LOCAL STRENGTH
Bromley is working
The research found The Solar Co in the top local results for several Bromley installation and battery searches, supported by a strong customer-review profile.
Paid media × marketing science / Prepared for The Solar Co
A strong name in Bromley.
A wider market
worth testing.
I looked at how The Solar Co appears when homeowners search for solar panels, battery storage and installations around Bromley and beyond. Your local reputation is a real strength. The question is whether it can win you more profitable installations across the other places you already serve.
01 / What the research suggests
You've already done the hard part.
The opportunity sits beyond it.
The Solar Co's reputation and organic visibility around Bromley are strengths to build on, not problems to fix. The initial research suggests the same visibility is less consistent across your wider catchment.
WIDER-CATCHMENT GAP
More areas, less visibility
Your site targets places including Croydon, Wimbledon and Chelsea, yet the searches reviewed did not show the same prominence outside Bromley.
PAID SEARCH OPENING
Few installers advertising
Paid placements were sparse in the sample reviewed. Prime Time Solar appeared on one nearby search; that is an opportunity to test, not proof of unlimited demand.
solar panels Bromley
The Solar Co • strong local-pack placement
Research snapshot: #1 in the local pack, with a 5.0★ Google rating reported from 82 reviews.
Text advertising
No text ads were observed on this specific check. Paid Shopping placements may still appear.
Implication: we would avoid paying indiscriminately for searches where your existing presence already performs strongly.
solar panels Croydon
The Solar Co not seen in sampled results
Despite the wider-area targeting on the site, this check did not show a prominent listing.
Potential search opening
Paid search could test whether qualified installation enquiries can be won in these less-established areas.
These are illustrative reconstructions of the supplied search observations, not live Google screenshots. Results can change by time, location and device.
Competitive context: The supplied October 2026 research found Prime Time Solar advertising regionally, while local competitors appeared to have limited recent paid-ad activity. An empty search results page may also mean insufficient demand, so we would validate volume and conversion before scaling.
02 / Where we would start
Extend the reach.
Protect the economics.
The goal is not to buy every possible solar click. It is to find places and services where an extra installation makes commercial sense.
First / Capture existing intent
Search beyond the strongest postcode
Start with tightly targeted installation and battery-storage searches across selected parts of South East London and Kent. Separate proven Bromley coverage from less-established territories, and measure enquiry quality by area.
- Solar panel installation
- Solar panels with battery storage
- Relevant Powerwall / storage demand
Then / Build consideration
Use proof, not a price war
Your accreditations, reviews and on-site survey approach give us more to work with than a headline discount. If Search identifies commercially worthwhile demand, Meta can help showcase real installations, build familiarity and reconnect with interested homeowners.
- Use completed-project creative and customer proof
- Retarget only where audience scale supports it
- Allocate budget based on confirmed installs
03 / Adjustable commercial model
What could the wider market
actually be worth?
This is a commercial test, not a revenue forecast. Change the business numbers to reflect your own installations. The campaign assumptions remain visible, but you don't need to know CPCs or advertising terminology to use the calculator.
Your numbers
Working campaign assumptions (realistic):
Relevant buyer searches per month: 900
Share of searches reaching ads:
Estimated cost per click: £9
Clicks becoming enquiries: 7%
Enquiries becoming installations: 25%
ThinkingMan management fee: £600/month
Outcome-based fee: £250/completed installation
Where the assumptions come from
The supplied Keyword Planner research placed top-of-page bid estimates across relevant clusters at approximately £5.60–£15.90. Buyer-search volume, achievable click share and both conversion rates are working assumptions, not observed performance. One initial learning month earns no modelled installations, while media and management costs run for all 12 months. Numbers are expressed as expected values, so individual installations appear fractionally.
Modelled annual installation revenue£207,486
Estimated installations / year21.4
Estimated enquiries / year85.6
Gross profit before marketing£62,246
Net contribution after marketing+£37,699
Annual advertising spend £12,000
Annual management fees £7,200
Success-based fees £5,347
Estimated advertising cost per installation £561
Total modelled marketing costs £24,547
Net contribution = installation revenue × gross margin, minus advertising, management and success fees. This is before business overheads and tax, and excludes any additional overhead or capacity costs not captured by your gross margin.
The break-even test
Approximate number of additional completed installations needed over 12 months to cover the modelled advertising and agency fees, based on the selected gross margin and campaign spend.
How the year could build
Realistic scenarioIllustrative cumulative net contribution; one learning month is assumed.
04 / What would change the plan?
The assumptions are a starting point.
Your results make the decision.
We would not scale simply because clicks arrive. Three things determine whether this opportunity deserves further investment.
IF SEARCH VOLUME IS THIN
Keep the footprint selective
Don't force the full budget into an area without enough qualified demand. Consolidate into stronger postcodes or relevant installation services.
IF ENQUIRIES ARE WEAK
Fix quality before spend
Review the searches, location mix and enquiry journey, then shift budget toward terms that lead to real site surveys and jobs.
IF MARGINS DIFFER
Change the acquisition ceiling
Recalculate what an installation can afford to cost, prioritise the more profitable job types and adjust media investment accordingly.
05 / ThinkingMan Creative
We'd rather earn more
when this works.
We work backwards from profit rather than clicks: what an installation is worth, what it should cost to acquire it, and whether the economics stack up.
Search is where this research identifies the opening. The wider paid media strategy can include Meta when evidence supports using it, rather than spending on extra channels for their own sake.
Commercial strategy, campaign setup and ongoing optimisationLocation and search-term control across priority areasConversion tracking and enquiry-to-installation measurementMonthly reporting linked to confirmed jobs and profitabilityDirect strategy and account ownership from Prince
Proposed commercial structure
£600 / month
Plus £250 per confirmed completed installation attributed to the campaign.
Media spend is paid to the advertising platforms separately. We would agree the definition of a qualifying installation and attribution before starting.
Agency capability. Direct specialist relationship.
I personally handle the marketing science, strategy and account rather than passing it through layers of an agency.
The next conversation
See whether the model
holds up for your business.
A short conversation about your actual installation values, margins, lead quality and capacity would tell us whether expanding beyond Bromley is worth testing.
Prince Enwere · Marketing Science Lead · Your direct strategy and account contact