When Desert Bookings, a Dubai-based travel and tourism company, came to me, they were at a crossroads. They had been running Google Ads for some time, but the results were disappointing. Leads were trickling in, costs were climbing, and the quality of those leads left much to be desired. Their business, which focuses on desert safari bookings, needed a serious lift.
Their goal was simple: generate more leads. But with the challenges they were facing, it was clear they needed a new approach, one that could scale efficiently and deliver results.
The Challenges: High Costs, Low Results
Before I got involved, Desert Bookings was running Google Ads, but the numbers told a story of struggle:
- Leads were minimal—hardly enough to justify the investment.
- Costs per conversion were sky-high, eating into profits.
- Lead quality was inconsistent, leading to fewer actual bookings.
It was clear that just running ads wasn’t enough—they needed a strategy that could solve all these problems at once.
The Strategy: Smart Keywords and Winning Ad Copy
The first thing I did was dive deep into their existing campaign. I noticed they were missing opportunities with their keywords, so I shifted the focus to high-volume keywords with medium to low competition. This meant they could get the exposure they needed without paying top dirham for every click.
I ran a Search Campaign, focusing on their key markets—Dubai and Sharjah. These were their prime audience areas, and I knew that’s where the best leads would come from.
One of the key moves was scaling their daily budget strategically. While I won’t get into exact figures, let’s just say the campaign was pushed to a level where it could compete effectively. But keywords alone don’t win the game—ad copy does. I crafted ads that were built to grab attention and get clicks:
- Strong calls to action like “Book Now” and “Don’t Miss Out.”
- Special offers to push users to act quickly.
- Highlighting their unique selling points (USPs)—like exclusive desert experiences and deals.
The goal? To maximize the click-through rate (CTR) and make each ad as engaging as possible.
The Execution: Merging and Scaling
The campaign started with a clear theme, focusing on targeted ad groups. I didn’t go all in at once. Instead, I began by theming the ad groups, merging them gradually as performance improved. Because the campaign was broad, automating parts of it helped ensure the strategy scaled without losing control of individual ad groups.
The results? Well, the campaign is still running, and let’s just say the ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) is incredible—even better than I initially anticipated.
The Results: Unbelievable Growth
Here’s where the real story unfolds. The numbers speak for themselves:
- CTR (Click-Through Rate) jumped from 5.2% to a whopping 9.3%. The new keywords and ad copy were clearly hitting the mark.
- Conversions skyrocketed, going from 23 to an unbelievable 996 bookings so far.
- Cost per Conversion dropped drastically from AED 128 down to AED 58.49—cutting costs by more than half.
- CPC (Cost per Click) increased slightly from AED 6.5 to AED 9.09, but the massive spike in conversions more than made up for it.
Looking Back: A Huge Turnaround
When I first took over the campaign, the situation looked grim:
- CTR was stuck at 5.2%.
- Conversions were only 23.
- Cost per Conversion sat at AED 128.
- CPC was a relatively low AED 6.5, but the conversions weren’t there.
Fast forward to today, and we’ve turned things around:
- CTR: 9.3%
- Conversions: 996
- Cost per Conversion: AED 58.49
- CPC: AED 9.09
Working with Desert Bookings has been a rewarding experience. The campaign continues to perform beyond expectations, showing how a well-planned Google Ads strategy can transform a business, even in a competitive space like travel and tourism. By focusing on the right keywords, crafting compelling ad copy, and scaling strategically, I was able to deliver results that exceeded the client’s goals.
