I tanked my client’s conversions – and I couldn’t be happier
“The sky is falling,” said Chicken Little. Not to be overly dramatic – but that’s what it felt like to the client. And to be fair, I completely understood their concern. All they saw was an automated email from Google showing conversions dropping by a staggering 98% in the first few weeks of managing their Google Ad campaigns.
So why am I bragging about this? Because it’s exactly what I wanted and expected to happen.
The Backstory
Let’s start at the beginning: our client had been using Google’s “Smart” campaigns to try and generate new leads for their property. With under 100 units, that strategy made sense to keep marketing costs low – but after months of spending and seeing “great results” reported by Google, they weren’t seeing any measurable change in occupancy.
How can that be? “We’re getting tons of clicks and conversions – what’s wrong?”
Some of you see where this is going. In Google’s wisdom of the nearly fully automated “smart” campaign, our client simply let Google call the shots of which keywords to target, what to bid, where to bid, and most importantly – how to measure success.
For months – Google had been ‘optimizing’ their monthly advertising budget for the wrong actions. Website clicks & Requests for Directions were both marked as conversions – which looks great on a report but does little in helping generate new leads.
Furthermore – Google placed no geographic limitations around its targeting, attempting to compete for nationwide searches with a shoestring budget.
Implementing Change
Enter HomeGrwn. We paused those smart campaigns that were doing little more than padding stats on a monthly report. We recreated a hyperlocal campaign, targeting the most relevant keywords in the area.
We completely reworked their ad copy – playing up their biggest strengths: a central location to downtown with premium amenities. And of course, we redefined success – measuring actual conversions: phone calls and contact form submissions to track our success.
The Result
You already know the result: a 98% drop on reported conversions, but the client gained 10 qualified leads with an average lease rate of 40% in the first month alone – immediately increasing occupancy rate.
These are the types of stories I’m excited to share as so many communities fall victim to trusting the nice looking reports generated by Google or large agencies showing dozens, even hundreds, of monthly conversions.
With so much data available about the success of various advertising channels, it’s easy to get overwhelmed or simply not understand the data being presented. This is why it’s so important to find a partner who can help sift through the noise and translate data into action.
