Great Walks of Australia
Google Ads Month by Month
Source: Google Ads account 991-975-4126, December 2025 to current. Primary conversions combine enquiry forms, newsletter subscribes and high-intent page views. Full campaign and conversion-action detail sits in the Google Ads tab.
Archived Reports
Google Ads Campaign Breakdown
Select Month
Daily Performance
Campaign Breakdown Click a row to expand conversion actions
| Campaign | Spend | Impr. | Clicks | CTR | CPC | Primary Conv. | CPL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conversion Actions
Enquiry forms are completed contact requests. Subscribes are newsletter sign-ups. High-intent signals are visits to walk and departure pages, one step earlier in the funnel.
Engagement to Date
Campaigns went live 17 December 2025, so December is a part month rather than a full period. Conversion methodology changed in March 2026, when high-intent page view events replaced video plays as the primary conversion signal. Conversions can keep attributing for up to 72 hours after the event, so the current month's figures will keep moving until it closes.
SEO Growth & AI Search Coverage
Search Performance
Source: Google Search Console (via GA4). Measured clicks from Google search, updated with the dashboard.
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 · Ahrefs snapshots (to May 2026)
Keyword and Top 3 counts come from point-in-time Ahrefs snapshots. Live keyword-level tracking is being connected and will extend this table.
| 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 | Positions softened · Recovery work commenced |
| May 2026 (current) | 364 | 91 | ~2,200 | 2† | Top 3 highest ever · Maria Island & Freycinet recovered · Traffic rebounding |
Keyword Movements: May 2026
| Keyword | Previous Position | Current Position | Change | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| best multi day hikes australia | 6 | 1 | +5 | Top position |
| australia walking tours | 5 | 1 | +4 | Top position |
| freycinet walks | 10 | 2 | +8 | Major jump |
| maria island | 11 | 7 | +4 | Recovered |
| bay of fires (generic) | 8 | 5 | +3 | Gaining |
| guided walks australia | 4 | 1 | +3 | Top position |
| bay of fires walk | 1 | 4 | -3 | Priority: protect #1 |
| twelve apostles walk | – | – | -62.8% traffic | Priority recovery |
† Google AI Overviews specifically; ChatGPT citations rose to 3 (+1) and AI Mode to 4 (+2) in May. AI Overview counts fluctuate month to month. The standout May recoveries were Maria Island (pos 7), Freycinet (pos 2) and Cradle Mountain. Priority recovery focus for Month 6: Twelve Apostles (-62.8% traffic), Three Capes, and Cape to Cape.
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. May 2026 shows ChatGPT citations at 3 (+1) and AI Mode at 4 (+2), though Google AI Overviews eased back to 2 this month, reflecting normal fluctuation in AI-generated results.
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 |
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 |
GWOA Website: Overview
Site Performance
Traffic by Source
- 1.Organic Search18,20934.6%+5.2pp
- 2.Direct14,94528.4%+63.3%
- 3.Paid Social6,86713.0%+688%
- 4.Paid Search5,1279.7%+1.3%
- 5.Organic Social4,6678.9%-75.6%
- 6.Referral1,5953.0%-23.0%
- 7.Cross-network820.2%-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) | 11,815 | 61.7% | 1,128 | Top page |
| 2 | /our-walks | 10,804 | 63.6% | 423 | Discovery hub |
| 3 | /our-walks/uluru-kata-tjuta-signature-walk | 5,019 | 29.7% | 46 | Newest walk |
| 4 | /contact | 2,352 | 44.2% | 73 | Enquiry intent |
| 5 | /our-walks/bay-of-fires | 3,170 | 71.7% | 139 | High conv. |
| 6 | /our-walks/three-capes-signature-walk | 3,149 | 74.6% | 53 | Strong |
| 7 | /our-walks/scenic-rim-trail | 3,771 | 75.7% | 75 | – |
| 8 | /our-walks/seven-peaks-walk | 3,050 | 76.6% | 64 | – |
| 9 | /our-walks/larapinta-trail | 2,710 | 74.5% | 196 | Highest conv/session |
| 10 | /autumn-offers | 1,330 | 60.0% | 33 | – |
| 11 | /our-walks/twelve-apostles-signature-walk | 2,020 | 74.4% | 71 | – |
| 12 | /our-walks/cape-to-cape | 2,248 | 79.0% | 70 | – |
| 13 | /our-walks/maria-island | 1,798 | 79.4% | 81 | 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 2,121 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 | 3,170 | 71.7% | 139 | 4.4% | SEO #1 |
| Larapinta Trail | 2,710 | 74.5% | 196 | 7.2% | Strong |
| Three Capes | 3,149 | 74.6% | 53 | 1.7% | SEO #3 |
| Scenic Rim Trail | 3,771 | 75.7% | 75 | 2.0% | Monitor (slipped) |
| Seven Peaks Walk | 3,050 | 76.6% | 64 | 2.1% | – |
| Twelve Apostles | 2,020 | 74.4% | 71 | 3.5% | – |
| Cape to Cape | 2,248 | 79.0% | 70 | 3.1% | – |
| Maria Island | 1,798 | 79.4% | 81 | 4.5% | Ranking: #1 → #11 |
| Uluru–Kata Tjuta | 5,019 | 29.7% | 46 | 0.9% | Newest walk: building presence |
Conversion rate uses GA4 key event conversions as recorded. Larapinta at 7.2% conversion rate remains the standout performer. Maria Island conversion rate (4.5%) holds strong despite the ranking regression, indicating high purchase intent when users do land on the page.
Ad Copy
Six-Month Performance Review
Performance at a Glance
Highlights
Six months in, the tracking foundation has been rebuilt from vanity clicks to genuine purchase intent, Google Ads is converting on that cleaner signal, and both SEO and AI search visibility are up on where they started. Full detail on each channel sits in its own tab. The summary below is the one page version.
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.
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) | ~2,200 sessions/mo (+69%) |
| SEO keywords ranking | 241 keywords | 364 keywords (+51%) · peak 385 in March |
| Keywords in Top 3 Google | Not tracked | 91 keywords (highest of engagement) |
| 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 |