Driving Performance at Scale — How Google Ads Powered Growth for Airlift Express (Before Closure)

Client Overview

Brand: Airlift Express
Industry: Quick Commerce (Q-Commerce, Grocery Delivery)
Status: Company ceased operations in 2022
Region: Pakistan
Airlift Express was one of Pakistan’s most ambitious startups, offering instant grocery delivery via its mobile app and web platform. Operating in major urban areas like Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, it was part of the rapid grocery delivery boom — aiming to redefine the consumer shopping experience with 1-hour delivery and no delivery fees.

🧩 The Opportunity & Challenge

During its growth phase, Airlift Express invested heavily in digital acquisition channels to scale user acquisition and order volume. However, with rising competition from local and international players, the company needed a more efficient and measurable performance marketing strategy, especially on platforms like Google Ads.

Key challenges:

Extremely high cost per install (CPI) in Tier 1 cities
Poor conversion tracking between web and app platforms
Underutilized search and display campaigns
Budget-heavy focus without ROI clarity
Rapid campaign scaling without optimization cycles

🔧 My Role as a Google Ads Specialist

I worked with Airlift’s performance team to structure and scale their Google Ads efforts more strategically — with an emphasis on install-to-order conversion, location targeting, and ad relevance.

1️⃣ Hyperlocal Targeting & Ad Customization

Split campaigns by city and delivery zone to match ad copy with service area
Used dynamic ad insertions (city name, delivery promise, user benefits)
Ran custom sitelinks per zone to highlight grocery categories available in specific regions

2️⃣ Mobile App Campaign Optimization

Improved Google App Campaigns (UAC) performance by testing multiple creative assets (video, static, and HTML5 formats)
Focused bidding on “in-app action” instead of just installs — tracked conversions like first order or signup
Integrated Firebase for improved post-install event tracking

3️⃣ Search + Display Integration

Built branded and non-branded search campaigns around key delivery terms (“grocery delivery near me,” “buy milk online Lahore,” etc.)
Launched display retargeting for users who installed but hadn’t placed their first order within 48 hours
Implemented custom intent audiences for users searching competitors like “Pandamart” or “Cheetay.”

📈 The Results

Within 60 Days:

First-Order Conversion Rate (from 7.4% to 14.8%).
Monthly Ad-attributed Orders (from ~9,000 to ~21,500).
Conversion Rate. ( from <1.2x to 2.8x )
Cost per Install (CPA) (from PKR 290 to 170).

📉 The Closure – A Note of Transparency

Despite strong performance across paid channels and a loyal user base, Airlift Express shut down operations in July 2022 due to global economic downturns and fundraising challenges.

While the closure was unfortunate, it underscored the importance of not just growth — but sustainable growth. The lessons learned in this campaign remain valuable for any Q-commerce or delivery startup looking to scale smartly in competitive markets.

Working with Airlift Express was an opportunity to operate at scale in one of the most fast-paced digital environments in Pakistan. Through intelligent campaign design, mobile-first tracking, and audience refinement, we were able to unlock more value per advertising dollar — even in a crowded and volatile market.

💬 Final Takeaway

🚀 Are You Building the Next Scalable Q-Commerce Brand?

Even in challenging industries, data-driven Google Ads strategies can deliver real results. If you’re working on a high-growth startup and need efficient performance marketing — let’s build it together.

Let’s replicate these results for you.

👉 [Book Your Free Google Ads Audit]
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