JA Valeting & Detailing Case Study: Car Detailing Google Ads, Advertising & Marketing Done Right
I came to Bunker Digital desperately needing help with our business advertising and website design. Before any payment was spoken about they spent time going through many things and answering any questions we had. I can confirm since using the services provided by Bunker Digital my workflow has massively picked up and it’s getting better day by day. I wish I had of used BunkerDigital sooner.
Key Takeaways / Results
Website performance transformed – mobile PageSpeed score jumped from 34 → 90, cutting load-time to under one second and slashing bounce rates.
45 service-and-location pages built, each aligned with its own ad group, delivering highly relevant user journeys and better Quality Scores.
Google Ads efficiency – first two months produced 111 qualified enquiries at an average cost-per-lead of just £3.60
Mobile wins – 89 % of conversions originated on smartphones, validating a mobile-first design approach.
Trust signals front-loaded – 81+ five-star Facebook reviews now prominent, raising credibility and conversion rate.
Introduction
This case study delves into the journey of JA Valeting & Detailing, and serves as an absolute guide for any small and local business looking to set up their website and Google Ads for maximum impact. We'll unveil the common pitfalls, our solutions, and the remarkable results that followed, offering practical, actionable advice every step of the way.
The Problem: A Familiar Pitfall for Local Businesses
JA Valeting & Detailing, a car valeting and detailing company based in the north west, approached BunkerDigital with a problem that resonated with many of our past clients. On the surface, JA Valeting was a thriving local business. They boasted an existing loyal client base in their local area, an impressive 81 positive reviews on Facebook, a solid track record of quality work, and a portfolio of excellent images showcasing previous jobs and their professional valeting van. This was clearly an established business with a strong local reputation.
However, despite their offline success and social proof, they were grappling with a significant challenge: struggling to attract any new business through their website. While their local word-of-mouth marketing was working effectively, they sought to expand their reach and primarily generate new leads through Google Ads.
They had tried Google Ads before, but without any success. This is where BunkerDigital's initial analysis began, revealing a pattern we've come to recognise as the "DIY Digital Trap" for small and local businesses.
The Common DIY Trap
Our first step was to understand what JA Valeting had attempted with Google Ads. What we discovered was a recurring theme: their previous Google Ads setup typically consisted of 1 campaign, 1 ad group, broad match keywords, and the "maximise conversions" bidding strategy from day one.
This setup is incredibly common when small, local businesses attempt to manage their own Google Ads. Why? Because it's the default path that Google Ads guides new advertisers down during its onboarding process. While seemingly intuitive, this approach is fundamentally flawed for businesses with specific services and local target audiences.
Secondly, we rigorously analysed their existing website. The findings were equally revealing:
The website was built on Squarespace and was painfully slow, scoring a dismal 34/100 on Page Speed Insights.
It suffered from poor design choices, such as dark text over a dark background, making it difficult to read and unprofessional.
It lacked essential trust signals and personality that would reassure potential customers.
Overall, it had the distinct appearance of a DIY job, which, of course, it was.
This entire pattern – a DIY website (often on platforms like Wix or Squarespace) coupled with a single-campaign, single-adgroup, broad keyword, "maximise conversions" Google Ads setup – is an incredibly common situation we encounter. It's often driven by the understandable desire of small and local businesses to save money, leading them to try and manage every aspect of their digital presence themselves.
However, the reality is that long term, this "saving money" approach often results in losing money. Businesses end up spending valuable budget on ads that are highly unlikely to work effectively because:
The Google Ads campaign is not set up correctly for targeted, local lead generation.
The website is slow, lacks credibility, and is not designed to generate conversions from ad traffic.
The solution was clear: a complete overhaul, starting from scratch, was necessary for both the website and the Google Ads account.
The Solution: A Holistic Approach
Our approach with JA Valeting & Detailing was to start fresh, building a robust digital foundation that mirrored the quality and reputation they had already established offline. JA Valeting already had a strong Facebook and Instagram presence with 81+ reviews and a wealth of relevant before/after images and video shorts. Our goal was to leverage these existing strengths and ensure that their new website and Google Ads campaigns met the same high standard of professionalism and effectiveness.
