Case Studies
Google Ads Case Studies
Real accounts and real numbers. Each study shows what we changed, what improved and what still needed work. All figures are in Australian dollars and come from the Google Ads reports of each account.
Removals, Western Australia
Scaling Lead Volume for a Western Australian Removals Company
The challenge
The client had no paid search presence before working with us. We built the Google Ads account from the ground up in 2023, including campaign structure, keywords, tracking and ads. This study compares two recent six month periods to show how ongoing, hands on optimization changed performance.
What we did
- 52 keyword additions and edits in Period 2 (14 in Period 1), mined from the search terms report by town, such as Bunbury, Busselton, Mandurah, Albany and Dardanup
- 45 irrelevant search terms excluded in Period 2 (43 in Period 1) to filter out job seekers, DIY van hire and out of area searches
- Tablets excluded after producing zero conversions, and a +10% mobile bid adjustment because mobile drives about 87% of leads
- Target CPA tightened from A$26 to A$23 as the account matured
- Daily budgets raised in stages from A$80 to A$127.14 as extra spend kept converting
- 90 optimization actions logged in Period 2, compared with 32 in Period 1
At a glance
Results
Cost per lead rose from A$16.49 to A$20.49 as the budget grew 39% and average CPCs increased across the category, but it stayed under the tightened A$23 target throughout. Impressions fell 8% while clicks rose 21%, so the account earned more engagement from less exposure.
Performance in detail
| Metric | Period 1 (Jul to Dec 2025) | Period 2 (Jan to Jun 2026) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impressions | 35,313 | 32,493 | −8.0% |
| Clicks | 3,588 | 4,361 | +21.5% |
| CTR | 10.16% | 13.42% | +32.1% |
| Avg. CPC | A$3.66 | A$4.19 | +14.5% |
| Total spend | A$13,144.62 | A$18,259.38 | +38.9% |
| Conversion rate | 22.21% | 20.43% | −8.0% |
| Leads | 797 | 891 | +11.8% |
| Cost per lead | A$16.49 | A$20.49 | +24.3% |
Sourced from Google Ads Campaign, Device and Change History reports.
The takeaway
Starting from a blank account, steady keyword expansion, negative keyword hygiene, device bid tuning and a tighter Target CPA let the business scale spend with confidence. Leads grew 12% and CTR 32%, while cost per lead stayed inside a target that was itself tightened by 12%.
Removals and storage, Western Australia
Crusader Removals: From Correction to Recovery
Where things stood
In the first half of 2026, category wide CPCs rose 31% and pushed cost per lead up 45% year on year. We wound down an underperforming Brisbane market test, pruned 96 weak keywords and retested budget allocation across the four core campaigns. Click through rate and conversion rate held up. June 2026 was the first full month where that work showed up in cost per lead.
What changed in June
- Keyword lists refreshed: broad terms such as “removalists near me” and “movers near me” removed, and specific terms such as “furniture removalists mandurah” and “removalists adelaide to perth” added. 51 keywords paused in May and 10 more in June
- AI Max switched on for Removals Generic, Interstate Service and Warehouse
- Ad creative refreshed with a logo asset and new copy such as “We Deliver to Remote WA Areas” and “Get An Instant Quote”
- Tablets kept fully excluded so spend stayed on devices that convert
At a glance
Results
Average CPC fell for the first time after months of increases, and conversion rate improved from 17.44% to 18.08%. The Warehouse campaign, hit hardest by rising CPCs earlier, turned around most sharply: mobile cost per lead fell from A$123.32 to A$59.61, a 51.7% improvement. One caution: CTR dipped from 6.34% to 5.79%, and one good month is a signal, not yet a trend, so July and August are being watched closely.
Performance in detail
| Metric | May 2026 | June 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impressions | 9,835 | 12,447 | +26.6% |
| Clicks | 624 | 721 | +15.5% |
| CTR | 6.34% | 5.79% | −8.7% |
| Avg. CPC | A$11.05 | A$9.70 | −12.2% |
| Total spend | A$6,897.41 | A$6,994.65 | +1.4% |
| Conversion rate | 17.44% | 18.08% | +3.7% |
| Leads | 108.85 | 130.33 | +19.7% |
| Cost per lead | A$63.36 | A$53.67 | −15.3% |
Covers the four core, always on campaigns. Sourced from Google Ads Campaign, Device and Change History reports.
The takeaway
The disciplined pruning during a difficult stretch paid off. Within a month of refreshing keywords, updating creative and switching on AI Max, CPC reversed its climb, leads grew almost 20% and cost per lead fell 15% on nearly flat spend.
Tree services, Western Australia
Jordan’s Tree Services: One Strong Campaign, One New Channel, One Clear Fix
The situation
The account runs three campaigns: Tree Services Generic (the largest), a Brand campaign and an Emergency Tree campaign for urgent, same day hazards. Between the two periods total leads grew 4.4% and a new campaign went live, but overall cost per lead rose 55.9%. This review shows where that increase came from, because it was not spread evenly.
What is working
- Brand campaign leads grew 66.8% (132.83 to 221.58) and it stayed the cheapest lead source at A$10.13 and then A$14.26 per lead
- Emergency Tree went live in Period 2 and delivered 85.75 new leads at A$26.30 each
- Account CTR rose from 6.71% to 9.37% even as impressions fell 19.3%
- Management activity increased: 21 budget tests, 24 keyword pauses and 41 additions in Period 2
What needs attention
- Tree Services Generic cost per lead rose 58.1% (A$13.02 to A$20.59) while its conversions fell 16.2% and average CPC rose 43.2%
- The cheapest campaign, Brand, was also the most budget constrained
- Account conversion rate eased from 25.48% to 23.61%
At a glance
Results
The 55.9% rise in account cost per lead sounds uniformly bad until you see that it is concentrated in one campaign. The Brand and Emergency Tree campaigns are growing efficiently, while Tree Services Generic, which carries the largest share of budget, lost enough efficiency to pull the account average up.
Performance in detail
| Metric | Period 1 (Jun to Dec 2025) | Period 2 (Jan to Jul 2026) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impressions | 55,713 | 44,942 | −19.3% |
| Clicks | 3,737 | 4,210 | +12.7% |
| CTR | 6.71% | 9.37% | +39.6% |
| Avg. CPC | A$3.21 | A$4.64 | +44.5% |
| Total spend | A$12,014.10 | A$19,552.18 | +62.7% |
| Conversion rate | 25.48% | 23.61% | −7.3% |
| Leads | 952.00 | 994.00 | +4.4% |
| Cost per lead | A$12.62 | A$19.67 | +55.9% |
Account totals across all three campaigns. Sourced from Google Ads Campaign, Device and Change History reports.
The takeaway
The next step is not to pull back overall but to rebalance: protect and grow the budget behind the Brand and Emergency Tree campaigns, and run a deeper keyword and Quality Score review on Tree Services Generic.
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