Full paid media strategy across Google Search and Meta — built around two distinct markets, three priority services, and a clear path from minimum to full budget activation.
Private Training is currently over-converting — which is a good problem. But the two biggest wins for the business are Board & Train and Puppy Classes. The strategy keeps Private Training budget flat to protect existing pipeline while pushing more budget and creative weight behind B&T and Puppy Classes. The goal isn't to reduce Private Training; it's to grow the higher-value services proportionally.
Importantly, Private Training also provides a direct pipeline for Mahalia, the puppy trainer — who handles basic obedience for adult dogs as well. Karl and Mahalia sometimes split packages: Mahalia handles the foundational work, Karl steps in for the problem behavior. This frees up Karl's capacity while still delivering full-service results. When Private Training budget drops, that pipeline dries up noticeably.
Client note: "Something to think about — wouldn't want to lose people who can't afford the B&T price. Private Training is also an important affordability bridge for clients who need help but aren't ready for the full B&T investment."
At minimum budget, ad groups within each campaign are consolidated rather than run fully separated. Spreading budget too thin across multiple ad groups means Google doesn't get enough data to optimize — consolidated campaigns learn faster and perform better with limited spend. At minimum tier: one consolidated ad group per campaign.
When budget increases to the middle tier, the account opens back up fully. Each ad group gets the budget it needs to collect real performance data independently and the full campaign architecture activates.
Client note: "Makes sense."
| Ad Group | Minimum | Middle | Full | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sit Means Sit | $120 | $200 | $350 | Biggest name competitor — highest search volume in LA |
| Off Leash K9 | $100 | $175 | $300 | Strong differentiation angle — aversive methods vs M&M positive reinforcement |
| Other Dog Trainers | $80 | $175 | $350 | Broadest net — lower intent but high volume comparison shoppers |
| Total | $300 | $550 | $1,000 | These are the warmest cold clicks in the account |
Google Search campaigns don't allow spend limits at the individual ad group level — budget is set at the campaign level and Google distributes it. To control spend per competitor group, run each as its own campaign with its own budget. At minimum tier, consolidate all three into one campaign to ensure sufficient data. At middle tier, split into three separate campaigns for spend control.
The jump from current ($1,275) to minimum tier (~$3,375) is roughly $2,100/month more. One additional Board & Train booking at $3,000 covers that increase entirely — and then some. At minimum tier, the primary goal is generating that one extra B&T booking per month. Everything else is upside.
https://www.muttsandmunch.com/board-and-train
Puppy Classes is a discovery-driven product — new puppy parents are browsing Instagram and Facebook, not actively searching on Google. The good news is this is a very winnable Meta audience. Activating Meta at even the minimum tier gives this campaign a second channel that Google simply can't replicate for this buyer type. When ready to scale, this is the first Meta campaign to turn on.
Client note: "Feel like it's worth a try. 571 views with average time on page of 2.5 mins. Need to be converting those." — High engagement already. Getting conversion tracking in place is priority one before any budget increase here.
Private Training is performing well — the issue is that Board & Train and Puppy Classes are the bigger wins for the business. Budget is held flat at $225/mo to protect existing pipeline. The opportunity is in routing the right clients to the right service: use intake copy and qualification to direct intensive behavioral cases (aggression, severe reactivity) toward Board & Train, and new puppy owners toward group classes. More Private Training leads is not the goal — better-fit leads for all three services is.
https://www.muttsandmunch.com/private-training
Behavioral Problems searchers are the highest-intent traffic in the account. Someone searching "aggressive dog trainer near me" at 10pm is ready to spend money. This is your most motivated buyer and currently has $0 budget behind it. First campaign to activate after B&T.
Someone searching "Sit Means Sit reviews" or "Off Leash K9 cost" has already decided they need a dog trainer — they just haven't chosen one yet. That's the warmest cold click in the account. The Off Leash K9 angle is particularly strong for M&M: they use aversive methods, M&M doesn't. That's a clear, defensible differentiator that speaks directly to the comparison shopper.
Google Search campaigns don't allow spend limits at the individual ad group level — budget is set at the campaign level and Google distributes it. To control spend per competitor group, run each as its own campaign with its own budget. At minimum tier, consolidate all three into one campaign to ensure sufficient data. At middle tier, split into three separate campaigns for spend control.
Off Leash K9 uses e-collar / shock collar methods. Mutts & Munch never does. For comparison shoppers landing on this ad, that's the headline — lead with "Real Results Without Shock Collars" and let the positive reinforcement story close.
No Group Puppy Classes PMAX in Portland until Private Training converts consistently. Define the threshold now — recommended: 10+ conversions/month for 60 days before activating PMAX for group classes.
No Meta until landing page confirmed and offer locked — revisit Month 2.
Service area confirmed: SE Portland, NE Portland, Beaverton, Salem, Vancouver, and Hillsborough.
Pack Hikes serves two confirmed purposes: (A) retention for existing training clients who want to maintain their dog's socialization, and (C) a standalone community service evaluated on its own $40/hike economics. Cold traffic → training conversion has not happened — zero Pack Hike clients have converted to Private Training or B&T to date.
