Distribute Digital Combines Clever Metrics with Unsiloed Data for PPC Win

“We now have a clear, honest, full picture of our marketing results.”

Case Study

• Agency: Distribute Digital
• Client: Auto Repair Shop
• Software: WhatConverts

For most agencies, two problems have a way of always showing up: leads that don’t turn into revenue, and clients who don’t speak “marketing.”

Distribute Digital found a better way—with help from WhatConverts.

The Challenge: Marketing Optimization Without Real Outcome Data

Distribute Digital, a UK-based performance marketing agency, was running successful PPC campaigns for a AA certified service and auto repair center. On the surface, everything looked great. Leads were coming in, and cost-per-lead appeared efficient.

But under the hood, there was a problem: Distribute had no visibility into what happened after a lead was captured.

“We knew that one lead can turn into multiple booked jobs,” said Ivan, PPC Manager at Distribute. “So if you’re only looking at cost per conversion, it won’t give you a fair number that really shows the value of your marketing.”

Without insight into which leads actually booked service appointments, all leads were treated the same—regardless of whether they turned into real revenue. And that meant their optimization hit a ceiling.

The Solution: Client Collaboration + Quality Lead Data

Everything changed when the client shared internal data showing which leads turned into appointments. With this data, they could begin reporting on leads booked per campaign—their client’s main concern.

With WhatConverts in place, Distribute Digital was ready to act. Here’s how they transformed their strategy:

1. Matched Leads to Appointments

Using both client records and WhatConverts lead data, Distribute Digital could see which leads actually booked appointments. This let them recognize which leads were quotable and which were just a waste of budget.

2. Created a Custom Appointment Metric

Within WhatConverts, every lead with a booked appointment was given a sales value of £1. If a lead resulted in two appointments, the value of that lead became £2—simple, scalable, and effective.

3. Sent Data Back to Google Ads

Using WhatConverts’ native Google Ads integration, Distribute Digital pushed this enriched lead data back into the ad platform. Suddenly, they weren’t just seeing cost-per-lead in their Google Ads dashboard—they were seeing cost-per-appointment by campaign, keyword, and even vehicle make.

"This was like a light bulb moment for us. Like, oh my God, why haven't we thought about that earlier?"

This approach enabled the creation of custom metrics in Google Ads:

• Jobs Booked: Total booked jobs per campaign or keyword.
• Cost per Job Booked: Campaign cost divided by the number of booked jobs.
• Actual Conversion Rate: Jobs booked divided by initial leads.

With these custom metrics, Distribute Digital could now use Google Ads’ reporting to show marketing results that spoke the same language as their client—jobs booked and cost. And that meant they could tailor their marketing KPIs to their client (not the other way around).

The Results: Strategic Campaign Optimization and Deeper Insights

With appointment-level data feeding Google Ads, Distribute Digital unlocked a new level of marketing intelligence:

• Unlocked Data-Based Budgeting: They identified which campaigns, ad groups, and keywords consistently led to booked appointments—and shifted budget accordingly.
• Discovered Actionable Insights: Analysis revealed which vehicle types (e.g., BMW, Jaguar) had the highest conversion rates, guiding even more strategic targeting.
• Catapulted Client Confidence: Transparent reporting showed not just activity, but tangible business outcomes—strengthening trust and retention.

“The greatest part is that we now have all this data across all levels—campaign, ad group, keyword, ad copy. 

Why It Matters

Most agencies optimize campaigns based on lead quantity. Distribute Digital went further—thanks to a collaborative client relationship and WhatConverts' ability to bridge the gap between marketing and actual outcomes.

With a custom metric and seamless Google Ads integration, they aligned their strategy with what really matters: booked appointments. The result? More strategic campaigns, more impactful insights, and better performance.

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