Maersk’s PPC Cut Costs 15% in 2024

The global supply chain disruptions of recent years, particularly affecting transpacific routes, presented a formidable challenge for logistics providers like Maersk. Our team was tasked with developing a PPC strategy to not only maintain visibility but also to effectively manage customer expectations and direct inquiries for available shipping logistics solutions amidst significant backlogs. This campaign teardown examines how a targeted PPC optimization approach, executed over a four-month period in late 2024, navigated these complexities, achieving a notable 15% reduction in cost per conversion for high-value routes.

Campaign Strategy: Working through Congestion with Precision

The core objective was clear: generate qualified leads for Maersk’s transpacific freight services while mitigating the impact of widespread shipping backlogs. This wasn’t about simply driving traffic. It was about attracting businesses ready to ship, aware of the current environment, and seeking solutions. Our budget for this four-month campaign was set at $320,000, averaging $80,000 per month from September to December 2024. We knew a broad-brush approach would fail, so our strategy centered on hyper-segmentation and real-time responsiveness.

We began by segmenting our target audience into two primary groups: businesses with urgent shipping needs and those planning for future shipments. This distinction informed our keyword strategy and ad copy. For urgent needs, we focused on “expedited transpacific shipping” and “priority freight services,” ensuring ad copy acknowledged current challenges while highlighting Maersk’s specific solutions, such as their dedicated vessel programs or alternative routing options. For future planning, keywords like “2025 shipping contracts” and “long-term transpacific logistics” were prioritized, with ad copy emphasizing reliability and forward-booking incentives. This granular approach allowed us to tailor the message precisely to user intent, a critical factor in a volatile market.

Our initial cost per lead (CPL) hovered around $180, with a return on ad spend (ROAS) of 2.8:1. Impressions were high, averaging 3.5 million per month, but the conversion rate for truly qualified leads was lower than desired. We recognized that while we were reaching a large audience, many searchers were simply researching the general state of shipping, not actively seeking a quote. This insight directly led to our first major optimization phase.

Creative Approach: Transparency and Solution-Oriented Messaging

Ad creative played a key role in setting expectations and attracting the right audience. We moved away from generic slogans and instead adopted a direct, transparent tone. Headlines often included phrases like “Working through Transpacific Delays” or “Solutions for Peak Season Shipping.” The ad descriptions detailed specific services available, such as “Guaranteed Space on Select Routes” or “Expedited Ocean Freight Options.”

For example, one high-performing ad group targeting businesses in the electronics sector used the headline “Electronics Imports: Secure Your Transpacific Slot.” The description read: “Maersk offers priority booking for electronics components. Real-time tracking and dedicated support. Get a quote today.” This specific messaging resonated, leading to a click-through rate (CTR) of 4.1% for that ad group, significantly higher than the campaign average of 2.9% during the initial phase. Our landing pages were equally specific, featuring forms designed to capture detailed shipment information upfront, helping to pre-qualify leads and simplify the sales process.

We also implemented dynamic keyword insertion (DKI) where appropriate, particularly for geo-targeted campaigns. For searches like “shipping from Shanghai to Los Angeles,” the ad would dynamically populate with “Shanghai to Los Angeles Shipping Solutions,” creating a highly relevant user experience. This personalization, while subtle, contributed to improved engagement metrics.

Targeting and Placement: Beyond Geographic Borders

Beyond standard geographic targeting (e.g., businesses within a 50-mile radius of major ports like Long Beach, Savannah, or Newark), we layered in firmographic data. We targeted companies based on industry (e.g., manufacturing, retail, automotive), employee size, and revenue brackets using Google Ads’ audience solutions. This allowed us to reach decision-makers at companies with actual shipping volumes, not just individuals curious about global trade. For instance, we specifically targeted companies identified as “importers” or “exporters” in specific categories.

Placement was primarily on the Google Search Network, given the high intent associated with search queries for shipping services. However, we also experimented with a small portion of the budget (approximately 10%) on the Google Display Network for remarketing purposes. This allowed us to re-engage users who had visited our landing pages but hadn’t converted, showing them testimonials or case studies highlighting Maersk’s reliability during challenging times. This remarketing effort yielded a modest but valuable conversion rate of 0.8% for a cost per conversion of $120, demonstrating the power of persistence with high-intent audiences.

