Growing your leads usually means paying more for each one. The more you push, the more expensive it gets. So when a roofing company’s leads nearly doubled in a month and the cost per lead went down, it’s worth explaining how.
The problem: a quiet summer
August was a quiet month for this roofing company in Surrey. During the heatwave, fewer homeowners were searching for roofing work, and the leads that did come in were expensive.
That’s normal for roofing. When the weather’s dry and hot, roofs aren’t top of anyone’s mind. When the weather turns, demand comes back quickly.
The goal: grow fast without costs rising
When demand picked up in September, the aim was simple: get as many extra leads as possible, without letting the cost per lead rise with them.
What I did
Looking back over the summer, one thing stood out. Roof repairs had been the most reliable source of cheap enquiries all season, even when everything else was quiet.
So the account was set up to:
- Let the roof repairs campaign take more of the extra searches as demand came back, rather than spreading the budget evenly across everything
- Adjust bids towards the devices and audiences that were converting best, so the extra spend went where it was most likely to bring in enquiries
In other words: when the searches came back, the budget went to the work that had already proven it could bring in leads cheaply.
The results
September compared with August:
| August | September | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leads | 20 | 37 | +85% |
| Roof repair leads | 6 | 18 | 3× |
| Cost per lead | – | – | −29% |
| Clicks that became enquiries | 4.7% | 7.3% | +2.6 points |
Leads nearly doubled, roof repair leads tripled, and each lead cost 29% less than in August.
Why it worked
- Using the summer’s data. Even quiet months tell you something. August showed which campaign brought in the cheapest, most reliable leads.
- Backing the winner. Instead of growing everything at once, the extra demand was channelled into what was already working.
- Being ready for the change in season. When the searches came back, the account was set up to make the most of them straight away.
The takeaway for your business
Quiet months aren’t wasted months. They show you what’s really working, so you’re ready to grow when demand returns. If you’d like to read more on this, see should you run ads during your quiet season?
If you’re a roofer, or any local trade, and want help getting more from your ads, start with my £150 Ads Audit or take a look at Google Ads for roofers.