Below, we detail the full, meticulous process of how we managed this transformation and the impressive results that followed.
The Guiding Principle: User-Centric Design & Data-Driven Strategy
A crucial starting point for any successful digital strategy, especially for small and local businesses looking to generate leads, is comprehensive keyword and competitor analysis. This is a super important step that is too often overlooked.
It's common to see businesses either build a website and then say, "now I need SEO," or "now I need to do Google Ads." The reality, however, is that for a small and local business aiming to generate leads, the keyword data should inform the entire structure of the website and the Google Ads campaign from the outset. This data-first approach ensures that every element is designed with the user's search intent in mind.
Deep Dive: Keyword Research – The Foundation of Success
For our keyword research and competitor analysis, we utilised a powerful tool: https://www.localseokeywords.io. This tool allowed us to uncover a vast array of location-specific and service-specific keywords relevant to JA Valeting & Detailing. More importantly, it enabled us to meticulously group these keywords into highly relevant service and location-based clusters.
In the end, we identified 20 distinct location groups (e.g., "car valeting St Helens," "detailing Wigan") and 25 specific service-based groups (e.g., "headlight restoration," "interior cleaning"). This exhaustive process resulted in a total of 45 unique keyword groups.
- Keyword grouping on localseokeywords.io
What's the importance of this?
The significance of this meticulous grouping lies in its direct application to both the website structure and the Google Ads campaign. Each keyword group would serve as both a dedicated Google Ads ad group and a specific landing page on the new website. This strategic alignment meant we created a total of 45 unique landing pages on the new website, alongside 45 Google Ads ad groups.
Why go to such lengths?
Because to truly drive conversions, the entire user journey – from their initial search query to the content they encounter on your website – needs to be highly targeted, localised, and relevant. This precision maximises the likelihood of engagement and conversion.
Let's illustrate the difference with an example:
Example of Bad (Using the Common 1-AdGroup Strategy for DIY Setups):
User Googles: "headlight restoration St Helens"
Sees a Generic Ad: With headlines such as "Car Detailing St Helens." (This leads to a lower click-through rate (CTR) because the ad is less relevant to the user's specific query).
User Clicks on Ad: And lands on a generic page about all general car valeting and detailing services. (This results in a lower conversion rate because the user doesn't automatically see the specific information they seek, forcing them to search for it, or simply leave.)
Example of Good (Using Targeted Service and Location Ad Groups – BunkerDigital's Approach):
User Googles: "headlight restoration St Helens"
Sees a Highly Relevant Ad: Solely about headlight restoration in St Helens. (This leads to a much higher CTR due to strong ad relevance).
User Clicks on Google Ad: And lands directly on a dedicated page specifically about Headlight Restoration in St Helens. (This leads to a significantly higher conversion rate because the user immediately finds the exact information they were looking for.)
This targeted, relevant user flow is much more optimised, leading to:
Higher Click-Through Rates (CTR): Because ads are directly relevant to search queries.
Higher Conversion Rates: Because landing pages precisely match user intent.
Ultimately Lower CPCs (Cost Per Click): Due to a higher Google Ads Quality Score, which is boosted by strong ad copy (Ad Relevance) and an optimised landing page (Landing Page Experience).
Once this comprehensive keyword research was complete, forming the blueprint for our digital strategy, we moved on to the next critical phase: creating the new website.
Website Transformation: Designing for Conversion & Speed
With our keyword research complete and the 45 unique landing pages mapped out, the next step was to build a website that was not only aesthetically pleasing but also a high-performing conversion machine. The key principles guiding our website design for JA Valeting, and indeed for any small and local business, were:
Make it great to look at: A professional, modern aesthetic instills trust and reflects the quality of service.
Make it super fast: Aim for a 90+ score on all Page Speed Insights metrics. A slow website frustrates users and negatively impacts SEO and ad performance.
Showcase previous work: A robust gallery with before/after images and testimonials builds trust and gives personality to the business. In JA Valeting's case, this was easier as they already had a strong visual portfolio from their social media.
