Search Engine Marketing
Paid search done right tracks revenue, not clicks. We build Google Ads and Bing campaigns that deliver qualified leads and measurable sales — not vanity metrics.
Book a Free Discovery Call →Search engine marketing should be the fastest route to qualified leads. You pay to appear exactly when someone is searching for what you offer. Simple, right? Except most businesses burn through budget with little to show for it.
The problems are predictable: wrong bidding strategies that prioritise clicks over conversions, poor keyword match types that trigger ads for irrelevant searches, and complete absence of negative keywords that filter out time-wasters. Many businesses run Google's "Smart campaigns" thinking they're getting AI optimisation when they're actually getting automated budget drainage with zero control.
Then there's conversion tracking — or the lack of it. Most agencies can't tell you which keywords actually generate revenue because they've never set up proper tracking from click to lead to sale. They report on impressions, clicks, and even "conversions" that are just form submissions that never become customers.
Add agency markup hidden in your ad spend, set-and-forget management where campaigns run unchanged for months, and generic ad copy that blends into the noise. It's no wonder so many business owners think "we tried Google Ads and it didn't work."
We take a different approach. Every dollar tracked to revenue. No hidden fees. Constant optimisation. And no lock-in contracts to trap you.
Google Search Ads remain the foundation of effective SEM. We build campaigns that target high-intent keywords — the searches that indicate someone is ready to buy, not just browsing. Our approach starts with understanding keyword intent. There's a world of difference between someone searching "what is digital marketing" versus "digital marketing agency Melbourne." We focus your budget on the latter.
We implement strategic keyword match types — using exact match and phrase match to control spend while maintaining reach through carefully selected broad match modified where appropriate. Every account we manage has comprehensive negative keyword lists built from search term analysis, preventing your ads from showing for irrelevant queries that waste budget.
Quality Score optimisation is central to our approach. Higher Quality Scores mean lower costs per click and better ad positions. We achieve this through tight ad group structures, relevant ad copy that matches search intent, and landing pages that deliver what the ad promises. We build responsive search ads (RSAs) with multiple headlines and descriptions that Google's machine learning can test and optimise, while maintaining control over brand messaging.
Ad extensions are deployed strategically — sitelinks to deep pages, callouts highlighting unique benefits, structured snippets showcasing service categories, and call extensions for mobile users ready to contact you directly. Every element is tracked, tested, and optimised for your specific business goals.
For e-commerce businesses, Google Shopping is often the highest-ROAS channel available. We build and optimise product feeds that maximise visibility and conversion. Our feed optimisation includes strategic product titles that include high-volume search terms, detailed descriptions, and accurate product categorisation that ensures your products appear for the right searches.
We structure Shopping campaigns with granular product groups that allow precise bidding control. Bestsellers and high-margin products receive priority budget allocation, while underperformers are optimised or excluded. Our ROAS-focussed bidding strategies ensure you're spending more where returns are highest.
Merchant Centre management is included — we monitor feed health, resolve disapprovals quickly, and implement promotions and shipping configurations that improve click-through rates. For businesses with extensive catalogues, we implement supplemental feeds and custom labels for advanced segmentation.
We also leverage Shopping remarketing and customer match to re-engage previous visitors with the exact products they viewed. Combined with our conversion tracking setup, you'll know exactly which products and campaigns are driving profitable sales versus just generating clicks.
Bing Ads — now Microsoft Ads — is undervalued by most Australian businesses, which creates opportunity. While Google's dominance is unquestioned, Bing still captures around 5% of Australian search volume, translating to millions of searches monthly. More importantly, Bing's demographics skew older, more educated, and higher-income — exactly the audience many B2B and professional service businesses want to reach.
Competition on Bing is significantly lower than Google, which typically translates to lower cost-per-clicks for the same keywords. We've seen professional services campaigns achieve 30-50% lower CPCs on Bing while maintaining similar conversion rates. For B2B targeting, Microsoft's integration with LinkedIn profile data allows unique targeting by company, job function, and industry that Google cannot match.
We typically import and adapt successful Google campaigns for Bing, taking advantage of Microsoft's import tools while customising for platform-specific features. This gives you incremental leads and sales without duplicating management effort. We also leverage Bing's unique features like action extensions, multimedia ads, and audience ads for expanded reach.
For businesses already maxing out Google, or those with budgets that can't compete on Google's saturated keywords, Bing represents an efficient expansion opportunity. We recommend Bing for any business spending $3,000+ monthly on search, and particularly for B2B, professional services, and companies targeting decision-makers aged 35+.
Remarketing keeps your business in front of people who've already shown interest. We implement search remarketing (RLSA) that adjusts bids and messaging for previous website visitors when they search again. This captures high-intent prospects who might otherwise click a competitor's ad.
For display remarketing, we create audience segments based on behaviour — product viewers, cart abandoners, form abandoners, time-on-site thresholds. Each segment receives tailored creative and offers. We frequency-cap ads to maintain brand awareness without becoming annoying.
Customer match allows us to upload your email lists and advertise directly to existing customers and prospects on Google Search, YouTube, and Gmail. This is powerful for cross-selling, reactivation campaigns, and increasing lifetime value. We also implement dynamic remarketing for e-commerce, showing visitors the exact products they viewed with real-time pricing and availability.
Every remarketing campaign is coordinated with your acquisition strategy to ensure you're not paying to re-engage visitors who would convert organically. We analyse view-through conversions and assisted conversion paths to measure true remarketing impact on your bottom line.
Performance Max is Google's fully automated campaign type that runs across Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Maps. The promise is compelling — one campaign that finds customers wherever they are. The reality is more nuanced, and our approach is strategic rather than defaulting to Google's recommendations.
