Hey! Great question — optimizing bids in performance-based VPN campaigns is super important if you want to get the most out of your budget without overspending on low-converting traffic.

Here’s how I usually go about it simply:

Start with a manual bidding strategy: In the beginning, set your bids manually. This gives you more control and lets you see which placements and keywords bring conversions. You can always switch to automated bidding later once you have enough data.

Track conversions properly: Make sure your tracking (like conversion pixels or UTM parameters) is set up right. You can’t optimize what you don’t track, so getting clear data is key.

Analyze performance by geo, device, and time: VPN campaigns can behave differently depending on where users are, what device they’re using, and even the time of day. Adjust your bids based on what’s converting best — for example, lower bids for high-volume but low-converting traffic, and increase bids where you’re seeing solid ROI.

Use traffic sources that give bid flexibility: Some ad networks let you adjust bids per keyword or placement, which is super helpful. I've used 7Search PPC for VPN campaigns and I like that it lets you manage bids on a very granular level. You can test, pause, or scale campaigns pretty easily without wasting money.

Run A/B tests on creatives and landing pages: Sometimes it's not just the bid — it’s the ad copy or page experience that’s affecting performance. Don’t be afraid to tweak and test.

Set bid caps if possible: Especially when scaling, it’s a good idea to set a max CPC or CPM so your costs don’t spiral out of control if traffic suddenly spikes.

Bottom line: Start small, keep testing, and use the data to adjust bids regularly. VPN users are a niche audience, but with the right targeting and bidding strategy, you can get solid results.

Let me know if you're seeing anything weird with your campaign data — happy to take a look or swap notes!