OpenSky, a division of Capital Bank, N.A., is one of the nation’s leading secured credit card providers — helping Americans build credit through a simple online application process. To grow their applicant volume and improve conversion efficiency, they partnered with Upgrow to build and scale a multi-channel paid media program.
OpenSky needed a digital marketing engine that could drive high volumes of credit card applications efficiently. The challenge wasn't just getting clicks — it was converting them at a rate that made the economics work, at scale.
We started with deep keyword research and structured campaigns by theme for precise bid control. Within the campaigns, we built SKAG structures to improve Quality Scores and ad relevance. We built high-converting landing pages on Unbounce with greater development flexibility, and ran continuous A/B tests via Google Optimize to push conversion rates higher. As the program matured, we expanded from paid search into display, discovery, and YouTube video campaigns to reach additional eligible audiences.
Early gains in 2020 were sustained and extended through 2021, with the program continuing to grow application volume while maintaining strong efficiency.
Whether you’re looking to expand your search visibility, generate more qualified leads, or build a scalable acquisition engine, our team can help you turn digital marketing into a reliable growth channel.
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For OpenSky, we built a paid search foundation with deep keyword research and campaigns structured by theme for precise bid control. We used SKAG structures to maximize Quality Scores and built high-converting landing pages on Unbounce, running continuous A/B tests via Google Optimize. As search performance stabilized, we expanded into display, discovery, and YouTube campaigns to reach additional eligible audiences.
You need compliant ad copy and landing pages that meet Google’s financial services advertising policies, proper conversion tracking for online applications, and a landing page optimized for the specific action you want users to take. For OpenSky, we built dedicated landing pages on Unbounce rather than sending traffic to the homepage, which gave us the flexibility to A/B test continuously and improve conversion rates by 21%.
OpenSky saw a 100% increase in applications and a 21% improvement in conversion rates within the first three months. Early wins came from campaign restructuring and landing page optimization, while sustained growth through 2021 came from expanding into additional channels and continuous testing.
For OpenSky, Google Ads doubled credit card applications within the first three months and grew applications by 109% through 2021. For financial services companies, paid search captures high-intent users actively looking for products like secured credit cards, lending options, or banking services. The key is building efficiency first, then scaling volume on top of it.
Google Shopping Ads are designed for physical products with images and pricing, making them less relevant for financial services like credit cards or banking products. Search Ads are the primary channel for financial products because they capture users actively searching with high-intent queries. For OpenSky, search campaigns were the core performance driver, supplemented by display and video campaigns for awareness and retargeting.
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