Richmond Boutique Gym — Google Ads
A boutique gym was losing to big-box chains on Google — targeted ads now deliver 156% more trial memberships.
TL;DR
- Challenge:
- A Richmond boutique gym losing to Fitness First + Anytime Fitness on broad "gym Melbourne" keywords.
- Approach:
- Boutique-specific intent targeting, free 7-day trial landing page, competitor campaigns for F45/Barry's.
- Result:
- +156% trial memberships, trial-to-member conversion 32% → 48%, cost per member down 57%.
Key Results at a Glance
+156%
Trial memberships
+50%
Trial-to-member conversion
-57%
Cost per new member
Client Context
Business Type
Boutique gym (strength + conditioning + PT)
Founded
2019
Team Size
8 trainers + owner
Market
Richmond, Cremorne, Abbotsford
Revenue Tier
$720K annual revenue
Stack Before
Mindbody, generic Google Ads, no Meta
The Challenge
The gym was competing against Fitness First and Anytime Fitness on broad keywords like "gym Melbourne". Their $500/month Google budget was being wasted on people looking for $15/week memberships.
Goals & KPIs
North-Star Metric
Grow membership base 3x through Google Ads with cost per new member under $50
Supporting KPIs
Trial memberships/month
Target: 40+
Trial-to-member conversion
Target: 45%+
Cost per new member
Target: Under $50
Google Ads ROAS
Target: 4x+
Retention (6-month)
Target: 65%+
Discovery & Research
Audit Findings
- •Broad keywords ("gym Melbourne") burning $500/month
- •No landing page — traffic to homepage
- •Zero competitor targeting
- •No conversion tracking on trial signups
- •Ads competing with $15/week chains
Baseline Issues
- •18 trial memberships/month
- •32% trial-to-member conversion
- •$95 cost per new member
- •Attracting price-shoppers
Competitor Insight
Top Melbourne boutiques used intent-based keywords (small group, PT, strength) and offered free trials as the primary conversion.
Audience Insight
Melbourne boutique gym searchers (28-45, HHI $80K+) want coaching + community, not the cheapest option — pricing shouldn't appear in ad copy.
Strategy
Core Hypothesis
“If we target boutique-specific keywords and offer a free 7-day trial, member acquisition costs will halve because we stop competing with big-box chains on price.”
Positioning Shift
Repositioned as "Richmond's coaching-first strength gym — small group training + PT, not just equipment".
Channel Mix
Google Search — intent keywords · 50%
Small group, PT, strength
Free trial landing page · 25%
Conversion driver
Competitor campaigns · 15%
F45, Barry's, CrossFit
Remarketing · 10%
Nurture
Our Approach
Boutique-specific targeting
Targeted keywords that signal boutique gym intent: "small group training Richmond", "personal training gym near me", "strength training Melbourne" — avoiding "cheap gym" queries.
Free trial landing page
Built a dedicated landing page with a free 7-day trial offer, class schedule, trainer profiles, and a simple form — converting clickers into walk-ins.
Competitor campaigns
Ran competitor targeting ads for searches including F45, Barry's, and CrossFit — positioning as a premium alternative with smaller class sizes and personalised coaching.
Phased Roadmap
Weeks 1–2
Foundation
- →Killed broad keywords
- →Built trial signup landing page
- →Trainer profile page
- →Conversion tracking setup
Weeks 3–12
Launch + Optimise
- →Intent-based search campaigns
- →Competitor campaigns for F45/Barry's
- →A/B tested LP variants
- →Trials: 18/mo → 34/mo
Weeks 13–20
Scale
- →Doubled budget on winning campaigns
- →Added remarketing to trial no-shows
- →Trainer bio content
- →Trials: 46/mo, cost per member: $41
What We Built
The Results
Monthly Trial Memberships
Before vs After — 5 Months
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trial memberships | 18/month | 46/month | +156% |
| Trial-to-member conversion | 32% | 48% | +50% |
| Cost per new member | $95 | $41 | -57% |
“We stopped trying to compete with big chains on price. Our ads now attract people who want quality coaching — and they stay.”
Ben H.
Owner, Boutique Gym
Key Insights
- →Intent keywords (small group, PT) beat generic "gym" by 3x on quality
- →Competitor targeting (F45, Barry's) delivered the highest LTV members
- →Free trial converted 4.4x higher than "join now" CTAs
- →Members from Google Ads had 22% higher retention than walk-ins
What's Next
Adding Meta ads for community-focused content, testing YouTube pre-roll on fitness content, and launching a corporate wellness program.
Ready to see similar results?
Book a free strategy call — we'll audit your current setup and map out what growth looks like for your business.
Services Used
Representative case study. Figures illustrate the type of outcomes achievable through these strategies for Australian businesses; individual results vary based on market, budget and starting position.