1. Get rid of distracting vanity metrics

For example, you might want to consider getting rid of columns such as “Search Imp. share,” as on a tight budget, there’s not much you can do about the fact that your competitors might still be bidding much higher than you. Instead, focus on the metrics you can actually influence, like your CTR, for example.

2. Create an “Impression to Conversion” (ITC) column

After getting rid of those unnecessary columns, the next step in optimizing Google Ads performance on a reduced budget is to create new columns that will help you analyze data faster. This way, you can fully optimize your search campaigns.

3. Add more exact keywords (and pause your phrase match) 

But there’s an important principle to it. Not only should you add more exact keywords, but you should also look for longer search terms to add (long-tail keywords). Longer exact match keywords:

How long should the exact match keywords be?

This can definitely vary between different advertisers, but for most, keywords that contain between 2-5 words should be the sweet spot. One-word keywords will probably be expensive and have low conversion rates; and keywords with more than five words are likely to have a low search volume and may hardly get any traffic at all.

4. Dive deep into Google Analytics with In-Market Segments

In your Google Analytics account, click the “Audience” tab, and then “In-Market Segments.” There, you’ll find golden data. Google has segmented your site’s visitors according to what they are in the market for.