Case study 5

Boosting Google Ads Performance for a Janitorial Cleaning Business

Background: A janitorial cleaning business had been running Google Ads campaigns to get more phone call leads and conversions. While the campaigns were generating some results, the cost per lead was high, and there was room for improvement.

Challenges:

• The cost per conversion was too high at $135 during the period from March 22 to June 30, 2024.
• The business needed to bring in more phone call leads while staying within budget.
• With growing competition in the market, they needed to make sure their ads were working as effectively as possible.

Objectives:

• Lower the cost per conversion to get more value out of the ad spend.
• Increase the number of phone calls from potential customers.
• Make sure the ads were reaching the right audience, turning clicks into real business leads.

Strategy Executed:

1. Comprehensive Keyword Research & Targeting:
   • Conducted extensive keyword research to identify high-intent search queries specifically related to janitorial and commercial cleaning services, such as “office cleaning services near me” and “professional janitorial company.”
   • Utilized long-tail keywords (e.g., “affordable business cleaning services in los angeles”) to capture more specific customer searches, which tend to have less competition and higher conversion potential.
   • Created tightly themed ad groups with highly relevant keywords, ensuring that each ad resonated closely with what users were searching for.
   • Negative Keywords: Built out a robust negative keyword list to prevent ads from showing up for irrelevant terms like “DIY cleaning tips” or “home cleaning,” reducing wasted ad spend on non-converting traffic.
2. High-Impact Ad Copy Refinement:
   • Revamped ad copy to emphasize the unique selling propositions (USPs) of the business, including fast turnaround times, trusted cleaning staff, specialized commercial cleaning expertise, and eco-friendly cleaning services.
   • Integrated emotional appeal into the copy by addressing the pain points of business owners (e.g., “Maintain a spotless workplace that impresses clients and boosts employee morale”).
   • Created urgency by incorporating phrases like “Limited-time offer,” “Book today and save,” or “Get a free on-site estimate,” prompting immediate action.
   • Used dynamic keyword insertion (DKI) in headlines to make ads more personalized to users’ search queries, improving click-through rates.
3. Advanced Bidding Techniques:
   • Implemented Target CPA bidding strategy to focus on driving more conversions while keeping costs in check. This enabled the campaign to automatically adjust bids based on the likelihood of converting clicks into phone calls.
   • Set up Enhanced CPC for specific campaigns to increase bids on searches that had a higher chance of converting, while reducing bids for less relevant searches.
   • Regularly optimized the Target CPA based on real-time performance data, making gradual adjustments to balance lead volume and cost-efficiency.
4. Custom Audience Segmentation:
   • Utilized remarketing lists to re-engage past website visitors who had shown interest in cleaning services but didn’t convert during their initial visit. These users received tailored ads, encouraging them to revisit and take action.
   • Created in-market audiences targeting individuals who were actively researching cleaning services, thus honing in on potential customers already in the decision-making phase.
   • Implemented customer match targeting by uploading the business’s existing customer email list, allowing us to serve ads to these users and similar lookalike audiences, ensuring high relevance.
5. Granular Geotargeting & Time-Specific Ads:
   • Location-based targeting was set to prioritize regions where the janitorial business operated, including specific zip codes and areas where most leads and conversions came from, ensuring ad spend wasn’t wasted on irrelevant locations.
   • Adjusted ad schedules based on when potential clients (mainly businesses) were most likely to search for services focusing on office hours during weekdays, while avoiding nights and weekends when searches would be less likely to convert.
   • Further refined bid adjustments based on device types, increasing bids for mobile searches, as most phone call conversions were happening via mobile devices.
6. Landing Page Experience Optimization:
   • Ensured each ad directed users to highly relevant landing pages optimized for conversion. Pages were designed with a clear focus on one primary call-to-action (CTA), like “Call Now” or “Request a Free Quote.”
   • Implemented fast loading pages, especially optimized for mobile devices, as slow-loading pages can lead to lost conversions.
   • Tested and iterated on different landing page designs, including changes to the headline, CTA button placement, and testimonials from previous customers to build trust and improve conversion rates.
   • Added social proof elements like customer reviews, case studies, and certifications to establish credibility.
7. Call Extensions & Conversion Tracking:
   • Integrated call extensions across all campaigns, allowing users to directly call the business from the search ad itself. This led to an increase in phone call conversions by simplifying the contact process.
   • Set up call tracking for precise monitoring of phone call leads generated from the ads, ensuring that the business could accurately measure the ROI of their ad spend.
   • Implemented conversion tracking to track all phone calls over a certain length (indicating serious inquiries) and form submissions from landing pages.
8. Display Network and Remarketing Campaigns:
   • Expanded beyond just the search network by running targeted Google Display Network ads, using banners to keep the business top of mind for users who had previously visited the website but didn’t convert.
   • Created custom display ads showcasing the business’s cleaning expertise, featuring eye-catching visuals of spotless work environments, and promoting seasonal discounts and promotions.
   • Built a remarketing funnel where users who visited specific service pages (e.g., “deep cleaning” or “window washing”) were shown tailored ads related to those specific services.
9. Regular Campaign Audits and Adjustments:
   • Performed weekly audits on the campaign to ensure optimal performance, analyzing data such as search terms, click-through rates (CTR), cost-per-click (CPC), and conversion rates.
   • Paused underperforming keywords and ads, reallocating budget toward the best-performing ones to maximize ROI.
   • Used Google Ads reporting tools to identify new opportunities and make data-driven decisions on when to test new ad creatives or shift bidding strategies.
10. Testing New Ad Formats:

• Experimented with new ad formats like responsive search ads, which automatically adjusted to show the best combinations of headlines and descriptions based on the user’s search query.
• Utilized video ads on YouTube to raise brand awareness and showcase the company’s professionalism and quality of services through short promotional videos.

Results:

• Lower Cost per Conversion: The cost per conversion dropped from $135 to $73.32 between July 1 and October 9, 2024, almost half the original cost.
• More Phone Calls: The number of phone calls increased from 234 to 358, which means a 53% increase in leads.
• Lower Ad Spend: The total ad cost went down from $31.6K to $26.2K, a 17% reduction, while still improving results.
• Higher Efficiency: Although the number of clicks dropped slightly, the quality of the clicks improved, leading to more conversions with less budget.

Conclusion: By fine tuning their Google Ads strategy, the janitorial cleaning business was able to significantly lower their costs and increase the number of phone call leads. These changes show how making smart adjustments to ads and targeting can lead to better results even with a smaller budget.

Looking to get more leads for your service-based business without wasting money on ads that don’t work? We specialize in creating Google Ads campaigns that drive real business results. Whether you’re in the cleaning industry or another service business, we can help you get more customers at a lower cost. Contact us today, and let’s take your business to the next level!

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