Melbourne Insurance Broker — Google Ads
An insurance broker was invisible to SMBs searching for cover — Google Ads now delivers 223% more qualified policy enquiries.
TL;DR
- Challenge:
- A Melbourne insurance broker with 20 years of handshake-driven business — pipeline drying up as network retired.
- Approach:
- Intent-based search targeting SMB insurance queries, short-form quote LP, renewal-season remarketing.
- Result:
- +223% qualified policy enquiries, cost per lead $62, new policies written +267%.
Key Results at a Glance
+223%
Qualified policy enquiries
$62
Cost per qualified lead
+267%
New policies written
Client Context
Business Type
Insurance broking (SMB professional indemnity + public liability)
Founded
2003
Team Size
6 brokers + admin
Market
Melbourne CBD + Victoria SMBs
Revenue Tier
$1.8M commission revenue
Stack Before
Network referrals, static website, no digital marketing
The Challenge
The broker serviced SMBs but had zero digital lead generation. All clients came from the principal's personal network built over 20 years — and the pipeline was drying up as existing contacts retired or changed roles.
Goals & KPIs
North-Star Metric
Generate 25+ qualified policy enquiries per month digitally and cut network dependency
Supporting KPIs
Qualified enquiries/month
Target: 25+
Cost per qualified lead
Target: Under $80
Policies written/month
Target: 10+
Renewal season revenue
Target: +40%
Landing page conv rate
Target: 5%+
Discovery & Research
Audit Findings
- •Zero digital marketing
- •Static website with vague CTAs
- •No Google Ads
- •No conversion tracking
- •No renewal-season strategy
Baseline Issues
- •9 enquiries/month (all referrals)
- •3 new policies/month
- •No lead attribution
- •No renewal remarketing
Competitor Insight
Top Melbourne brokers ran intent-based Google Ads with short-form quote landing pages ("Get a quote in 60 seconds") converting at 5-7%.
Audience Insight
Melbourne SMB decision-makers renew insurance March-June, search "business insurance quote" during renewal, and want a broker vs direct comparison quickly.
Strategy
Core Hypothesis
“If we run intent search + short-form quote LP + renewal-season remarketing, then enquiries will 3x because SMB owners buy insurance transactionally when triggered.”
Positioning Shift
Repositioned as "Melbourne's SMB insurance broker — 60-second quote, broker vs direct".
Channel Mix
Google Search — insurance intent · 55%
High-intent capture
Short-form quote LP · 25%
Conversion optimisation
Renewal season remarketing · 15%
March-June seasonal
Retargeting · 5%
Comparison shoppers
Our Approach
Intent-based search
Targeted SMB insurance queries: "business insurance Melbourne", "public liability insurance quote", "professional indemnity broker" — with ad copy emphasising broker vs direct comparison.
Landing page A/B testing
Tested 4 landing page variants — long-form with calculator vs short-form with phone CTA. The short form with "Get a quote in 60 seconds" won by 2.4x on conversion rate.
Remarketing list
Built a remarketing list of site visitors and served ads during renewal season (typically March–June for business insurance) with renewal reminder messaging.
Phased Roadmap
Weeks 1–3
Foundation
- →Google Ads account setup
- →4 landing page variants (long vs short form)
- →Call tracking + conversion tracking
- →Renewal remarketing audience
Weeks 4–16
Launch
- →Search: "business insurance Melbourne", "PI insurance broker"
- →Short-form LP won 2.4x vs long-form
- →Enquiries: 9 → 22/month
- →CPL: $180 → $85
Weeks 17–24
Renewal Season Push
- →Renewal remarketing March-June
- →A/B tested urgency messaging
- →Enquiries: 29/month, policies: 11/month
- →CPL: $62
What We Built
The Results
Monthly Qualified Policy Enquiries
Before vs After — 6 Months
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified policy enquiries | 9/month | 29/month | +223% |
| Cost per qualified lead | N/A | $62 | $62 |
| New policies written | 3/month | 11/month | +267% |
“I built this business on handshakes. But handshakes do not scale — Google Ads do.”
Peter J.
Principal, Insurance Broking
Key Insights
- →Short-form ("60-second quote") converted 2.4x higher than long-form landing pages
- →Renewal season (March-June) delivered 62% of yearly enquiries — timing matters
- →RLSA targeting previous visitors during renewal season had lowest CPL
- →Broker vs direct messaging resonated with SMB decision-makers
What's Next
Adding cyber insurance campaigns, launching LinkedIn ads for finance directors, and testing content marketing for organic authority.
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.