Turning free search advertising into readers, downloads, and members
For the Bureau of Governmental Research, a tightly structured Google Ad Grant became a steady pipeline of high-intent traffic — with a 69.1% conversion rate to show for it.
The story
The Challenge
BGR needed to increase visibility for its research and policy resources, drive downloads of its reports, and create new opportunities to engage an audience interested in public policy, all within the constraints of Google’s nonprofit Ad Grant program, where strict quality requirements mean poorly managed accounts lose their funding.
Our Approach
We structured and managed three targeted campaigns (Brand Awareness, Reports, and BGR Membership), each mapped directly to one of BGR’s core goals: visibility, report distribution, and audience growth. The campaigns were built to capture high-intent search traffic and guide visitors toward BGR’s most valuable resources and engagement opportunities, with ongoing optimization to keep the grant account healthy and fully utilized. This is a long partnership: Elevation redesigned BGR’s website in 2018, continues to provide monthly support, and helped BGR obtain the Ad Grant in the first place, so search strategy and site experience have always been managed as one system.
Why It Worked
By aligning campaign structure directly with BGR’s core goals, the strategy converted search intent into measurable action. The 69.1% conversion rate and the steady flow of report downloads and newsletter sign-ups reflect an audience that didn’t just click — it engaged meaningfully with BGR’s content and mission.
The Results
Conversion rate across the account: search intent turned into measurable action
Click-through rate on high-intent public-policy searches
Impressions across the first half of 2026, with 3.8K clicks
Total conversions, led by the Brand Awareness, Reports, and BGR Membership campaigns
PDF downloads (including 64 report downloads), plus 40 new newsletter subscriptions
“I have enjoyed working with everyone!”
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