Showcase reviews and ratings: Prominently display social proof to leverage existing positive sentiment and build credibility.
Include multiple contact methods: Make it as easy as possible for potential customers to reach out: phone, email, WhatsApp, and a contact form.
Ensure contact form is as minimal as possible: Only ask for essential information (name, contact detail, message). Every extra field is a barrier to conversion.
The User-First Mindset – A Crucial Paradigm Shift
This brings me to another critical insight we often share with businesses. Many times, we encounter businesses wanting to implement complicated contact forms or trying to funnel potential customers into signing up for a particular package (e.g., "Bronze," "Silver," "Gold" valeting packages).
The mistake here is putting the priority on themselves. They want to receive perfect contact form submissions with all the required information. Or they want to force users to take a package deal.
The problem with this approach is that it is not a user or customer-led approach. It is a business designing its operations based on what they want, not what the customers want or how they prefer to engage initially. In fact, JA Valeting was also doing this on their old website, primarily advertising only packages. While these are great and attractive offerings, they can inadvertently discourage people who just want to make a general inquiry because they might not want a pre-defined package.
For any local business, the essence is about trust and building relationships. The most important thing is to simply get potential clients on the phone or engaging in an email or WhatsApp exchange. Once that initial connection is made, you can then find out what they truly want and start to structure your position and offerings around what your clients are actually asking for. It's about opening the door to a conversation, not forcing a sale from the first click.
JA Valeting's New Website Features (Specifics)
Moving back to the website design, we created a brand-new website incorporating all the principles outlined above. This included the 45 targeted landing pages, plus all the other standard pages such as the home page, about us, services overview, gallery, and contact us pages.
Here's how we transformed JA Valeting's online presence:
Nicer, more compact layout: The design was streamlined for a cleaner, more professional look, maximising visual impact without clutter.
A rolling ticker at the top: Quickly listed all the services offered. This dynamic element makes the site seem alive and the business active, immediately informing visitors of the breadth of services.
Clear and obvious trust factors: Highlighting the 5-star Facebook rating and 81 reviews prominently at the top of the page. This immediately builds credibility with new visitors.
A more consistent colour scheme: Utilising the blue colour from their logo as the primary accent colour, creating a cohesive and branded experience.
Multiple, clear contact methods: Offering highly visible options to get in contact – WhatsApp, phone number, email address, plus two separate, prominent buttons: "Call Us" and "Use Contact Form." This caters to different user preferences and reduces friction.
Incorporating the Montserrat font: This modern, clean font is an excellent fit for auto-related businesses, conveying professionalism and dynamism.
Collaborated on a 15% promo offer: We worked with JA Valeting & Detailing to craft a specific promotional offer. We've found that promo codes and special offers work exceptionally well with Google Ads, providing a compelling incentive for users to convert.
Included an "Areas Covered" and a "Services" section on the home page: These sections provide clear navigation and link directly to the individual service and location pages. It is very important to include links to these granular pages from the home page as having them on your primary page builds authority for those deeper pages, which is great for local SEO and user experience.
Use the slider below to view how we improved the home page on JA Valeting & Detailing. Note the trust signals, multiple contact methods and rolling services ticker.
Mobile-First Design Philosophy
A crucial aspect of our website development, often overlooked by both business owners and many website developers, is the mobile version of the site. We always dedicate more time and effort to optimising for mobile.
Why? Because over 80% of local service-related Google searches happen on mobile devices. While it's often easier to make a desktop version look visually appealing, the trick with mobile design is successfully incorporating all the required features and information into a much smaller screen space without sacrificing usability or speed. Our focus ensures that the mobile experience is seamless, fast, and conversion-friendly.
Dramatic Page Speed Insights Improvements
The impact of our website revamp on core web vitals was dramatic. Here’s a comparison of JA Valeting’s old site versus the new one on Google Page Speed Insights:
Old Site:
Performance: 34
Accessibility: 100
Best Practices: 100
SEO: 92
New Site:
Performance: 90
Accessibility: 100
Best Practices: 100
SEO: 100
Achieving 90+ on all key metrics means the website loads almost instantly, providing an excellent user experience, which directly contributes to higher engagement and better Google Ads Quality Scores.
