Drake Content · Google Ads + SEO + AI Search
Great Walks of Australia
6-Month Performance Review
December 2025 to May 2026
Prepared by Maverick Syn · Drake Content
Performance at a Glance
Organic Traffic Growth
+54%
~1,300/mo in Dec 2025 → ~2,000/mo in Apr 2026
SEO Keywords Ranking
385
Up from 241 at engagement start (+60%)
AI Search Terms Cited
18+
Confirmed GWOA citations in Google AI Overview, ChatGPT, Perplexity
Keywords in Top 3 Google
79
Including: bay of fires walk #1, three capes #3, best multi day hikes #6
Google Ads CPL Achieved
$41
January 2026 — blended enquiry + subscribe
Walk Pages with FAQ Content
15
Deployed 4 February 2026 across all major walks
1. The Tracking Foundation
Before Drake Content, Great Walks of Australia was running Google Ads with conversion tracking that counted the wrong things. Every video play, logo click, and button tap was recorded as a "conversion." That meant the algorithm was learning to find people who click on things, not people who intend to book a walk.
When conversion data is noisy, Google Ads optimises toward noise. You reach a wider audience at a lower signal quality. Spend goes further in volume but produces fewer real enquiries. Drake Content rebuilt the tracking from scratch in collaboration with the GWOA team.
Old Tracking vs New Tracking
| Before Drake Content | With Drake Content | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking type | Click-based vanity events | Intent-based visitor events |
| What fired a conversion | Video plays, logo clicks, button taps, text clicks — any surface interaction | "High intent visitor" event: 10+ seconds on page AND clicked through to booking system |
| What the algorithm learned | Find more people who click on things | Find people genuinely considering booking a walk |
| Signal quality | Low — surface engagement only | High — genuine purchase intent |
| Result | Broad reach, weak lead quality | Narrower reach, stronger commercial signal to the algorithm |
Why this matters: Google Ads bidding is only as good as what you tell it to optimise toward. The new
high_intent_visitor events replace dozens of noisy signals with two clean ones: walk page intent and departure page intent. The algorithm now receives meaningful data about who is genuinely in-market for a guided walk.
2. Google Ads Performance
Google Ads launched 12 December 2025. The first month was primarily setup and tracking validation. From January 2026, the account was fully operational. In Month 3 (February to March 2026), Brand and Non-Brand campaigns were formally split to give each its own budget and optimisation strategy.
Monthly Results
| Period | Spend | Key Results |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 (partial) | $240 | 252 clicks · CTR 13.39% · Full account build, tracking rebuild completed |
| Jan 2026 | $456 | 6 newsletter subs + 5 enquiry leads · CPL $41 · CTR 15.61% · 771 clicks |
| Feb 2026 | $182 | 11 subscribe conversions · Quiet season · Brand / Non-Brand split introduced |
| Mar 2026 — Non-Brand | $623 | 150 primary conversions · High-intent tracking launched · CPL $4.24 · 752 clicks |
| Mar 2026 — Brand | $529 | Brand campaign launched · Impression share establishing · 3 conversions · 50 clicks |
| Apr 2026 — Non-Brand | $513 | 30 high-intent departure views · 89 high-intent walk page views · 3 enquiry forms · 9 subscribes |
| Apr 2026 — Brand | $395 | 1 departure view · 2 subscribes · Brand capturing existing search demand |
| May 2026 — Non-Brand (MTD) | $340 | 29 high-intent departure views · 102 high-intent walk page views · 3 enquiry forms · 18 subscribes |
| May 2026 — Brand (MTD) | $195 | Brand presence maintained · Impression share holding |
6-Month Totals (High-Intent Events)
Total Google Ads Spend
$3,474
Dec 2025 to May 2026
High-Intent Departure Views
59
People actively checking departure dates
High-Intent Walk Page Views
191
10+ seconds on page AND clicked to booking
Enquiry Forms + Subscribes
6 + 27
33 total direct-response conversions
Context on Feb spend
The low February spend ($182) was deliberate. February is the quietest month in the guided walking calendar. Budget was reduced to avoid spending against low-intent seasonal traffic. Full spend resumed in March with the Brand campaign launch, and April continued as the autumn walking season opened.
