What changes
People still search. They convert less, take longer, and buy cheaper items. CPCs sometimes fall as weaker advertisers leave.
What to do
- Recalculate break-even — if costs rose, your old target is now wrong.
- Shift budget toward highest-intent terms, where conversion rate holds best.
- Look at AOV levers before cutting spend: bundles and thresholds protect margin without losing volume.
- Keep the account alive. Going dark means relearning when demand returns.
What not to do
Cut budget across the board in one move. You will remove the profitable volume along with the rest and spend the recovery rebuilding.