Most sellers think “low ACoS = just lower bids”. Wrong.
In reality, reducing ACoS while scaling sales requires a systematic strategy — one that fixes wasted spend, improves targeting, and optimizes conversion rates simultaneously.
This is the real case study of how we took an account from 45% ACoS down to 15% in 90 days while increasing total sales volume by 2.3x.
???? The Starting Point: Why ACoS Was Bleeding at 45%
When this client (a mid-sized beauty brand) approached us, their PPC was a mess:
- ❌ Too many broad match keywords → irrelevant clicks
- ❌ No negative keywords → wasted budget
- ❌ High CPCs → competing for unprofitable terms
- ❌ Weak listing content → poor conversion rates
- ❌ No structured campaigns → hard to optimize
The result? $4,500/month spent → $10,000 in sales → 45% ACoS.
✅ Step 1: Campaign Restructuring
We rebuilt the campaigns from scratch into a 3-tier funnel:
- Discovery Campaigns (Broad + Auto)
- Purpose: mine new keywords
- Daily budget capped at 10–15%
- Harvested winning terms weekly
- Purpose: mine new keywords
- Scaling Campaigns (Exact Match + High CTR Keywords)
- Bid aggressively only on proven profitable keywords
- Segmented by product for better control
- Bid aggressively only on proven profitable keywords
- Defensive/Conquesting Campaigns (ASIN targeting)
- Protect own listings from competitors
- Target competitor ASINs with weaker ratings or higher prices
- Protect own listings from competitors
???? Result after 4 weeks: CTR improved from 0.4% → 0.9%. Wasted spend dropped by 32%.
✅ Step 2: Aggressive Negative Keyword Strategy
We audited the search term report weekly and cut out irrelevant or non-converting terms.
Example:
- Client sold “Vitamin C Face Serum.”
- They were spending on keywords like “Vitamin C Gummies” and “Hair Serum” → $400 wasted in one month.
We built negative keyword lists across campaigns to stop that leakage.
???? Result: Saved ~$1,000/month instantly.
✅ Step 3: Optimizing Bids & Placements
Instead of lowering all bids blindly, we used a tiered bidding approach:
- Top 20% of keywords → +20% bid increase
- Middle 50% → maintained
- Bottom 30% (high spend, low sales) → reduced or paused
We also adjusted placement multipliers:
- Top of search (1st page): +40%
- Product pages: +20%
- Rest of search: 0%
???? Result: CPC dropped from $1.85 → $1.20.
✅ Step 4: Fixing the Listing Conversion Rate
Ads don’t matter if your listing doesn’t convert.
We revamped:
- Title: keyword-rich, benefit-driven
- Bullets: problem-solution style instead of boring specs
- Images: added lifestyle + infographic images
- A+ Content: comparison charts + FAQ section
???? Result: Conversion rate jumped from 8% → 15%.
✅ Step 5: Scaling With Sponsored Brands & Video
Once ACoS stabilized below 25%, we introduced Sponsored Brands Video Ads (killer CTR and lower CPCs).
- CTR: 1.6% (4x higher than Sponsored Products)
- CPC: $0.85 (cheaper than average Sponsored Product bids)
These ads positioned the brand as premium while also lowering blended ACoS.
???? The Final Results After 90 Days
- ACoS: 45% → 15%
- Monthly PPC Spend: $4,500 → $6,200 (scaled up budget)
- Monthly Sales: $10,000 → $23,000
- Conversion Rate: 8% → 15%
- Wasted Spend: Cut by 70%
???? The magic wasn’t one trick — it was a systematic combination of campaign structure, negative keywords, bidding strategy, and listing optimization.
???? Key Takeaways for Sellers
- Don’t fear higher ad spend. The goal is lowering ACoS while scaling sales, not just cutting spend.
- Audit your search term reports weekly. Wasted spend adds up fast.
- Structure campaigns properly. Chaos in structure = chaos in results.
- Fix your listing first. Ads can’t fix a bad listing.
- Experiment with new ad types. Sponsored Brands Video can be a game-changer.
???? Final Word
Cutting ACoS from 45% to 15% isn’t about “luck.” It’s about discipline, structure, and data-driven optimization.
If you’re stuck with rising ACoS and no growth, this case study proves it’s possible to win — with the right strategy.
???? Want us to do this for your brand? [Book a free ACoS audit here]





