The numbers, month over month
| Month | Leads | Spend | Cost Per Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 10 | $2,700.00 | $270.00 |
| September 2026 | 48 | $5,209.48 | $108.53 |
Same client, same Calgary market, Google Search and Performance Max only, no Local Service Ads. Spend roughly doubled. Leads went up nearly 5x. Cost per lead dropped by almost 3 times.
That’s not a new ad. That’s not a new landing page. That’s a bid strategy fix and consistent optimizations.
At $108.53, this account is already sitting right at the industry average, down from a number that was nearly triple it the month before.
August campaign breakdown
| Campaign | Daily Budget | Conversions | Conv. Rate | Cost/Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace Repair | $30 | 6 | 17.14% | $114.29 |
| Furnace Install | $70 | 10.5 | 4.00% | $501.27 |
| Performance Max – All Services | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| HVAC Services | $30 | 1 | 2.17% | $581.81 |
| Furnace Tune Up/Maintenance | $20 | 0 | 0 | $96.67 |
September campaign breakdown
| Campaign | Daily Budget | Conversions | Conv. Rate | Cost/Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace Repair | $30 | 11 | 21.6% | $109.32 |
| Furnace Install | $70 | 10.5 | 14.0% | $199.47 |
| Performance Max – All Services | $5 (limited) | 6 | 1.8% | $25.54 |
| HVAC Services | $30 | 12 | 18.8% | $75.97 |
| Furnace Tune Up/Maintenance | $20 | 8.5 | 23.6% | $82.52 |
Performance Max and HVAC Services are already beating the top-quartile benchmark outright.
What changed: the bid strategy sequence
- Max Clicks — used early to build traffic and conversion volume while tracking settled in.
- Maximize Conversions — switched once there was enough conversion data for Google’s algorithm to optimize toward actual leads instead of raw clicks.
- Target CPA — tested once conversion volume looked steady, aiming to control cost per lead directly.
- Back to Maximize Conversions — once Target CPA started working against the account instead of for it, we reverted. With Maximize Conversions, Google optimizes toward getting the business more leads at the lowest achievable cost, which is a more direct match to what the advertiser actually wants than hitting an arbitrary CPA number.
- Added to PMAX to target previous visitors and get cheaper leads from there.
Target CPA isn’t automatically the advanced option. It needs enough conversion history for Smart Bidding to have real signal, generally 30+ conversions in the look back window, and a realistic target, or it restricts spend and starves the campaign instead of controlling it. Maximize Conversions with a sensible budget cap is often the safer default until volume justifies tightening the target, and it’s worth staying ready to revert if a platform change makes Target CPA behave unpredictably.
How long does Smart Bidding need to learn?
Generally 1–2 weeks and roughly 30 conversions in the lookback window before a bid strategy has enough signal to optimize reliably. Judging it sooner usually means switching strategies too early.
Want results like this for your business
This client went from $270 to $108.53 cost per lead in one month, no new creative, no new site, just the bid strategy. Sofra Digital Solutions builds Google Ads campaigns and landing pages as one system for HVAC and home service companies. Get a free budget review before you commit next month’s spend.