What Worked: Data-Driven Adaptability

The most successful element of this campaign was our ability to adapt quickly based on performance data and real-world supply chain changes. Weekly budget adjustments, sometimes shifting up to 15% of the monthly allocation between high-performing and underperforming campaigns, proved important. For example, when reports from the IAB indicated increased congestion at certain West Coast ports, we temporarily reallocated budget to East Coast routes and emphasized those solutions in our ad copy. This agility prevented wasted spend on routes that were effectively closed off or severely delayed.

Our negative keyword strategy was aggressive and ongoing. We continuously monitored search queries, adding terms like “personal package tracking,” “Amazon shipping cost,” or “how to ship a car overseas” to our negative lists. This constant refinement reduced impressions for irrelevant searches by 18% over the campaign duration, directly contributing to a lower cost per click (CPC) and improving the overall quality of traffic. According to Google Ads documentation, effective negative keyword management is paramount for campaign efficiency, and our experience certainly validated that principle.

Plus, A/B testing of ad copy, particularly headlines, provided invaluable insights. We found that including specific numbers, such as “20+ Years Experience” or “100+ Vessels Strong,” consistently outperformed more general claims, boosting CTR by an average of 0.5% across tested ad groups. People want concrete assurances, especially when dealing with complex services like international freight.

What Didn’t Work: Over-Reliance on Broad Match Keywords

Initially, we experimented with a broader match keyword strategy in some campaigns to capture a wider net of potential searchers. This proved to be a misstep. While it did generate a higher volume of impressions, the conversion rate for these broad match terms was significantly lower, and the cost per conversion was nearly double that of our exact and phrase match campaigns. For example, a broad match term like “global shipping” generated a CPL of $250, compared to $160 for “transpacific container shipping services” (phrase match).

We quickly pivoted away from this, significantly reducing our reliance on broad match and focusing almost exclusively on phrase and exact match keywords. This adjustment, made within the first month, was a key factor in bringing our average CPL down from the initial $180 to $153 by the end of the campaign. It underscored a fundamental principle: in a high-value, complex service industry, precision trumps volume when it comes to keyword selection.

Another area that saw limited success was attempting to target very small businesses (SMBs) with limited shipping needs. While the intent might have been there, their shipping volumes often didn’t align with Maersk’s service model, leading to unqualified leads that consumed sales team resources. We refined our targeting to focus on medium to large enterprises, where the potential for recurring, high-volume shipments was greater.

Optimization Steps Taken: A Continuous Cycle

Our optimization process was continuous and multi-faceted:

1. Bid Adjustments: We implemented a tiered bidding strategy. High-value keywords and ad groups (those with strong conversion rates and high average order values) received higher bids. Conversely, keywords with lower performance saw bids reduced or were paused entirely. We also applied bid adjustments based on device type, noticing that desktop users had a 15% higher conversion rate for initial quote requests compared to mobile users.
2. Ad Schedule Optimization: We analyzed conversion data by time of day and day of week. Conversions were highest during standard business hours (9 AM to 5 PM local time in target markets), so we increased bids during these periods and decreased them overnight, resulting in a 5% improvement in daily campaign efficiency.
3. Landing Page Enhancements: Based on heatmapping and user session recordings, we identified areas of friction on our landing pages. This led to simplifying the quote request forms, adding clear calls to action, and embedding short explainer videos about Maersk’s specific solutions for backlogs. These changes contributed to a 10% increase in landing page conversion rates.
4. Ad Extension Utilization: We extensively used various ad extensions including sitelink extensions for specific service pages (e.g., “Cold Chain Logistics,” “Intermodal Transport”), callout extensions highlighting unique selling propositions (e.g., “24/7 Customer Support,” “Global Network”), and structured snippet extensions detailing service offerings. These extensions improved ad visibility and provided more entry points for users, boosting overall CTR.
5. Geographic Exclusions: While we targeted major port cities, we also excluded certain geographic regions that historically showed low conversion rates or high rates of unqualified inquiries. This fine-tuning saved approximately $5,000 in ad spend over the four months.

By the conclusion of the campaign, our average cost per lead had decreased to $153, representing a 15% improvement from the initial phase. Our ROAS improved to 3.2:1, and while impressions remained high at 3.2 million per month (a slight dip due to more precise targeting), the quality of leads significantly improved. Total conversions, defined as completed quote requests, reached 1,800 over the four-month period. The cost per conversion for these qualified leads was $177.78.

This campaign demonstrated that even in challenging market conditions like shipping backlogs, a careful, data-driven PPC strategy focused on specificity, transparency, and continuous optimization can yield substantial positive results. The key wasn’t to fight the reality of the supply chain but to adapt to it, offering solutions and managing expectations through precise messaging.