Introduction
A full-funnel strategy in Google Ads means designing your campaigns to target users across all stages of the customer journey—from awareness to consideration to conversion. Instead of focusing only on getting immediate sales, this approach nurtures users over time, guiding them through relevant and strategic touchpoints. For a travel platform like MakeMyTrip, where users take time to explore destinations, compare hotels, check flights, and make bookings, a full-funnel strategy is essential to capture attention, build trust, and convert users effectively.
What Is a Full-Funnel Strategy in Google Ads?
A full-funnel strategy typically includes three main stages:
Top of Funnel (TOFU): Awareness
Here, users are not actively looking to book yet. The goal is to make them aware of your brand and offerings.
Middle of Funnel (MOFU): Consideration
Users are exploring and comparing options. The goal is to re-engage them with detailed information and build trust.
Bottom of Funnel (BOFU): Conversion
Users are ready to book. The goal is to drive action—flight booking, hotel reservation, or holiday package purchase.
Step-by-Step: Full-Funnel Google Ads Strategy Using MakeMyTrip as an Example
1. Top of Funnel: Build Awareness
Campaign Objective: Reach new audiences who might travel soon but haven’t yet chosen a platform or destination.
Campaign Types: Display Ads, YouTube Ads, Discovery Ads, Performance Max (reach-focused setup)
Targeting Methods:
– Custom affinity audiences (e.g., people interested in travel, airlines, hotels)
– In-market audiences for travel-related behaviors
– Location-based targeting (e.g., users in metro cities likely to travel abroad)
– Broad keywords like “best travel destinations 2025” or “top places to visit in summer”
Example Campaign:
MakeMyTrip runs a YouTube video campaign showcasing “Top 10 Exotic International Holiday Destinations Under ₹50,000” targeted at users aged 25–40 who watch travel content. This builds brand awareness and encourages people to explore the MMT website or app.
Ad Copy Example:
“Explore the world with MakeMyTrip. Budget-friendly holidays to Thailand, Bali, Dubai & more! Watch now.”
Landing Page: Blog or destination guide page with visual storytelling, not direct booking yet.
Goal: Introduce the brand, generate interest, drive traffic to the site, grow remarketing audience lists.
2. Middle of Funnel: Drive Consideration
Campaign Objective: Engage users who interacted with your site or content and help them explore your offerings in more detail.
Campaign Types:
– Remarketing via Display, Search, YouTube
– Search Campaigns with mid-intent keywords
– Gmail Ads (now Discovery campaigns)
– App engagement campaigns
Targeting Methods:
– Remarketing lists (users who visited destination pages but didn’t book)
– Custom intent audiences (searched for “cheap flights to Bali”)
– Similar audiences based on converters
– Users who watched the YouTube ad from TOFU stage
Example Campaign:
MakeMyTrip targets users who visited its Bali package page but didn’t book. They see a Display Ad showcasing a limited-time 15% off Bali travel packages with a “Check Dates” CTA.
Another campaign targets users searching keywords like “best honeymoon places in Asia” or “cheap flights to Bali” with Search Ads showing the most affordable deals.
Ad Copy Example:
“Bali Getaway for 2 – Flights + Hotels from ₹42,999. Limited time. Book with MakeMyTrip now!”
Landing Page: Specific package or flight listing page with transparent pricing and reviews.
Goal: Keep MakeMyTrip top of mind, provide more details, compare options, and get users to consider booking.
3. Bottom of Funnel: Drive Conversions
Campaign Objective: Convert high-intent users into customers.
Campaign Types:
– Standard Search Ads with high-converting keywords
– Shopping-style ads for hotel inventory
– Dynamic remarketing for abandoned bookings
– Call-only ads for last-minute support
– Performance Max optimized for conversions
Targeting Methods:
– Exact match keywords like “book Bangkok flight today”
– Users who added a hotel to cart but didn’t complete booking
– High-intent segments (people who clicked “Book Now” in the last 7 days)
– Mobile users during peak travel season
Example Campaign:
MakeMyTrip runs a Dynamic Search Campaign targeting users who abandoned the cart at the payment stage for a Goa hotel. The ad copy includes a reminder: “Still planning your Goa holiday? Book now & get free breakfast!”
They also use Performance Max with data feeds from their hotel inventory and Smart Bidding to reach people most likely to convert based on signals like device, time, and behavior.
Ad Copy Example:
“Last Minute Flight Deals to Goa – ₹3,599 Onwards. Book Now!”
Landing Page: Pre-filled booking page or limited offer page to reduce friction.
Goal: Push the final action—booking, payment, confirmation. Maximize ROI.
4. Post-Purchase Funnel: Loyalty and Re-engagement
Campaign Objective: Bring users back for future trips or upsell related services.
Campaign Types:
– App engagement campaigns
– Email remarketing via Customer Match
– Remarketing Display campaigns with hotel suggestions or cab booking
– YouTube remarketing: “Your next vacation idea” series
Example Campaign:
MakeMyTrip shows hotel offers in Goa to users who booked flights to Goa two days ago. Another campaign promotes international SIM cards or local cab packages to customers who booked international travel.
Goal: Increase customer lifetime value, encourage repeat usage, improve app engagement.
Measurement and Optimization Strategy
– Use Google Analytics and Google Ads conversion tracking to monitor funnel drop-off points
– Set up micro and macro conversions for tracking (e.g., viewing destination = micro; booking = macro)
– Use Google’s attribution reports to analyze the impact of each funnel stage
– Allocate budgets based on funnel gaps (e.g., if awareness is strong but conversions are low, invest more in MOFU + BOFU)
– Use remarketing audience segments across each stage with exclusions (e.g., exclude converters from TOFU campaigns)
Conclusion
A full-funnel Google Ads strategy helps platforms like MakeMyTrip guide users from dreaming about their next vacation to actually booking it. By mapping campaigns to the funnel—awareness, consideration, and conversion—you not only attract the right audience but nurture them efficiently through smart targeting, relevant messaging, and optimized bidding. For travel, where decisions involve comparison, planning, and trust, a full-funnel strategy ensures you stay in front of users at every critical moment and convert interest into action.
