Case Studies
613 SQLs @ $111 CPA | 3-Month Google Ads Sprint
Scalable Lead Generation Through Segmented Paid Search
How we built a lean, high-volume lead engine — powered by intent and precision.
The Ask: Scale Lead Volume Without Killing Efficiency
Our client faced the classic digital marketing challenge: generating more leads without watching costs spiral out of control. Their business growth targets demanded a significant increase in SQLs, but leadership had set strict efficiency guardrails to ensure sustainable ROI.
We needed to architect a Google Ads strategy that could deliver substantial volume while maintaining cost discipline – a balancing act that would require sophisticated campaign structure and continuous optimization.
Drive High-Volume Qualified SQLs
Increase lead generation significantly to fuel sales pipeline growth and meet ambitious quarterly targets.
Keep Average CPA Below $150
Maintain strict cost discipline to ensure profitable unit economics and positive ROAS.
Optimize Across Multiple Segments
Build sophisticated targeting across geographical regions and user intent signals to maximize performance.
The Blueprint: Multi-Campaign Segmentation by Intent & Geo
Rather than launching a single broad campaign, we architected a sophisticated multi-campaign structure. This approach allowed us to tailor bidding strategies, budgets, and messaging to specific audience segments while maintaining granular control over performance.
Search Intent Mapping
Campaigns aligned precisely to different buying stages, from awareness to consideration to decision. This enabled us to customize ad copy and landing page experiences to match user mindset.
Geo Segmentation
High-value region targeting allowed for budget concentration in markets with proven conversion rates and competitive CPAs, reducing waste in lower-performing territories.
Continuous Optimization
Weekly A/B tests on keywords, ad copy, and landing pages created a cycle of continuous improvement, lifting performance metrics throughout the campaign lifecycle.
Dynamic Budget Allocation
Real-time budget shifts based on performance data allowed us to double down on winning segments while reducing exposure to underperforming audiences.
This multi-dimensional segmentation strategy created a framework for both volume and efficiency, allowing us to capture broad demand while optimizing at the granular level.
Campaign A: Broad Intent = Big Volume
Our high-volume workhorse campaign targeted broad commercial intent keywords across all geographic regions. While not the most efficient segment, it delivered essential scale and created the foundation of our lead generation engine.
We structured this campaign with extensive negative keyword lists and audience exclusions to prevent wasteful impressions, while still casting a wide enough net to capture significant market share.
The steady flow of accounts from this campaign fueled our downstream marketing automation sequences and retargeting efforts, creating a sustainable pipeline of opportunities.
356
Total SQLs
58% of total campaign SQLs
$47,371
Total Spend
69% of overall budget allocation
$133.07
Cost Per Acquisition
20% higher than campaign average
$2.55
Cost Per Click
Competitive rate for high-volume terms
Campaign B & C: When Precision Pays Off
While our broad campaign delivered volume, our precision-targeted campaigns achieved remarkable efficiency by focusing on highly specific intent signals and geographic targeting.
Dynamic Search Campaign
Leveraged Google's AI to identify high-intent queries we hadn't manually targeted. This automated approach delivered impressive efficiency:
  • 129 SQLs generated
  • $62.23 cost per acquisition
  • 44% better efficiency than campaign average
  • $8,027 total spend (12% of budget)
Hyper-Local Campaign
Focused exclusively on high-performing ZIP codes with custom radius targeting and location-specific messaging:
  • 15 SQLs generated
  • $36.53 cost per acquisition
  • 67% better efficiency than campaign average
  • $548 total spend (under 1% of budget)
These precision campaigns demonstrated that extremely targeted approaches could deliver dramatically improved efficiency. While they couldn't match the raw volume of broader efforts, they provided crucial efficiency wins that improved overall campaign performance.
The hyper-local campaign in particular revealed a scalable opportunity: with its remarkable $36.53 CPA, expanding this approach became a key recommendation for future optimization.
Total Funnel Snapshot: 3 Months at a Glance
613
Total SQLs
Sales Qualified Leads delivered to sales pipeline during 90-day campaign period
$111.37
Average CPA
26% below target cost ceiling of $150 per acquisition
$68,269
Total Investment
Efficiently deployed across five distinct campaign segments
Key Performance Indicators
Our comprehensive campaign structure delivered across all critical metrics:
  • 252,000+ impressions across all segments
  • 28,000+ clicks driven to optimized landing pages
  • 2.2% click-to-conversion rate (40% above industry average)
  • 9:1 return on ad spend based on client's lead value calculations
  • 15% week-over-week efficiency improvement throughout campaign lifecycle
The carefully designed segmentation strategy allowed us to drive significant volume while maintaining strict cost discipline, delivering both quantity and quality.