We recommend Performance Max primarily for e-commerce businesses with strong product feeds, substantial conversion history (50+ monthly conversions), and clear ROAS targets. In these cases, Performance Max can capture incremental conversions from placements that are difficult to access through standard campaigns alone. We maintain tight control through audience signals, negative keyword implementation via account-level negative lists, and conversion value rules.
For lead generation and B2B services, we typically advise against Performance Max. The lack of placement transparency, limited search term visibility, and tendency to spend heavily on low-intent Display and YouTube placements make it difficult to control quality. We've audited accounts where 70%+ of Performance Max spend went to placements that generated zero qualified leads.
When we do deploy Performance Max, it's alongside — not replacing — standard Search campaigns. We segment conversion goals, implement value-based bidding where appropriate, and continuously monitor performance by analysing insights reports and segment data. We stay current with Performance Max updates and adjust our recommendations as the product evolves.
Comprehensive analysis of your existing accounts, conversion tracking, competitive landscape, and historical performance data.
Keyword research, competitor analysis, budget allocation model, and campaign structure designed around your specific revenue goals.
Campaign construction, ad copywriting, landing page coordination, and comprehensive conversion tracking implementation.
Phased rollout with initial bid strategies, quality score optimisation, and rapid iteration on underperforming elements.
Continuous A/B testing, search term analysis, bid adjustments, and weekly performance reviews focused on revenue metrics.
Revenue tracking from click to sale. We don't optimise for clicks or even form submissions. We track qualified leads through to revenue, so we know which keywords, ads, and campaigns actually grow your business. Our reporting connects ad spend to pipeline and closed deals.
Transparent reporting. You see the same dashboards we do — no hiding behind agency proprietary "black box" systems. Real-time access to Google Ads, Google Analytics, and our customised reporting dashboards. Weekly updates and monthly strategy reviews included.
No hidden markup on spend. We charge a flat management fee, not a percentage of your ad spend. This means our incentive is to improve your ROAS, not simply increase your budget. We're completely transparent about where every dollar goes.
No lock-in contracts. We believe results should keep you with us, not legal agreements. Month-to-month engagements mean we're constantly proving our value. If we're not delivering, you're free to leave — though this rarely happens.
Operator mindset. We're not theoretical consultants — we're practitioners who actively manage campaigns daily. We stay current with platform changes, test new features, and bring proven tactics from our full client portfolio to your account.
We partner with Melbourne businesses spending $2,000 or more monthly on paid search who want accountability and results. Our SEM clients include professional services, healthcare providers, property developers, financial services firms, and B2B companies with high customer lifetime value.
You don't need to be a giant corporation. We work best with businesses that care about where their marketing dollars go and want to see clear return on investment. If you're tired of agencies that throw budgets at platforms without proper tracking or optimisation, we're worth a conversation.
SEM (Search Engine Marketing) involves paid advertising on search engines like Google Ads and Bing Ads. You pay for each click to your website. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the process of earning organic rankings through content, technical optimisation, and link building. SEM delivers immediate traffic but stops when you stop paying. SEO takes longer but builds lasting organic visibility. Most successful businesses use both strategically — SEM for immediate leads and SEO for long-term, sustainable traffic growth.
Our SEM management fees start from $1,500 per month depending on ad spend and campaign complexity. We charge a flat management fee, not a percentage of ad spend, so our incentives align with performance rather than simply spending more of your budget. We're transparent about our pricing and what's included — no hidden fees or surprise charges.
We typically work with Melbourne businesses spending $2,000 or more per month on paid search. Below this threshold, it can be difficult to gather enough data for meaningful optimisation and to generate a return that justifies the management investment. However, every business is different — if you're unsure, book a call and we'll assess your situation honestly.
SEM campaigns can generate traffic within hours of launch. However, optimising for cost-effective conversions typically takes 2-4 weeks as we gather performance data, refine keyword targeting, adjust bidding strategies, and test ad creative. The timeline depends on your industry competition, budget size, and how well your landing pages convert visitors into leads or sales.
Google dominates search volume in Australia with around 95% market share, so it's usually the primary platform. However, Microsoft Bing Ads often delivers lower cost-per-clicks and can be particularly effective for B2B targeting, professional services, and reaching an older, higher-income demographic. We typically recommend starting with Google and adding Bing once campaigns are profitable.
Smart campaigns are Google's automated, simplified option designed for beginners. While they're easy to set up, they give you very little control over keywords, bidding, and targeting. In our experience, Smart campaigns often waste budget on irrelevant searches and deliver poor return on ad spend. We recommend full manual or hybrid campaigns for businesses serious about performance.
We implement comprehensive conversion tracking that follows the complete customer journey — from ad click to form submission to qualified lead to sale. We track phone calls, form submissions, online bookings, and e-commerce transactions. Our reporting connects your ad spend directly to revenue generated, not vanity metrics like impressions or clicks. We also integrate with your CRM where possible to track lifetime customer value.
Yes, we regularly audit and optimise existing accounts. We'll begin with a comprehensive account audit to identify quick wins, wasted spend, and structural improvements. You'll retain ownership of your Google Ads account — we simply request managerial access. There's no need to start from scratch unless your account structure is fundamentally broken.
Performance Max is Google's AI-driven campaign type that runs across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Maps. It can work well for e-commerce businesses with strong product feeds and conversion history. However, we generally avoid Performance Max for lead generation or B2B services because it provides limited control and can waste significant budget on low-quality placements. We recommend standard Search campaigns for most professional services.
No. We operate on a month-to-month basis because we believe results should keep you with us, not contracts. If we're not delivering value, you should be free to leave. This keeps us accountable and ensures we're constantly working to earn your business every month.
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No lock-in contracts. No fluff. Just a straight conversation about your growth targets and whether we can hit them.