Turning “Underinvested Google” into a Growth Engine for a Bottled Cocktails Brand

Overview

Verdure Media is a boutique paid media agency helping brands turn ad spend into measurable growth through rigorous strategy and relentlessly solid execution. This case study shows what happened when we took over a bottled cocktails brand’s paid media setup and rebuilt Google Ads from the ground up, not with a “new hack”, but with best practice done properly.

Results delivered:

• +924% revenue
  
• +1,262% conversions
  
• +1,000% new customers
  

The challenge

The client had historically prioritised Meta as their main growth channel. Google Ads existed, but it was running with low investment and minimal strategic focus. The result was predictable:

• Google was not meaningfully contributing to scale
  
• The account lacked the fundamentals needed for Google to learn, optimise, and grow
  
• There was no clear Google role in the path to purchase, so demand capture and high-intent traffic were being left on the table
  

When we audited the account, we found gaps that typically cap performance fast, especially for ecommerce:

• No audience strategy to support performance or funnel stages
  
• Performance Max was under-built, with little to no supporting creative assets (text, video, imagery)
  
• No feed optimisation, limiting the ability to compete effectively in Shopping environments
  
• Keyword coverage was broad and thin, missing the intent layers that capture ready-to-buy demand
  

In short: Google Ads wasn’t “not working”. It just wasn’t being run properly.

Objectives

1. Make Google Ads a core role-player in the path to purchase, not an afterthought
   
2. Build a structure that could scale sustainably while protecting efficiency
   
3. Drive incremental growth, particularly:
   
   • Revenue growth
     
   • Conversion growth
     
   • New customer acquisition
     

Strategy: Best practice first, then scale

We focused on what we call the brilliant basics. Not glamorous, but incredibly effective when done correctly.

1) Rebuild for intent, not just presence

We designed a keyword and campaign structure that mapped to real buyer behaviour: brand demand, product-led demand, and high-intent exploration. This ensured Google could show up at the moments customers were actively looking to buy, compare, or decide.

2) Make Performance Max actually “Performance”

Performance Max is only as good as what you feed it. We rebuilt PMax with:

• Proper asset coverage (high-quality copy, images, and supporting video)
  
• Clear messaging angles aligned to customer intent
  
• Stronger input signals so Google could learn faster and optimise with purpose
  

3) Feed optimisation to unlock Shopping performance

We improved the foundations of product visibility by tightening feed quality and relevance. For ecommerce, this is often one of the biggest levers for both scale and efficiency because it impacts what queries you can show for and how competitive you are when you do.

4) Create a real path to purchase, not “Meta only”

We repositioned Google as a strategic complement to Meta, not a competitor to it:

• Meta drives discovery and demand
  
• Google captures and converts that demand when people search, compare, and purchase
  

This is often where brands plateau. Google is treated as optional, when it should be a key closer in the funnel.

Execution (what we actually changed)

• Full account audit and restructure focused on scalable best practice
  
• Keyword approach expanded from broad coverage to intent-led structure
  
• Performance Max rebuilt with complete creative and messaging inputs
  
• Feed improvements rolled out to strengthen product visibility and relevance
  
• Budget and optimisation approach aligned to profitability and growth, not vanity metrics
  

Results

Once Google Ads had the right foundations and a defined role in the customer journey, growth followed.

Outcomes:

• +924% revenue
  
• +1,262% conversions
  
• +1,000% new customers
  

These results did not come from a “clever trick”. They came from correcting what was holding the account back, then scaling on a stable base.

Why it worked 

1. Best practice is a growth lever
   People roll their eyes at best practice because it sounds boring. In reality, it’s the foundation that makes everything else work.
   
2. Google needs inputs to perform
   Especially with automation, you don’t get results by “letting it run”. You get results by giving it the signals, structure, and assets it needs.
   
3. Meta-only strategies often leave money on the table
   If Meta is generating demand, Google is where a meaningful portion of that demand gets converted. Ignoring it limits scale.
   

What this means for brands like yours

If you have an underinvested Google account, or you are running PMax without robust assets and an intent-led structure, you are likely paying a performance tax. Not because the platform does not work, but because the basics are not in place.

If you want Verdure Media to get under the hood of your account and find the growth you are currently missing, let’s talk.