How we beat the market by 34%

Summary

When we began working together in September 2026, the business was experiencing a 9% year-on-year decline in enquiries, despite significant growth in demand within one of its key markets. At the same time, the company lacked conversion tracking, was wasting budget in Google Ads, and had lost valuable local visibility due to a suspended Google Business Profile. By implementing a focused strategy across Google Ads, conversion tracking, SEO improvements, and reinstating the Google Business Profile, we quickly restored visibility and improved marketing returns.

The challenge

When we began working together in mid-September 2026, the business was facing a number of challenges but there were also clear opportunities for growth.

• Enquiries had decreased by 9% year-on-year 
• Demand for one of the company’s core services had declined by 13% YoY 
• At the same time, demand in a second market had increased by 157% YoY, but this increase was not translating into additional enquiries

There was a clear misalignment between market demand and the business’s marketing performance.

Operationally, there were also several barriers limiting growth. The business was running Google Ads without proper conversion tracking, meaning campaign performance could not be accurately measured or optimised. In addition, the company’s Google Business Profile had been suspended, removing an important source of local visibility and enquiries.

While the business itself remained stable, the decline in enquiries was beginning to impact the pipeline of work for the months ahead. As their quieter season approached, it became essential to increase enquiry volume quickly while building a stronger, more reliable flow of future opportunities.

The solution

Google Ads Expansion and Optimisation
The client was already running Google Ads, but a significant portion of the budget was being spent on irrelevant keywords, and automated bidding strategies were operating without any meaningful conversion data. We refined the keyword targeting, expanded the negative keyword list to eliminate wasted spend, optimised ad copy, adjusted bidding strategies, and ensured all relevant ad assets were implemented to improve performance and visibility.

Conversion Tracking Implementation
The account was operating without proper conversion tracking, which meant there was no clear understanding of which marketing efforts were driving results. Given the high-value nature of the client’s services, we implemented a comprehensive conversion tracking setup that measured both primary conversions (such as enquiries) and secondary engagement actions. This data was then integrated into Google Ads, enabling the platform to optimise campaigns based on meaningful user behaviour.

Google Business Profile Reinstatement
The client’s Google Business Profile had been suspended, removing a key source of local visibility and enquiries. As Google typically allows only one opportunity to appeal a suspension, we worked closely with the client to compile the necessary documentation and evidence to demonstrate that the issue resulted from an honest mistake rather than any deceptive practice. The appeal was successful, restoring the profile and its visibility in local search results.

SEO Strategy and Website Optimisation
Following a comprehensive review of the website, we analysed the pages and search terms already driving traffic. By combining this data with newly implemented conversion tracking, we were able to prioritise SEO improvements based on search intent and commercial impact. This allowed us to focus on the opportunities most likely to drive profitable enquiries quickly, while also strengthening pages that were already performing well. Alongside this, we enhanced the on-site user experience by expanding content and adding clearer calls to action throughout the site.Strengthening Expertise, Trust and Social Proof
To further improve both user confidence and search visibility, we enhanced the website’s trust signals and EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trust). This included strengthening internal linking, expanding supporting content, and adding social proof through a reviews widget. These improvements helped reinforce the business’s credibility while also encouraging more users to take action on the website.

Results

Enquiry Growth
Results were both rapid and sustained. Within just two weeks, enquiries had increased by 10% year-on-year, and within four months this had grown to a 21% YoY increase. These results are even more significant given that overall market demand had declined by 13% YoY, meaning the business was outperforming the market by 34%.

In addition to the increase in enquiry volume, enquiry quality also improved. This combination of higher volume and stronger lead quality significantly strengthened the client’s pipeline of projects for the months ahead.

More Effective Use of Ad Spend
Advertising budget is now being used far more efficiently, with campaigns focused on targeting high-intent users who are actively searching and ready to take action.

Improved Website Performance
Enhancements to the website have resulted in more user engagement and a higher number of meaningful actions. With proper tracking now in place, we also have clear visibility into what is driving results and where further optimisation opportunities exist.

Google Business Profile Visibility Restored
With the successful reinstatement of the Google Business Profile, the business has regained visibility within the Local Map Pack, once again generating calls, website visits, and local enquiries.

Organic Search Growth
Organic performance has also improved significantly. Non-brand organic traffic has increased by 38% YoY, while the number of keywords ranking in positions 1–10 has grown from 20 to 108. Visibility within AI-generated search overviews has also increased substantially, further strengthening the brand’s presence in search results..