Proving the value of expert ad management
Private ADHD and autism assessment provider · United Kingdom · Google Ads (Search, regulated vertical), LegitScript certification, landing pages
The situation
Mental health is one of the hardest categories to advertise on Google. The platform demands formal LegitScript certification before a single ad can run, a barrier that stops most providers and most agencies before they begin. On top of that, an assessment is a high-trust, considered decision, so early data is thin and the cost per lead starts high.
What we did
- Secured LegitScript certification and handled the full compliant setup, so the provider could advertise on Google for the first time.
- Built compliant landing pages and structured tracking around genuine enquiries, not vanity clicks.
- Set realistic target costs and optimised steadily as real data arrived, tightening search terms and negatives week on week.
The result
Launch month opened at roughly £46.17 per lead, normal for a first month in a regulated, high-consideration category. By month two, cost per lead was cut to £23.26, enquiries nearly tripled to 59, and cost per click more than halved as relevance improved.
The turning point
The client then took the account in-house to save the management fee. Within weeks the cost per lead climbed to £61.03, higher than the launch month, and volume collapsed. Without consistent, specialist optimisation the account did not plateau, it slid back past where it started. The client returned the account to us, and we are already seeing cost per lead improve again with specialist management back in place.
The setup is only half the job. Sustained performance is the real challenge, especially in a regulated, high-cost vertical.
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