Let’s talk about something we see all the time: A gymnastics gym or swim school is running Google Ads… Spending hundreds (sometimes thousands) every month… But barely getting any new students through the doors.
And the worst part? They assume that’s just how it works. That Google Ads are “meh” or that parents just aren’t searching.
Google Ads DO work. They just need to be built for how parents search—and how they make decisions.
The Common Mistake
Here’s what usually happens: You set up some ads (or someone does it for you), pick a few keywords like “gymnastics near me,” point the traffic to your website, and wait.
Clicks come in. Your budget gets spent. But no one books a trial. No one calls. No one enrolls.
Because everything between the click and the conversion is broken.
Why Your Ads Aren’t Working (Yet)
Let’s break down the key reasons most activity centers struggle to get results from Google Ads:
- The keywords are too broad.
When you bid on general phrases like “gymnastics,” you attract everyone from adult fitness searchers to people who are just browsing. You want specific, local, high-intent terms like “toddler gymnastics class Irvine” or “kids dance lessons near Redmond.” That’s who’s ready to book today. - You’re targeting too wide of an area.
Parents won’t drive an hour for a weekly class. In most cases, your customers live within 10–15 miles of your location. If you’re targeting the whole state or metro area, your budget’s getting chewed up on people who’ll never actually come in. - You’re sending clicks to your homepage.
Your homepage isn’t built to convert—it’s built to inform. It has too many options, too many distractions. If someone clicks your ad, they need one clear path: “Here’s what we offer. Here’s why families love us. Book your free trial here.” - There’s no tracking.
Most activity centers have no way of knowing which ads led to what results. If you’re not tracking calls, forms, and trial bookings, you’re guessing. And when you’re guessing, you can’t improve.
The Bottom Line
Google Ads don’t have to be a money pit. But they do need to be set up for how parents actually search, what they’re looking for, and how fast they decide.
When you treat your ads like a tool to get people through the door—not just drive traffic—you start to see real results.
Want the full breakdown? We walk through this step-by-step in our latest YouTube video.
Watch it here to see exactly how to fix your ads and turn clicks into students.
📈 Want help applying this to your own campaigns? We’ve helped over 400 kids activity centers clean up their marketing and actually grow. Let’s break it down together—no fluff, no pressure.