My Approach:

Key Milestones:

• Key Milestones: Google Ads Optimization for QuickHR

  1. Q1 2023 - Initial Assessment & Strategy Development

     • Conducted a comprehensive audit of existing Google Ads campaigns of the previous year.

     • Identified key areas for improvement, including audience targeting, keyword strategy, negative keywords, and ad creative.

     • Developed a data-driven strategy to enhance campaign performance.

     • Launched the CPF Guide, designed by me and content created by the content team, to educate and engage our users, supporting our marketing efforts.
       
       

  2. Q2 2023 - Implementation of New Strategies

     • Executed improved ad creatives focusing on the pain points of HR professionals and how we can help.

     • Shifted to Smart Bidding strategies to optimise for conversions.

     • Redesigned existing landing pages using UX principles and aesthetic visuals to create a more intuitive and engaging user experience, leading to improved conversion rates on our popular landing pages.

       
       

  3. Q3 2023 - Mid-Year Performance Review

     • Monitored and analysed the impact of the new strategies, noting improvements in CTR and conversions.

     • Refined audience targeting and adjusted budget allocation based on performance data gathered from Hubspot.

     • Introduced a series of retargeting workflow and campaigns to re-engage users who hadn’t converted through EDM and ads on our social media.

     • Launched the Payroll Guide to further educate and engage our users, expanding our content-driven approach to marketing.
       
       

  4. Q4 2023 - Final Optimisation & Results

     • Key Achievements: Significant increase in conversion volume and a drop in average cost per conversion.

     • Comprehensive Performance Review: Conducted a thorough review of the year's Google Ads performance, identifying key successes and areas for future growth.

     • Planning for 2024: Developed a roadmap for 2024, building on the insights gained to further optimize ad performance and explore new growth opportunities.

     • Documented the overall impact, showcasing the growth in leads and enhanced ROI.

     • Analyse how our guides performed and gather feedback on the design and content so it could be improved when we next edition is rolled out the following year.

My role:

• Position in the project: Digital Marketing Executive, spearheading the optimisation of QuickHR's Google Ads campaigns for the year 2023.

Initial Situation (2022) - Estimated

1. Overview of Google Ads Performance

• Impression Share: 30%

• Average Cost per Conversion: $7

• Conversions: 600+ leads.

• Cost per Conversion: Between $220 - $230.

• Click-Through Rate (CTR): 4%.

2. Challenges

• Moderate Conversion Volume: While the conversion rate was steady, it was not sufficient to meet the company’s growth targets.

• Average CTR: The CTR was well above industry standards of 2% but I felt that there was still room for improvement to increase engagement.

Strategy Development (2023)

1. Research & Insights

• Competitor Benchmarking: Analysed our main competitor's performance and campaigns to identify gaps and opportunities for QuickHR to increase its market share.

• Audience Targeting Refinement: Refined audience segmentation to target high-intent users more effectively.

• Keyword Strategy: Optimised keyword selection, focusing on high-performing keywords and painstakingly identifying all the possible negative keywords to reduce unnecessary ad spending.

2. Strategic Changes

• Ad Creative Redesign: Updated ad creatives to make them more compelling, with a stronger focus on the pain points of HR professionals.

• Landing Page Optimization: Redesigned the overall visuals, content (to align brand position), and user experience to improve landing page load times, mobile responsiveness and ensure a seamless user experience in hopes of increasing conversion rates.

• Smart Bidding Implementation: Shifted from manual to smart bidding strategies to optimise conversions based on machine learning insights.

• Enhanced Budget Allocation: Reallocated the advertising budget to prioritise high-performing campaigns and pause underperforming ones so that adjustments can be made.

3. Tools & Technologies

• Google Ads Platform: Utilized advanced features like Dynamic Search Ads and Smart Bidding.

• Analytics & Tracking: I collaborated with the SEO Specialist to implement enhanced conversion tracking and utilising Google Analytics for detailed performance monitoring.

Implementation & Execution

1. Campaign Management

• Phase 1: Analysis and adjustment of existing campaigns, focusing on quick wins and immediate improvements.

• Phase 2: Full-scale rollout of new ad strategies, including creative overhauls and strategic budget allocation.

• Phase 3: Ongoing monitoring and optimization based on real-time performance data.

2. Key Actions Taken:

• Ad Extensions: Increased the use of ad extensions such as site links and callouts to improve ad visibility and CTR.

• Negative Keywords: Refined the negative keyword list to reduce irrelevant clicks, optimizing budget efficiency.

• Remarketing Campaigns: Launched retargeting campaigns to re-engage users who had previously interacted with QuickHR’s ads and leads that were nurtured on Hubspoot that hadn’t converted.

Results & Impact (2023)

1. Key Metrics Comparison

• Impression Share: Increased to 43.17% among competitors, indicating a stronger market presence.

• Average Cost per Conversion: Dropped from $7 to $6, reflecting a more efficient use of the marketing budget.

• Conversions: Increased from 600+ to more than 750 leads, demonstrating a significant improvement in lead generation of well over 25%.

• Cost per Conversion: While there was an increase of $15, the quality and volume of conversions improved, justifying the higher cost.

• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Improved from 4% to 7%, showing enhanced ad relevance and audience engagement.

2. Qualitative Impact

• Improved ROI: Despite the increased cost per conversion, the overall return on investment (ROI) improved due to the higher conversion volume.

• Stronger Brand Presence: The increase in impression share and CTR contributed to a stronger brand presence in a competitive market.

• Positive Feedback: The sales team reported that the quality of leads improved, leading to more effective follow-ups as prospects know our brand better through all our active campaigns easing conversion.

Learnings & Takeaways

1. Challenges Faced

• Balancing Cost and Quality: The increase in cost per conversion was a trade-off for higher quality leads, which required careful management and justification through conducting monthly reviews.

• Ad Optimisation: Continual testing and optimisation were crucial to maintaining performance, especially as market conditions changed due to the increase of competition in the industry and ads spent from them.

2. Key Learnings

• Data-Driven Decisions: Regular analysis and data-driven (gathered from Hubspot) adjustments were key to improving Google Ads performance.

• Customer-Centric Approach: Understanding and targeting the needs of HR professionals led to more effective ad campaigns.

3. Next Steps

• Scaling Successful Campaigns: Plan to scale up high-performing campaigns and explore new ad formats and platforms (e.g., short-form video ads and on all our social media platforms as well as venturing into YouTube ads).

• Further CRO Efforts: Continue to optimise the rest of the landing pages' user experience, and mobile responsiveness to improve conversion rates further. Ensure it is consistent with the brand image yet delivers the content to the right audience.