Results at a Glance
Client Overview
Our client is a fitness app startup that offers personalized workout plans, nutrition guidance, and progress tracking. Launched in 2023, they had achieved moderate organic growth but were struggling with high customer acquisition costs through their Google Ads campaigns.
With a subscription-based model priced at $9.99/month, they needed to significantly reduce their customer acquisition cost to achieve profitability and scale their user base in a highly competitive market.
The Challenge
When the client approached us, they were facing several key challenges:
- High customer acquisition cost (CAC) of $38 per user
- Low conversion rate on their app download landing pages (1.2%)
- Inefficient keyword targeting resulting in wasted ad spend
- Poor ad quality scores leading to higher cost-per-click
- Limited visibility into which ad creatives were driving quality users
With their lifetime value (LTV) hovering around $60 per user, the high CAC was making their unit economics unsustainable. They needed to significantly reduce acquisition costs while maintaining or increasing the volume of new users.
Our Strategy
After conducting a comprehensive audit of the client's Google Ads account, landing pages, and conversion tracking, we developed a multi-faceted strategy focused on:
1. Keyword Restructuring
We completely overhauled the keyword strategy:
- Conducted extensive keyword research to identify high-intent, lower-competition terms
- Implemented a Single Keyword Ad Group (SKAG) structure for top-performing keywords
- Developed a comprehensive negative keyword list to prevent irrelevant clicks
- Segmented campaigns by user intent (awareness, consideration, conversion)
2. Landing Page Optimization
We redesigned the app download landing pages:
- Created dedicated landing pages for different user segments (beginners, intermediate, advanced)
- Implemented A/B testing to optimize headlines, CTAs, and page layouts
- Added social proof elements including user testimonials and app store ratings
- Improved page load speed and mobile responsiveness
3. Ad Creative Enhancement
We revamped the ad creative strategy:
- Developed highly relevant ad copy that matched search intent
- Created responsive search ads with multiple headline and description variations
- Implemented ad extensions (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets) to improve ad visibility
- Set up systematic A/B testing of ad variations to identify winning messages
4. Advanced Bidding Strategy
We implemented sophisticated bidding approaches:
- Transitioned from manual CPC to Target CPA bidding for conversion-focused campaigns
- Implemented dayparting to focus budget on high-converting times of day
- Adjusted device bid modifiers based on performance data
- Created audience-based bid adjustments for users showing higher intent
Implementation
We executed our strategy in a phased approach over a 60-day period:
Phase 1: Audit and Restructuring (Days 1-15)
We conducted a comprehensive account audit, implemented proper conversion tracking, and restructured the campaign architecture while maintaining existing performance.
Phase 2: Creative and Landing Page Testing (Days 16-30)
We launched new ad creatives and landing page variants, conducting rigorous A/B testing to identify the highest-performing combinations.
Phase 3: Bidding Optimization and Scaling (Days 31-60)
Based on the data from our testing phase, we implemented advanced bidding strategies, scaled successful campaigns, and continued to refine targeting and messaging.
Results
Our strategy delivered exceptional results for the fitness app:
Performance Improvements
- Reduced customer acquisition cost from $38 to $25.84 (32% reduction)
- Improved landing page conversion rate from 1.2% to 3.1%
- Increased Google Ads quality scores from an average of 5/10 to 8/10
- Reduced cost-per-click by 18% while maintaining ad position
Business Impact
- Increased monthly app downloads by 64% within budget constraints
- Improved LTV:CAC ratio from 1.6:1 to 2.3:1
- Reduced 30-day user churn rate by 15% due to better user-ad alignment
- Enabled the client to reinvest savings into product development
"Fluxion Digital transformed our Google Ads performance. We were struggling with high acquisition costs that made growth unsustainable. Their strategic approach not only reduced our CAC by 32% but also brought in users who were more engaged with our app. This has completely changed our unit economics and put us on a path to profitability."
— Marketing Director, Fitness App
Key Learnings
This case study highlights several important principles for consumer apps looking to optimize Google Ads performance:
- Keyword intent matters more than volume - Focusing on high-intent keywords, even with lower search volume, delivered better ROI than broad, high-volume terms
- Landing page relevance is critical - Tailoring landing pages to specific user segments significantly improved conversion rates
- Ad testing drives continuous improvement - Systematic testing of ad variations revealed messaging that resonated with different user segments
- Smart bidding strategies outperform manual bidding - Leveraging Google's machine learning through Target CPA bidding delivered better results than manual CPC
- User quality trumps quantity - Focusing on acquiring users with higher retention potential improved overall LTV and reduced churn
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