---
title: Skaalen Google Ads — February 2026 Performance Review
type: article
created: '2026-04-05'
updated: '2026-04-05'
source_docs:
- raw/2026-03-05-skaalen-monthly-marketing-call-127591023.md
tags:
- google-ads
- skaalen
- performance-review
- seo
- analytics
layer: 2
client_source: null
industry_context: null
transferable: true
---

# Skaalen Google Ads — February 2026 Performance Review

## Overview

February 2026 showed a notable dip in Google Ads impression volume for [[clients/skaalen/index|Skaalen Retirement Services]], with a 40% year-over-year drop likely attributable to seasonal factors. Despite lower impressions, click-through rate remained strong, and branded search continued to dominate traffic. This review covers Google Ads, GA4 website analytics, and Google Search Console data discussed in the [[clients/skaalen/meetings/2026-03-05-monthly-marketing-call|March 2026 Monthly Marketing Call]].

---

## Google Ads Performance

| Metric | February 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Impressions | ~4,000 | ↓ 40% vs. prior period |
| Click-Through Rate (CTR) | 9% | Strong; above typical benchmarks |
| Top Ad Group | Branded ("Skaalen") | 366 clicks |

### Impression Drop — Likely Causes

The 40% impression decline was flagged as potentially misleading in isolation. Two seasonal hypotheses were raised during the meeting:

1. **Snowbird effect** — A portion of the target demographic (older adults and their adult children) may be wintering in warmer states (Florida, Arizona, Texas) and not actively researching retirement living options in February.
2. **Valentine's Day holiday** — A mid-month dip in sessions correlated with the February 14 holiday, suggesting reduced search activity around that date.

**Action item:** Melissa to investigate year-over-year February impression data to confirm whether this dip is a recurring seasonal pattern.

### Ad Group Breakdown

- **Branded campaigns** consistently outperform all others. Top search terms: "Skaalen," "Skaalen Retirement," "Skaalen Heights."
- **Assisted Living / Senior Living campaigns** showed moderate performance.
- **Competitor campaigns** continue to yield low results — a pattern noted across multiple clients. Targeting competitor names in paid search rarely delivers the expected volume or conversion lift.

---

## GA4 Website Analytics

| Metric | February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Sessions | ~2,400 |
| New Users | ~1,900 |
| Top Traffic Source | Direct (37%) |
| Organic Search | 28% |
| Paid Search | 21% |
| Top Landing Pages | Homepage, Careers |

### Traffic Source Notes

- **Direct (37%)** is the largest channel, reflecting strong brand awareness — users already know Skaalen and navigate directly.
- **Paid search** drove approximately 505 clicks to the site, confirming ad spend is generating measurable traffic.
- **Desktop** remains the dominant device type, consistent with prior months. The hypothesis is that adult children researching options for parents tend to do so from a work or home desktop environment.

---

## Google Search Console

### High-Impression Keywords

- **"Memory care community"** — Very high impressions; the blog post *"What is a Memory Care Community?"* is ranking well. Impressions are strong but CTR is low, indicating an opportunity to improve the page's meta title/description to drive more clicks.

### Top-Clicked Keywords

| Keyword | Notes |
|---|---|
| Skaalen (branded variants) | Highest click volume; confirms brand recognition |
| Nursing homes in Stoughton | Strong local intent |
| Heritage Senior Living | Competitor name capturing cross-traffic (see below) |
| Senior living in Stoughton | Good local traction |

### Competitor Keyword Capture — Heritage Senior Living

"Heritage Senior Living" (a Madison-area facility) is appearing as a top-clicked keyword driving traffic to Skaalen. This is not being used as a paid competitor keyword — rather, it appears to be working organically through content and keyword overlap. This is functioning as an effective passive competitor capture strategy and should be monitored and potentially reinforced.

---

## Q1 OKR Implications

The February performance data directly informed the [[clients/skaalen/meetings/2026-03-05-monthly-marketing-call|Q1 OKR proposals]] discussed in the same meeting:

- **Objective 1 — Improve Non-Branded Search Visibility:** The dominance of branded search terms highlights the need to build non-branded organic presence. Target: improve "assisted living in Stoughton" average position from 9.3 → 5.0.
- **Objective 2 — Optimize Google Ads:** A full Google Ads audit was initiated to address the impression gap, test non-branded campaigns via A/B testing, and fix high-impression/low-CTR content gaps (e.g., the memory care blog).

See [[knowledge/google-ads/google-ads-audit-process|Google Ads Audit Process]] for general audit methodology.

---

## Related

- [[clients/skaalen/index|Skaalen Client Overview]]
- [[clients/skaalen/meetings/2026-03-05-monthly-marketing-call|March 2026 Monthly Marketing Call]]
- [[knowledge/seo/non-branded-search-strategy|Non-Branded Search Strategy]]
- [[knowledge/google-ads/competitor-campaign-limitations|Competitor Campaign Limitations]]