Competitive niches like gambling, betting, dating, finance, and other grayhat verticals have always had high CPCs. Recently, though, the cost of attracting leads through Google Ads has been rising even more, especially in top-tier locations. This increase is due to several factors that make it harder for affiliates and push them to find new ways to optimize their advertising efforts.
Many affiliates frequently ask about why click and lead costs are going up and what practical methods they can use to lower their advertising expenses. They often reach out to support services with these questions. The YeezyPay team, a service that provides access to trusted Google Ads agency accounts, has decided to take a closer look at the reasons behind the high cost per click and explore ways to reduce it without compromising the quality of traffic.
Before you start optimizing your ad campaigns, it's important to understand how the cost per click (CPC) is calculated. Google Ads operates like an auction, where advertisers place bids. However, the amount you bid is just one part of the equation. Google also considers several other factors when determining how much you actually pay per click. Here are some of those additional factors that can influence your final CPC:
Sometimes, on specific forums, promoting nutra offers can lead to CPCs around $3 to $4 or even higher. However, it's worth mentioning that with the right optimization strategies, such high costs are not common in the nutra vertical.
For example, in gambling, you might want to block words like “for free,” “demo,” “reviews,” “registration bonuses” (if you don’t have those), “apk,” and “against.” In dating, you might want to avoid terms like “free dating,” “friendship,” and “communication.”
The more carefully you choose your negative keywords, the fewer expensive clicks you’ll get that aren’t useful, which will help you get a better return on your investment.
The display network can lead to a lot of irrelevant clicks, especially if you don’t set clear targeting options or if you haven’t added negative keywords to your placements. Experienced affiliates often lower their cost per click at the beginning of an ad campaign by separating campaigns for search and display networks, using different bids and targeting strategies.
To work in certain geos, you may need to set up your Google Ads accounts using IP addresses and payment methods from Tier-1 countries to build trust with Google algorithms.
However, if you use trusted agency ad accounts, you can run ads in almost any geo without needing long warm-up campaigns.
Also if you are promoting offers in grayhat niches, using trusted agency accounts, like those from YeezyPay, can help reduce the risks of potential bans or restrictions on your ads. They can improve your reputation with Google and make it easier to run successful campaigns for grayhat offers.
These long-tail keywords usually have less competition, which can lead to lower cost-per-click (CPC). Additionally, they attract more targeted traffic, meaning the people clicking on your ads are more likely to be interested in what you're offering.
Your landing page is the first thing people see when they look at your offer. It should be appealing and easy to use. Make sure it loads quickly, looks good on different devices, is easy to browse through, and has a clear call to action. A landing page that converts well is key to keeping your cost per click (CPC) low.
To improve the chances of getting manual ads approved, experienced affiliates often use trusted agency ad accounts. For several years, YeezyPay has been providing affiliates with access to these trusted agency accounts that have a high spending limit.
Additionally, we must continually monitor competitors’ prices and track the performance of our advertising campaigns.
Many affiliates frequently ask about why click and lead costs are going up and what practical methods they can use to lower their advertising expenses. They often reach out to support services with these questions. The YeezyPay team, a service that provides access to trusted Google Ads agency accounts, has decided to take a closer look at the reasons behind the high cost per click and explore ways to reduce it without compromising the quality of traffic.
What affects CPC in Google Ads besides bid size?
Before you start optimizing your ad campaigns, it's important to understand how the cost per click (CPC) is calculated. Google Ads operates like an auction, where advertisers place bids. However, the amount you bid is just one part of the equation. Google also considers several other factors when determining how much you actually pay per click. Here are some of those additional factors that can influence your final CPC:
Quality Score:
The Quality Score is a rating that Google uses to determine how relevant and useful your ads are. It’s based on three main things:- Click-through rate (CTR): This measures how often people click on your ad when they see it. A higher CTR means your ad is appealing to users.
