From Zero Advertising to 20x Return on Ad Spend
How we built a full funnel advertising engine on Google and Meta that transformed a new home services company into a predictable growth machine.
The Opportunity: Building Growth from the Ground Up
When a family owned plumbing and drain services company in the greater Atlanta area came to us, they had exactly zero structured advertising in place. The occasional boosted post, a strong commitment to customer service and world class work created an organic referral network that helped drive early growth.
They knew advertising could accelerate their growth, but they had seen too many businesses throw money at digital ads without any clear return. They wanted a partner who would approach advertising as an investment with measurable outcomes, not an expense to be minimized.
Our mandate was clear: build an advertising program that proves profitability before scaling. Every dollar spent needed to demonstrate positive impact on the business before we increased investment. This ROI focused approach would guide every decision we made together.
This case study shows how we built a full funnel advertising strategy from scratch, starting with Google Search to capture immediate demand, then expanding to Meta to build awareness and consideration. The result: a 20x return on ad spend and a predictable customer acquisition engine the business can scale with confidence.
Our Strategic Approach
Rather than launching campaigns on multiple platforms simultaneously and hoping for the best, we took a methodical, phased approach. Each phase had specific objectives and success criteria that needed to be met before advancing to the next stage.
ROI First, Scale Second
The foundation of our approach was proving profitability at every stage. We would not ask the client to increase investment until we could demonstrate that current spending was generating positive returns. This meant tight tracking, clear attribution, and honest assessment of what was working and what wasn't.
This approach requires patience. It means slower initial growth in exchange for confidence that the growth is real and sustainable. For a business investing their own capital, that confidence matters more than speed.
Full Funnel Design
Both Google and Meta campaigns were designed with full funnel architecture in mind. This means campaigns at every stage of the customer journey: awareness campaigns to introduce the brand to potential customers, consideration campaigns to engage people researching their options, and conversion campaigns to capture demand when people are ready to act.
Full funnel design ensures we're not just harvesting existing demand but actively creating new demand. It also means the platforms work together rather than competing for the same bottom funnel conversions.
Adaptive Optimization
Business goals change quarter to quarter. Sometimes growth is the priority and the business wants to scale customer acquisition. Other times, efficiency matters more and the focus shifts to improving cost per lead while maintaining volume. Our campaign structure was built to support both modes.
This flexibility meant we could adjust strategy month to month based on what the business actually needed, not what a rigid campaign structure allowed. When the business wanted to push growth, we could scale investment. When they needed to optimize margins, we could shift focus to efficiency improvements.
Phase 1: Establishing Profitability with Google
We started with Google Search advertising for a simple reason: it captures existing demand. When someone searches for plumbing services in the Atlanta area, they have an immediate need. Google lets us put the client directly in front of those high intent searchers at the exact moment they're looking for help.
Capturing High Intent Searches
The initial Google campaigns focused on service specific keywords in the client's geographic target areas. We built campaigns around the core services: drain cleaning, plumbing repairs, water heater services, and emergency plumbing. Each campaign was structured to capture searches indicating immediate need.
Geographic targeting was precise. Home services are inherently local, and wasted spend on clicks from outside the service area would destroy our efficiency metrics. We defined the target geography carefully and implemented proper location settings to ensure we only paid for relevant searches.
Proving the Model
From day one, we implemented comprehensive tracking. Every phone call, every form submission, every point of contact was captured and attributed. This wasn't just about measuring performance; it was about building the data foundation we would need to prove ROI and make optimization decisions.
Within the first few months, we had validated the model. Google was generating leads at a cost that made sense for the business. The leads were converting to paying customers. The math worked. With profitability established, we had earned the right to discuss scaling.
Scaling What Works
With proven profitability, we began systematically increasing investment in Google. This wasn't blind scaling; each increase was measured and evaluated. We expanded geographic coverage as the business grew its service capacity. We added new service campaigns as we identified profitable keyword territories. Growth was deliberate and data driven.
As Google investment scaled, so did the business. More leads meant more customers, which meant more capacity to serve additional customers. The advertising was fueling a virtuous cycle of growth.
Phase 2: Expanding Reach with Meta
Once Google was scaled and stable, we introduced Meta advertising. Where Google captures people actively searching, Meta reaches people before they search. It's a different motion: building awareness and consideration so that when a plumbing need arises, this brand is already familiar and trusted.
