case study 2026
From $300 leads to $55 — and a full practice pipeline built in a single quarter.
ENGAGEMENT
Google Ads • Local SEO
TIMELINE
Q1 2026 (10 weeks)
01. THE CHALLENGE
A growing private counselling practice in Brantford, ON needed a scalable lead channel. No ad history, no keyword footprint, and a tight budget made early results critical.
KEY ISSUES
No ad historyZero campaign data or Quality Score to build on.
$300 cost-per-leadJanuary opened with expensive, inefficient results.
Meta tested + cutLead quality didn't convert — budget shifted to Google.
Zero keyword footprintNo top-3 organic rankings to lean on while paid ramped.
02. OUR APPROACH
We focused spend on high-intent local search, cut what wasn't converting, and let the data drive every optimization call.
Launched Local Leads Campaign targeting ‘therapist Brantford’ and near-me searches. Brantford Therapy — Core followed in March.
Campaign exited the learning phase by March — bidding, keywords, and copy aligned to convert at 18.1% rate.
Ran Meta Jan–Feb ($1,183 CAD). Lead quality didn’t convert to sessions. Budget fully reallocated to Google within 2 months.
03.THE RESULTS
Q1 2026 — Jan 17 to Mar 31.
82%
Cost-per-lead reduction
$300 in January → $55 in March
THE SHIFT
BEFORE
$300 cost-per-lead in January
Only 5 conversions in first month
Meta leads not converting to sessions
No organic presence to support paid
Multiple inactive campaigns
AFTER
CAMPAIGN GROWTH
BA, BSW, MSW, RSW
Registered Social Worker
Psychotherapist · Founder
Maratos Counselling
“When I was first introduced to Tina of Direct Route Design I was skeptical. After years of being let down by companies who made empty promises I had all but given up on achieving results in marketing my small therapy practice. A trusted friend assured me that Tina was the real deal — and she wasn’t lying!
Not only did Tina and her team create a beautiful and functional website, they optimized for SEO and have created and sustained a marketing campaign that has consistently produced results with solid leads that have translated to ideal clients for our team.
Not only is Tina talented, she is an honest and genuine business woman. She heard me when I expressed concern about my investment and budget and worked hard to adjust her proposal to ensure her work still fostered my business growth while remaining within my financial means. As someone who values communication, responsiveness and trust, I highly recommend Tina and her team to support your business’s image and growth.”
GET STARTED
We’re selective about who we partner with — not because we’re precious, but because we need to know we can actually move the needle for you. If you’re a serious brand ready to grow, let’s talk.