Use the slider to see the improved core web vitals after we launched the new site
Google Ads Mastery: A Step-by-Step Implementation Guide
With the high-performing, conversion-optimised website in place, we shifted our focus to setting up a Google Ads account that would seamlessly integrate with our new site and drive high-quality leads. This is how we set up Google Ads to work effectively for a small and local business.
Campaign Settings
Campaign Objective: Always start with Leads. This tells Google's algorithm that your primary goal is to generate customer inquiries.
Network: Crucially, select only the Google Search Network. Deselect "Search Partners" and "Display Network."
Why? Search Partners can often bring lower-quality traffic from other search sites. The Display Network is for brand awareness through image ads, not direct lead generation via search queries, and can quickly deplete a local business's budget with irrelevant clicks.
Location Settings: JA Valeting & Detailing advised they wanted to target a radius around their business location (St Helens) of 20 miles. This is precise local targeting.
Crucial Point: Select "People in or regularly in your targeted locations" as your setting, rather than Google's default recommendation of "People in, or who have shown an interest in your targeted locations."
The Reason: If you select the Google-recommended version, somebody could be based on the other side of the country or even in another country, but if they have researched your location for one reason or another (such as a planned holiday or visit), they could be classed as having an "interest" in that location. This would lead to wasted ad spend on irrelevant clicks from people nowhere near your service area.
Bidding Strategy (Starting Right)
Always start with "Maximise Clicks" on a new account.
Why? At this point, Google's algorithm doesn't have any conversion data for your account. The strange thing is that Google Ads often tries to encourage new advertisers to use "maximise conversions" from the very beginning, but how can the algorithm maximise conversions when it has no data to learn from?
It is far better to use "maximise clicks" initially to drive as much traffic as possible. This allows Google's algorithm to gather valuable data on who clicks your ads and, more importantly, which of those clicks lead to conversions on your well-optimised website.
In numerous cases, if the correct keyword research and website structure have been set up, a Google Ads account can continue to perform better using "maximise clicks" even long-term. Using "maximise conversions" is still a valid strategy, but it's important to get as much cheap, relevant traffic as possible first to let the Google Ads algorithm learn what your conversions are.
Set a Max CPC (Cost Per Click): We also set a max CPC of £1.00.
Why? Our keyword research showed that some terms were not super competitive. If you don’t set a max CPC, Google can sometimes give an occasional massive CPC for an individual click, especially while it is in "learning mode." This cap helps prevent budget overruns on single, potentially low-quality clicks. We don't always recommend £1.00 as the max CPC but again by leaning on the keyword data we could see that this was a reasonable position start with.
Conversion Tracking – The Heart of Optimisation
Accurate conversion tracking is paramount. This ensures that we are training the Google Ads algorithm on the most valuable actions taken on your website. We set up conversions in Google Tag Manager (GTM) to track the following:
Contact form submissions
Contact via WhatsApp
Contact via phone (click-to-call from mobile ads, or clicks on phone numbers on the site)
Contact via email (clicks on email addresses on the site)
This approach ensures we capture all relevant lead generation activities, providing the Google Ads algorithm with the best possible data to optimise for.
Because JA Valeting has different value prices for their services (e.g., a simple wash vs. a full detail), we had to set the conversion value as "same for every conversion" with a nominal value of £1. This is essentially a box-ticking exercise in this scenario, as we couldn't get a precise, average conversion value from JA Valeting. For businesses with clearer, consistent transaction values, assigning accurate conversion values is even more powerful as the Google Ads algo then not only knows what a conversion is but how much it is worth. So if and when you switch to a "Maximise Conversions" strategy, as long as there is enough data, the algorithm will be able to prioritise higher value potential conversions.
Ad Groups – The Power of Granularity
This is the crucial aspect that differentiates a successful Google Ads campaign from a floundering one. As detailed previously, we performed extensive keyword research and grouping. Now, we translate that research into the structure of the Google Ads account.
