Overview

Long Lake Adventure Camp offers a wide range of unique summer camp experiences, from horseback riding and blacksmithing to automotive and sports programs. However, despite investing heavily in digital marketing, the camp struggled with inefficient ad spend, poor tracking, and unclear performance data.

StubGroup partnered with Long Lake Adventure Camp to rebuild their paid search foundation and strengthen their SEO strategy by focusing on data accuracy, high-intent targeting, and long-term organic growth.

The Challenge

Before StubGroup stepped in, the account faced several critical issues:

• Broken tracking and unreliable data
  Micro-conversions like button clicks and page views were being counted as leads, making it impossible to determine true Cost Per Lead (CPL)
• High ad spend with low real returns
  Campaigns were spending $1,000s without tracking any leads
• Broad, unfocused targeting
  Budget was concentrated in generic campaigns that failed to capture families searching for specific camp programs
• Lack of SEO-driven visibility
  The camp wasn’t consistently ranking for high-intent, program-specific search terms, limiting organic lead generation

This combination resulted in wasted budget, low-quality leads, and no clear path to scalable growth.

The Approach

StubGroup implemented a dual-channel strategy focused on data clarity, high-intent acquisition, and long-term SEO growth.

1. Tracking Overhaul & Data Integrity

The first priority was fixing the foundation:

• Conducted a full tracking audit
• Eliminated misleading micro-conversions
• Established accurate tracking for real lead form submissions and inquiries

This allowed the team to measure true CPL and make informed, data-driven decisions.

2. Granular, High-Intent Paid Search Strategy

StubGroup restructured campaigns to focus exclusively on high-quality traffic:

• Launched activity-based Search campaigns targeting specific camp programs:
  • Horseback Riding Camp
  • Automotive Camp
  • Teenage Summer Camp
• Created tightly themed ad groups to match user intent
• Ensured ad messaging aligned directly with each program

This shift dramatically improved relevance, click-through rates, and lead quality.

3. Strategic Shift Away from Performance Max

After testing Performance Max:

• StubGroup removed PMAX campaigns entirely
• Eliminated low-quality leads and spam from display placements
• Focused budget solely on high-intent Google Search traffic

This ensured every dollar was spent reaching users actively searching for camp experiences.

4. SEO Optimization for Program-Based Visibility

In parallel with paid search, StubGroup strengthened Long Lake’s organic presence by:

• Optimizing pages for program-specific keywords (e.g., automotive camp, adventure summer camp, teen camp experiences)
• Improving on-page SEO structure and content relevance
• Supporting visibility for both broad and niche search queries

This created a sustainable channel for consistent, high-intent traffic beyond paid ads.

5. Data-Driven Budget Allocation

With accurate tracking in place:

• Identified top-performing programs with lowest CPL
• Shifted budget toward high-converting campaigns
• Scaled efficiently while maintaining lead quality

The Results

StubGroup’s strategy transformed the account into a transparent, high-performing lead generation engine:

Performance:

• Drove a significant increase in legitimate inquiries YoY
• Dramatically reduced the number of spam form submissions
• Started tracking phone calls, which was a game-changer in terms of optimizing the campaigns towards the highest-quality inquiries
• Stabilized the cost per lead at an affordable rate
• Achieved exceptional efficiency in niche campaigns for specialized programs

Conclusion

By rebuilding tracking, refining targeting, and aligning both paid search and SEO strategies, StubGroup helped Long Lake Adventure Camp:

• Gain complete clarity into performance and true CPL
• Eliminate wasted ad spend and low-quality leads
• Capture high-intent traffic through both paid and organic channels
• Build a scalable system for consistent lead generation

The result is a data-driven marketing engine that not only drives more inquiries but ensures those inquiries are from families genuinely ready to book.