March 2026 Google Ads performance for [1] 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 [2].
| 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) |
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.
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
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.
Kris Krentz raised a concern about search ranking after receiving a cold-outreach solicitation email claiming Skaalen ranked poorly on certain keywords. Key context: