Making smart bidding smarter for Purplebricks
A bespoke data integration led to a sophisticated extra layer for smart bidding - driving more and better quality leads
Building a new model for Purplebricks supercharged lead quality - and opened up a full funnel approach.
Challenge
In 2023, Purplebricks needed a way to optimise for better quality leads, knowing that not all leads are equally valuable. With the cost per lead rising, a better lead gen strategy was needed.
Many variables beyond customer intent impact the value of a Purplebricks lead. These include external factors (postcode, property value, market liquidity) as well as internal ones (agent availability and calendar availability for each geographic area). These sat in multiple systems and frequently changed in-day.
The challenge was to disentangle all of that data in order to bid optimally for every lead.
Strategy
The first step was to ingest field and market data by geographic area. The second was to build a new model which could power up smart bidding with these signals, in order to better optimise for converting leads.
Kinase and Purplebricks ingested all relevant data using a combination of Google Ads scripts and SA360 bidding portfolios to introduce an extra layer of optimisation at a local geographical level.
This worked by building a weighting model to score potential value based on postal outcode clusters across the UK hourly.
Results
After implementing this geographic automation project, lead quality immediately improved. The number of users who booked a property valuation increased by 22% year over year. The number of appointments that converted into an ‘instruction to sell’ a property increased by 8% - more leads and more valuable lead. The net value of a lead increased by over 12%.
This opened up full funnel digital marketing opportunities for the business, with the confidence that additional channels could return real gains based on the geographic modelling already proven.
The approach of using first party data at scale to supercharge smart bidding is a unique story, especially the element of incorporating agent availability. However, there is an underlying story here for other advertisers. This is a focus on building solutions which lie in strategic insight and handling of data - rather than proprietary technology which can become a dependence.
The project has been recognised by Google’s Premier Partner Awards 2024 and in the UK Paid Media Awards 2025.
Discover more about Lead Gen at Kinase
