3,600+ Qualified Leads Generated Through Hyper-Targeted City Campaigns

Charleston’s Fine Art Auction is one of Australia’s most prominent and long-standing auction houses, known for making fine art more accessible to everyday Australians. Since 1997, the company has travelled across the country’s major cities, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and beyond. They hold regular online and in-person auctions that feature an eclectic mix of Australian, Aboriginal, and international artworks, alongside premium bronze sculptures and artisanal carpets. They also operate a unique home content auction segment, offering quality household furnishings and decorative items.

Now, the fine art auction space, while rich in cultural value, is also commercially niche, with limited high-intent audiences and a competitive digital environment. The challenge in this industry lies not only in reaching the right buyers but also in making art feel accessible and timely, especially for auction-goers who rely on limited-time campaigns and location-specific events.

That’s where we came in. Tasked with building a highly-targeted, conversion-ready PPC funnel, our agency was brought on to launch and manage Google Ads campaigns tailored to Charleston’s fast-paced and regionally diverse auction calendar.

Scaling the Unscalable: How a City-Specific PPC Funnel Delivered 3,600+ Qualified Leads and 34+ Conversions per $1,000 for Charleston’s Fine Art Auctions

Charleston’s set out to drive high-quality lead generation for its bi-weekly fine art auctions across major Australian cities while keeping costs low and targeting precise audiences. The main objectives were to attract signups from art collectors, interior designers, and home stylists; boost local traffic in the week leading up to each auction; and retarget users who had previously shown interest. The key challenge was the niche nature of the audience and the limited window to deliver results, with campaigns needing to perform quickly and cost-effectively.

To meet these goals, we developed a highly targeted PPC strategy aligned with Charleston’s rotating auction calendar. Campaigns were launched days before each event, using geo-targeting, compelling ad copy, and refined audience filters to ensure high buyer intent. Retargeting helped re-engage previous visitors and convert them into participants. Within six months, this approach delivered over 3,600 qualified leads and more than 34 leads per $1,000 in ad spend, far exceeding industry benchmarks and firmly establishing Charleston as a digital leader in the fine art auction space.

This campaign proved that even in a niche and time-sensitive market like fine art auctions, a well-executed, data-driven PPC strategy can deliver outstanding results. By focusing on intent, timing, and regional precision, we not only helped Charleston consistently fill its auction events but also elevated its brand visibility across Australia. The success of this partnership demonstrates the power of smart targeting and agile digital marketing in transforming traditional business models into scalable, lead-generating engines.

The Goals

  • Hyper-Targeted Lead Generation: Focused on attracting high-intent audiences such as art collectors, interior designers, and home stylists across major Australian cities, with campaign launches timed precisely a week before each auction.
  • Aggressive Retargeting & Rapid Scaling: Implemented retargeting strategies to re-engage previous visitors and ramped up campaigns quickly to hit bidder signup goals within tight timelines.
  • Niche Audience & Budget Efficiency: Overcame the challenge of a small, refined audience by maximizing impression share and minimizing wasted spend, ensuring every click contributed meaningfully to auction participation.

Approach

  • Strategically Timed Campaigns: Each PPC campaign was launched days before a city-specific auction, creating urgency and ensuring ad spend reached users most likely to engage.

  • High-Intent Targeting: We used precise audience filters to focus on local art collectors, interior designers, and decorators—maximizing lead quality and relevance.

  • Compelling Messaging: Ad copy highlighted exclusivity, artwork quality, and limited-time opportunities to drive strong user interest and conversions.

  • Smart Retargeting: By reconnecting with previous site visitors and ad engagers, we turned interest into signups—supporting consistent turnout despite tight timelines.

The Results

  • High-Quality Lead Generation: Over 3,600 qualified leads were generated through Google Ads, achieving 34+ leads per $1,000 spent—exceeding industry benchmarks for the fine art auction sector.

  • Geo-Targeted Campaign Precision: Strategically aligned ad spend with upcoming auction locations, ensuring maximum relevance, minimal waste, and high buyer intent across multiple cities.

  • Scalable Growth with the Right Audience: Successfully attracted and converted the target audience—art collectors and buyers—leading to increased auction participation and stronger brand visibility in both metro and regional markets.

 

Start Get Serive on PPC Rockers or visit more case studies

Interested in Working Together?

Let’s Get Started