- Keyword relevance: Your keywords should match what users are searching for. The more relevant your keywords are, the better your score.
- Landing page experience: The landing page where users end up after clicking your ad should be helpful and relevant. If users don’t find what they expect, they’re likely to leave quickly.
Competitor rating:
The bids from your competitors can have a big impact on your cost per click (CPC). In highly competitive areas, often called "grayhat" niches, prices tend to go up because many advertisers are fighting for the same audience. For example, if someone is advertising gambling services in a prime location, they should expect to pay more. The competition in this market can be fierce, resulting in very high CPCs.Sometimes, on specific forums, promoting nutra offers can lead to CPCs around $3 to $4 or even higher. However, it's worth mentioning that with the right optimization strategies, such high costs are not common in the nutra vertical.
Ad position:
The position of your ad in search results affects how much you pay per click. Generally, the higher your ad is ranked, the more expensive it will be. Moreover, higher positions tend to attract more clicks. If you don't balance your spending with effectiveness, you could quickly run through your budget, potentially losing thousands of dollars in just a few hours.Keywords:
Keywords with high search volume are usually more expensive due to intense competition. However, you shouldn’t ignore them entirely. Finding a balance and focusing on "long-tail" keywords (more specific phrases) can be a key to success.Geos:
CPCs vary by geo; for example, clicks in the USA are typically much more expensive than those in Vietnam. It's crucial to develop a strategy that aligns with your budget and campaign goals.Niche:
The cost per click (CPC) in Google Ads depends a lot on how much competition there is. In competitive niches like insurance, automotive, law, dentistry, and cryptocurrency, CPCs are usually high because businesses can make a lot of money from each new customer. On the other hand, in less competitive areas, CPCs are lower, but you might need to bring in more customers to make the same amount of profit.Buyer/ client life cycle:
The longer it takes for a user to decide to make a purchase or deposit, the more expensive the advertising costs become. For quick decisions, such as installing a gambling app, only a few ad impressions may be needed. In contrast, longer decision-making processes require multiple interactions (usually 5 to 7), along with remarketing campaigns and a larger budget.Market demand:
When there is high demand for a product or service, competition and cost per click (CPC) go up, but it usually leads to more conversions. As you get more conversions, the cost for each one tends to go down. On the other hand, low demand can lead competitors to increase their budgets to attract a smaller number of customers. When evaluating demand, be sure to consider global events, market trends, and seasonal changes.Ad scheduling:
Clicks during peak hours are often more expensive, so it’s important to set up an efficient ad schedule that aligns with when your target audience is most active.Landing page quality:
Your landing page should be visually appealing and interesting to users. A low conversion rate and high bounce rate can signal to Google Ads algorithms that your page isn’t effective, which can result in higher CPCs.How can affiliates reduce their CPC without losing traffic
Just lowering your bid in the Google Ads auction isn’t the solution. Doing so will reduce your traffic and result in lost potential leads. Below, we’ll share several tips from experienced affiliates that can help you lower your click costs without seriously affecting the success of your advertising campaigns.Using negative keywords
Negative keywords are really important for cutting down on unwanted traffic. When you check the "Search Terms" report, take a close look at the search queries that triggered your ads. Add any terms that don’t relate to your target audience to your negative keywords list.For example, in gambling, you might want to block words like “for free,” “demo,” “reviews,” “registration bonuses” (if you don’t have those), “apk,” and “against.” In dating, you might want to avoid terms like “free dating,” “friendship,” and “communication.”
The more carefully you choose your negative keywords, the fewer expensive clicks you’ll get that aren’t useful, which will help you get a better return on your investment.
Separating search and display ad campaigns
The search network and the display network are very different. In search advertising, users are actively looking for specific information, while in the display network, they’re just browsing websites. For many grayhat niches, search advertising is usually more effective.The display network can lead to a lot of irrelevant clicks, especially if you don’t set clear targeting options or if you haven’t added negative keywords to your placements. Experienced affiliates often lower their cost per click at the beginning of an ad campaign by separating campaigns for search and display networks, using different bids and targeting strategies.