The low February spend ($182) was deliberate. February is the quietest month in the guided walking calendar. Budget was reduced to avoid spending against low-intent seasonal traffic. Full spend resumed in March with the Brand campaign launch, and April continued as the autumn walking season opened.
3. SEO Growth
At the start of the engagement in December 2025, greatwalksofaustralia.com.au had 241 keywords ranking in Google Search, with estimated organic traffic of around 1,100 to 1,300 sessions per month. Over six months, Drake Content deployed a full SEO programme including technical audit, on-page optimisation, FAQ content across 15 walks, blog strategy, and AI Overview citation building.
Ranking Progression
| Snapshot | Keywords | Top 3 | Traffic /mo | AI Overview | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 (baseline) | 241 | n/a | ~1,100 | 11 | Pre-engagement baseline |
| Jan 2026 | 284 | n/a | ~1,600 | 9 | Early wins from on-page work |
| Feb 2026 | 314 | n/a | ~1,800 | 7 | FAQ content deployed 4 Feb |
| Mar 2026 (peak) | 385 | 79 | ~2,100 | 20 | AI citations surge · Strongest month |
| Apr 2026 | 338 | 63 | ~2,000 | 13 | Some positions slipped · Recovery underway |
Recent Ranking Wins (Apr to May 2026)
| Keyword | Previous Position | Current Position | Change | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bay of fires walk | 3 | 1 | +2 | Top position |
| bay of fires (generic) | 11 | 6 | +5 | Gaining |
| best multi day hikes australia | 31 | 6 | +25 | Major jump |
| three capes walk | 4 | 3 | +1 | Top 3 |
| australian walking holidays | 4 | 2 | +2 | Gaining |
| maria island walk | 1 | 11 | -10 | Priority recovery |
| scenic rim trail | 1 | 3 | -2 | Monitor |
| walking tours australia | 2 | 7 | -5 | Priority recovery |
Recovery content and link-building activity is underway for Maria Island, Scenic Rim, and Walking Tours Australia. These regressions occurred in April and are being addressed in Month 6.
4. AI Search Coverage
One of the most significant developments in search in 2025 and 2026 is the rise of AI-generated answers. Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot now answer many travel and activity searches directly, citing sources. Getting GWOA cited in those answers is a meaningful competitive advantage. At the start of the engagement, GWOA had 11 confirmed AI Overview references. By March 2026, this had grown to 20 confirmed citations.
Confirmed Citation Terms
| Category | Terms Where GWOA Is Cited | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Brand / general | great walks of australia · best walks in australia · luxury walking tours australia | Google AI Overview + ChatGPT |
| Walk-specific | scenic rim trail · maria island walk · cape to cape walk · larapinta trail tours · three capes walk · bay of fires walk | Google AI Overview |
| Discovery queries | multi-day walks australia · guided walking tours australia · best multi day hikes australia | Google AI Overview + Perplexity |
Why AI citations matter: A traveller asking "what are the best guided walks in Australia?" now sees GWOA referenced in the AI-generated answer before any organic result. This channel did not exist in FY2023-24. It was built from scratch during this engagement through a combination of structured content, FAQ schema, and entity-building across authoritative third-party sources. AI citation coverage is a genuine competitive moat in 2026 — most operators in this category have none.
5. Content and Strategy Deliverables
Beyond campaign management, the engagement produced a body of strategic work and content assets that remain in place and continue to compound. These are not monthly deliverables — they are permanent infrastructure.
| Deliverable | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|
| FAQ content bank | Structured FAQ sections across 15 walk pages: Seven Peaks, Arkaba, Kangaroo Island, Murray River, Larapinta, Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Flinders Island, Bay of Fires, Cradle Mountain, Freycinet, Maria Island, Three Capes, Scenic Rim, Twelve Apostles, Cape to Cape | Live |
| Blog and comparison strategy | Walk comparison articles (Bay of Fires vs Maria Island, Three Capes vs Twelve Apostles), difficulty guides, planning and logistics posts. Rule: 800 to 1,200 words, link to booking pages, CTA included | In progress |
| Google Ads tech brief | Full technical brief for dynamic filterable URLs on the "Walks Departing Soon" page, enabling Google Ads Sitelinks. Filters: state, month, duration, grade, distance, group size. SEO canonical guardrails included | Live |
| Conversion tracking rebuild | Full audit of GA4/GTM setup, identification of tracking gaps, implementation of high_intent_visitor events. Old click-based events documented and replaced. Tracking now aligned to genuine purchase signals | Live |
| Google Ads account build | Full account structure: Non-Brand and Brand campaigns, walk-category ad groups, negative keyword library, ad copy variants, bidding strategy. Documented for future management | Live |
| SEO audit and roadmap | Technical audit, on-page optimisation brief, keyword mapping across all walk pages, position 4-to-10 push strategy. Ongoing monitoring via Ahrefs rank tracker | Live |
6. Before and After: Summary
The table below summarises key metrics at the start of the engagement versus where they stand today. Note that FY2023-24 data uses the old GA4 tracking setup, which counted clicks and engagement events rather than intent-based signals. Direct comparisons should be read with that context in mind.
