Emma was at a crossroads. Her mental health practice had been thriving on Meta Ads for years, consistently bringing in leads for about $15 each.
But recently, her cost-per-lead doubled, and every time she tried to scale the budget, the results just... stopped.
She booked a Google Ads coaching call with me because she wanted to start running Google Search ads, to make up for that missing Meta volume.
Before we started picking keywords and writing ads, I did what I always do for new Google Ads advertisers: a Reality Check on the math...
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I've had many clients in Emma's industry, so I know that Search CPCs for her desired keywords will average around $7 to $15.
- If a single click costs as low as $7...
- And you have a "best-in-class" 10% lead form fill rate...
- Your "best case scenario" cost per lead will be $70.
Emma was shocked. To get back to her $15 Meta-style leads on Google Search, she would need a 50% conversion rate on her website. In my entire career, I have never seen a conversion rate that high. (At least when we're tracking real conversions, not page views, but you know what I mean!)
Since the math for Search didn't check out, I advised Emma to pivot to Demand Gen as her primary entry point into the Google Ads ecosystem. I explained that this campaign type is Google’s direct answer to Meta, designed specifically to help social advertisers transition their success by mirroring existing strategies.
By using her high-performing Meta images and videos on YouTube, Gmail, and Discover, she could bypass the bidding wars of Search and get back to the $1-per-click range she was used to.
We decided to start with a modest budget and focus on a specific city to test the waters, ensuring her tracking was airtight before scaling up.
But that wasn't the only issue. Emma was running lead form ads on Meta, so that users never needed to leave Facebook or Instagram in order to become a lead. Although Google has lead form assets, it's not the same experience. In order to get quality leads from Google Search or Demand Gen, users would need to go to Emma's website - and her website was an extremely leaky bucket.
I looked at her intake form and told her that it was designed for the provider, not for a potential client. It was long and clinical and confusing, and there was no way to achieve a 10% conversion rate as-is.
Although I am a Google Ads Expert and not a conversion rate expert, I did have some quick tips to share with her before she starts running ads to this landing page. For example:
- Humanize the Language: Instead of calling the page "Initial Screening," add welcoming text like "We're glad you're here, and we look forward to helping you".
- Set Expectations: Add a note stating the form takes "about two minutes" to complete, so users wouldn't feel overwhelmed. Let them know when they can expect to hear back from you, too. For example, "Our team will reach out to you within 24 hours."
- Kill Repetitive Questions: Remove redundant fields like "Today’s Date" and a "May we contact you?" checkbox. You'll already know what date they submitted the form, and by providing their contact details, they are ASKING you to contact them.
Here's how you can make a smooth switch from Meta to Google:
- Run the Math First: Before launching Search ads, use Keyword Planner to find your expected CPCs. If your target Cost-Per-Lead (CPL) requires a 50% conversion rate to work, Search isn't your primary play.
- Use the "Meta Mirror" (Demand Gen): Don't reinvent the wheel. Use your high-performing Meta images and videos in a Demand Gen campaign. Build up conversion data, work on your conversion rate, and then consider adding Search into the mix.
- Fix the "Leaky Bucket" Before Paying for Clicks: Google traffic is intent-based and, accordingly, expensive. Ensure your landing page captures that intent by removing unnecessary friction.
Ready to move from Meta to Google? Book a call with me and we'll set you up for Google Ads success.
