The Client
Yandara Yoga runs yoga teacher trainings and retreats in Baja California, Mexico. From March 2017 to March 2020 we ran their Google Ads, which brought in 250+ course registrations and inquiries, more than 110 of them in the first ten months.
A destination teacher training is a big decision: weeks away from home, travel to another country and a certification that shapes a career. Students research for months, compare schools, and either register online or reach out with questions first.
"250+ registrations and inquiries for yoga teacher trainings in three years."
The Challenge
Google Ads for yoga teacher training has its own problems:
- A long, considered decision. Few people register on the first visit, so the ads have to win the search and then stay in front of the student.
- Students abroad. Yandara's trainings are in Mexico; most of its students live in the US and Canada.
- Two kinds of conversion. Some students register for a specific training online, others send an inquiry first. Both have to be counted.
- Generic searches. "Yoga teacher training" is searched by people looking for a local studio as much as by people ready to travel for an immersive course.
What We Built
1. Country-Specific Search Campaigns
In March 2017 we rebuilt the account around a new US Search campaign, and at the end of 2017 added a separate Canada Search campaign, each with its own budget, so spend could follow the market that registered.
2. Teacher Training Keywords by Match Type
Ad groups were built around teacher training intent, split by match type: phrase-match "yoga teacher training" groups, exact-match groups for terms like "yoga instructor training", and themed groups for Hawaii, Bali, Mexico, retreats, intensives, immersions and 200-hour trainings.
3. Target CPA Bidding on Real Conversions
The two main campaigns are set to Target CPA bidding, optimized toward completed registrations, contact form inquiries and calls from the ads.
4. Registration Tracking by Program
Registrations were tracked separately for each training (the Baja 16-day and 26-day programs, Hawaii, Bali, Europe and the 10-day course), so the account could see which programs the ads were filling.
5. Display and YouTube Remarketing
Display and YouTube remarketing campaigns followed past visitors through their decision, so a student who left the site to compare schools saw Yandara again.
6. Daily Optimization via Ad Campaign Concierge™
The campaigns were managed through our proprietary Ad Campaign Concierge™ system: search-term reviews, negative keywords, bid targets and budget pacing between the two countries.
The Results
- 250+ course registrations and inquiries from March 2017 to March 2020.
- 110+ in the first ten months (March to December 2017).
- 120+ completed course registrations, led by the Baja 16-day and 26-day trainings.
- 110+ contact form inquiries, plus calls from the ads.
- Over 200 from two Search campaigns, the US and Canada, about four in five of the total.
- 6M+ impressions and 31,000+ clicks across Search, Display and YouTube.
Key Takeaways
- Count registrations and inquiries. Nearly half of Yandara's conversions were inquiries. A school that tracks only registrations would miss half its future students.
- Track each program. Separate registration tracking showed which trainings the ads were filling and where to put the budget.
- Split by country. Separate US and Canada campaigns let the budget follow the market that registered.
- Stay in front of long decisions. Remarketing on Display and YouTube keeps a school visible while students compare their options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do yoga teacher training students register online or ask questions first?
Both, almost evenly. Of Yandara's 250+ conversions from March 2017 to March 2020, 120+ were completed course registrations, 110+ were contact form inquiries and the rest were calls from the ads.
What do future yoga teachers search for?
Mostly one phrase. 'Yoga teacher training' drove over 200 of the registrations and inquiries, far ahead of location searches such as 'yoga teacher training bali', 'yoga teacher training hawaii' and '200 hour yoga teacher training'.
Which markets should a destination yoga school target?
For Yandara, North America. Two Search campaigns, one for the US and one for Canada, produced over 200 of the 250+ registrations and inquiries, about four in five.
Which trainings did people register for?
The Baja trainings led: over 50 registrations for the 16-day program and over 35 for the 26-day program, plus registrations for trainings in Hawaii, Bali and Europe.
About This Campaign
Yoga teacher training lead generation on Google Ads, managed with our proprietary Ad Campaign Concierge™ optimization system.
Industry: Education (Yoga Teacher Training & Retreats) Platforms: Google Ads (Search, Display and YouTube remarketing) Location: Baja California, Mexico, with students from the US and Canada Account Duration: March 2017 to March 2020. The engagement has ended.
Conversions are completed course registrations, contact form inquiries and calls from the ads recorded in Google Ads. They are counted as registrations and inquiries, not revenue; the conversion values set in the account are not shown. Results cover only our management period, March 2017 to March 2020; activity in the account before and after that period is not ours and is not counted. Monthly chart values are rounded down. All figures are rounded down.