Case Study:
How a New Clare Solar Installer Beat Its Weekly Lead Target by 150–250% with Google Ads
From Social Media Lead Forms to Warm Search Enquiries
AI Summary
Agile Digital Strategy built and manages Google Ads for a newly branded solar PV and battery installer in County Clare. The installer set one goal: a steady weekly number of warm leads. The account now delivers 150–250% more warm leads than that target every week, as email and phone enquiries from homeowners who are actively looking for an installer.
The installer had previously relied on a third-party lead-generation company running social media lead forms, which produced lower-quality leads. Moving to Google Search ads that send people to the installer’s own website, with the tracking rebuilt, has given them better-qualified enquiries under their own brand.
This case study shows how a new business can compete with national players and hundreds of local rivals by targeting high-intent local searches, cutting wasted spend and measuring every lead.
For a new home-energy business, the hardest part isn’t the installation. It’s reaching homeowners at the moment they decide to look for an installer.
This installer’s team had years of experience working as subcontractors for other companies. When they launched under their own brand, they set us one goal: a steady weekly number of warm leads from Google Ads.
The Challenge
Homeowners in Clare can choose from hundreds of registered installers, and SEAI advises them to get at least four quotes. A new brand has to win attention in that crowd before it can win a quote. The SEAI register of solar PV companies (checked 27 October 2026) lists:
- 551 solar PV companies across Ireland (domestic and non-domestic)
- 345 registered for domestic installs in County Limerick
- 327 registered for domestic installs in County Clare
On top of that, the installer faced:
- Large national players. Energy suppliers and big installers bid on the same searches, with far larger budgets and well-known brands.
- A crowded local field. Many established Clare-based installers already rank and advertise for local solar searches.
- A new name with years of experience. The team had installed for years as subcontractors, but the brand itself had no reviews, no search history and no recognition with homeowners.
- Poor-quality leads from a previous provider. A lead-generation company had run social media ads through its own pages, not the installer’s. People who filled in those forms often didn’t know who would contact them and weren’t ready to buy.
What We Did
We built the Google Ads account around one idea: reach homeowners at the moment they start looking for an installer, and don’t pay for anyone else.
- Measurement first. Every enquiry from the website, whether a contact form, a quote request or a phone call, is tracked in Google Ads and Google Analytics, so every decision is based on real leads.
- Local, high-intent targeting. The campaigns focus on homeowners in the installer’s service area who are looking for an installer or a quote, not people casually researching solar.
- Budget where the leads are. We review the account regularly, cut spend that isn’t producing enquiries and move budget to what is.
- Ads that answer the homeowner’s question. The ads show why this installer is a safe, local choice and take people straight to a simple way to get a quote.
- Ongoing optimisation. As lead data builds up, the account is refined week by week to get more from the same budget.
The Results
The account currently delivers 150–250% more warm leads each week than the installer’s weekly target.
- Warm, not cold. Leads arrive as email enquiries and phone calls from homeowners who searched for an installer, visited the website and chose to get in touch.
- Higher quality than social lead forms. The installer reports better-qualified enquiries than they received from the previous social media lead provider.
- Their own brand gets the credit. Every enquiry comes through the installer’s own website and phone number, building the brand’s name in Clare and Limerick as it grows.
- Measured end to end. Form enquiries, quote requests and phone clicks are now tracked, giving a clear picture of where every lead comes from.
Before and after
| Before | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Lead source | Third-party social media lead forms | Google Search ads on the installer’s own website |
| Warm leads vs weekly target | Lower-quality leads | 150–250% above target |
| Enquiry type | Form fills from people who weren’t ready to buy | Email and phone enquiries from active searchers |
| Measurement | Not tracked | Form enquiries, quote requests and phone clicks tracked in Google Ads and GA4 |
Why search beat social lead generation
Search reaches homeowners at the moment they decide to look for an installer. The social lead forms reached people scrolling past an offer.
| Social lead forms via a third party | Google Search on the installer’s website | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees the ad | People who match an audience profile | People actively searching for solar installation |
| Whose brand they meet | The lead provider’s page | The installer’s own name, website and phone number |
| What they do | Fill in a pre-filled form in a couple of taps | Visit the site, review the offer, then email or call |
| Lead quality | Often unaware who would call back | Know who they contacted and why |
| Control | Little say over targeting or spend | Locations, searches, bids and budget set by us |
Sources: SEAI register of solar PV companies, checked 27 October 2026. Lead and campaign figures from the installer’s Google Ads account and client reporting, to October 2026.
Why This Matters
Lead forms on social media can produce a lot of names quickly, but volume isn’t the same as demand. When people don’t remember filling in a form, or don’t know who will call them, sales teams waste time chasing leads that were never going to buy.
Search works the other way round. The homeowner starts the search, chooses the installer and makes contact. That makes every lead warmer, and every enquiry builds the installer’s own brand rather than someone else’s.
A New Brand Can Compete
A new business doesn’t need the biggest budget to win on Google. It needs to be in front of the right searches in the right places, with an ad that answers the customer’s question, and it needs to stop paying for clicks that will never become customers. The same approach works for any trade or home-improvement business that relies on local enquiries.
Key Results at a Glance
✅ 150–250% more warm leads than the installer’s weekly target.
✅ Better-qualified enquiries than the previous social media lead provider delivered.
✅ Every enquiry comes through the installer’s own website and phone number, building their brand.
✅ Form enquiries, quote requests and phone clicks tracked end to end in Google Ads and GA4.
✅ Budget focused on high-intent local searches, with spend that didn’t produce leads removed.
Why Agile Digital Strategy?
This account wasn’t built on a big budget or a lead-generation shortcut. It was built on fixing the measurement first, targeting the searches that bring customers, and removing the spend that doesn’t.
At Agile Digital Strategy, we manage Google Ads for Irish businesses in home energy, hospitality, manufacturing, engineering, environmental services and B2B. We focus on enquiries and revenue, not clicks and impressions, and we report on the numbers that matter to your business.
If you want more warm leads from Google Ads, or want to know whether your current account is working, we’d love to help.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Google Ads better than social media lead forms for solar installers?
They do different jobs. Social lead forms reach people who match an audience profile, and they often produce leads who aren’t ready to buy. Google Search ads reach homeowners who are actively searching for an installer, so the enquiries are usually warmer. For this installer, search produced better-qualified leads than the previous social media lead provider.
Can a new business compete on Google Ads against bigger, established brands?
Yes. Google Ads doesn’t only reward the biggest budget. A new business can win by showing up for the right local searches, with ads that answer the customer’s question, and by not paying for clicks that will never become customers.
Why does conversion tracking matter so much?
Without it, Google Ads can’t tell which searches produce leads, and neither can you. Tracking every form enquiry, quote request and phone call means budget goes to what actually brings in customers.
Do you work with other trades and home-improvement businesses?
Yes. The same approach suits any business that relies on local enquiries, from heating and insulation to construction and home services. A Google Ads audit is a good place to start if you already advertise.
Want more warm leads from Google Ads?
Get a Google Ads Audit
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