Neilson Financial Services - Data & Technology

Neilson Financial Services is a global specialist provider of Direct Life Insurance. Within the UK Neilson have a selection of insurance products the majority of which sit within their two main brands, British Seniors and Smart Insurance.

"We estimate the work done carried out with TMI will result in us saving £250,000 over the next year, which is money we can now direct into growing our business as a whole. More importantly, however, by removing these Brand Infringers our credibility is restored in this space, which is truly invaluable."

Hannah Ferguson Head of Digital

Objective

The client’s primary goal was to drive higher lead and sales volumes within the Generic space, keeping the Cost Per Sale (CPS) consistently below £400. A secondary aim involved maintaining strong Brand performance by actively removing brand infringers from paid search results.

Campaign Build and Approach

Leveraging a mature, three-year-old account structure, all ad copy was refreshed to highlight new products for British Seniors and Smart Insurance, delivering renewed consumer engagement at the start of 2016. Strategic ad scheduling and locational bidding coordinated with TV advertising capitalised on dual-screen user behaviour, significantly boosting performance.

Granular A/B ad testing quickly identified the most cost-effective messaging variations, while direct call-centre feedback revealed the product benefits most valued by customers. A comprehensive long-tail keyword build greatly increased performance on Generic terms, driving low-cost sales through reduced competition.

Improving the account structure at both campaign and ad group levels allowed precise identification and scaling of lower-cost keyword groups, while simultaneously optimising or reducing spend on higher-cost areas.

Detailed competitor analysis pinpointed key product differentiators. Custom competitor-specific campaigns were created, highlighting advantages such as simplified purchasing (no medical exams) or emphasising strong product benefits where competitors offered lower prices.

Customising and Cleaning the User Journey

Though the user journey had undergone testing over three years, significant improvements were realised in 2016. Ad messaging was meticulously aligned across search ads, TV ads, and call-centre scripts to create consistency, making customers more prepared to purchase.

Addressing a recurring problem of Brand Infringement—previously diverting 40.27% of brand searches to competitors—became a priority. Daily identification and removal of infringing ads ensured a clearer user journey, reducing confusion and lost sales.

This enhanced Brand Protection drove notable improvements:

Click-Through Rate increased by 15.50% (from 52.24% to 60.33%).
CPCs reduced by 46.30% (from £7.40 to £3.98).
Spend reduced by 2.19% with a sales uplift of 95.14%.

Positional and CPA Bid Strategies

The adoption of combined positional and CPA-based bid strategies secured top placement for Brand terms and maintained CPS below the £400 target for Generic terms. Given that leads are transferred to a call centre, optimisation focused on Cost Per Lead.

Recognising varying lead-to-sale ratios across Generic keyword groups, bid strategies were customised based on historical performance and regularly updated. This agile approach consistently kept CPA within target without compromising sales volume.

Ad Copy Customisation

Operating in a highly competitive life insurance keyword landscape required tailored messaging. To maximise relevance and engagement, granular ad copy testing determined which unique selling propositions resonated most strongly within each keyword group.

This targeted approach substantially improved lead-to-sale ratios year-on-year, increasing from 7.08% to 11.55% (a 62.99% uplift), as customers became better qualified at their initial brand interaction, ultimately enhancing call-centre conversion rates.