Case Study - The One Where Fewer Clicks Led to Better Meta Ads Performance

(And A Real Example of Andromeda Working as Intended)

Overview

This case study looks at how a Meta ads account improved efficiency, reduced costs, and delivered more sustainable performance by aligning with Meta’s Andromeda delivery system without increasing spend or chasing clicks. Buckle in….

We compare performance from January - Feb 2026 with mid-2025, highlighting how a shift in structure, strategy, and mindset led to better outcomes.

The Challenge

In mid-2025, the account showed signs many advertisers will recognise:

  • Performance relied heavily on clicks and landing page views

  • ROAS spikes were inconsistent and volatile

  • Costs per purchase were higher than desired

  • Optimisation required frequent changes and resets

While results weren’t “bad”, they weren’t stable or scalable.

The goal was to:

  • Improve efficiency

  • Reduce wasted spend

  • Build performance that could scale confidently

All while adapting to Meta’s evolving algorithm.

The Strategy Shift

Rather than fighting the algorithm, the account was restructured to work with Andromeda, Meta’s modern delivery system.

Structural Changes

  • Simplified campaign structure

  • Consolidated learning into fewer decision points

  • Multiple creatives running simultaneously

  • No frequent resets or knee-jerk edits

Optimisation Focus

Instead of reactive changes inside Ads Manager, optimisation moved upstream:

  • Creative and message analysis

  • New creatives built and adapted form website and email marketing to encourage scroll stopping and using what we know works best in the ad account

  • Commerce Manager optimisation

  • Events Manager optimisation

  • AI image testing

  • Seasonal messaging alignment

  • First-party data hygiene and connections

  • Alignment with Google Ads activity

Crucially, the account was allowed to settle, giving Meta time to learn properly. No panic moves when performance dipped. This was a dream client who trusted the process and my skills as an ads manager.

The Results

Performance Comparison

Jan 1–31, 2026 vs May–June 2025

  • Impressions: Increased (240,157 vs 238,954)

  • Spend: Controlled and stable

  • Purchases: Strong and consistent

  • Cost per Purchase:

    • ↓ from ~£23.08 to ~£18.92

  • ROAS:

    • ↑ from 4.37x to 6.94x

  • CPC: Lower

  • Landing Page Views: Lower relative to impression growth

The Key Insight: Why This Worked

At first glance, fewer clicks and landing page views might look like a problem.

In reality, this was the biggest positive signal.

What Andromeda Did Differently

  • Ads were shown to more people overall

  • Meta filtered intent before the click

  • Fewer curiosity clicks / window shopers, more qualified users

  • Cheaper clicks with higher conversion probability

Instead of relying on volume traffic, Meta pre-qualified users inside the auction.

Result:
Less waste. Better efficiency. Stronger post-click performance.

Why Cost per Purchase Improved

The most important outcome wasn’t clicks it was cost per purchase. This is a one time buy products so we aimed towards getting the most purchases as cheaply as possible. No new customer or LTV premium.

Dropping CPA by ~18% confirmed:

  • Better creative-to-user matching

  • Stronger confidence in conversion signals

  • Fewer low-intent visits reaching the site

This improvement was sustainable, not a short-term spike.

ROAS: Less Flashy, More Reliable

Earlier ROAS peaks were higher at times but not consistent making scaling difficult

The current ROAS reflects:

  • Incremental buyers

  • More stable conversion behaviour

  • A structure that can scale without collapsing

This is the kind of ROAS that holds when budgets increases and had it’s best Q4 to date with less ad spend.

The Bigger Lesson

This account didn’t improve because of:

  • constant tweaks

  • tighter targeting

  • chasing cheaper clicks

  • aggressive scaling ( we spent less and acheived more as the client wanted stability and time to allow is production line to adjust.)

It improved because of:

  • simplicity

  • patience

  • strong creative

  • giving the account time to settle into new changes and not making constant updates

  • and trust in the algorithm

This is a clear example of what modern Meta ads performance looks like:

  • More impressions, not more spend

  • Fewer clicks, but better ones

  • Lower CPA

  • Stronger, more reliable ROAS


Meta now rewards quality, clarity, and consistency and not control

Next

Google & Meta Ads Results for Small Businesses: A Performance Round-Up