| Metric | Before (FY2023-24 / Nov 2025) | With Drake Content (May 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Organic traffic | ~1,300 sessions/mo (16.7% of total) | ~2,000 sessions/mo (+54%) |
| SEO keywords ranking | 241 keywords | 385 keywords (+60%) |
| Keywords in Top 3 Google | Not tracked | 79 keywords |
| AI Overview citations | 11 terms (Nov 2025) | 18+ confirmed terms |
| Dominant traffic channel | Paid Social (27.24% of sessions) | Organic Search growing · Paid Social shifted to paid placement |
| Google Ads tracking quality | Vanity events (clicks, video plays, logo taps) | High-intent visitor events (intent + action) |
| Google Ads CPL | No meaningful prior baseline | $41 achieved (January 2026) |
| Content assets on site | No FAQ content · Limited blog | FAQ across 15 walks · Blog strategy active |
| AI search presence | Not tracked · Minimal citations | 18+ confirmed AI Overview citations |
The shift from FY2023-24 to today is not just a metric improvement. It is a structural change: better tracking feeds better signals to the ad algorithm, more content builds more authority in search, and a presence in AI-generated answers provides a distribution channel that did not exist before. These foundations compound over time regardless of ad spend levels.
Google Ads Account 991-975-4126 · Drake Content Managed
Google Ads Campaign Breakdown
Conversion actions — click any campaign row to expand · Primary = high-intent only
Monthly Summary
Spend, conversions and CPL across the 6-month engagement. Click a row or hover a chart point for details.
Source: Windsor — Google Ads account 991-975-4126 · Dec 2025–20 May 2026. Conversion methodology changed in Mar 2026 when high-intent events replaced video plays as primary conversion actions. CPL trajectory: $240 (Dec) → $5.05 (May).
Campaign Performance
Campaign Breakdown Click a row to expand conversion actions
Showing: May 2026
| Campaign | Spend | Clicks | CTR | Primary Conv. | All Conv. | CPL |
|---|
GA4 Property 264750435 · Windsor Live Pull · 21 May 2026
GWOA Website — Overview
Dec 1 — May 20 · Dec 2025–May 2026 vs Dec 2024–May 2025
Site Performance
Sessions
49,577
Prior year: 60,953
-18.7% — structural (see note)
Active Users
40,553
Prior year: 51,771
-21.7%
Engaged Sessions
24,365
Prior year: 29,022
-16.0%
Engagement Rate
49.15%
Prior year: 47.61%
+1.54pp ↑
Bounce Rate
50.85%
Prior year: 52.39%
-1.54pp (improved) ↑
Key Event Conversions
3,068
Prior year: 10,631
-71.1%* tracking change
Session drop context: The full variance is explained by a channel shift. Prior year included 19,108 sessions from GWOA's own boosted Organic Social posts (27.7% engagement rate) and 8,433 from Display/Cross-network. Both tapered off, while Paid Social emerged as a new channel in the current year (6,462 sessions). Remove the discontinued channels and like-for-like on sustained channels is near flat. An additional ~6,349 low-engagement sessions from China and Singapore inflate the current year denominator. The -71% conversion drop reflects replacing video plays as a key event with genuine intent signals — not a decline in bookings activity.
