DBS Check Online
Regulated Services / B2B & B2C · Jul 2021 — Dec 2021
High-intent leads at scale through paid and social.
210% lift in leads with 242% ROI from PPC in a regulated, search-led category.
DBS Check Online provides background checks for individuals and employers across the UK. The market is search-led, regulated and unforgiving on CPCs. I took ownership of paid and social with a mandate to convert intent into qualified leads at a profitable cost per acquisition.
Engagement details
- Period
- Jul 2021 — Dec 2021
- Role
- Social Media & PPC Manager
Tools & platforms
The challenge
Where we started.
Drive qualified, high-intent enquiries in a regulated, search-led category where CPCs are unforgiving and every wasted click compounds across the account.
Integrated strategy
How we approached it.
01
Intent-first account structure
Refocus paid spend on commercial-intent keywords — strip out research traffic that wasn't converting.
02
Offer-led landing pages
Tight ad copy, landing pages and offer alignment so every click hit a page built to convert.
03
Disciplined testing cadence
Weekly A/B tests on creative, headlines, landing pages and bid strategies across Google and Microsoft Ads.
04
Social as a recall engine
Coordinated paid social to compound brand recall and lift branded search volume.
05
Built their social presence from scratch
Set up the brand's social media accounts from zero and grew them over time — establishing an always-on channel that compounds with paid and search.
Execution
What we shipped.
- Rebuilt the Google & Microsoft Ads accounts for clarity and control.
- Launched coordinated paid social campaigns across Meta channels.
- Continuous A/B testing on creative, copy and landing pages.
- Implemented full conversion tracking and call attribution.
- Ran an out-of-home (OOH) advertising campaign across high-footfall London locations — digital pylons at Bond Street station and bus-side banner ads — to lift brand recall and feed branded search.
- Set up the brand's social media accounts from scratch and grew the following continuously over time.
Deliverables
What was handed over.
- Google Ads & Microsoft Ads rebuild
- Paid social campaigns
- Landing page CRO
- Conversion tracking & attribution
Results
The numbers.
210%
Increase in leads
242%
ROI from PPC campaigns
2
Ad platforms rebuilt end-to-end
Weekly
A/B testing cadence
Let's build yours
Want a growth engine like this?
Start a conversationNext case