Instead of one generic ad group, we created multiple ad groups (45 in total), corresponding to our keyword groups:
Generic Service Ad Groups (Phrase Match Keywords): These target service terms by splitting services into targeted segments such as "interior cleaning", "pet hair removal", "headlight restoration"
Service + Location Ad Groups (Phrase Match Keywords): These are highly specific, targeting combinations of services and locations (e.g., "headlight restoration St Helens," "mobile car wash Wigan").
Also important to note: For Generic Service Ad Groups, we included negative keywords for every tracked location so they remained truly location-agnostic.
As an example: For the generic service ad group "Interior Cleaning," we would include negative keywords like:
"st Helens"
"Wigan"
"Rainhill"
Why do this? We do this to force Google Ads to use the more specific, location-based ad group when a user includes a location in their search. Therefore, the highly relevant, location-specific service + location ad copy is shown, and when clicked on, the ad leads to the corresponding service + location landing page. This is all about maximising the relevancy of the ad copy and the landing page, driving higher quality traffic.
Landing Pages – The Destination
Each of the 45 unique landing pages was meticulously designed to work in conjunction with its corresponding ad group. They were crafted to be:
One for each service + location combination: Ensuring immediate relevance to the ad and search query.
Containing unique copy: Tailored content specific to that service and location.
Suburb mentions: Incorporating mentions of specific suburbs within the target location to enhance local SEO and relevance.
Local images: Featuring relevant local imagery to connect with the user.
An embedded map: Clearly showing the service area or business location.
In general, these high-converting landing pages included standard, yet optimised, sections:
Header: Clear and compelling with the specific service and location.
Benefits: Highlighting the advantages of choosing JA Valeting for that specific service.
Why choose us: Building trust and showcasing unique selling propositions.
Our services: Detailing the specific service offered on that page.
Testimonials: Relevant reviews from customers who used that specific service or were in that location.
FAQs: Answering common questions to address potential concerns.
Clear Call to Actions (CTAs): Relevant to each ad group and landing page (e.g., "Get a Headlight Restoration Quote in St Helens," "Book Mobile Valeting in Wigan").
This comprehensive and interconnected strategy for keywords, ad groups, and landing pages is the core of driving highly qualified, cost-effective leads for local service businesses.
The Results: Quantifiable Success
The combined efforts of the website redesign and the meticulously structured Google Ads campaign yielded significant and immediate positive results for JA Valeting & Detailing.
Website Design Impact
As discussed, we completely revamped the old, slow, and unprofessional Squarespace site. The new website is a testament to the power of thoughtful design, speed optimisation, and user-centric content.
Visual Transformation: The before/after comparison of the homepage (as described in the website section above) clearly shows a more compact, modern, and trustworthy layout. The rolling ticker, prominent trust factors (5-star Facebook rating, 81 reviews), consistent colour scheme, and intuitive contact methods all contribute to a superior user experience.
Mobile-First Success: Our dedication to optimising the mobile version of the site paid off. With over 80% of local searches happening on mobile, ensuring a seamless and fast experience on smaller screens was critical.
Dramatic Performance Improvement: The Page Speed Insights scores speak for themselves. From a sluggish performance score of 34 on the old site, the new website now boasts an impressive 90! All key metrics (Accessibility, Best Practices, SEO) are at 100. This ensures rapid loading times, reduced bounce rates, and a strong foundation for both user satisfaction and search engine rankings.
Google Ads Results
The strategic Google Ads setup, paired with the high-converting website, delivered immediate and tangible results:
Month 1 Performance: In the very first month of the new Google Ads campaign, JA Valeting & Detailing saw:
54 Conversions
At an average Cost Per Conversion of just £3.63
It's important to reiterate what a "conversion" means here: it's a direct, measurable action of a potential customer submitting a contact form on the website, or getting in contact directly via phone, WhatsApp, or email. These are high-quality, actionable leads.
Following the first month, we conducted a thorough analysis, primarily focusing on the Search Terms Report within Google Ads. This report shows the actual search queries users typed that triggered our ads. We meticulously reviewed this report to identify any irrelevant queries that slipped through our keyword targeting. Any irrelevant queries found were then added as negative keywords.
