Google Ads for Registered Training Organisations: Qualification-Level Campaigns That Stay Inside ASQA Rules

The minimum is AUD 1,000 a month in ad spend, paid directly to Google. Below that, Google's algorithm has too little data to optimise. Most Australian Registered Training Organisations find their stride at AUD 2,500 to 5,000 a month. To set a ceiling, work backwards: gross margin per student multiplied by your enquiry-to-enrolment rate gives your maximum cost per lead. A $3,500 course at 40% margin and a 20% close rate supports a cost per lead of about $280.

For competitive qualification keywords in major cities, my working estimates are AUD 8 to 18 per click, AUD 60 to 200 per lead and AUD 300 to 800 per enrolled student. Landing pages built for one qualification typically convert 5 to 15% of visitors. Regional markets and less competitive qualifications cost less. These are estimates, not guarantees. Cost per enrolled student is the number that matters, not cost per click.

Yes, if the claim is accurate and the landing page states who is eligible and on what conditions. Ads like 'government funded for everyone' mislead, because most funding has eligibility rules. If you're approved for VET Student Loans, extra rules apply. Tuition fees must be published on your website before any marketing mentions the course, and VSL can't be mentioned on social media.

The 2025 Standards prohibit guaranteeing a particular employment outcome you don't control. They also prohibit guaranteeing completion in a way that's inconsistent with the training package. So avoid 'guaranteed job', 'get qualified in 4 weeks' and unverified '100% pass rate' claims. Only advertise qualifications on your current scope, use the current qualification code, and include your RTO code at least on the landing page.

Start with Search, which usually takes 60 to 75% of budget. A typical account has a core-courses Search campaign, a branded Search campaign to protect your name, and a Display remarketing campaign for recent website visitors. Larger accounts segment priority and secondary courses and may add Performance Max as a complement. Exclude enrolled students with Customer Match so you don't pay to advertise to them.

Target enrolment-intent searches: qualification codes, qualification titles with a city, and 'enrol in' phrases. Use mostly phrase match, with exact match for your best-converting terms. Skip career-research searches like 'is it worth it', which belong in SEO content. Block jobs and salary searches, 'free' and Fee-Free TAFE searches, 'what is' queries, reviews and scam searches, and every qualification not on your scope.

Search first. It captures students already looking for a qualification. Performance Max can work as a complement once you have about 30 conversions a month, but research on higher education campaigns found it can bring in spam enquiries and gives less search term visibility. Demand Gen, which covers YouTube, suits career changers early in research, at roughly 10 to 15% of spend once Search is established.

First enquiries typically arrive within 14 days of going live, after about three weeks of setup, landing pages and tracking. Campaigns need time to stabilise, which is why there's a 3-month minimum engagement. I can't guarantee enrolment numbers. On the strategy call I'll show you realistic projections for your qualifications.

There are two models. A fixed retainer from AUD 1,200 a month suits Registered Training Organisations spending under AUD 5,000 a month on ads. A fee of 15 to 20% of ad spend suits AUD 5,000 to 30,000 a month. Enterprise engagements above AUD 30,000 are custom. Fees exclude ad spend paid directly to Google, and there's a 3-month minimum.

Often, yes. Week 1 is an audit of your existing account: search terms, match types, negatives, conversion tracking and ad copy against the 2025 Standards. If the structure is sound, I fix it. If tracking is broken or campaigns target the wrong intent, a rebuild is faster and I'll tell you why.