Kalkomey provides state-approved online safety courses for outdoor pursuits across North America, most notably hunter safety training required for licensing in every U.S. state.
10 weeks before hunting season, Kalkomey’s manual bid campaigns risked missing a surge in license-seekers.
VisualFizz implemented an experiment (spanning 11 states) that pitted Max Conversions, target CPA, and target ROAS against legacy CPC, then tuned each region to its top performer. The rapid test lifted enrollments 25% while trimming acquisition costs by 8%.
Keep reading to discover the data-driven decisions that positioned Kalkomey to scale this winning strategy nationwide.
The Challenge: Limited State-Level Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Growth
As the 2024 hunting season approached, Kalkomey saw a window to capture more prospective students. Manual CPC bidding had reliably controlled costs, but it also limited impression share in high-demand weeks.
Because the 11 priority states set their own age minimums, bag limits, and license deadlines, search volume and keyword pricing fluctuate dramatically: dense in Midwestern deer country, lighter along the coasts. Exclusive training contracts in several regions further magnified the upside of every additional conversion.
With 10 weeks before opening day, Kalkomey and VisualFizz aimed to seize this momentum by rapidly testing automated bid strategies, tailoring them to local conditions, and building a repeatable roadmap for nationwide expansion.
The Solution: Phased Paid Search Strategy and Automated Bidding Optimization
VisualFizz gathered program directors, marketers, and state liaisons to clarify profit targets and historical performance. Seasonal demand curves and legacy conversion data guided the choice of four pilot states, each with distinct regulatory quirks and search volume patterns.
Cohesive Campaign Architecture
A consistent naming convention and shared first-party audiences leveled the playing field for Campaign Testing. This structure allowed side-by-side comparisons of:
- Manual CPC (control)
- Max Conversions
- Target CPA (tCPA)
- Target ROAS (tROAS)
Automated Bidding Tests & Real-Time Optimization
Early results showed Max Conversions inflated CPC, while tCPA held cost in check and drove steady volume.
By week 3, VisualFizz paused the underperforming strategies, freeing budget for deeper tCPA and tROAS tests. Bid adjustments ran regularly, ensuring each state reached statistical significance before the 10-week window closed.
The Results: Profitable PPC Scale Across Peak Season
Six weeks of live testing crowned tCPA the overall winner. Select high-value states thrived on tROAS.
After each region migrated to its top performer, the full season (Sep. 24 to Dec. 6, 2024) surpassed the prior year on every revenue metric:
- Conversions up 25%: 2,838 additional hunters certified.
- Profit up 63%: $167.3K incremental margin.
- CPA down 8% despite a 14% spend increase.
- Clicks down 10% and impressions up 9%, proof the algorithms filtered low-intent traffic.
10 of 11 states achieved profit gains. The lone outlier held CPC steady but saw softer demand, a gap targeted for further bid tuning.
Smart Bidding Keeps Pace with Platform Changes
Automated bidding thrives on fresh signals and weekly iteration. With disciplined governance and continuous testing, you can ensure your ads stay visible, cost-efficient, and profitable.
Looking to implement smart bidding strategies in your PPC campaigns? VisualFizz builds data-driven frameworks that scale with you. Contact us to explore a custom paid search strategy for your organization.
