Does this method work in Western markets (US, Europe), or only in the CIS?

It works on any market. Absolute numbers depend on local competition: US CPC averages 10x higher than in the CIS. But the method's levers transfer: Quality Score, account structure, daily search-term work, bid adjustments, moderation discipline.

What's the minimum Google Ads budget for this method to work?

In this case the total spend across 5 countries was around $2,100 per month, or $200 to $650 per country. The method works on different budgets, smaller or larger.

Does it work for regulated medical segments - NIPT, prenatal, oncology?

Yes, with a caveat. Google Ads requires certification for several healthcare segments. In this case I went through 27 appeals to Google moderation across several countries. For the US market, LegitScript certification is required for several verticals - a 2 to 4 week process.

Performance Max or Search - which is better for DNA tests?

They work together. PMax gives volume and lower CPA via the network (Display, YouTube, Discover). Search has higher CPA but stronger intent. In this case: Search CPA $3.03, PMax CPA $0.86 - a 3.5x gap.

What happens after the free express audit?

Three options: implement the recommendations yourself for free; order a full audit with media plan and action plan starting from $500; or put me on retainer from $1,500 per month.

Google Ads for DNA labs: 4.5 months, 5 countries, $1.30 CPA

$1.30 CPA against $66 US healthcare CPL (LocaliQ 2025). Real Google Ads case study: 5 countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Georgia), 7,340 conversions over 4.5 months, blended CPA $1.30.

Zero brand campaigns - only category queries.

Numbers - June to October 2025

Spend: $9,569
Conversions: 7,340
Blended CPA: $1.30
Clicks: 272,076
Blended CPC: $0.04
Blended CTR: 5.05%

Conversions counted: submitted lead forms, phone-number clicks, messenger button clicks.

By campaign type

Search: CPC $0.17, CTR 21.07%, CPA $3.03
Performance Max: CPC $0.02, CTR 4.67%, CPA $0.86

Global benchmarks

Blended CPA $1.30 vs $66 US healthcare CPL (LocaliQ, 2025)
Search CTR 21.07% vs 6.07% US healthcare - 3.5x above
PMax CTR 4.67% vs 1.19% global PMax (Lebesgue) - 3.9x above
PMax CPA $0.86 vs Search CPA $3.03 (same account) - PMax 3.5x cheaper

#1 auction share in 4 of 5 countries

Impression share against 95 competing domains (including ancestry.com and myheritage.com): Kazakhstan 45%, Kyrgyzstan 45%, Belarus 41%, Azerbaijan 38%. Georgia (ru) - peaked at 62% in July 2025.

What I did

The main lever was daily Quality Score work. Over the period: 258 account reviews, 125 search-term cleanup sessions, 67 ad edits, 27 appeals to Google moderation, 50+ bid adjustments, 93 new ad groups and 22 new campaigns. Language segmentation across Russian, English, Azerbaijani, and Kazakh.

Free express audit of your Google Ads

Grant me read-only access to your Google Ads account. Within 1 to 2 days I send back a breakdown: where budget is leaking, plus 3 to 5 optimization points that will move the needle in the first month. No obligations.

Telegram: @vlasdobry

Email: vlasdobry@gmail.com