Breaking the algorithm plateau: from stagnation to 2x lead growth in six months

Client: Stowe Family Law

Stowe Family Law, PE-backed UK’s largest specialist family law firm, set an ambitious target: double in size by 2029. With 90% of new leads driven by digital, PPC was critical. Yet growth was stagnating, CPL rising despite Google's best-practice structures, and attempts to scale only drove costs higher.

In Digital was appointed to course-correct by bringing in 20% lead growth YoY, without further spiking cost-per-lead. Our review uncovered that traditional algorithm best practices were holding back performance. Campaigns were consolidated and nationally targeted, ignoring regional differences in demand and capacity. Shared bid strategies grouped efficient and inefficient keywords. High-potential opportunities were underfunded.

Over eight weeks, working with the sector limitations around the use of data and audiences in media, we rebuilt PPC around business logic: • Campaigns aligned to customer need verticals • Regional segmentation mapped to office capacity and demand • Keyword clusters optimised, also with a focus on post-lead conversion quality • Automated reporting integrating media spend with filtered enquiries, enabling daily optimisation

The impact was remarkable - over the course of six months: • +41% increase in leads YoY, more than double the 20% target • -44% reduction in CPL YoY, overachieving on efficiency targets • 30% CR lead-to-acquisition, +23% above baseline, reflecting focus on quality as well as volume

This wasn't just a performance fix, but a strategic realignment of PPC around the business it's meant to serve - proving that an unconventional set-up can help efficiently scale paid search, with precision.