Executive Summary
The Detroit market launched on September 10, 2026 with a dual-platform strategy across Google Ads (Performance Max) and Meta Ads. In the initial weeks, Meta showed strong engagement and generated 5 connected calls (20+ seconds) early on, showing initial promise. However, Meta's conversion performance declined over time while costs remained steady. Google PMax also struggled to convert during September without proper location targeting.
In early October, two key optimizations were made: location targeting was refined on Google, and a new Detroit | Buy & Sell | Search campaign was launched (first data Oct 8). The impact was immediate. Google PMax went from 0 primary conversions in September to 13 Calls from Ads in October, while the new Search campaign generated 14 all-conversions (directions, engagements, website visits, store visits) capturing high-intent search traffic.
Given Meta's lack of meaningful conversions, the recommendation was to shift Meta budget toward Google, where the campaigns were now producing real phone call leads for the Detroit market.
All-Time Combined Totals (Both Platforms)
Total Spend
$2,190.39
Google: $948.11 | Meta: $1,242.28
Total Clicks
5,613
Google: 275 | Meta: 5,338
Total Impressions
97,453
Google: 4,493 | Meta: 92,960
Phone Calls (Google)
14
Primary conversion goal
Calls Placed (Meta)
6
Click-to-call actions
Cost Per Call (Google)
$47.58
PMax calls from ads
Timeline of Strategic Changes
September 10, 2026
Detroit market launched on both Google Ads (PMax) and Meta Ads simultaneously. PMax running Maximize Conversions bidding. Meta running Outcome Leads objective at $10/day.
September (Full Month)
Google PMax produced 0 primary conversions (calls from ads) despite 98 clicks and $170.05 spend. Meta generated high engagement (1,639 link clicks) and 5 connected calls (20s+) on $539.29 spend, showing early promise. Google PMax still in learning phase with no primary conversions.
Early October 2026
Location targeting refined on Google Ads. Detroit geo-targeting optimized to focus spend on the correct service area. This gave the PMax algorithm better signals to find converting audiences.
October 8, 2026
New Search campaign launched: "Detroit | Buy & Sell | Search" using Target Spend (Maximize Clicks) bidding. This captured high-intent search queries that PMax alone was missing.
October (Full Month)
Google PMax produced 13 Calls from Ads on $433.84 spend, up from 0 in September. The Search campaign added 14 all-conversions (directions, website visits, store visits, engagements). Combined Google CPA for calls: $33.37.
Budget Reallocation
Although Meta initially produced 5 connected calls early in the campaign, performance declined and the cost per connected call reached $248.46. With Google now driving calls at $33.37 each after location targeting was added, the recommendation was made to shift Meta budget to Google where the return was 7.4x more efficient.
Google Ads — All-Time Performance
Campaign Breakdown
| Campaign |
Type |
Spend |
Clicks |
Impr. |
Calls |
All Conv. |
CTR |
| Detroit | Sale & Rent | PMax |
PMax |
$666.65 |
216 |
4,003 |
14 |
70 |
5.40% |
| Detroit | Buy & Sell | Search |
Search |
$281.46 |
59 |
490 |
0 |
14 |
12.04% |
| Total Google Ads |
$948.11 |
275 |
4,493 |
14 |
84 |
6.12% |
The Impact: Before vs. After Location Targeting
The PMax campaign launched September 10, but without properly refined location targeting, the algorithm was spreading impressions too broadly. After location targeting was tightened to the Detroit service area in early October, plus the addition of a dedicated Search campaign, the results were dramatic:
Detroit | Sale & Rent | PMax — Monthly Comparison
September 2026 (Before)
Spend
$170.05
Clicks
98
Calls from Ads
0
All Conversions
1
Avg CPC
$1.74
October 2026 (After)
Spend
$433.84
Clicks
104
Calls from Ads
13
All Conversions
69
Avg CPC
$4.17
Key Takeaways from Location Targeting
- Calls from Ads went from 0 to 13 after location targeting was refined, a complete turnaround for the primary conversion goal
- All-conversions jumped from 1 to 69 (directions, store visits, website visits, engagements), showing the algorithm found relevant local audiences once geo was corrected
- Higher CPC ($4.17 vs $1.74) is expected when targeting is tighter, but the cost per call dropped to $33.37 since the campaign actually started converting
- The Search campaign (launched Oct 8) added 12.04% CTR, capturing high-intent "buy" and "sell" queries specific to Detroit
Google Ads — Conversion Breakdown
Here is every conversion action attributed to the Detroit Google campaigns across all time:
Detroit | Sale & Rent | PMax
Detroit | Buy & Sell | Search
Meta Ads — All-Time Performance
Meta Monthly Breakdown
| Period |
Spend |
Clicks |
Impressions |
Link Clicks |
CTR |
CPC |
| Sep 10 — Sep 30 |
$539.29 |
1,401 |
49,460 |
1,639 |
2.83% |
$0.38 |
| Oct 1 — Nov 2 |
$702.99 |
3,937 |
43,500 |
4,548 |
9.05% |
$0.18 |
| All Time |
$1,242.28 |
5,338 |
92,960 |
6,478 |
5.74% |
$0.23 |
Meta Conversion Actions (All Time)
Why Meta Budget Was Moved to Google
After nearly two months and $1,242.28 in Meta spend, the Detroit | Shop & Rent campaign generated strong engagement metrics (5,338 clicks, 92,960 impressions, 9,655 video views) but delivered only 6 click-to-call actions and 5 connected calls of 20+ seconds. For a business where the primary conversion goal is phone calls, this was not a sustainable return.
Meta Ads (All Time)
Total Spend
$1,242.28
Connected Calls (20s+)
5
Cost Per Connected Call
$248.46
Outcome
Declining Performance
Google Ads (October Only)
Total Spend (Oct)
$684.16
Calls from Ads
13
Cost Per Call
$33.37
All Conversions
83
The Decision
- Meta's cost per connected call was $248.46, while Google's cost per call from ads was $33.37 in October, making Google 7.4x more efficient at driving phone calls
- Google's location-targeted campaigns produced 14 calls from ads plus 70 additional local actions (directions, store visits, website visits) compared to Meta's minimal conversion activity
- Reallocating Meta budget to Google allows doubling down on the platform that is actually producing the business outcomes TMI needs in the Detroit market
- The Search campaign (launched Oct 8) added an additional high-intent channel with 12.04% CTR, capturing people actively searching for traffic management equipment and services in Detroit
Recommendation
The data clearly shows that once location targeting was properly configured on Google, the Detroit campaigns started producing meaningful phone call leads. The combination of a refined PMax campaign with a high-intent Search campaign is the winning formula for this market.
Continue consolidating budget on Google Ads for the Detroit market, with the PMax campaign driving awareness and local conversions while the Search campaign captures active buyers and sellers. Monitor call volume weekly to ensure the trend from October continues to hold.