Targeting the right geos
You shouldn’t waste your budget on geos that aren’t suitable for your offer. Clearly defining your target audience by location can also help lower your cost per click (CPC). For example, if you’re in the gambling niche, you need to remember that gambling is prohibited or seriously condemned in some countries due to local laws and religious beliefs. Similarly, if you’re in online dating, you should consider that some countries have a more conservative view of online dating.To work in certain geos, you may need to set up your Google Ads accounts using IP addresses and payment methods from Tier-1 countries to build trust with Google algorithms.
However, if you use trusted agency ad accounts, you can run ads in almost any geo without needing long warm-up campaigns.
Also if you are promoting offers in grayhat niches, using trusted agency accounts, like those from YeezyPay, can help reduce the risks of potential bans or restrictions on your ads. They can improve your reputation with Google and make it easier to run successful campaigns for grayhat offers.
Using long-tail keywords
Instead of using general high-competition keywords like "online slots" or "meet singles," focus on more specific low-competition keywords, such as "best online slots with deposit bonuses" or "dating single divorced girls in Vancouver."These long-tail keywords usually have less competition, which can lead to lower cost-per-click (CPC). Additionally, they attract more targeted traffic, meaning the people clicking on your ads are more likely to be interested in what you're offering.
Ensuring your ads are relevant
Everything in your advertising campaign, from keywords, ad creatives, to landing pages, needs to be closely related and match what users are looking for. For example, if you use the keyword “speed dating for a no-strings-attached relationship” but your landing page is about “serious relationships,” you’ll probably get low conversion rates. This mismatch can also drive up your cost-per-click (CPC) because Google won’t see your ad as relevant.Performing A/B tests
To lower CPCs, affiliates need to keep testing different options. You should try out various keywords, ads, headlines, descriptions, images, calls to action, and landing pages. This testing will help you find the combinations that convert best and ultimately reduce your CPC.Improving landing page quality
Your landing page is the first thing people see when they look at your offer. It should be appealing and easy to use. Make sure it loads quickly, looks good on different devices, is easy to browse through, and has a clear call to action. A landing page that converts well is key to keeping your cost per click (CPC) low.
Using ad extensions
Extra links, clarifications, phone numbers, and structured descriptions make ads more informative and appealing. These extensions can help increase your click-through rate (CTR) and Quality Score, which, as mentioned earlier, can lead to a lower cost per click (CPC).Tracking the campaign performance on different devices
Users behave differently on mobile and desktop devices, so it’s important to track conversions for each type. Adjust your bids based on this data. For example, if conversions from mobile devices are low, consider lowering your bids for mobile or even excluding ads from showing on mobile phones altogether.Using dynamic Ads
Dynamic Search Ads and Dynamic Remarketing allow Google to automatically create ad titles and descriptions based on the content of your website or landing page. This feature can be particularly helpful for promoting offers in grayhat niches where it's hard for manually created ads to get approved.To improve the chances of getting manual ads approved, experienced affiliates often use trusted agency ad accounts. For several years, YeezyPay has been providing affiliates with access to these trusted agency accounts that have a high spending limit.
Scheduling ads correctly
Another way to lower the cost per click in Google Ads is by scheduling your ads to run when your target audience is most active. For instance, if you're in the dating industry, advertising in the evening may be more effective than in the morning. It's important to analyze your data and optimize your ad schedule accordingly.Conclusion
Based on everything discussed above, the goal of an affiliate working in both whitehat and grayhat niches in Google Ads is not just to lower the cost per click, but to get the most return on every dollar spent. A successful strategy includes a comprehensive approach to optimization, using trusted agency accounts from YeezyPay, and regularly analyzing data.Additionally, we must continually monitor competitors’ prices and track the performance of our advertising campaigns.
