How to Reduce Wasted Ad Spend with Smarter Targeting

Are you spending more on search engine marketing but not seeing better results? The problem might be poor audience targeting, especially if you're running campaigns across multiple countries. Here are a few ways to tighten your strategy and improve your ROI.

Identify exactly who’s actually worth targeting

If your search engine marketing approach is too broad, your ads will reach too many people — and that is not always a good thing. Because not everyone is ready to buy, only a small share of that traffic will convert while your costs keep climbing. Narrowing your focus to users who are most likely to convert helps you spend less and achieve stronger results.

To find out who these users are, analyse your first-party data. What does it tell you about their demographics and buying patterns? Then, use second-party and third-party data to find similar users who match those traits. These lookalike audiences are more likely to engage with your ads, which helps you spend more efficiently and avoid wasting budget on the wrong clicks.

Reach customers at the right moment and location

Ad platforms are built for reach, so they’ll show your ads broadly unless you fine-tune your settings. You have to use geographic targeting to focus only on regions where you actually do business instead of relying on location-based keywords. Then, schedule your ads to appear during the hours when your audience is most likely to take action. Reaching users in the right place at the right time helps you cut waste and get more from your budget.

Use the right keywords

Keyword choice directly affects whether your ads convert or drain your budget. Strong search engine marketing campaigns focus on keywords that reflect real user intent. Instead of chasing high-volume terms, prioritise long-tail keywords that match what your audience actually searches for. These terms will help you attract users who are closer to taking action. In turn, this will improve your conversion rates and reduce wasted clicks.

Manage your ad spend more thoughtfully today

MONDIS can help your business refine its search engine marketing strategies so that your ads reach the right audiences across languages and markets. Their tailored multilingual campaigns deliver the right message to the right people, wherever they are. Call +49 30 48496622-0 or send a message through their website.

About the author:

Mondis is an online marketing and general SEO agency. MONDIS focuses on giving international SEO consultation to companies looking to connect with targeted groups in Germany, Europe, and worldwide. We also provide professional support to businesses looking to improve the performance of their existing global portfolio. As part of our SEO consultation process, we work with our clients to develop individual SEO solutions for their global expansion.