TLDR
- Who: Analytica, a specialized software company that had a poor prior run with Google Ads and no clear view of what was working.
- What changed: We rebuilt conversion tracking, ran a tightly targeted Google Ads program with remarketing, then expanded into Microsoft Ads using a spend voucher.
- The number: 442% return on ad spend (4.42 ROAS) on $4,430 of total ad spend, generating 326 leads at a $13.59 blended cost per lead.
About Analytica and the challenge
Analytica is a specialized software company that wanted better lead generation and cleaner conversion tracking from its paid advertising. The team had run Google Ads before, but weak results and a lack of clarity in performance tracking left them with a negative view of the channel. Two problems stood out: they could not see which spend produced qualified leads, and lead quality was inconsistent. Our job was to fix the measurement first, then build a paid program that produced high-quality leads for Analytica's free software download.
Who we were targeting
The program was built around software buyers with clear purchase or evaluation intent, not broad awareness traffic.
- Searchers using the specific terms Analytica's keyword research surfaced, narrowed to 10 targeted ad groups and refined with negative keywords once early lead quality showed the initial targeting was too broad.
- Website visitors who had shown interest but not yet downloaded the free software, the audience the remarketing campaign was built to bring back.
- A second layer of Microsoft Ads searchers, reached to extend the same targeted approach beyond Google without adding meaningful incremental spend.
What we did
We set precise conversion tracking, built a focused Google Ads program, added remarketing, and expanded into Microsoft Ads to widen reach at minimal cost. The work broke into three parts.
1. Conversion tracking setup
Objective: Accurate conversion tracking across Google Ads and Salesforce.
Actions taken:
- Implemented GA4 conversion tracking.
- Created UTM codes to track conversions in Salesforce, their CRM.
- Fixed UTM parameter loss on the Download page after a website update.
2. Google Ads campaign strategy
Objective: A well-targeted Google Ads campaign that generates high-quality leads.
Actions taken:
- Ran thorough keyword research for the most relevant terms.
- Worked with the client to filter the keywords down and finalize 10 targeted ad groups.
- Wrote ad copy for each ad group.
- Launched the campaigns, then optimized them with negative keyword lists to improve lead quality.
- Added a remarketing campaign aimed at visitors who had not downloaded the software.
3. Microsoft Ads expansion
Objective: Extend reach through Microsoft Ads to complement the Google Ads campaign.
Actions taken:
- Secured a $3,100 spend voucher for the client.
- Launched Microsoft Ads campaigns, using the voucher to generate conversions without significant spend.
- Saw early success with a high number of conversions.
Challenges
Tracking issues: Loss of UTM parameters on the Download page caused inconsistencies in conversion tracking, which we resolved by reworking the tracking system.
Lead quality: Lead quality was low at first, then improved once we optimized campaigns with negative keyword lists.
Results
Across both channels, Analytica spent $4,430 in ad budget (with a $3,100 Microsoft voucher covering most of the Microsoft cost) and generated 326 leads at a blended $13.59 cost per lead, for a 442% return on ad spend.
Google Ads
- Clicks: 2,420
- Click-through rate (CTR): 3.41%
- Average CPC: $1.70
- Total Spend: $4,130
- Conversion Rate: 7.94%
- Cost per Conversion (CPA): $21.21
- Conversions: 195
Microsoft Ads
- Clicks: 3,118
- Click-through rate (CTR): 0.70%
- Average CPC: $1.09
- Total Spend: $3,407.46 (of which $3,100 was covered by a voucher)
- Conversion Rate: 4.30%
- Cost per Acquisition (CPA): $25.43
- Conversions: 134
Total Ad Spend
Google Ads:
$4,130
Microsoft Ads:
$300 (after applying the voucher)
Total Ad Spend:
$4,130 + $300 = $4,430
1. Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), average LTV $6,000, AOV $2,000
| ROAS = Total Revenue / Total Ad Spend ROAS = $19,560 / $4,430 = 4.42 (or 442%) |
2. Cost Per Lead (CPL)
| Total Leads: 326 Blended CPL = Total Ad Spend / Total Leads CPL = $4,430 / 326 = $13.59 per lead |
3. Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
| CPA = Total Ad Spend / Total Paid Customers CPA = $4,430 / 3.26 = $1,359 |
Key takeaways
- Fix measurement before you scale spend. Rebuilding GA4 and UTM tracking into Salesforce is what let us tie ad spend to real leads and report a clean 442% ROAS. Get the tracking right first with a specialist Google Ads partner.
- Negative keyword lists turn cheap clicks into qualified leads. Lead quality was low until we filtered out the wrong searches, which is the difference between volume and pipeline for a B2B SaaS advertiser.
- A second channel can add volume without adding much cost. The $3,100 Microsoft Ads voucher produced 134 conversions while Analytica's out-of-pocket Microsoft spend was only $300.
Want the same clean tracking and a paid program that pays back? Book a call and we will map it out.