CHILDCARE MARKETING STRATEGY

How to Use Google Ads to Fill Childcare Vacancies Across Perth

By ChildCare Marketing | childcaremarketing.com.au | March 2026

Introduction: Google Dominates Perth Childcare Search

Google commands 95%+ search market share across Western Australia. When Perth parents search for childcare, they start with Google—not Facebook, not Instagram, not directory sites. Google Ads delivers high-intent, ready-to-act families directly to your vacancy form, email or phone.

This guide explains how to structure profitable Google Ads campaigns that fill vacancies without wasting budget on low-intent clicks.

Perth’s Google Search Market: The Opportunity

Perth’s 2.2 million residents rely heavily on Google for family services. Childcare search behaviour shows distinct seasonal patterns: high urgency in January–February (new term planning), moderating in April–May, and dropping sharply during June school holidays. Understanding these patterns shapes your campaign calendar.

• High-intent months: January, February, August, September.
• Medium intent: March, April, May, October, November.
• Low intent: June, July, December.

Your Google Ads strategy must flex budget up during high-intent months and dial back during school holidays to avoid wasting spend on browsers rather than buyers.

Keyword Strategy: Suburb Names + Childcare Terms

Perth families search with high geographic specificity. A Joondalup parent doesn’t search ‘Perth childcare’; she searches ‘childcare Joondalup’ or ‘daycare Joondalup’ or ‘childcare near me Joondalup’. Your keyword strategy must mirror this behaviour.

• Primary keywords: ‘[Suburb] childcare’, ‘[Suburb] daycare’, ‘[Suburb] early learning’.
• Secondary keywords: ‘childcare [postcode]’, ‘best childcare [suburb]’, ‘affordable childcare [suburb]’.
• Tertiary keywords: ‘childcare vacancies [suburb]’, ‘[Suburb] childcare available’, ‘childcare enrolments [suburb]’.
• Negative keywords: ‘government childcare’, ‘childcare vouchers’, ‘subsidy calculator’ (low intent).

Pro Tip: Use Google Keyword Planner to validate search volume for your top 5–8 suburbs. Prioritise suburbs with 100+ monthly searches and CPCs under $10.

Cost-Per-Click (CPC) Guide for Perth Suburbs

Perth suburbs cluster into three pricing tiers based on competitiveness and population density.

• Premium metro (Joondalup, Fremantle, Subiaco, Nedlands, Cottesloe): $6–$10 CPC.
• Mid-tier metros (Midland, Belmont, South Perth, Como): $4–$7 CPC.
• Outer suburbs (Baldivis, Rockingham, Thornlie, Gosnells): $2–$5 CPC.

Your budget allocation should reflect these tiers. A $50/day budget might split $20 to premium suburbs, $20 to mid-tier and $10 to outer suburbs. Test this mix and rebalance based on conversion data.

Campaign Structure: Suburb-Based vs. Audience-Based

Two structures work for Perth childcare advertising: suburb-based campaigns (one campaign per suburb or cluster) and audience-based campaigns (targeting lookalike or remarketing audiences). A hybrid approach often wins.

• Campaign 1: Joondalup + Wanneroo (nearby clusters).
• Campaign 2: Fremantle + South Fremantle.
• Campaign 3: Outer suburbs (Baldivis, Rockingham, Thornlie, Gosnells).
• Campaign 4: Remarketing to website visitors who didn’t convert.
• Campaign 5: Search for ‘childcare [your suburb]’ (branded + defensive).

This structure allows granular budget control and clearer performance attribution per suburb or audience segment.

Budget Tiers: From $25–$60 Per Day

Google Ads budgets scale with ambition. Most Perth centres operate on one of three tiers:

• Tier 1 ($25–$30/day): Single suburb testing; $750–$900/month. Ideal for testing or tight budgets.
• Tier 2 ($35–$45/day): 2–3 suburbs with moderate spend; $1,050–$1,350/month. Optimal for growth-focused centres.
• Tier 3 ($50–$60/day): Multi-suburb campaigns; $1,500–$1,800/month. For networks or centres with strong conversion data.

Start at Tier 1 for 4–8 weeks, measure conversion rates, then scale to Tier 2 or 3 once you prove ROI. Never launch into Tier 3 without conversion proof.

Remarketing Audience Search Ads (RLSA) Setup

RLSA allows you to target website visitors with customised bids and ads. A parent who visits your website but doesn’t enquire is primed for re-engagement.

• Set up a website visitor audience in Google Analytics.
• Create RLSA campaigns with +30% bid boost for these visitors.
• Craft urgency-driven ad copy: ‘Last 2 spots available—limited-time offer’.
• Link to a landing page with a special offer or free trial playdate.

Pro Tip: RLSA converts 2–3 times higher than cold search traffic. If you have 500+ monthly website visitors, allocate 20% of your budget to RLSA campaigns.

Call Extensions: Mobile-First CPC Optimization

Perth parents search childcare predominantly on mobile (70%+ of searches). Call extensions make it one tap to ring you—critical for mobile conversion.

• Add a click-to-call extension to every ad.
• Include your phone number in ad copy as well (redundancy = mobile safety).
• Track calls separately via Google Ads conversion tracking.
• Aim for 20–30% of conversions to come from calls (not form fills).

A missed call from a parent is a lost vacancy. Consider setting up a call answering service or scheduling system to capture these high-intent moments.

Conversion Tracking & Analytics Setup

Without conversion tracking, you’re flying blind. Set up these tracking points immediately:

• Form submission on your website = conversion.
• Phone calls via call extension = conversion.
• Landing page visits (if separate from homepage) = micro-conversion.
• Email enquiry sends = optional secondary conversion.

Google Ads measures conversion rate, cost per conversion and return on ad spend (ROAS). Target 15–25% conversion rate; if lower, improve landing page UX or ad-to-page relevance.

Seasonal Vacancy Patterns: When to Scale and Pause

Perth childcare vacancy patterns are highly predictable. Leverage this to maximise budget efficiency.

• High vacancy (Jan–Feb, Aug–Sept): Scale to Tier 2 or 3 budget.
• Medium vacancy (Mar–May, Oct–Nov): Tier 1 or 2 budget.
• Low vacancy (June–July school holidays, December holidays): Pause campaigns or drop to minimum $15/day.

Many centres make the mistake of running constant campaigns. Smart operators pause campaigns during low-intent periods and redeploy budget when vacancy is high and families are actively searching.

Want expert childcare marketing support? Visit childcaremarketing.com.au or call us today.

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