CASE STUDY: Scaling a CBD Brand in the USA – 3X ROAS in 45 Days
Category
Google Ads Case Study
Market
USA CBD eCommerce
Role
PPC Strategy, Compliance, CRO
Timeline
Background: The Client & Their Challenge
A US-based CBD e-commerce brand struggled to scale its business through Google Ads because strict policies, expensive clicks, and weak conversion performance were holding back growth.
Main challenges:
- ❌ Strict Google advertising policies leading to frequent ad disapprovals
- ❌ High CPC and low Click-Through Rate (CTR)
- ❌ Low Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), making it difficult to scale profitably
- ❌ Limited audience targeting options due to restrictions on health claims
They needed a Google Ads strategy that could:
ROAS Growth
Increase ROAS to at least 3X
CPC Optimization
Optimize ad placements for higher engagement and lower CPC
Compliance
Improve targeting while staying compliant with Google’s policies
The Challenges – Why Their Google Ads Weren’t Performing
- 🔹 Google’s strict CBD policies: ads were often disapproved due to medical claims
- 🔹 High competition in the CBD industry: CPC was too high, cutting into profit margins
- 🔹 Low conversion rates: traffic wasn’t turning into sales due to poor ad engagement
- 🔹 Limited remarketing options: Google restricted retargeting for CBD-related products
⏳ We had 45 days to turn things around and hit their sales targets!
Our Google Ads Strategy for CBD Growth
We implemented a 3-step approach to optimize their Google Ads performance:- ✅ Removed medical claims and replaced them with lifestyle-focused messaging
- ✅ Used Google-approved phrasing such as “Plant-Based Wellness” instead of “Pain Relief”
- ✅ Tested different ad formats, including Performance Max and Responsive Search Ads
- ✅ Switched from Manual CPC to Target ROAS Bidding
- ✅ Leveraged Custom Intent Audiences to target users interested in wellness products
- ✅ Focused on high-intent keywords while excluding disapproved terms
- ✅ Simplified checkout process to reduce friction
- ✅ Added customer testimonials and product benefits without triggering policy violations
- ✅ Boosted mobile page speed, reducing bounce rates by 22%
Results After 45 Days
📊 Key Metrics Before vs. After Our Optimization
| Metric | Before | After | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) | 1.5x | 3.2x | 🔼 113% |
| Cost per Click (CPC) | $1.78 | $1.29 | 🔻 27% |
| Click-Through Rate (CTR) | 2.9% | 5.1% | 🔼 76% |
| Conversion Rate | 2.7% | 4.6% | 🔼 70% |
| Bounce Rate | 62% | 48% | 🔻 22% |
- ✅ ROAS increased from 1.5X to 3.2X
- ✅ CPC decreased by 27%, making ads more cost-effective
- ✅ 76% increase in CTR, leading to more engaged visitors
- ✅ Higher conversions without policy violations
ROAS Increased by 113%
CPC Reduced by 27%
CTR Increased by 76%
Want to Scale Your CBD Brand with Google Ads?
If your CBD brand is struggling with Google Ads restrictions, high CPC, or low ROAS, we can help.
We create fully compliant ad strategies that maximize performance while staying within Google’s rules.