6 Ways to Lower Your CPC in Google Ads
Cost-per-click (CPC) directly affects your ROI in Google Ads. Lowering CPC means more clicks for the same budget, better ROI, and efficient campaigns.
But here’s the catch: click fraud can inflate CPC, making your optimization efforts less effective.
This guide covers:
- 6 practical ways to reduce CPC
- How to maintain campaign performance
- How ClickFortify protects your budget from fraudulent clicks
1. Improve Quality Score
Quality Score influences your CPC directly.
How to Improve Quality Score:
- Relevant ad copy with target keywords
- Optimized landing pages with fast load times
- High CTR and engagement
- Effective ad extensions
Impact on CPC:
- Higher Quality Score = lower CPC
- Example: Quality Score 8–10 can reduce CPC by 30–50%
Fraud Risk: Bots can skew CTR, giving false Quality Score feedback.
ClickFortify Solution: Filters fraudulent clicks to maintain accurate CTR metrics.
2. Refine Keyword Match Types
Keyword selection affects CPC and ad relevance.
Strategies:
- Use exact match for high-intent searches
- Broad match modifier for discovery campaigns
- Negative keywords to block irrelevant traffic
Benefit: Reduces wasted clicks and lowers CPC.
Fraud Risk: Competitors may trigger irrelevant keywords to increase CPC.
ClickFortify Solution: Blocks IPs generating suspicious clicks, protecting budget and keyword efficiency.
3. Optimize Ad Scheduling
Serving ads only during high-conversion periods can reduce CPC.
How to Use Ad Scheduling:
- Analyze historical data for peak hours
- Pause campaigns during low-converting times
- Adjust bids based on performance trends
Impact: Fewer wasted impressions, lower CPC.
Fraud Risk: Bots often click during off-peak hours to waste budget.
ClickFortify Solution: Real-time click filtering prevents CPC inflation from fraudulent traffic.
4. Target Specific Locations and Devices
Narrow targeting increases efficiency and reduces CPC.
Strategies:
- Focus on high-converting regions
- Exclude low-performing locations
- Optimize bids by device type (mobile vs desktop)
Impact: Higher relevance leads to lower CPC and better ROI.
Fraud Risk: Fraudulent clicks often come from unexpected geographies.
ClickFortify Solution: Blocks suspicious IPs from unusual locations.
5. Leverage Negative Keywords
Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing on irrelevant searches.
Benefits:
- Reduces wasted clicks
- Lowers CPC by increasing relevance
- Improves CTR and Quality Score
Fraud Risk: Bots can exploit broad match keywords.
ClickFortify Solution: Detects abnormal click patterns and filters out invalid traffic.
6. Use Automated Bidding Smartly
Automated bidding can reduce CPC if used strategically.
Tips:
- Use Target CPA or Target ROAS for goal-based bidding
- Monitor performance regularly
- Adjust targets based on real conversions
Fraud Risk: Automated bids may increase due to fake clicks.
ClickFortify Solution: Ensures automated bidding decisions are based on legitimate user data.
Example: CPC Impact With ClickFortify
Scenario: $2,000 Monthly Ad Spend
| Approach | Avg CPC | Fraudulent Clicks | Cost Impact | ROI | |----------|--------|-----------------|-------------|-----| | No Protection | $1.50 | 20% | +$300 wasted | 0% | | Manual Filtering | $1.45 | 10% | +$200 wasted | +50% | | ClickFortify ($10) | $1.30 | 5% | +$50 wasted | +380% |
Key Insight: Protecting campaigns from fraud reduces CPC naturally, boosts ROI, and maintains accurate metrics.
Best Practices to Lower CPC
- ✅ Monitor Quality Score and improve it consistently
- ✅ Refine keyword match types and use negative keywords
- ✅ Optimize ad scheduling and geographic targeting
- ✅ Use automated bidding cautiously and monitor performance
- ✅ Implement ClickFortify to block fraudulent clicks in real time
The Bottom Line
Lowering CPC isn’t just about strategy—it’s about protecting your campaigns from fraud.
ClickFortify ensures:
- CPC reflects real user engagement
- Budget isn’t wasted on bots or competitors
- Campaign optimization leads to actual ROI
- Ad spend is maximized efficiently
Try ClickFortify Risk-Free
- Real-time click fraud protection
- Protects CPC, CTR, and conversion data
- Only $10/month after trial
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Last updated: February 2025