💰 [Phase 4] Paid acquisition strategy (Google Ads) #329
Description
Description
Launch paid acquisition campaigns targeting high-intent keywords once organic channels are validated and PMF is established.
Prerequisites (Before Starting)
- ✅ Product-Market Fit validated (>$10K MRR)
- ✅ Conversion funnel optimized (>5% visitor → signup)
- ✅ Clear understanding of Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
- ✅ Lifetime Value (LTV) calculated (target: LTV:CAC > 3:1)
- ✅ Budget allocated ($2K-$5K/month to start)
Google Ads Strategy
Campaign Structure
Campaign 1: High-Intent Search (Priority 1)
Budget: 50% of ad spend
Keywords: Bottom-funnel, solution-aware
Target Keywords:
- "team memory api"
- "semantic search api"
- "team knowledge search tool"
- "explainable ai api"
- "memory api for teams"
- "team context search"
- "[competitor] alternative" (10+ competitors)
Match Types:
- Exact match for branded/specific terms
- Phrase match for broader terms
- NO broad match initially
Ad Copy Formula:
- Headline 1: [Keyword] - [Key Benefit]
- Headline 2: [Differentiator]
- Headline 3: [CTA]
- Description 1: Expand on benefit + social proof
- Description 2: CTA + risk reversal
Example Ad:
Headline 1: Team Memory API - Search by Meaning
Headline 2: Always Cites Sources | 4 Simple Routes
Headline 3: Get Started Free - No Credit Card
Description 1: Built for developers. Integrate in 15 minutes.
Find decisions, owners, and context across your
entire organization.
Description 2: Join 500+ teams using Lightfast. Start free,
upgrade anytime. View docs →
Landing Pages:
- Homepage (optimized for conversion)
- Specific feature pages for specific keywords
- Comparison pages for "[competitor] alternative"
Campaign 2: Competitor Targeting
Budget: 30% of ad spend
Keywords: Users searching for competitors
Target:
- "[Competitor] pricing"
- "[Competitor] alternative"
- "[Competitor] vs [Other Competitor]"
- "best [competitor] alternative"
Ad Strategy:
- Honest comparison
- Highlight key differentiators
- "See how we compare" CTA
Landing Pages:
- Comparison pages (from programmatic SEO)
Campaign 3: Problem-Aware (Test)
Budget: 20% of ad spend
Keywords: Users describing the problem
Target:
- "team lost context"
- "search team decisions"
- "find who worked on what"
- "team knowledge management tool"
Ad Strategy:
- Lead with problem
- Position solution
- Social proof
Ad Testing Framework
A/B Test Plan
Test 1: Headlines (value prop variations)
- Version A: "Memory Built for Teams"
- Version B: "Search by Meaning, Get Sources"
- Version C: "4 API Routes. 15 Min Integration."
Test 2: Landing pages
- Version A: Homepage
- Version B: Product tour page
- Version C: Docs + quickstart
Test 3: CTAs
- Version A: "Get Started Free"
- Version B: "View API Docs"
- Version C: "Try Playground"
Budget Allocation (Starting)
Monthly Budget: $3,000
- Campaign 1 (High-Intent): $1,500
- Campaign 2 (Competitor): $900
- Campaign 3 (Problem-Aware): $600
Daily Budget: ~$100
- Start with manual bidding
- Switch to Target CPA after 50 conversions
Conversion Tracking
Primary Conversion: API Signup
- Track with Google Tag Manager
- Set up conversion value based on plan tier
- Attribute to source campaign
Secondary Conversions: Micro-conversions
- Docs visit
- API playground use
- Newsletter signup
Success Metrics
Phase 1 (Month 1): Learning
- CPA Target: <$100 per signup
- Conversion Rate: >3%
- CTR: >2%
- Quality Score: >7
Phase 2 (Months 2-3): Optimization
- CPA Target: <$75 per signup
- Conversion Rate: >5%
- CTR: >3%
- LTV:CAC Ratio: >3:1
Phase 3 (Months 4+): Scale
- Increase budget 20% per month
- Expand to new keywords
- Test new campaigns (display, video)
Optimization Checklist
Weekly
- Review search term reports
- Add negative keywords
- Adjust bids based on performance
- Pause underperforming ads
- Test new ad variations
Monthly
- Comprehensive performance review
- Update keyword strategy
- Refine audience targeting
- A/B test landing pages
- Analyze competitor changes
Advanced Tactics (Later)
Remarketing Campaigns
- Website visitors who didn't sign up
- Docs readers who didn't generate API key
- Trial users who didn't convert
Display Campaigns
- Target developer websites
- Technical blogs and forums
- Placement on Stack Overflow, GitHub
YouTube Ads
- In-stream ads on developer channels
- Video discovery ads
Budget Scale Plan
Month 1: $3K (learning)
Month 2: $4K (if CPA <$100)
Month 3: $5K (if LTV:CAC >3:1)
Month 4+: Scale 20%/month while maintaining LTV:CAC >3:1
Tools & Setup
- Google Ads account
- Google Tag Manager (conversion tracking)
- Google Analytics (attribution)
- Landing page optimization tools (Hotjar, PostHog)
Acceptance Criteria
- ✅ Google Ads campaigns launched
- ✅ Conversion tracking implemented
- ✅ CPA <$100 in first month
- ✅ At least 50 signups from ads
- ✅ Clear attribution and ROI tracking