77% CPL REDUCTION

Friday, September 13, 2024

How we helped a leading independent UK school drive a 77% reduction in cost-per-lead (CPL) and increase high-quality admissions inquiries.

Client Overview

This client is a renowned co-educational independent school in Derbyshire, catering to day and boarding pupils aged 3 to 18. The institution is divided into two schools: the Prep School for ages 3-12 and the Senior School for ages 13-18. With a rich history dating back to 1557, the school is known for academic excellence, sporting achievements, and fostering a strong community spirit. Despite its legacy, the school faced challenges with rebranding, as many families still viewed the Prep and Senior schools as separate entities.

With over 400 employees and the capacity to accommodate up to 620 Senior School students, their primary goal was to generate high-quality inquiries for less than £500 CPL.

The Challenge

When we took over the account, the client had no active campaigns. Previously, their Google Ads were managed by another agency, which prioritized high-traffic display campaigns with conflicting imagery and copy. This approach led to poor conversion rates and an unsustainable display CPL of £2,150, with an average CPL across all campaigns hovering at £500.

The client needed a focused strategy that prioritized driving high-quality admissions inquiries over awareness-building efforts.

Our Strategy

Research & Analysis

We conducted in-depth research to understand the market dynamics and identify opportunities for improvement:

Competitor Analysis: Reviewed competitor reviews to uncover what prospective families prioritize in private schools.
Forum Research: Explored common queries and concerns discussed by prospective parents online.
Audit of Previous Campaigns: Analyzed the prior agency’s approach to identify both strengths and weaknesses, enabling us to refine our strategy.

This research provided a foundation for creating a tailored, data-driven strategy.

Solution Design

We simplified the PPC approach by focusing on proven tactics:

Narrow Geo-Targeting: Limited ads to a 90-minute radius of Derbyshire, plus areas with high concentrations of wealth such as Cheshire, Oxfordshire, and Cambridgeshire.
Precise Keyword Targeting: Used exact and phrase match keywords to avoid irrelevant queries related to state, college, or university searches.
Search-Only Campaigns: Prioritized search campaigns, which had been shown to deliver the highest conversion rates for this client.

Execution

Tailored Campaigns: Early success was seen with Prep School campaigns, but Senior School campaigns required refinements.
Keyword Refinement: Adjusted keywords to focus on intent-rich phrases like “boarding school” and “private secondary school,” leading to substantial improvements.
Iterative Strategy: Shifted from initial underperformance (1 lead in 3 months) to generating 5 leads in just 3 weeks through ongoing optimization.

Results Achieved

Key Metrics (YoY Last 3 Weeks):

Spend: £625 (vs. £1,695 LY)
Conversions: 8 (vs. 5 LY)
CPL: £78.15 (vs. £338.15 LY)

While visibility metrics like impressions (-380k) and clicks (-6.63k) dropped, this was intentional. The focus was on driving high-conversion leads rather than broad awareness, aligning with the client’s admissions goals.

Business Impact

The strategy significantly improved admissions outcomes:

Increased attendance at open days, particularly for the Senior School’s debut event.
A higher volume of strong leads, giving the admissions team more opportunities to convert inquiries into high-fee-paying students.

Scalability and Future Outlook

With a data-driven strategy and consistent CPL improvements, the school is now positioned to scale its campaigns while maintaining cost efficiency. Continued refinements will focus on sustaining a high volume of quality leads to support the school’s long-term growth objectives.