Key Takeaways

• Use Maximize conversions wisely - Do not dive into Target CPA until you have at least 15-20 Conversions.

• Regularly prune underperforming keywords - Pause or refine based on CPL and conversion rate.

• Monitor your search term report weekly - Tight targeting prevents budget leaks.

• Optimize your landing page - A great page can double your conversion rate.

• Focus on high-intent, local keywords - Especially for service businesses such as movers.



“Once you get Google Ads figured out, "the bread and butter is the landing page."

Table of Contents

Google Ads Campaign Performance: August 2024 Overview

For example, in August 2024, Max Conversion ran a Google Ads campaign for a local moving company in Toronto with the following metrics:

• Campaign Objectives: Lead generation (phone calls + form submissions).
• Bidding Strategy: Maximize Conversions (no Target CPA)
• Total Ad Spend: $1,900
• Clicks: 1,995
• Impressions: 4,600
• CTR (Click-Through Rate): 4%
• Conversion Rate: 21%
• Leads Generated: 41
• Cost Per Lead: $46.50

"Moving is really tough right now in 2024, but it's picking up," the host said. "And this campaign has been optimized to capture that upswing effectively."

Smart Bidding Without Target CPA: Why It Worked

Instead of jumping into Target CPA bidding, the Max Conversion team went with Maximize Conversions - a tactic that's consistently performed well across accounts.

Why not avoid Target CPA too early?

"If you switch over too soon, your cost per click skyrockets... you might be paying $60 a click," he said.

Instead, the campaign ran until it surpassed the 15-20 conversions threshold in 15-30 days, giving the algorithm enough data to optimize without spending too much. This delay prevented budget waste and maintained steady performance.

High-Converting Keywords and Tight Search Term Control

The campaign relied on intent-driven keywords and a close eye on the Search Term Report, which revealed virtually no ad spend was wasted.

Top Performing Keywords:

• Moving company Toronto.
• Movers near me.
• Packers and movers.
• Mover Toronto.
• Moving services.

Underperforming Keywords (Paused or Reassessed):

• "Student movers" - Paused due to high CPL (USD 69) and low conversion rate (12%) 
• Generic "movers" - Under review due to low conversions and high cost.

By regularly auditing the Search Term Report, the campaign stayed away from clicks such as 

• "U-Haul" or unrelated storage services - which plague moving company ads.
• "We're not wasting money on our ad account... we're getting good quality clicks," 

Learn more about our approach to PPC campaign optimization.

Landing Page Optimization: The Secret Weapon

While keywords and bidding draw a lot of attention, the landing page was a major factor in the 21% conversion rate. The Max Conversion team ensured:

• Simple, fast-loading design.
• A clear value proposition above the fold.
• Easy to complete lead form.
• Local trust signals (Toronto-specific messaging) are strong.

Lesson: You can run the best ads in the world, but if your landing page isn't optimized for conversions you'll never get your cost per lead down.

Ad Group Strategy and Segmentation

The campaign used five main ad groups targeting key segments, but as with most PPC efforts, only a handful produced the bulk of the results.

High-Performing Ad Groups:

• General movers.
• Moving companies.
• Location inside Brampton.

Paused:

Student/college movers.

This is in line with common patterns in Google Ads:  The 80/20 rule. The bulk of conversions come from a small subset of well-targeted ad groups.

Final Thoughts

This Toronto-based moving company saw meaningful lead generation and controlled ad spend - despite a slow season - with effective PPC strategy and ongoing campaign monitoring. If you're running Google Ads and not seeing results, your industry is probably not the problem - it's probably your structure, targeting or landing experience.

To learn how to improve your Google Ads performance Book a Free Strategy Call with Max Conversion.