CASE STUDY: Increasing Click-Through Rate (CTR) by 54% for a Cannabis Delivery Service
Category
Google Ads Case Study
Market
California Cannabis Delivery
Role
Ad Copy, Geo Targeting, Mobile CRO
Timeline
Background: The Client & Their Challenge
A California-based cannabis delivery service was getting impressions from Google Ads, but users were not clicking. Low engagement created wasted ad spend and expensive acquisition.
Main challenges:
- ❌ Low Click-Through Rate (CTR), leading to wasted ad spend
- ❌ High Cost per Click (CPC), making customer acquisition expensive
- ❌ Poor ad relevance and Quality Score, reducing ad visibility
- ❌ Limited ability to target repeat customers due to advertising restrictions
They needed a Google Ads strategy that could:
CTR Growth
Increase ad engagement and CTR
Local Targeting
Attract more qualified local traffic
Mobile CRO
Drive higher conversions from mobile users
The Challenges – Why Their Ads Were Underperforming
- 🔹 Google’s restrictions on cannabis ads limited wording options for ad copy
- 🔹 High competition: other dispensaries were bidding aggressively
- 🔹 Low engagement metrics: CTR was well below the industry average
- 🔹 Mobile users were not converting because landing pages were not optimized for mobile
⏳ We had 30 days to turn things around!
Our Google Ads Strategy to Boost CTR
We implemented a 3-step approach to optimize their Google Ads performance:- ✅ Created compliant but engaging ad copy to attract clicks
- ✅ Added structured snippets and callout extensions to highlight free delivery and deals
- ✅ Included location extensions to target nearby customers
- ✅ Switched to Enhanced CPC with Target Impression Share to dominate top ad spots
- ✅ Focused on geo-targeting high-converting neighborhoods
- ✅ Used custom intent audiences based on users searching for cannabis delivery
- ✅ Reduced load time from 3.9s to 1.6s, boosting mobile engagement
- ✅ Added click-to-call and one-click order buttons
- ✅ Improved trust signals with real customer reviews and product ratings
Results After 30 Days
📊 Key Metrics Before vs. After Our Optimization
| Metric | Before | After | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Click-Through Rate (CTR) | 3.1% | 4.8% | 🔼 54% |
| Cost per Click (CPC) | $2.25 | $1.75 | 🔻 22% |
| Impression Share | 32% | 48% | 🔼 50% |
| Mobile Bounce Rate | 58% | 41% | 🔻 29% |
| Conversion Rate | 2.9% | 4.4% | 🔼 52% |
- ✅ CTR increased by 54%
- ✅ CPC decreased by 22%
- ✅ 50% higher ad visibility through Impression Share
- ✅ Mobile conversions improved with a 29% lower bounce rate
CTR Increased by 54%
CPC Reduced by 22%
Conversions Increased by 52%
Want to Drive More Clicks & Sales for Your Cannabis Delivery Business?
If your cannabis delivery service is struggling with low ad engagement, high CPC, or poor conversions, we can help.
Our Google Ads strategies are fully compliant and optimized to maximize ROI while staying within Google’s policies.