How We Reduced Cost Per Lead for a Sports and Outdoor Equipment Retailer

Tegan

Posted On: February 19, 2026

Ads

10 mins read

How We Reduced Cost Per Lead for a Sports and Outdoor Equipment Retailer

Tegan

Posted On: February 19, 2026

Table of Content

Basin Sports is a well known outdoor and sporting goods retailer in the United States. They were investing in Google Ads to generate leads and customer inquiries, but performance was inconsistent and cost per conversion was higher than expected. While traffic was coming in, the account was not producing steady lead volume month after month, and the overall quality of inquiries varied. CausalFunnel helped Basin Sports improve campaign performance by restructuring the account, cleaning up conversion tracking, and optimizing toward the actions that mattered most. This resulted in lower costs, better lead quality, and a more stable pipeline of conversions.

Background & Problem

Before working with CausalFunnel, Basin Sports was running Google Ads campaigns but was not seeing consistent results. The ads were generating clicks and visibility, but the cost of acquiring leads was too high to scale comfortably. A major issue was that Google Ads was optimizing toward conversion actions that were not always strong indicators of real buying intent. This made it difficult for the system to prioritize the right audience and consistently deliver high quality leads. Another challenge was that the customer journey was not clearly defined. Many potential customers needed quick confirmation around pricing, product availability, and service details before taking the next step. Without aligning the campaigns to this behavior, high intent prospects were often not converting in the most natural way.

Case Study

The work began with a full audit of the Google Ads account to identify gaps in structure, conversion tracking, and campaign performance. From there, the account was restructured and optimized through ongoing testing and adjustments. Changes were made carefully based on performance trends, ensuring that budget and bidding decisions were aligned with what was driving real inquiries. One of the most impactful improvements was refining which conversion actions were used for optimization. This ensured the system focused on meaningful lead events instead of low value actions. Once this correction was implemented, conversion efficiency improved and cost per lead began to drop.

How CausalFunnel AI Solved the Problem

CausalFunnel’s optimization approach focused on aligning Google Ads strategy with real customer behavior. Customer journeys were mapped into clear buying stages, and analysis showed that many high-intent users preferred to call before submitting an inquiry or taking the next step. This was especially common for users who needed confirmation on pricing, product availability, and service details. Based on this insight, call based conversions became the priority, and the account was optimized to drive more phone inquiries rather than low intent clicks. A clean conversion setup was implemented, including call conversion tracking and lead measurement. This improved the accuracy of Google Ads learning and helped campaigns stabilize month after month. With stronger conversion data feeding Smart Bidding, performance became more predictable and scalable. Ad messaging and extensions were also updated to support this strategy, encouraging users to call at the point of highest intent. This resulted in improved conversion efficiency, stronger lead quality, and more consistent performance across both campaign types.

Key Takeaway

Basin Sports improved conversion efficiency through campaign restructuring, conversion action refinement, and call-focused optimization. By ensuring Smart Bidding optimized only for meaningful lead events, cost per conversion decreased, and lead quality improved. The result was a more stable pipeline with consistent conversions month after month.

Conclusion

In a competitive retail market, paid advertising can become expensive when campaigns are not aligned with real customer intent. Basin Sports faced inconsistent lead results not because of a lack of traffic, but because the account was not optimized around the conversion actions that mattered most. By refining tracking, restructuring the account, and focusing on high intent lead behavior, CausalFunnel helped Basin Sports reduce cost per lead and build a more stable and reliable pipeline of customer inquiries.

FAQs

1How do I export keywords from Google Ads in minutes?

Sign into Google Ads, go to Campaigns > Keywords tab, select your campaigns (clear filters if needed), click the Download button above the table, choose CSV/Excel format, and save the file. This takes under 2 minutes for most accounts.

2 What file formats are available for exporting keywords?

Google Ads supports CSV, Excel (.xlsx), and TXT formats. CSV is ideal for easy import into tools like Excel or Google Sheets for analysis.

3Why can't I see the Download button or my keywords?

Clear any active filters, ensure you're in the correct campaign, and check permissions. Try a different browser if issues persist.

4 How often should I export and review keywords?

Export monthly or before major changes to track performance trends, pause underperformers, and add negatives for better ROI.

5How can exported keywords improve my Quality Score?

Analyze them to align ad copy and landing pages closely with top performers, boosting relevance and lowering costs.

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