Google Ads Case Study: Boosting Performance for a UK Company with Targeted Ad Campaigns

The Challenge

Our client is a leading national provider of powered access equipment – including cherry pickers, scissor lifts, and boom lifts – with depots across England, Wales, and Scotland. In addition to equipment hire, they offer IPAF PAL training and other industry-recognised courses, making them a one-stop shop for safe access solutions.

Despite their strong reputation and broad presence, their Google Ads account was underperforming. Their campaigns lacked structure, were too generic, and failed to target high-intent users effectively. Our goal was to change that.

• Increasing qualified leads for both equipment hire and training courses
• Lowering cost per conversion while improving overall ROI
• Expanding visibility in regional and local markets near each depot
• Targeting high-intent keywords relevant to urgent hire and training needs
• Driving repeat engagement from users who didn’t convert on their first visit
• Improving ad copy, extensions, and landing page alignment

Our Approach

We implemented a structured and targeted Google Ads strategy, designed to maximise return across both hire and training offerings. We also integrated our PPC efforts with their SEO strategy  to ensure a cohesive and effective marketing approach. Here’s what we did:

Campaign segmentation by service

We created separate campaigns for hire and training courses. Each had its own keyword strategy, budget allocation, and ad creatives, allowing for better tracking and optimisation by service type.

Regular & performance max campaigns

For each service, we launched:

• Standard Search Campaigns targeting high-intent keywords (e.g., “cherry picker hire Manchester”, “IPAF training Glasgow”).
• Performance Max Campaigns to expand reach using Google’s AI-driven placements across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Discovery.

This ensured a balance between control and discovery, helping us scale the campaigns efficiently.

Retargeting setup

We built retargeting audiences for users who had visited high-value pages (e.g., course landing pages or quote request forms) but didn’t convert. Retargeting ads reminded them to return and complete the action.

Keyword research and optimisation

We conducted in-depth keyword research, focusing on both localised and industry-specific terms. Negative keywords were also applied to avoid irrelevant traffic and reduce wasted spend.

Ad copy and extensions

We rewrote ad copy to highlight key differentiators like “Next-Day Hire Available,” and “Certified IPAF Training.” We also used structured snippets, sitelinks, and callouts to improve visibility and click-through rate (CTR).

Location targeting and bid adjustments

We targeted locations based on depot areas and applied bid adjustments to focus more budget on top-performing regions, ensuring efficient spend and stronger local presence.

The Results

After 3 months of running the restructured Google Ads campaigns managed by our PPC agency, the client saw significant improvements:

• Increase in total conversions, including both hire enquiries and training bookings
• Reduction in cost per conversion, making campaigns more efficient
• Increase in CTR for hire-related search campaigns
• Training campaign bookings up, particularly in regions with new Performance Max ads
• Higher impression share in targeted locations, increasing brand presence across local markets

This case study proves that with clear segmentation, smart keyword targeting, and a mix of campaign types, even a highly competitive industry like powered access hire can see strong Google Ads performance.

Want better results from your Google ads? Contact us today for a tailored strategy that works.