The 70/30 strategy in practice: how we split ad budget

The 70/30 strategy is the proprietary framework we use to split paid traffic budget across any vertical, channel and size. It is not a Google rule, not a Meta formula, it is the backbone that supports more than 571 accelerated companies. This piece opens the box: how it works, why it works and how to apply it starting next month.

Premise: prospecting and conversion fight for budget

A company that only invests in new prospecting pays a lot to reach people still learning about the brand. A company that only invests in conversion and remarketing burns the base and sees results collapse in 90 days. 70/30 solves the conflict with a fixed split: 70% to bring new people in, 30% to work with those who already know you.

The full distribution

It is not a rigid rule. It is a starting point. We adjust the weights by niche, seasonality and account maturity, but never abandon the 70/30 logic.

Why this specific split works

• Half of the 70 goes to high intent (Search and Pmax), driving short-term sales.
• The other half of the 70 feeds the top of the funnel, fueling tomorrow's remarketing.
• The final 30 harvests what the 70 planted.
• Without the 70, the 30 starves in three months.
• Without the 30, the 70 pays too much for buyers who would have bought organically.

How to split across channels

Deep dives: Claude for Google Ads and Claude for Meta Ads.

Context adjustments

Local, recurring vertical (clinic, neighborhood retail)

Direct sales can rise to 30 to 35%, remarketing can sit at 15%. Cycle is short, the lead warms up fast.

High ticket and long cycle (B2B, technical service)

Awareness and lead capture gain weight. Cold prospecting can go up to 40%. Long-window remarketing (60 and 90 days) needs more budget.

Ecommerce

Direct sales concentrated in Search and Pmax. Cart abandonment remarketing deserves dedicated budget. Engagement shrinks.

Seasonality

In the pre-peak month, double prospecting. In the peak month, shift toward conversion and remarketing. Return to base 70/30 30 days later.

How to implement on a real account

1. Pull the last quarter's spend by block.
2. Compare it with the table and spot the imbalance.
3. Adjust in 10% monthly increments. A brutal cut destabilizes learning.
4. Measure CPL and ROAS by block, not only total.
5. Review every 30 days in the monthly read.

Common application mistakes

• Calling it 70/30 when awareness and lead capture are missing.
• Zeroing remarketing because "it sells on its own". It lives off the top of the funnel.
• Copying percentages without understanding each block's goal.
• Not separating campaigns by block in the ad manager, muddying the read.

70/30 inside the MADS method

In the MADS 3-month method, 70/30 is built in month 1 (analysis and structuring), operated in month 2 (implementation and rhythm) and scaled in month 3 (fine reading and optimization). Without 70/30, the method loses its spine; with it, each channel knows its role.

Closing

70/30 is not the secret itself. The secret is the discipline of keeping the split, reading by block and adjusting for context. It is what separates "campaigns running" from "strategy running". If you want to apply it in your operation, start with the free diagnosis. Related: how long paid traffic takes to work and remarketing explained for business owners.