Agree on what counts as a qualified application

Before running ads, ask admissions what makes a fall bookkeeping application eligible. In this example, admissions checks that the application is complete and that the applicant has met the published prerequisite, such as an introductory accounting course or an accepted equivalent. An application waiting for documents or review stays pending. Keep the program, intake, and date of each status change in the same record so marketing and admissions can see where applicants get stuck.

Give each audience a clear path to apply

Send people to a page for the Vancouver evening bookkeeping program and its fall intake. Put the campus address, evening class times, start date, and application deadline near the top. Explain which prerequisite documents applicants need and what happens after they apply. Someone commuting from the North Shore can then check whether they can reach campus after work, and someone in Burnaby can see whether part-time study is available.

In Google Search, separate searches by program and intent when you have enough traffic to manage them. An ad for “evening bookkeeping program Vancouver” should send someone to the fall intake page, with the current evening schedule and a clear link to apply. Check the search terms after launch for people looking for bookkeeping services or jobs. Google’s Search campaign guide · Google Ads search terms report

Teach the campaign what a good inquiry becomes

Google says campaigns for Learning Care Group, an early childhood education provider, were “optimizing for form fills, not confirmed registrations.”

Google’s Learning Care Group case study

For the bookkeeping intake, start by testing whether the campaign source follows a submitted application into the admissions system. If you have a suitable tracking setup and can handle the data appropriately, use a later milestone such as admissions confirming the applicant meets the entry requirements. Google’s qualified and converted lead guidance

Give marketing and admissions one weekly view

Give both teams the same weekly report for the fall bookkeeping intake. Include media spend and use the same reporting dates for each stage.

Divide media spend by qualified applications to get cost per qualified application. Once the intake has had time to progress, divide enrolments from that group by the number of qualified applications. If inquiries rise but applications lag, check the schedule, requirements, and application steps on the program page. If qualified applications rise while enrolments stay flat, ask admissions what happened after applicants qualified.

For year-over-year comparisons, use equivalent intake windows and give applications the same time to be reviewed. Check whether a program’s capacity or requirements changed before crediting a campaign with the difference.