Building Brand Awareness
Meta campaigns were designed to introduce the brand to homeowners in the target geography. The family owned story, the commitment to customer service, the decade of industry experience: these brand elements translate well to social platforms where storytelling drives engagement.
Awareness campaigns reached homeowners who might not need a plumber today but will eventually. When that need arises, we wanted this brand to be the one they remembered, the one that felt familiar and trustworthy before they ever picked up the phone.
Platforms Working Together
The real power emerged when Google and Meta started working in unison. Meta built awareness and familiarity. Google captured the demand when it materialized. Customers who had seen Meta ads were more likely to click on Google ads. Brand recognition from Meta made Google campaigns more efficient.
This cross platform effect is difficult to measure precisely but unmistakable in the results. Neither platform was operating in isolation; they were reinforcing each other and creating compounding returns.
The best advertising strategies don't treat platforms as competitors for budget. They design platforms to work together, each doing what it does best.
Continuous Optimization
Launching campaigns is just the beginning. The real work is ongoing optimization: constantly refining targeting, adjusting bids, testing creative, and reallocating budget based on performance. Our engagement with this client wasn't a one time setup; it's an ongoing partnership focused on continuous improvement.
Growth Mode
When the business goal is growth, we scale investment into campaigns that are generating profitable returns. We expand geographic targeting, increase budgets on top performers, and test new audiences. The focus is maximizing lead volume while maintaining acceptable cost per acquisition.
Efficiency Mode
When the business goal is efficiency, we focus on improving cost per lead. We tighten targeting, pause underperforming elements, and optimize toward the highest quality conversions. The focus is maintaining lead volume while reducing cost per acquisition.
Month to Month Flexibility
This flexibility has allowed the client to adjust their advertising investment based on real business conditions. During busy seasons when capacity is stretched, we can optimize for efficiency. During slower periods or when the business is ready to grow, we can push for volume. The advertising serves the business strategy, not the other way around.
This adaptability is only possible because we built the campaigns correctly from the start. Full funnel architecture with proper tracking means we have the levers to pull in either direction depending on what the business needs.
The Results
The numbers tell the story. What started as zero advertising spend has grown into a sophisticated, multi platform customer acquisition engine generating exceptional returns.
20x Return on Ad Spend
Across both platforms, the combined advertising investment has generated a 20x return on ad spend. For every dollar invested in advertising, the business has generated twenty dollars in revenue. This isn't a theoretical calculation; it's based on actual customer value and tracked conversions.
This level of return transforms advertising from a cost center into a profit center. The advertising isn't an expense to be managed; it's an investment that generates predictable returns.
Predictable Customer Acquisition
Perhaps more valuable than the raw return is the predictability. The business now has a reliable mechanism for acquiring new customers. When they want more customers, they increase investment. When they want to optimize margins, they can do that too. Growth is no longer dependent on hope or luck; it's a function of investment.
This predictability changes how the business can plan and operate. Hiring decisions, service area expansion, equipment investments: all of these become easier when customer acquisition is predictable rather than volatile.
Foundation for Continued Growth
The advertising infrastructure we've built isn't just generating returns today; it's a foundation for continued growth. As the business expands its service capacity, the advertising can scale with it. As they enter new service areas, the campaigns can extend to reach those markets. The system grows with the business.
What This Case Demonstrates
This engagement illustrates several important principles about building effective digital advertising programs, particularly for service businesses.
Prove Before You Scale
The temptation is always to scale quickly, but premature scaling amplifies problems. By proving profitability at lower spend levels first, we built confidence in the model before investing heavily. This patience paid off in sustainable, profitable growth.
Platforms Compound Together
Google and Meta aren't competing for the same conversions; they serve different roles in the customer journey. Designing them to work together creates synergies that neither platform could achieve alone.
Full Funnel Beats Bottom Funnel
Focusing only on bottom funnel conversions limits growth potential. Full funnel campaigns create demand at the top while capturing it at the bottom. This approach is more sustainable and more scalable.
Flexibility Serves the Business
Advertising should adapt to business needs, not the other way around. Building campaigns with the flexibility to shift between growth and efficiency modes means the advertising always serves current business objectives.
Ready to Build Your Growth Engine?
Whether you're starting from zero or looking to improve existing campaigns, we can help you build an advertising program that proves profitability and scales with confidence.
Our approach starts with understanding your business, defining success metrics that matter, and building campaigns designed to deliver measurable returns.