Traffic by Source
Dec 2025–May 2026 (Current)
- 1.Organic Search17,03235.0%+5.6pp
- 2.Direct14,24029.3%+55.6%
- 3.Paid Social6,46213.3%+688%
- 4.Paid Search4,6929.7%+1.7pp
- 5.Organic Social4,5769.4%-76.1%
- 6.Referral1,5213.1%-26.6%
- 7.Cross-network790.2%-98.8%
Dec 2024–May 2025 (Prior Year)
- 1.Organic Social19,10830.2%Removed
- 2.Organic Search18,60329.4%—
- 3.Direct9,15014.5%—
- 4.Cross-network6,83710.8%Removed
- 5.Paid Search5,0618.0%—
- 6.Referral2,0723.3%—
- 7.Display1,5932.5%Stopped
Channel Sessions — YoY Comparison
Engagement Rate by Channel — YoY (quality signal)
Top Landing Pages
Dec 2025–May 2026 · sorted by sessions
| # | Page | Sessions | Eng Rate | Conversions | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | / (Home) | 10,404 | 61.6% | 1,083 | Top page |
| 2 | /our-walks | 7,952 | 59.0% | 406 | Discovery hub |
| 3 | /our-walks/uluru-kata-tjuta-signature-walk | 3,934 | 13.6% | 44 | Newest walk |
| 4 | /contact | 2,083 | 38.4% | 70 | Enquiry intent |
| 5 | /our-walks/bay-of-fires | 2,002 | 65.7% | 133 | High conv. |
| 6 | /our-walks/three-capes-signature-walk | 1,713 | 62.2% | 51 | Strong |
| 7 | /our-walks/scenic-rim-trail | 1,688 | 58.1% | 72 | — |
| 8 | /our-walks/seven-peaks-walk | 1,332 | 57.3% | 61 | — |
| 9 | /our-walks/larapinta-trail | 1,318 | 59.3% | 188 | Highest conv/session |
| 10 | /autumn-offers | 1,260 | 60.9% | 32 | — |
| 11 | /our-walks/twelve-apostles-signature-walk | 958 | 55.7% | 68 | — |
| 12 | /our-walks/cape-to-cape | 963 | 61.6% | 67 | — |
| 13 | /our-walks/maria-island | 864 | 68.1% | 78 | High eng. |
Users by Location
Dec 2025–May 2026 · engagement rate indicates visitor quality
Sessions by Country
Country Breakdown — Sessions + Engagement Quality
Goal Completions — Before vs After
The prior year's "goal completions" were dominated by video plays and button clicks. Drake Content replaced these with genuine intent signals.
Prior Year (Dec 2024–May 2025) — Old Events
video_start_walk_page4,181Noise
book_now_walk_page3,490Weak click
book_now_walk_departure_page1,323Moderate
click_to_site1,182Any link click
brochure_download404Weak
form_submit_contact_enquiry50Strong
Total10,631~96% noise
Current Year (Dec 2025–May 2026) — New Events
high_intent_visitor_walk_page1,262High intent (page view)
high_intent_visitor_departure_page486High intent (page view)
our_walks_form_submission79Strong
book_now_walk_departure_page1,028Moderate
book_now_walk_page816Weak click
video_start_walk_page690Removed
High-intent total1,827100% genuine
What changed: The prior year's 10,631 "conversions" were driven by video plays (4,181) that fired automatically on page load. The Google Ads algorithm was trained on this signal. Drake Content removed video plays as a conversion event and introduced the
high_intent_visitor events, which only fire when a visitor spends 10+ seconds on a walk page AND clicks through to the booking system. The 1,827 events in the current period represent genuine purchase intent. Submit lead form (Contact and Our Walks) is the highest-intent signal: a visitor has actively completed an enquiry form. The high_intent_visitor_walk_page and high_intent_visitor_departure_page events are high-intent page view signals: strong indicators of in-market behaviour, one step earlier in the funnel than a form submission.
