SaaSEdTechGermany (DACH region)

AnkiBuddy

AI-powered study tool for medical students — CPA: -86% in 6 weeks

3 month partnership

About AnkiBuddy

AnkiBuddy is a German EdTech SaaS that uses AI to automatically generate Anki flashcards from lecture PDFs. The primary market is medical students across the DACH region. The marketing strategy spans Google Ads, Meta, Email marketing, and a Campus Ambassador program.

Visit AnkiBuddy →

-86%

CPA

+1,200% growth

Subscriptions

Above 15%

Conv. Rate

Still active today

Structure

Challenge

When I took over the Google Ads account, conversion tracking didn't differentiate between free signups and paid subscriptions — meaning smart bidding had no accurate signals. Campaigns lacked a clear structure to separate branded from non-branded traffic, and CPA was extremely high. The additional challenge was a SaaS model with low customer lifetime value, requiring a drastic cost-per-acquisition reduction for profitability.

Strategy

Complete Google Ads account reconstruction in three phases. First: tracking — implemented micro and macro events, switched primary conversion exclusively to paid subscriptions. Second: structure — separated branded and non-branded search, consolidated campaigns for better smart bidding signals. Third: expansion — remarketing Demand Gen campaign and precision geo-targeting of medical faculties across the DACH region. Tested PMax for LeadGen.

Tracking reconstruction

Implemented micro and macro events (signup, trial start, subscription). Primary conversion switched to paid subscription — smart bidding finally received accurate optimization signals.

Consolidation + Branded separation

Branded keywords isolated into a separate campaign for impression share control. Non-branded consolidated into a single campaign for maximum data and better algorithmic decisions.

University geo-targeting — DACH medical faculties

Demand Gen campaign with precision geo-targeting (1km radius) around medical faculties in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Custom affinity segments for medical students combined with remarketing lists.