The Client
Beyer Volvo Falls Church is a Volvo dealership in Northern Virginia; we run their Google Ads, which grew real leads from 1,772 in 2023 to 3,697 in 2025. The dealership sells new and pre-owned Volvos to buyers across Falls Church and the Washington, D.C. metro area.
We took over the account in February 2023.
150 leads in March 2023. 410 in December 2025.
The Challenge
- A saturated market. Northern Virginia has dozens of dealerships within a short drive, all bidding on the same model and "near me" searches.
- Expensive clicks. Automotive clicks are among the most expensive on Google.
- Inflated numbers. Dealership accounts are full of soft conversions: vehicle page views, store visits, button clicks and direction requests that look like leads but are not.
- Model-by-model demand. Shoppers search by model, and demand shifts between the XC40, XC60, XC90 and electric models over the year.
What We Built
1. Model-Specific Search Campaigns
Separate Search campaigns for the XC40, XC60 and XC90, plus a main Search campaign, a branded campaign and Dynamic Search, so budget follows the models buyers are searching for.
2. Vehicle Listing Ads and Used Inventory
A Performance Max campaign for vehicle listing ads puts live inventory in front of shoppers, alongside dedicated used-car Search and Performance Max campaigns.
3. Launch and Remarketing Campaigns
A Performance Max campaign supported EX30 reservations at the model's launch in 2023, and remarketing brings back shoppers who viewed vehicles on the site.
4. Real Leads Only
Only calls from ads, submitted website forms and confirmed availability requests are counted. Vehicle page views, store visits, directions, chat and button clicks are excluded.
5. Daily Optimization via Ad Campaign Concierge™
Every campaign is reviewed daily through our proprietary Ad Campaign Concierge™ system: search-term mining, bid and budget adjustments, and budget moved to the models and campaigns producing calls and requests.
The Results
- 2023 (February to December): 1,772 leads
- 2024: 2,322 leads
- 2025: 3,697 leads, more than double 2023
- 2026 so far: 2,549 leads from January to September
- Leads a month: about 160 on average in 2023, about 350 from mid 2025 and 410 in December 2025
Cheaper Leads as the Account Grew
A real lead cost $58 in 2023, $49 in 2024 and $43 in 2025, even as the monthly budget grew by about 40%.
Every Lead Since February 2023
10,340 real leads since February 2023, at about $47 per lead: about 8,950 calls from ads, 1,190 website forms and 202 confirmed availability requests.
Key Takeaways
- Count only real leads. Stripping out page views, store visits and button clicks shows what the ads actually deliver: calls and submitted requests from buyers.
- Google Ads for car dealerships works model by model. Separate campaigns for each model let budget follow demand.
- Put inventory in the ads. Vehicle listing ads turn searches into specific-car inquiries.
- The phone still sells cars. Calls from ads are the large majority of leads, so call tracking comes first.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should a car dealership spend on Google Ads?
Beyer Volvo Falls Church spent about $9,300 a month in 2023 and about $13,400 a month in 2025. Real leads grew from 1,772 in 2023 to 3,697 in 2025, and the cost per lead fell from $58 to $43.
What should a dealership count as a lead from Google Ads?
Calls from ads, submitted website forms and confirmed availability requests. Vehicle page views, store visits, directions, chat and button clicks are excluded. Since February 2023 this account produced about 8,950 calls, 1,190 website forms and 202 confirmed availability requests.
Should a dealership run separate campaigns for each model?
Yes. Separate Search campaigns for the XC40, XC60 and XC90 are among the largest in this account, at about $54,000 to $77,000 each, so budget follows the models buyers are searching for.
Do phone calls still matter for car dealerships?
They are most of the leads. About 8,950 of the 10,340 real leads in this account since February 2023 were phone calls from the ads.
About This Campaign
This account is managed daily through Ad Campaign Concierge™, our proprietary optimization system for lead generation.
Industry: Automotive: Car Dealership Platforms: Google Ads (Search, Performance Max, Display) Location: Falls Church, VA Account Duration: February 2023 to present (ongoing)
Leads are calls from ads, submitted website forms and confirmed availability requests as tracked in Google Ads. Vehicle page views, store visits, directions, chat, button clicks and click-to-call taps are excluded. Amounts in US dollars.