---
title: Skaalen Google Ads Performance — March 2026
type: article
created: '2026-04-05'
updated: '2026-04-05'
source_docs:
- raw/2026-04-02-skaalen-monthly-marketing-call-135067316.md
tags:
- google-ads
- seo
- skaalen
- performance-analysis
- seasonal-trends
layer: 2
client_source: null
industry_context: null
transferable: true
---

# Skaalen Google Ads Performance — March 2026

## Overview

March 2026 Google Ads performance for [[wiki/clients/skaalen/_index|Skaalen]] showed a dip in clicks and spend compared to February, but efficiency metrics remained strong. Analysis points to a seasonal decline in search volume — not a structural ad problem — compounded by the deliberate pause of the Competitor campaign.

Discussed during the [[wiki/meetings/2026-04-05-skaalen-monthly-marketing-call|April 2026 Monthly Marketing Call]].

---

## Key Metrics

| Metric | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Clicks | Down vs. February |
| Spend | Down vs. February |
| Cost Per Click (CPC) | Low — efficient |
| Interaction Rate | High — ads performing well |
| Organic Search Traffic | Up 35% month-over-month |
| Paid Traffic | Down (Competitor campaign paused) |

---

## What Happened

### Competitor Campaign Paused

The primary driver of reduced spend was the deliberate pause of the Competitor campaign by Mark Hope. The campaign was yielding low clicks and was not cost-effective, so pausing it was the right call. This accounts for most of the cost decrease and should not be interpreted as overall ad underperformance.

### Seasonal Search Volume Dip

The remaining click decline is consistent with a seasonal pattern. The hypothesis — raised by both the Skaalen team and Asymmetric — is that fewer people are actively searching for senior living options in late winter/early spring (the "snowbird" effect: families with elderly relatives may be less urgently searching during this period).

Supporting evidence:
- Interaction rate remained **high**, meaning people who *did* see the ads engaged with them at a strong rate.
- CPC remained **low**, meaning the budget was spent efficiently on the impressions that did occur.
- Clicks began trending upward at the **end of March**, suggesting April may show recovery.

> "What we did spend was spent efficiently… it comes down to more of a search volume type of thing — just not as many people searching or clicking." — Sebastian Gant

### Post-Snowstorm Spike (March 17)

Dawn Zaemisch noted an observable uptick in clicks on the Monday/Tuesday following the March 16 snowstorm. This is anecdotal but consistent with the pattern that weather events prompt people to reconsider living arrangements for elderly family members.

---

## Campaign Breakdown

- **Branded campaigns** drove the highest click-through volume (271 clicks).
- **Retirement-focused campaigns** contributed ~60 clicks; keyword expansion in this area is planned per Mark Hope's OKR work.
- **Senior Living / Assisted Living keywords** (e.g., "senior living facilities," "assisted living Stoughton," "dementia care facility near me") showed solid average position rankings.
- The blog post targeting "When to Move to Memory Care" was pulling organic search traffic, validating the content strategy.

---

## SEO Context

Kris Krentz raised a concern about search ranking after receiving a cold-outreach solicitation email claiming Skaalen ranked poorly on certain keywords. Key context:

- Search results are **highly personalized** by location, device, time of day, and search history — a single result screenshot is not representative.
- Asymmetric's SEO work is gaining traction in **AI search tools** (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude). Skaalen is appearing as a reference source for topics like "continuum of care," which is an increasingly important discovery channel as users shift away from traditional Google search.
- The keywords cited in the solicitation email will be analyzed by Melissa Cusumano to identify any genuine optimization opportunities.

---

## Conclusions & Recommendations

1. **No action needed on ad structure.** High interaction rate and low CPC confirm the campaigns are set up well. The dip is external (volume), not internal (quality).
2. **Monitor April closely.** The end-of-March uptick suggests recovery. April data will confirm whether this was truly seasonal.
3. **Competitor campaign remains paused.** Correct decision given low ROI. Revisit if competitive landscape shifts.
4. **Continue blog and content investment.** AI search referencing is a real and growing channel; the "Continuum of Care" blog update is in progress and directly supports this.
5. **Keyword analysis from solicitation email.** Melissa to review and surface any gaps worth addressing.

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## Related

- [[wiki/clients/skaalen/_index|Skaalen Client Overview]]
- [[wiki/meetings/2026-04-05-skaalen-monthly-marketing-call|April 2026 Monthly Marketing Call]]
- [[wiki/knowledge/seo/ai-search-visibility|SEO in AI Search Tools (ChatGPT, Gemini)]]
- [[wiki/knowledge/google-ads/interpreting-seasonal-volume-dips|Interpreting Seasonal Volume Dips in Google Ads]]