What are Negative Keywords and Why are They Important? Negative keywords are terms you add to your campaign to prevent your ads from showing for searches that are not relevant to your business. For example, if JA Valeting focuses on professional detailing and not cheap, DIY car wash tips, we might add "DIY car wash" as a negative keyword. By consistently reviewing the search terms report and adding negative keywords, we ensure that ad spend is not wasted on unqualified clicks, continuously refining campaign efficiency and lead quality.
Month 2 Performance: Into the second month, the performance continued to improve, demonstrating the power of ongoing optimisation and the algorithm's learning:
57 Conversions
At an even lower average Cost Per Conversion of £3.58
Key Strategic Justifications from Initial Months: These early results provided clear validation for our strategic choices:
Mobile Dominance: A significant total conversions (88%) occurred on mobile devices. This powerfully justified our mobile-first website design and optimisation efforts, confirming that this is where the majority of local service inquiries happen.
Granular Ad Group Effectiveness: The majority of conversions (61%) happened on the highly targeted Service + Location Ad Groups. This validated our extensive keyword research and the strategy of creating numerous, specific ad groups and corresponding landing pages, demonstrating the superior quality and intent of leads generated through hyper-relevance. In one adgroup (Leyland - Mobile Car Valeting), the conversion rate was as high as 60%!
- Leyland - Mobile Car Valeting - 66.67% conversion rate
Month 3 Performance (Transition to Smart Bidding): After two months and a total of 111 conversions, we felt that Google's algorithm had accumulated sufficient conversion data. At this point, we strategically switched the bidding strategy from "Maximise Clicks" to the smart bidding strategy "Maximise Conversions" with a target CPA set of £3.50. This transition leverages Google's machine learning capabilities to automatically optimise bids for conversion volume based on the historical data we had fed it.
In month 3, the Cost Per Lead reduced further to £3.52.
Crucially, JA Valeting reported to us that the leads were of exceptional quality, indicating that our highly targeted approach was connecting them with genuinely interested and ready-to-convert customers.
- Detailing & Valeting Google Ads Results
General Advice for Small & Local Businesses: Lessons Learned
The success story of JA Valeting & Detailing offers invaluable lessons for any small or local business looking to enhance their online presence and generate more leads. Here's our general advice:
Don't DIY Your Digital Foundation (Unless You're an Expert): While saving money initially seems appealing, attempting to build a website and manage Google Ads without specialised knowledge often leads to wasted time, frustration, and ultimately, lost revenue. The "hidden costs" of ineffective marketing far outweigh the initial savings. Invest in professionals who understand conversion optimisation and targeted advertising.
Invest in a Professional, High-Performance Website: Your website is your digital storefront. It must be fast, visually appealing, mobile-friendly, and designed with conversion in mind. Speed, clear calls to action, and prominent trust signals are non-negotiable. A slow or poorly designed website will tank even the best Google Ads campaigns.
Data-Driven Decisions Rule (Keyword Research First): Never build a website or launch an ad campaign without thorough keyword and competitor research. This data should inform your entire online strategy, from website structure and content to ad group targeting. Understand exactly what your potential customers are searching for.
Adopt a User-First Mindset: Make it incredibly easy for potential customers to contact you. Don't force them into complicated forms or specific package deals at the outset. Your primary goal is to open a dialogue and build trust. Simple contact forms, multiple communication channels (phone, email, WhatsApp), and transparent information will always outperform restrictive funnels.
Google Ads is Not a "Set It and Forget It" Tool: Successful Google Ads campaigns require ongoing optimisation. Regularly review your Search Terms Report, add negative keywords, adjust bids, and refine ad copy. The digital landscape is dynamic, and your campaigns need to adapt.
Focus on Hyper-Relevancy: The entire user journey – from the search query they type, to the ad they see, to the landing page they click through to – must be as relevant as possible. This precision leads to higher Quality Scores, lower costs, and more qualified leads.
Embrace and Leverage Your Existing Strengths: If you have strong offline reviews, a loyal customer base, or great images of your work, integrate them prominently into your online presence. Social proof is a powerful conversion tool.
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