Great Walks of Australia
Performance at a Glance
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 |
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 to Mar 2026 | $182 | 11 subscribe conversions · Quiet season · Brand / Non-Brand split introduced |
| Apr 2026 — Non-Brand | $623 | 30 high-intent departure views · 89 high-intent walk page views · 3 enquiry forms · 9 subscribes |
| Apr 2026 — Brand | $529 | 1 departure view · 2 subscribes · Brand campaign capturing existing demand |
| May 2026 — Non-Brand | $465 | 29 high-intent departure views · 102 high-intent walk page views · 3 enquiry forms · 18 subscribes |
| May 2026 — Brand | $337 | Minimal conversions · Brand presence maintained in SERP |
6-Month Totals (High-Intent Events)
The low Feb to Mar spend ($182) was deliberate. February and March are the quietest months in the guided walking calendar. Budget was reduced to avoid spending against low-intent seasonal traffic. Full spend resumed in April 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 |
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 | Pending GWOA dev |
| 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 wound back |
| 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 |
Website Traffic: Year on Year
Site Overview
The prior year included 19,108 sessions from boosted Organic Social and 8,433 from Display and Cross-network campaigns. Budget was deliberately shifted away from both: boosted social delivers volume at low engagement (27.7%) rather than genuine travel intent, and Display was not converting at a cost that justified continued spend. That reallocation accounts for the entire session difference. Strip those out and like-for-like performance on quality channels is near flat. The current period also contains approximately 6,349 low-engagement sessions from China and Singapore that inflate the denominator. Organic Search, Direct, and Paid Search — the channels budget was concentrated into — all held or grew.
Channel Mix
| Channel | Dec 24–May 25 | Share | Dec 25–May 26 | Share | Change | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Search | 18,603 | 29.4% | 17,032 | 35.0% | -8.4% sessions / +5.6pp share | Growing share |
| Direct | 9,150 | 14.5% | 14,240 | 29.3% | +55.6% | Strong growth |
| Paid Social | 820 | 1.3% | 6,462 | 13.3% | +688% — investigate | Verify with Gen |
| Paid Search | 5,061 | 8.0% | 4,692 | 9.7% | -7.3% / +1.7pp share | Holding |
| Organic Social | 19,108 | 30.2% | 4,576 | 9.4% | -76.1% | Boosting removed |
| Cross-network | 6,837 | 10.8% | 79 | 0.2% | -98.8% | Campaign ended |
| Referral | 2,072 | 3.3% | 1,521 | 3.1% | -26.6% | Monitor |
| Display | 1,593 | 2.5% | 0 | 0% | -100% | Stopped |
Channel Distribution Visualised
Engagement Quality by Channel
| Channel | Dec 24–May 25 Eng Rate | Dec 25–May 26 Eng Rate | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Search | 64.9% | 68.4% | +3.4pp |
| Paid Search | 58.0% | 69.1% | +11.0pp |
| Direct | 39.3% | 31.1% | -8.2pp |
| Organic Social | 27.7% | 60.0% | +32.3pp |
| Paid Social | 22.6% | 15.7% | -6.8pp — low intent traffic |
| Referral | 64.6% | 62.9% | -1.8pp |
Paid Search engagement rate jumped +11.0pp, directly reflecting the tracking rebuild and more intent-focused campaign targeting. Organic Search continues to deliver the highest-quality visitors alongside Referral.
Conversion Tracking: Before vs After
High Intent Visitor Events (Dec 2025 — May 2026)
Top Landing Pages (Dec 2025 — May 2026)
| Page | Sessions | Eng Rate | Conversions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| / (Home) | 10,404 | 61.6% | 1,083 | Primary entry point |
| /our-walks | 7,952 | 59.0% | 406 | Walk discovery hub |
| /our-walks/uluru-kata-tjuta-signature-walk | 3,934 | 13.6% | 44 | Low engagement |
| /contact | 2,083 | 38.4% | 70 | Enquiry intent |
| /our-walks/bay-of-fires | 2,002 | 65.7% | 133 | High conversion rate |
| /our-walks/three-capes-signature-walk | 1,713 | 62.2% | 51 | Strong engagement |
| /our-walks/scenic-rim-trail | 1,688 | 58.1% | 72 | — |
| /our-walks/larapinta-trail | 1,318 | 59.3% | 188 | Highest conversions per session |
| /our-walks/seven-peaks-walk | 1,332 | 57.3% | 61 | — |
| /autumn-offers | 1,260 | 60.9% | 32 | Seasonal promo page |
Uluru–Kata Tjuta page: 3,934 sessions with 13.6% engagement rate against a site average of 60%+. The cause is unclear from GA4 data alone — possible explanations include audience/intent mismatch, page content not meeting expectations, or inflated session counts from low-quality traffic sources. Worth investigating before drawing conclusions.
Geographic Breakdown (Dec 2025 — May 2026)
| Country | Sessions | Eng Rate | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 36,793 | 55.8% | Core market — primary target audience |
| China | 3,763 | 1.9% | Low engagement |
| Singapore | 2,586 | 7.0% | Low engagement |
| United States | 2,168 | 45.0% | Legitimate international market |
| New Zealand | 795 | 64.7% | High quality — strong intent audience |
| United Kingdom | 538 | 60.0% | High quality |
| Germany | 407 | 77.4% | Very high quality — worth targeting |
| Canada | 302 | 63.3% | High quality |
| France | 188 | 62.8% | High quality |
International markets (NZ, UK, DE, CA, FR) all show engagement rates above 60%, confirming they are high-value visitors with genuine interest in premium guided walks. Germany at 77.4% is a standout.
Action Items
Google Ads Campaign Breakdown
Monthly Summary
Spend, conversions and CPL across the 6-month engagement. Click a row or hover a chart point for details.
* Dec 2025–Mar 2026 spend is estimated from the 6-month total. Conversion methodology changed in Apr 2026 when high-intent events replaced video plays as primary conversion actions.
Campaign Performance
Campaign Breakdown Click a row to expand conversion actions
| Campaign | Spend | Clicks | CTR | Primary Conv. | All Conv. | CPL |
|---|
GWOA Website — Overview
Site Performance
Traffic by Source
- 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%
- 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
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 | Low engagement |
| 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
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.
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.
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% | Anomalous — investigate |
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.