How an E-Signature Platform Achieved 4.5x ROAS with Google Ads Optimization

The Challenge

An e-signature SaaS solution was burning through $45K monthly on Google Ads with minimal returns, making paid acquisition completely unsustainable.

• Negative ROI: Spending $45K/month to generate $18K in MRR (0.4x ROAS)
• Poor conversion rates: 0.8% landing page conversion rate, far below industry benchmarks
• High CPA: $420 cost per acquisition vs. $180 LTV, completely unprofitable
• Misaligned targeting: Broad match keywords attracting low-intent traffic

With investors pressuring for profitability and competition from DocuSign and Adobe Sign driving up CPCs, the company needed to either fix Google Ads or shut it down entirely.

The Strategy

We implemented a comprehensive PPC restructure combined with aggressive conversion rate optimization, focusing on profitability over volume.

1. Account Restructure & Keyword Strategy

Complete rebuild of Google Ads account structure for better control and performance:

• Keyword refinement: Cut 200+ low-performing keywords, focused on 40 high-intent terms
• Match type optimization: Shifted from broad match to phrase and exact match
• Negative keyword lists: Added 500+ negative keywords to block irrelevant traffic
• Campaign segmentation: Separated brand, competitor, and generic campaigns

2. Landing Page Optimization

• Created keyword-specific landing pages for top 15 search terms
• Redesigned pages with clearer value propositions and social proof
• Reduced form fields from 8 to 3 for trial signups
• Added video demos and interactive product tours
• Implemented exit-intent popups with special offers

3. Ad Copy & Extensions

• Created 60+ ad variations testing different value propositions
• Implemented dynamic keyword insertion for relevance
• Added all available ad extensions (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets)
• Used customer testimonials and security certifications in ad copy

4. Bid Strategy & Budget Allocation

• Shifted from automated bidding to manual CPC with data-driven adjustments
• Implemented dayparting based on conversion time analysis
• Reallocated 60% of budget from generic to high-intent competitor keywords
• Set up portfolio bid strategies for different campaign goals

5. Conversion Tracking & Attribution

• Implemented enhanced conversion tracking with offline conversion import
• Set up proper attribution modeling to understand customer journey
• Created dashboards tracking MRR, not just trial signups
• Integrated CRM data for closed-loop reporting

The Results

Campaign Performance

• ROAS improved from 0.4x to 4.5x (1,025% increase)
• Monthly revenue from ads: $202K (from $18K), 11x growth
• Ad spend efficiency: Same $45K budget generating 11x more revenue
• Profitable at scale: Program remained profitable as budget scaled to $120K/month

Conversion Improvements

• Landing page CVR: 0.8% → 3.1% (288% improvement)
• Trial to paid conversion: 18% → 34% (89% improvement)
• Cost per acquisition: $420 → $135 (68% reduction)
• Quality Score: Average improved from 4.2 to 8.1

Keyword Performance

• Competitor keywords: 5.8x ROAS, 42% of total revenue
• Brand keywords: 8.2x ROAS, 35% of total revenue
• Generic high-intent: 3.1x ROAS, 23% of total revenue
• Click-through rate: Improved from 2.1% to 6.8%

Business Impact

• Google Ads became #1 channel: Driving 48% of total new customer revenue
• Customer payback period: Reduced from "never" to 4.2 months
• Marketing efficiency ratio: 3.8 (every $1 in ads generates $3.80 in revenue)
• Scaled profitably: Budget increased 2.7x while maintaining profitability

Key Tactics That Drove Results

1. Competitor Keyword Dominance

We aggressively bid on competitor brand terms (DocuSign, Adobe Sign alternatives), creating landing pages that highlighted feature advantages and pricing benefits. This drove the highest-quality traffic at reasonable CPCs.

2. Conversion Rate Obsession

Rather than just reducing CPC, we focused heavily on improving conversion rates. A 3.1% landing page CVR vs. 0.8% meant we could profitably bid 3-4x higher than before, winning more auctions and gaining market share.

3. Quality Score Improvement

By improving ad relevance, landing page experience, and expected CTR, we increased Quality Scores from 4.2 to 8.1. This reduced CPCs by 40-50% while improving ad positions, creating a compounding advantage.

4. True Revenue Tracking

Moving beyond vanity metrics (clicks, impressions) to track actual revenue and LTV allowed us to make data-driven decisions about which keywords and campaigns truly drove business results.

Timeline

• Month 1: Complete audit, account restructure, negative keyword implementation
• Month 2: New landing pages launched, initial conversion improvements
• Month 3: Ad copy testing begins, competitor campaign launch, ROAS hits 2.1x
• Months 4-6: Continuous optimization, budget scaling begins, ROAS reaches 4.5x

Lessons Learned

1. Quality over quantity: Cutting 80% of keywords and focusing on the best 20% dramatically improved performance and made the account manageable
2. Landing page matters more than ads: A 3x conversion rate improvement had bigger impact than any bid optimization strategy
3. Competitor keywords work: Despite concerns about brand bidding ethics, competitor keywords drove highest-quality, highest-intent traffic
4. Attribution is critical: Understanding full customer journey prevented premature optimization decisions based on incomplete data

Conclusion

This transformation from unprofitable to 4.5x ROAS demonstrates that Google Ads can work for SaaS companies in competitive categories with the right strategy. By combining disciplined keyword selection, conversion rate optimization, and proper tracking, even struggling campaigns can become profitable growth engines.

The program continues to scale with expanding budgets and new campaign types, maintaining strong ROAS while capturing increasing market share from competitors.