Case Study Overview:
When taking over acquisition for a niche eCommerce supplier (Carolina Crickets), revenue was stagnant due to unoptimized campaign settings and broad targeting. By restructuring Google Search Ads, executing geographic audience expansion, and adapting ad messaging to market shifts, I scaled weekly revenue by a 3,400% increase (a 35x expansion) in under 90 days while maintaining 9%–15% conversion rates.

Strategic Bidding & Technical Campaign Setup
Manual-to-Smart Bidding Transition: Initiated campaigns using manual bidding to establish baseline conversion data. Once campaigns reached the 30–50 conversion threshold, transitioned to Smart Bidding strategies to allow Google’s algorithm to optimize for high-value shoppers without inflating CPA.
Algorithmic Unconstraining: Identified that strict Target ROAS settings were choking ad volume during high-demand surges. Temporarily raised Target CPA constraints to unlock maximum conversion volume, allowing the algorithm to learn fast during a national product shortage before re-tightening bidding controls.

Keyword Match Architecture: Structured ad groups strictly utilizing Phrase and Exact Match keywords alongside continuous negative keyword filtering to eliminate wasted ad spend on irrelevant search traffic.

Full-Funnel Campaign Audit: Continuously optimized location radiuses, device bid adjustments (mobile vs. desktop), ad scheduling timeframes, and A/B ad copy testing to align search intent directly with hero-section messaging.

Dynamic Geo-Targeting & Audience Scaling
Event-Based Geo-Fencing: Pushed initial ad campaigns using tight 150-mile radiuses around major regional reptile expos to capture high-intent, active event attendees.

High-Density Market Expansion: Analyzed national exotic pet ownership demographics across GA4 and third-party data, systematically expanding search campaigns from regional radiuses to high-density Midwest and Southern states (Texas to Wisconsin), quadrupling core income.

Tailored Product Ad Groups:
Built hyper-specific ad groups segmented by buyer intent—ranging from bulk feeder insects (Dubias, Jumbos) to specialized niche sizing (Pinheads) and dedicated pet-owner targets (Bearded Dragon owners).