This is the exact 90-day framework I run when I take over an underperforming paid search account. The sequence matters. You have to stop the bleeding before you can optimize, and you have to optimize before you can scale.
Week 1-2: Audit & Foundation
Install proper conversion tracking
0% CPA reduction (but everything after this depends on it)
If your conversion tracking is broken, your bidding algorithm is optimizing for garbage. Set up Google Tag Manager, implement enhanced conversions, configure offline conversion imports if you have a CRM, and validate every single conversion action fires correctly.
Audit search terms and add 200+ negative keywords
10-15% immediate waste reduction
Pull the last 90 days of search terms. Sort by cost. Every term that spent more than your target CPA without converting becomes a negative keyword. Build shared lists for common waste categories: jobs, DIY, free, reviews, competitors.
Fix geographic targeting settings
5-10% waste reduction
Switch from 'Presence or interest' to 'Presence only' on every campaign. Check the geographic report for clicks from locations you do not serve. Add location exclusions. This one setting change saves most accounts 5-10% of budget immediately.
Review and fix campaign structure
Foundational (enables all future optimization)
Separate brand from non-brand. Split Search from Display. Create single-theme ad groups with tightly related keywords. Bad structure makes every other optimization less effective.
Week 3-4: Quick Wins
Build dedicated landing pages per ad group
15-25% conversion rate improvement
Stop sending all traffic to your homepage. Build focused landing pages that match the exact intent of each ad group. One headline, one offer, one CTA. Remove navigation. Add trust signals. Match the messaging from the ad to the page word for word.
Rewrite ad copy with intent-matched messaging
10-20% CTR improvement (reduces CPC through Quality Score)
Every responsive search ad should have 15 headlines and 4 descriptions. Pin your strongest headline to position one. Include the primary keyword in at least 3 headlines. Add specific numbers, your unique differentiator, and a clear CTA.
Apply device and schedule bid adjustments
5-10% CPA reduction
Pull 90 days of data segmented by device and by hour. Apply -20% to -50% bid adjustments on underperforming devices. Reduce bids during hours with high spend but low conversions. Do not cut anything entirely without testing first.
Month 2: Optimization
Switch to automated bidding (Target CPA or Max Conversions)
10-20% CPA reduction once you have 30+ conversions/month
Now that your conversion tracking is clean and your campaigns are structured properly, Google's algorithm has good data to work with. Set your Target CPA to your current average CPA, then gradually lower it by 10% every two weeks as performance stabilizes.
Layer audience segments and adjust bids
5-15% CPA reduction
Add in-market audiences, custom intent audiences, and remarketing lists as observation targets. After two weeks of data, increase bids on audiences that convert above average and decrease bids on those that convert below. This steers budget toward higher-intent users.
Run A/B tests on landing pages
10-30% additional conversion rate lift
Test one variable at a time: headline, CTA button color, form length, social proof placement, hero image. Use campaign experiments to split traffic 50/50. Run each test for a full 2 weeks or 100+ conversions, whichever comes first.
Month 3: Scaling
Increase budget on campaigns with CPA headroom
Scale volume by 30-50% while maintaining CPA
Identify campaigns where your CPA is 20% or more below your target. Increase budget by 20% increments every 5 days. Monitor impression share lost to budget and keep pushing until CPA starts to rise. That ceiling is your efficient scale limit.
Launch RLSA campaigns for past visitors
CPA 40-60% lower than standard campaigns
Remarketing Lists for Search Ads let you bid higher when past site visitors search for your keywords again. These users already know you and convert at 2-3x the rate of cold traffic. Create separate campaigns with higher bids and broader keyword coverage for this audience.
Expand into proven adjacent keywords
Increase volume 20-30% at similar CPA
Use your search terms report to identify converting queries you are not explicitly targeting. Build new ad groups for these terms with matching landing pages. Start with exact match to control spend, then expand to phrase match once the ad group hits 15+ conversions.
Set up ongoing performance benchmarks
Prevents regression, enables continuous improvement
Document your CPA, conversion rate, ROAS, and impression share at the 90-day mark. Set monthly targets for each metric. Build a weekly reporting cadence that flags any metric that deviates more than 15% from target so you can intervene before small problems become expensive ones.