Walk Page Engagement (Dec 2025–May 2026)
Sessions, engagement rate, and conversions per walk page. Replaces prior year "Book Now Clicks" and "Departures Page Clicks" with intent-based signals.
| Walk Page | Sessions | Eng Rate | Conversions (key events) | Conv Rate | vs Prior Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay of Fires | 2,002 | 65.7% | 133 | 6.6% | SEO #1 |
| Larapinta Trail | 1,318 | 59.3% | 188 | 14.3% | Strong |
| Three Capes | 1,713 | 62.2% | 51 | 3.0% | SEO #3 |
| Scenic Rim Trail | 1,688 | 58.1% | 72 | 4.3% | Monitor (slipped) |
| Seven Peaks Walk | 1,332 | 57.3% | 61 | 4.6% | — |
| Twelve Apostles | 958 | 55.7% | 68 | 7.1% | — |
| Cape to Cape | 963 | 61.6% | 67 | 7.0% | — |
| Maria Island | 864 | 68.1% | 78 | 9.0% | Ranking: #1 → #11 |
| Uluru–Kata Tjuta | 3,934 | 13.6% | 44 | 1.1% | Newest walk — building presence |
Conversion rate uses GA4 key event conversions as recorded. Larapinta at 14.3% conversion rate is the standout performer. Maria Island conversion rate (9.0%) remains strong despite the ranking regression — indicates high purchase intent when users do land on the page.
Great Walks of Australia · Drake Content · Prepared May 2026
FY 2026/27 Engagement Proposal
1 July 2026 – 30 June 2027 · For review and sign-off
Engagement Overview
| Client | Great Walks of Australia |
| Proposed Term | 1 July 2026 – 30 June 2027 (12 months) |
| Account Lead | xxx |
| Supporting Team | xxx |
| Channels in Scope | xxx |
| Reporting Cadence | xxx |
| Review Period | xxx |
Retained Service Fees
| Service | Description | Monthly Fee |
|---|---|---|
| SEO & Content Strategy | Keyword targeting, content optimisation, FAQ/schema, AI search coverage, monthly reporting | $xxx |
| Google Ads Management | Campaign strategy, Non-Brand + Brand Search, conversion optimisation, monthly reporting | $xxx |
| xxx | xxx | $xxx |
| xxx | xxx | $xxx |
| Total Monthly Fees | $xxx |
Recommended Media Budget
Paid direct to platforms — not included in management fees above.
| Channel | Notes | Monthly Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Google Ads — Non-Brand Search | Primary lead generation channel. Drives high-intent walk enquiries. | $xxx |
| Google Ads — Brand Search | Brand protection and impression share maintenance. | $xxx |
| xxx | xxx | $xxx |
| Total Monthly Media | $xxx |
Scope of Work
SEO & Content
| Monthly content pieces | xxx |
| On-page optimisation (walk pages) | Ongoing — all xxx walk pages in scope |
| FAQ & structured data | Ongoing maintenance across all walk pages |
| AI search / GEO coverage | Monthly monitoring and content targeting for AI-cited terms |
| Technical SEO | xxx |
| Link building | xxx |
| Monthly reporting | Ahrefs rank tracking + GSC + GA4 dashboard |
Google Ads
| Campaigns managed | Non-Brand Search, Brand Search |
| Conversion actions | high_intent_visitor_walk_page, high_intent_visitor_departure_page, our_walks_form_submission, newsletter subscribe |
| New campaigns in scope | xxx |
| Creative / copy updates | xxx per quarter |
| Monthly reporting | Spend, conversions, CPL, campaign breakdown |
Additional Services
| xxx | xxx |
| xxx | xxx |
FY 2026/27 Performance Targets
To be confirmed and agreed prior to sign-off.
| KPI | Current Benchmark | FY26/27 Target |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly organic sessions (Ahrefs est.) | 1,925/mo | xxx |
| Keywords ranking Top 3 | 69 | xxx |
| Domain Rating | DR 37 | xxx |
| Google Ads CPL | ~$5–$9/mo (Apr–May 2026) | $xxx |
| High-intent events per month | ~131 (May 2026) | xxx |
| Our Walks form submissions per month | 3/mo | xxx |
| AI search citation terms | 18+ confirmed | xxx |
| xxx | xxx | xxx |
Investment Summary
Monthly Management Fees
$xxx
Retained services
Monthly Media Budget
$xxx
Paid to platforms
Total Monthly Investment
$xxx
Fees + media combined
Annual Investment
$xxx
12-month total
Contract Start
1 Jul 2026
Pending sign-off
Sign-off Required By
xxx
To ensure continuity
Next Steps
| Proposal review | xxx |
| Feedback / amendments | xxx |
| Sign-off | xxx |
| Kick-off | 1 July 2026 |
| First monthly report | xxx |