What Performed Best — and Why
Efficiency Pattern: Narrower Focus = Better ROI
Our data revealed a clear pattern: the more targeted and segmented a campaign, the greater its efficiency. The hyper-local campaign achieved a remarkable $36.53 CPA – 67% better than the campaign average and a full 3.6x more efficient than the broader segments.
This efficiency gradient proved our core hypothesis: sophisticated segmentation directly correlates with improved performance. Broad campaigns delivered volume, while precision campaigns provided efficiency.
By maintaining this balanced portfolio approach, we were able to achieve both scale and efficiency simultaneously – delivering the volume the client needed while maintaining strict cost discipline across the entire program.
Key Takeaways: Segmentation Wins & Scaling Lessons
Our three-month Google Ads sprint yielded valuable insights about performance marketing at scale, demonstrating that sophisticated segmentation is the key to balancing volume and efficiency in lead generation campaigns.
1
Volume + Control Can Coexist
By creating a portfolio of campaign types, we achieved significant scale (613 SQLs) while maintaining strict cost discipline ($111 avg CPA). This balanced approach delivered both quantity and quality.
2
Segmentation Drives Performance
Our data definitively showed that narrower targeting improved efficiency, with the most precise campaigns outperforming broader approaches by up to 3.6x. This validated our core strategic hypothesis about the value of granular segmentation.
3
Data-Informed Budget Allocation
Weekly performance analysis allowed us to shift budget dynamically, progressively investing more in high-performing segments while reducing exposure to less efficient channels. This continuous optimization improved overall campaign ROI by 15% over the three-month period.
4
Significant Optimization Potential
Despite strong results, we identified substantial untapped opportunities in landing page optimization, message personalization, and expansion of the hyper-local approach. These represent the next wave of performance improvement.
What's Next: Scale the Proven, Kill the Waste
Our three-month sprint revealed both immediate wins and long-term opportunities. Based on comprehensive performance data, we've identified four strategic initiatives to further improve both volume and efficiency.
Scale Precision Campaigns
Expand the hyper-local and Dynamic Search approaches that delivered exceptional efficiency. By applying the hyper-local model to additional high-potential ZIP codes, we project a 30% increase in lead volume at a 20% lower average CPA.
Refresh Creative Assets
Develop new ad variations and landing page experiences for high-volume keywords, incorporating conversion insights from initial campaign data. A/B testing shows potential for 15-25% conversion rate improvement through message refinement.
Integrate CRM + Retargeting
Implement seamless data flow between Google Ads, marketing automation platform, and CRM to enable sophisticated audience targeting. This will create powerful retargeting opportunities based on user behavior and engagement signals.
Improve ROI Visibility
Enhance tracking from lead capture through sales pipeline to closed revenue, providing complete ROI visibility. This will enable even more precise budget allocation based on actual revenue impact, not just lead volume.
By executing these strategic initiatives, we project a 40% increase in lead volume while maintaining or improving current cost efficiency metrics. The foundation we've built through sophisticated segmentation provides the perfect platform for scalable growth.
From Traffic to Pipeline — What This Case Proves
"Elan took our Google Ads from high-spend chaos to high-precision control. We didn't just get leads — we got predictable acquisition that directly impacted our sales pipeline. The in-depth segmentation approach delivered both the volume and efficiency we needed to hit our growth targets."
— VP of Marketing, SaaS Company
This case study demonstrates that Google Ads success isn't about impressions, clicks, or even cost per click. It's about engineering an acquisition system that scales profitably by balancing volume and efficiency through sophisticated segmentation.
The multi-dimensional campaign structure we developed delivered 613 high-quality SQLs at an average CPA of $111 – 26% below the target ceiling. More importantly, it created a scalable framework for ongoing optimization and growth.
By viewing Google Ads as part of a full-funnel system rather than just a traffic delivery mechanism, we transformed paid search from a necessary expense into a predictable growth engine with measurable ROI.
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