Most digital ad campaigns for banks and credit unions are not underperforming because of budget. They are underperforming because of how conversions are tracked. In this episode, Meredith Olmstead and Ida Burr break down a simple but powerful tactic using custom goals in Google Ads to improve campaign accuracy, optimize for real results, and better understand the full application journey.

Key Takeaways:

• 1. Custom goals create more accurate campaign optimization.   Instead of relying on default conversions, custom goals allow financial institutions to define exactly what success looks like for each campaign. This ensures Google is optimizing toward the right outcomes, such as completed applications rather than unrelated actions.
• 2. Tracking the full application journey improves performance.  By including multiple stages like application start, mid-point, and completion, marketers can better understand user behavior and guide campaigns through the learning phase before narrowing optimization to high-intent conversions.
• 3. Conversion value helps measure real ROI.  Assigning value to completed applications allows teams to clearly track performance and understand return on ad spend. Whether using a set value or estimated revenue, this creates better visibility into what campaigns are truly delivering.