ZIP-Level Dealer Market Optimization for Forge & Flame
The Challenge
Forge & Flame’s paid media challenge was not just performance, it was geography. With dealer coverage spread across many markets, broad targeting made it easy to spend budget in areas with limited retail support. Augurian partnered with Forge & Flame to segment dealer-driven “Priority Markets” (A, B, and C) and apply ZIP code level location targeting inside Google Ads.
The objective was to tighten coverage around ZIP clusters most likely to convert into high-intent actions like Find a Dealer, Shop Locally, and Request Quote, while creating a scalable framework to manage bidding and budgets at a hyperlocal level. In the post-update window (Mar 5, 2026 to Jun 2, 2026), Priority Market A showed the clearest lift across Search and Performance Max.
Dealer-led distribution creates uneven retail support, making broad geographic targeting inefficient.
Forge & Flame needed a scalable way to prioritize investment near dealer coverage without losing visibility in key regions.
Multiple conversion actions mattered. Lead quality and intent mattered more than raw clicks (example: Find a Dealer and Shop Locally activity).
Measurement complexity overlapped the test window, including a Spring Promo period (Mar 5 to Apr 6) and conversion tracking caveats (Request Quote issues), requiring careful interpretation (directional read vs strict causality).
The Solution
Augurian implemented a hyperlocal targeting and bidding framework built around dealer-driven priority markets:
Build Priority Market ZIP clusters: Mapped ZIP codes to dealer-driven Priority Markets (A, B, C) so campaigns could target and budget based on business priority rather than broad geography.
Segment Google Ads campaigns by priority tier: Structured Search and Performance Max campaigns so each priority tier could be evaluated and optimized independently. This is reflected in the campaign breakout in both the pre and post reporting views.
Apply ZIP code level geo-targeting and guardrails: Updated location targeting to the approved ZIP clusters and introduced efficiency guardrails (budget levels, bid aggressiveness, and CPL monitoring) by tier.
Use conversion intent to guide optimization: Tracked high-intent actions and used Spring Promo conversions as a reliable proxy when Request Quote tracking was not stable.
Ongoing ZIP-level analysis and iteration: Reviewed performance at the ZIP level to identify where to scale (strong pockets) and where to reduce investment (underperforming ZIPs) without rewriting the entire strategy.
The Results
What worked well
Segmenting by priority market made it easier to see where spend was working and where it was not, without “averaging away” local performance.
Priority A showed strong early performance signals, supporting a scale-first approach in the ZIP clusters that responded best.
Hyperlocal geo controls created a repeatable framework to refine targeting without rebuilding campaigns from scratch.
Where we need more data and refinement
Priority Markets B and C softened in the initial post window in the Google Ads campaign tables (directional read).
Because multiple variables changed around the same time (ZIP update, Spring Promo, seasonality, and Request Quote tracking issues), results should be framed as early indicators, not a clean causal test.
Measurement notes and caveats
This is not a clean causal read because the timeline is still short and multiple variables overlapped. The pre vs post date windows used for comparison are Dec 1, 2025 to Mar 4, 2026 and Mar 5, 2026 to Jun 2, 2026.
Also, Spring Promo reporting indicates a distinct conversion behavior by state and channel during that period.
Augurian is a digital marketing partner specializing in Paid Media, Organic Search, and Analytics. For Forge & Flame, we use dealer-aware, data-driven targeting to help ensure paid media investment aligns with where customers can take action, from high-intent search to local dealer engagement.