Testing roadmap, growth opportunities, and strategic initiatives for the upcoming season.
Key highlights from the Kayak Pools Midwest Google Ads account as we enter the 2026 season.
March 2026 to date (first 10 days)
All campaigns are Search-only. Campaigns tagged [CS] are core/historical, [NT] are new territory expansions, and [AZ] is the Arizona expansion.
| Campaign | Type | Spend | Clicks | Conv | CPA | CTR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | Illinois | Core | $4,168 | 668 | 66 | $63.15 | 12.5% |
| S | Ohio | Core | $3,947 | 584 | 50 | $78.94 | 12.5% |
| S | Indiana | Core | $4,097 | 518 | 34 | $120.50 | 10.8% |
| S | Michigan | Core | $3,589 | 556 | 43 | $83.47 | 13.5% |
| S | Pennsylvania | Core | $1,521 | 161 | 7 | $217.31 | 8.7% |
| S | Kentucky | Core | $1,262 | 210 | 29 | $43.54 | 10.8% |
| S | Brand | General | Core | $946 | 404 | 64 | $14.79 | 33.0% |
| S | Brand | Midwest | Core | $85 | 84 | 29 | $2.94 | 32.9% |
| S | Nebraska | New | $875 | 97 | 3 | $291.84 | 12.4% |
| S | Missouri | New | $866 | 177 | 8 | $108.30 | 10.1% |
| S | Wisconsin | New | $734 | 81 | 7 | $104.86 | 9.0% |
| S | Minnesota | New | $666 | 54 | 5 | $133.38 | 7.1% |
| S | Iowa | New | $614 | 60 | 4 | $153.62 | 10.1% |
| S | Kansas | New | $416 | 50 | 4 | $104.19 | 9.2% |
| S | Arizona | Arizona | $1,773 | 286 | 10 | $177.38 | 9.2% |
| TOTAL | $26,375 | 4,231 | 394 | $66.94 |
Why we moved to a Search-only strategy for 2026
After running Performance Max campaigns from June through November 2025, we made the decision to pause PMax and focus exclusively on Search campaigns for the 2026 season.
Account spend over the last 10 months, showing seasonal patterns and the invoicing pause.
Planned tests and experiments across creative, keywords, audiences, and bidding
A structured testing program across five key areas to improve performance this season.
Headline variations across state pages. Short-form vs long-form layouts. Video hero sections vs static imagery. CTA button variations. Goal: improve conversion rate to offset rising CPCs.
RSA headline and description rotation per state. Seasonal vs evergreen messaging. Price-focused vs benefit-focused copy. State-specific social proof and testimonials in ad copy.
Maximize Conversions vs Target CPA comparison on mature campaigns. Dayparting optimization based on lead quality by time of day. Device bid adjustments based on conversion data.
Customer match list optimization (already uploaded). Similar audience targeting layered on search campaigns. Remarketing list refinement for returning visitors.
4-6 week learning phase for all 7 new state campaigns. Geo-targeting refinement based on early conversion data. Keyword expansion or pruning based on search term performance.
The biggest levers to grow lead volume and improve efficiency
7 new states represent significant untapped market potential. If new territories reach core state CPAs ($60-80), this could generate 100+ additional leads per month. Early signs are positive: Missouri, Wisconsin, and Kansas are all converting within the first 10 days.
Google CPC has increased 18-20% year-on-year over the last 5 years. Landing page improvements are the #1 lever to maintain or reduce CPA. Even a 1% conversion rate improvement translates to significant CPL reduction at current spend levels.
UTM tracking script running hourly for full campaign, ad group, keyword, and match type attribution on every lead. Enables data-driven optimization: pause wasteful keywords, double down on converters. Ability to identify and dispute invalid clicks with Google for refunds.
Front-loaded budgets during peak demand (March-July). Gradual taper as season winds down (August-October). Data-driven budget allocation: shift spend to highest-converting states in real-time.
CPC trend analysis across top 40 keywords tracked over 10 years. Auction insights monitoring for competitive positioning. Market share analysis by state to identify where we can gain ground.
New this year: what's different from last season
These are specific initiatives being implemented this year that were not part of last season's approach.
| Initiative | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Search-Only Strategy | Active | Moved away from Performance Max to prioritize lead quality. Full keyword and geographic control. |
| 7-State Expansion | Launched | Iowa, Kansas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, Arizona. 35 ad groups, 2,562 keywords, 35 RSA ads. |
| UTM Lead Attribution | Active | Hourly script pushing campaign, ad group, keyword, match type, device, and creative data through to CRM. |
| Landing Page Testing | Planned Q2 | Systematic A/B testing of headlines, CTAs, page length, and media across state pages. |
| Customer List Integration | Active | Customer match audiences uploaded and refreshed for exclusion targeting and similar audience building. |
| Invalid Click Monitoring | Active | Proactive monitoring and dispute process with Google for out-of-territory and bot clicks. Credit recovery. |
| CPC Trend Analysis | Active | 10-year keyword cost tracking to forecast CPL trends and proactively adjust strategy. |