If you’re running email campaigns and you want more people to actually click, sign up, or buy—without wasting hours or buying into vague “growth hacks”—this guide is for you. We’ll focus on using Serper.dev, but the principles apply no matter what you’re sending. No hype. No busywork. Just real steps that work, what to watch out for, and how to avoid making things harder than they need to be.
Step 1: Get Your List Clean (and Keep It That Way)
You can’t optimize a campaign if your emails aren’t even hitting inboxes. Serperdev has decent deliverability tools, but it won’t save you from a messy list.
Do this:
- Remove obvious bounces and inactive addresses regularly. If someone hasn’t opened in 6+ months, stop emailing them. (If you’re nervous, try a re-engagement campaign first.)
- Don’t buy lists. Seriously, this is still a thing people do. It doesn’t work—expect spam complaints and a trashed sender reputation.
- Make unsubscribing easy. Don’t hide the link at the bottom in size 6 font. It’s not worth the angry spam reports.
In Serperdev:
Use the “List Hygiene” tool to auto-remove hard bounces and set up a rule for inactive users. This isn’t fancy, but it’s effective.
Pro tip: The cleaner your list, the better your open rates, click rates, and deliverability. This is the boring work that most people skip.
Step 2: Stop Guessing—Use Segments That Matter
Sending the same email to everyone is easy, but it’s also the fastest way to get ignored. You don’t need a PhD in data science—just basic segments that actually make sense.
Start with simple segments:
- Activity level: Engaged vs. unengaged users.
- Purchase history: Bought before vs. never bought.
- Location or time zone: Send at reasonable local times.
- Signup source: Did they come from a webinar, a blog, or somewhere else?
In Serperdev, use the “Smart Segments” feature. It’s not magic AI, but it does let you build segments like “clicked in the last campaign AND bought in the last 30 days.”
What to skip:
Don’t over-segment. If you have fewer than 1,000 people, you probably don’t need 12 segments. Start with 2-3 that actually change what you send.
Step 3: Spend More Time on Your Subject Lines
You can write the world’s best email, but if your subject line stinks, nobody opens it. This is where most campaigns die.
What works:
- Be clear, not clever. You’re not writing for the New Yorker. “Your April invoice” beats “Spring Surprises Await!” every time—unless you’re actually offering a surprise.
- Test, but don’t overthink. Try a straightforward A/B test in Serperdev. One serious, one friendly. See what wins.
- Avoid spammy words. “FREE,” “GUARANTEED,” “ACT NOW”—these trigger filters and make you look desperate.
In Serperdev:
Use the built-in subject line tester. It’ll catch obvious issues, but don’t trust its “score” blindly. Real-world results matter more.
Step 4: Make Your Emails Useful (and Easy to Read)
Nobody wants to read a wall of text. If your email is all about you, people tune out fast. Keep it short. Make it about the reader.
What to do:
- One focus per email. Don’t cram three offers and a newsletter into one message.
- Use plain language. Write like a human, not a brochure.
- Break up text. Bullets, bold, and white space help people scan.
- Add a single, clear call to action (CTA). “Click here” is bad. “See your personalized offer” is better.
In Serperdev:
The drag-and-drop email builder is decent—don’t get lost in the templates. Pick a simple one and focus on the content.
Pro tip: If you can’t explain your offer in one sentence, your email is too complicated.
Step 5: Optimize Send Times (But Don’t Chase Perfection)
You’ll hear a lot about “the best time to send email.” Truth is, your list is unique. The only way to know is to test.
How to approach this:
- Look at your data. When do people actually open? Serperdev’s analytics show this by time of day and day of week.
- Test, but don’t obsess. Try sending half your list at 8am and half at 4pm. Did it matter? Great. If not, move on.
- For global lists: Use Serperdev’s time zone sending. People in Tokyo don’t want your offer at 3am.
What not to do:
Don’t fall into the trap of endlessly tweaking send times for tiny gains. If your content stinks, timing won’t save you.
Step 6: Use A/B Testing—But Keep It Simple
Testing is good. Getting lost in endless experiments is not. Focus on big levers: subject line, content, CTA.
How to run a useful test:
- Pick one thing to test at a time. Don’t change subject, sender name, and content all at once.
- Make the variations meaningfully different. Don’t test “Hi there” vs. “Hello there.”
- Set your list size and stick to it. Serperdev lets you send to a sample, pick a winner, and send the rest. Don’t fudge the numbers after.
What to ignore:
Fancy AI-powered optimization is mostly marketing fluff. Simple tests, good tracking, and clear decisions work best.
Step 7: Actually Look at Your Results (and Do Something About Them)
You’d be surprised how many people don’t check if their emails worked. Or they check, but don’t actually change anything based on the numbers.
In Serperdev:
- Track opens, clicks, and conversion events. If you can, set up conversion tracking all the way to purchase or signup.
- Don’t get distracted by vanity metrics. High open rates with zero clicks mean your content isn’t delivering.
- Compare campaigns. What did better—why? Keep a doc with lessons learned. Don’t repeat mistakes.
What to do next:
If something works, do more of it. If it doesn’t, try something else. Don’t be precious about a “favorite” template or idea.
What Actually Moves the Needle (and What Doesn’t)
Works:
- Clean lists
- Clear segments
- Honest subject lines
- Useful, focused messages
- Simple, meaningful A/B tests
Doesn’t matter much:
- Fancy templates with spinning GIFs
- Sending exactly at 9:01am on a Tuesday
- Over-complicated automation
- Chasing every new “AI-powered” feature
Flat out doesn’t work:
- Spammy purchased lists
- Hiding the unsubscribe link
- Ignoring your data
Keep It Simple, Watch the Data, and Iterate
There’s no magic trick to getting people to convert from your emails—just solid basics done well, over and over. Don’t get distracted by new features or marketing fads. Clean your list, send useful stuff to the right people, and pay attention to what actually works. That’s how you get better results without burning out or annoying your audience. And remember: it’s usually the boring basics that move the needle. Stick with them, and you’ll be ahead of most.