BAU is a university specialized in design, located in Barcelona. It offers 15 programs in areas such as graphic design, audiovisual design, fashion, and fine arts, attracting students from over 40 countries. With a bilingual approach and a creative hub in the heart of Barcelona, BAU draws talent from around the world. Its data-driven digital marketing strategy plays a key role in powering global expansion and strengthening its international positioning.
In-depth analysis of Google Search and Performance Max
In qualified leads
In cost per lead
On school visits
For nearly a year, BAU faced a critical issue with its Google Ads campaigns that neither its digital agency nor internal teams could resolve. Ad impressions dropped abruptly to zero and then reactivated without any clear reason. This erratic behavior severely impacted the university’s visibility and campaign performance. BAU turned to PSD in search of answers and solutions.
At PSD, our initial focus was to solve the mystery behind the Google Ads performance. We conducted a thorough audit of their Google Search and Performance Max campaigns, and discovered that many ads were being automatically rejected by Google’s review system — without any human intervention to fix the issue.
While the previous agency believed the root cause lay in technical problems on BAU’s website, we chose a different approach, staying true to our experimental mindset. We launched a pilot campaign with new ad creatives that, this time, were not flagged by the automated system.
This test quickly confirmed our theory and stabilized impressions, restoring both visibility and BAU’s confidence. Following this success, PSD took full ownership of the account to continue optimizing performance.
One of the major challenges we encountered was working with tight daily budgets that couldn't absorb the full volume of potential traffic — limiting campaign reach and holding back growth.
We redesigned the investment strategy based on historical data, concrete objectives, and segmentation by program. We prioritized Google Search over Performance Max and focused the budget on lower-funnel activity. Through advanced geotargeting configuration, we concentrated efforts on high-potential regions like Barcelona, Mexico, and Colombia — without losing global reach.
We identified that heavy use of Performance Max campaigns, without proper CRM integration, was generating a high volume of leads, but very few of quality. These contacts ended up stuck in automation flows that didn’t convert, negatively impacting both ROI and the efficiency of the sales team.
We also uncovered an error in the CRM setup: conversions were being attributed to incorrect properties, preventing the import of qualified leads (MQLs) to optimize campaigns.
We solved the issue by fixing the data flow and improving traceability from click to conversion. This allowed us to fully integrate the CRM into the ad strategy, apply more effective CRO tactics, and optimize campaigns based on real results, not just volume.
Event management platforms, a key tactic in BAU’s lead generation strategy, such as Eventbrite, were not properly integrated with Google Tag Manager or HubSpot. This led to the loss of critical data and unreliable conversion attribution, making it difficult to optimize campaigns and base decisions on real insights.
To solve this, we proposed implementing HubSpot’s native event management system. While it required initial development work, the new setup offered significantly more accurate data and full integration with digital platforms, enhancing the overall campaign optimization process.
At PSD Digitals, we help you develop a systemic vision for your digital marketing strategy. We analyze, prioritize based on your objectives, and launch actions that maximize the return on your investment, all while speaking your language.
We are PSDigitals, an international agency specializing in Business Intelligence applied to digital marketing. We use advanced data analytics to create strategies in key sectors such as SaaS, Education, Real Estate, and Tourism. Our mission is to offer innovative solutions and rapid results, simplifying the complex and helping our clients achieve their business objectives by maximizing the value of their greatest asset: data.
