a new test.

Track your conversion rate trend month-over-month. You're not looking for overnight miracles—you're looking for consistent improvement. A 0.5% conversion rate increase this month, another 0.3% next month, and 0.7% the month after compounds into significant gains over a quarter or year.

Document what you learn. Keep a simple spreadsheet or notes file tracking what tests you ran, what worked, and what didn't. This institutional knowledge becomes invaluable—you'll avoid repeating failed tests and can scale successful tactics across campaigns.

Success indicator: Consistent month-over-month conversion rate improvement, even if it's small. If you're improving conversion rate by even 5-10% per quarter through systematic testing and optimization, you're doing better than most advertisers who set up campaigns and never touch them again.

Putting It All Together: Your Conversion Rate Checklist

Let's recap everything into an actionable checklist you can start using today:

Week 1: Audit your search terms report and add negative keywords for obvious junk queries. This is your fastest win—you can do this in 15 minutes and see results within days.

Week 2: Review your keyword match types and tighten any broad match keywords with poor conversion rates. Shift them to phrase or exact match based on your search terms data.

Week 3: Align your ad copy with your top-performing keywords. Make sure headlines mirror search queries and your value proposition is crystal clear.

Week 4: Audit your landing pages for message match, speed, and clarity. Fix any disconnects between what your ads promise and what your landing pages deliver.

Week 5: Segment your campaigns by intent level if you haven't already. Separate branded, high-intent commercial, and research-phase keywords into distinct campaigns.

Week 6: If you have sufficient conversion data (30+ conversions per month), test shifting from manual CPC to Target CPA or Maximize Conversions bidding.

Ongoing: Set up a weekly optimization routine to review performance, add negative keywords, test ad variations, and make incremental improvements.

The compounding effect of small optimizations is where the real magic happens. A 0.5% conversion rate improvement doesn't sound like much, but if you're spending $10,000 per month on ads, that's thousands of dollars in additional revenue over a year—from the same ad spend.

Remember: conversion rate improvement is ongoing, not a one-time fix. Markets change, competitors adjust their strategies, and search behavior evolves. The advertisers who win are the ones who treat optimization as a continuous practice, not a project with an end date.

Start with Step 1 today. Open your search terms report, find the junk queries draining your budget, and add them as negative keywords. That single action will improve your conversion rate this week—and you can build from there.

Want to make this whole process faster? Start your free 7-day trial of Keywordme and optimize Google Ads campaigns 10X faster—without leaving your account. Remove junk search terms, build high-intent keyword groups, and apply match types instantly, right inside Google Ads. No spreadsheets, no switching tabs, just quick, seamless optimization. Manage one campaign or hundreds and save hours while making smarter decisions. After your trial, it's just $12/month to keep your conversion rates climbing.