Run cold traffic ads but evaluate on hike bookings only. Retarget page visitors into training campaigns — 58 page views at 51 sec avg engagement is a warm enough signal to test. Use past training client lists as a separate retargeting audience for the Scenario A cross-sell.
Pack Hikes Meta is flagged "LP Needed." Do not launch Meta Pack Hikes without a dedicated landing page. Paid traffic to a generic page will not convert.
Client confirmed Scenario A (training first, hikes after — retention product) and Scenario C (Pack Hikes operates independently for a separate audience). Scenario B — hikes as a cold traffic entry point into training — is not supported by current data. Zero Pack Hike clients have converted to Private Training or Board & Train.
| Campaign | Interests | Life Events | Demo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puppy Classes | Dogs, Puppy Training, PetSmart, Chewy, Dog Obedience | New Pet Owner, Recently Moved | 25–45, LA metro, 5–8 miles |
| Pack Hikes | Dogs, Dog Parks, Dog Hiking, Outdoor Recreation, Pet Supplies | New Pet Owner | 25–45, LA metro, 5–8 miles |
Meta and Google regularly refine or remove targeting categories as part of privacy updates. Some specific interest categories may not be available at setup. In these cases, select the closest relevant segments or allow the platform algorithm to optimize based on broader signals. The core approach — dog owners, new pet owners, pet-related interests — remains consistent even if specific labels change.
These adjustments layer on top of your base bid. A +30% adjustment means Google will bid 30% more aggressively for searchers in that zip code. Apply at the location level in each campaign. At minimum budget tier, prioritize the highest-tier zips only — spreading adjustments too thin at low budget reduces their impact. At middle tier, implement the full table.
| Campaign | Recommended Radius | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board & Train | 25–30 miles | Clients will drive for this — cast wide net |
| Puppy Classes | 8–10 miles | Proximity-driven; parents won't drive 30 min for a class |
| Private Training — Facility | 10–15 miles | Moderate drive acceptable for 1-on-1 |
| Private Training — In-Home | 15–20 miles | Trainer travels to client — wider reach justified |
| Pack Hikes | 10–15 miles | Community feel — local audience preferred |
| Portland — Private Training | 10–15 miles | SE Portland, NE Portland, Beaverton only |
High-income zip codes = higher likelihood of a $3,000 B&T spend. Priority zips are concentrated in Beverly Hills, Pacific Palisades, La Cañada, Malibu, and the Westside.
| Adjustment | Zip Codes | Area |
|---|---|---|
| +30% | 90210, 90272, 91011, 90265 | Beverly Hills, Pacific Palisades, La Cañada, Malibu |
| +20% | 90211, 90212, 90402, 91105, 91214, 90290, 90292, 90263 | Beverly Hills adj., Santa Monica N., Pasadena, La Crescenta, Topanga, Marina del Rey, Malibu adj. |
| +15% | 90046, 90048, 90069, 90064, 91030, 91364, 91356, 91301, 91302 | Hollywood Hills, W. Hollywood, Rancho Park, S. Pasadena, Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Agoura Hills |
| No adjustment | 91101–91106, 91316, 91324–91327, 90035, 90291, 90401–90411 | Core Pasadena, Reseda, Northridge, Beverlywood, Venice, Santa Monica (broader) |
In-home at $175/hr — same high-income zip logic applies. Trainer travels to the client, so we want the highest-value neighborhoods bidding most aggressively.
| Adjustment | Zip Codes | Area |
|---|---|---|
| +25% | 90210, 90272, 91011, 90265 | Beverly Hills, Pacific Palisades, La Cañada, Malibu |
| +15% | 90211, 90212, 90402, 91105, 91214, 90290, 90292 | Beverly Hills adj., Santa Monica N., Pasadena, La Crescenta, Topanga, Marina del Rey |
| +10% | 90046, 90048, 90069, 90064, 91030, 91356, 91301, 91302 | Hollywood Hills, W. Hollywood, Rancho Park, S. Pasadena, Tarzana, Agoura Hills |
For group classes, proximity is the primary driver — not income. A parent 3 miles away is more valuable than a high-income parent 12 miles away who won't drive to class. Use radius targeting as the primary lever, with a modest proximity adjustment on top.
| Adjustment | Trigger | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| +10% | Within 0–5 miles of training location | High probability of consistent weekly attendance |
| +5% | Within 5–8 miles of training location | Still likely to attend weekly — slight bump |
| No adjustment | 8–10 miles | Edge of radius — let base bid compete |
| Zip Code | Reason |
|---|---|
| 90005, 90006, 90007, 90010 | Lower-income urban core — low B&T conversion probability |
| 90239, 90240, 90241, 90242 | Downey — outside service area, low fit |
| 98765 | Non-existent zip code — remove immediately to prevent platform error |
| Page | Hero Headline | CTA | Sidebar / Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA Puppy Classes | "6-Week Classes That Actually Work" | Calendly booking link | Service details + service areas |
| LA Private Training | "One-on-One Training for Your Dog" | Lead gen form | Service details + form |
| LA Board & Train | "We Train Your Dog. Done-For-You." | Lead gen form | Service details + form |
| Portland Private Training | "Portland's Positive Reinforcement Trainer" | Lead gen form | Service details + Portland zip areas |