Skip to content
Netafim South Africa engaged Ruby Digital to support its digital growth objectives through Google Ads, with a focus on generating high-quality leads and driving relevant traffic to its website. The primary objective was to capture lead enquiries via contact form submissions, supporting Netafim’s nationwide dealership network and ultimately encouraging product sales. Secondary objectives included improving website engagement metrics, increasing click-through rates, and strengthening brand visibility within the agricultural and irrigation market.
At the outset, the account had limited historical conversion data, which required an initial focus on implementation, measurement, and baseline performance tracking. During this period, the scope of activity expanded into key SADC regions, including Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The agreed approach prioritised sustainable growth, with performance improvements expected over a three- to six-month period as data was collected and optimisations could be applied with greater confidence.
Limited Historical Conversion Data:
At campaign launch, there was no reliable historical conversion data available, requiring an initial learning period to establish benchmarks and inform optimisation decisions.
Restricted Competitor Visibility:
Due to limited Google Ads activity within the market, competitor insights were primarily derived from manual research and third-party tools, meaning spend levels, keyword strategies, and bidding behaviour could only be estimated rather than confirmed.
Market-Specific Search Behaviour:
The agricultural and irrigation sector presented varied search intent, requiring careful keyword testing and segmentation to ensure ads reached decision-makers such as farm managers and commercial growers.
Early-Stage Performance Volatility:
As with any new account, performance fluctuations were expected during the first few months, making it important to avoid premature strategic shifts until sufficient data had been collected and trends could be validated.
Foundation and Data Collection:
The first phase focused on establishing a reliable performance baseline in the absence of historical conversion data. This included setting up a new Google Ads account, implementing conversion tracking for lead actions, and structuring campaigns to capture meaningful engagement and conversion signals. Early performance data was used to test messaging, evaluate search intent, and identify high-value keywords and audiences within the agricultural sector.
Capturing Existing Demand Through Search:
To address lead generation objectives, the strategy prioritised Search Campaigns, including a dedicated branded campaign and multiple product-focused campaigns such as drippers, driplines, sprinklers, and filters. Each campaign was structured to leverage different keyword match types, allowing Netafim to compete for high-intent searches while also discovering new converting queries. Successful broad match terms were refined into exact match keywords to maximise efficiency.
Expansion Into Performance Max and Remarketing:
Once sufficient data was collected, Performance Max campaigns were introduced to support remarketing efforts and extend reach beyond traditional search. This enabled Netafim to engage users earlier in the buying journey, reinforce brand awareness, and support lead generation without relying solely on high-competition keywords.
Optimisation and Scalable Growth:
As conversion data matured, the strategy shifted toward optimisation and controlled scaling. Budget allocation, bidding strategies, and targeting were refined to prioritise cost-efficient lead generation. Engagement metrics such as click-through rate, session duration, and on-site interactions were monitored closely to ensure traffic quality remained high while conversion volumes increased.
Comparing 01 July 2025 to 31 December 2025 vs 01 January 2025 to 30 June 2025:
This performance uplift was largely driven by the growing contribution of Performance Max and Branded Search campaigns. As these campaigns gained momentum, they captured a greater share of high-intent users actively searching for irrigation solutions, including users who were not previously familiar with the Netafim brand.
The increase in impressions reflects expanded visibility, while the rise in clicks and conversions demonstrates that this additional reach translated into meaningful engagement and lead generation. Together, these results established a strong foundation for continued optimisation, with clear opportunities to further scale high-performing campaign types in the next phase of the strategy.
