KEY TAKEAWAYS
Thrive’s Q2 2026 client performance data revealed a major shift among the top-performing industries. Retail dominates with an impressive 394% increase in conversions. Landscaping (+117%), clinical services (+115%), home services (+111%) and health (+40%) rounded out the top five, highlighting strong momentum across multiple sectors. Compared to Q1, several industries climbed the rankings, reinforcing how quickly market demand and digital marketing performance can change from one quarter to the next.
Every quarter, Thrive Internet Marketing Agency evaluates digital marketing performance across its client base to identify the highest-performing industries. The report highlights the sectors experiencing the strongest conversion growth and examines the factors driving their success.
Methodology: Industries were ranked primarily by 90-day conversion growth, with website sessions and revenue performance serving as supporting metrics. To improve the analysis’s reliability, only industries with adequate client representation were included in the final rankings.
Thrive’s Q2 2026 internal performance data revealed a notable shift in digital marketing performance across industries. Overall client conversions increased by 53% compared to the previous quarter, even as average website sessions declined by roughly 13%. This suggests that businesses were increasingly attracting higher-intent visitors rather than simply generating more website traffic.
The following five verticals delivered the strongest overall performance:
Thrive’s Top 5 Client Verticals – Q2 2026
| Rank | Vertical | Q2 Conversion Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail | +394% |
| 2 | Landscaping | +117% |
| 3 | Clinical Services | +115% |
| 4 | Home Services | +55% |
| 5 | Health | +40% |
1. Retail
Overall Q2 Conversion Growth: +394%
Retail was the runaway leader in Q2, increasing conversions by 394%. This is a dramatic leap from the 50% conversion growth in Q1. Sessions also climbed 103%, indicating that retail clients attracted significantly more traffic while converting a larger share of visitors. Despite the sharp increase in volume, the average cost per acquisition (CPA) or the total cost required to acquire a single paying customer or lead decreased by 14%.
| METRIC | Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 | PERFORMANCE SHIFT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversion Growth | 50% | +394% | ↑688% |
| Sessions Growth | 33% | +103% | ↑212% |
| Average CPA | $54.57 | $46.91 | ↓14% |
Primary Growth Drivers
The retail industry’s strongest gains came from specialty eCommerce businesses, including trailer distributors, kitchen and bath fixture retailers and arts and crafts suppliers.
“In Q2, the biggest driver behind the retail industry’s conversion growth was SEO-focused category page improvements,” said Daniela van der Merwe, Thrive’s SEO strategist.
Thrive refreshed and expanded category content to better match high-volume and long-tail search intent. The team also formatted pages in a more artificial intelligence (AI)-friendly, scannable way (clear headings, bullets and structured sections), including adding frequently asked questions (FAQs) to address common questions quickly.
| CLIENT | CONVERSIONS | SESSIONS |
|---|---|---|
| TRAILER DISTRIBUTOR | +1,921% | +41% |
| KITCHEN AND BATH FIXTURE RETAILER | +59% | — |
| ARTS AND CRAFTS SUPPLIER | +10% | +109% |
Client Spotlight: Nationwide Trailer Distributor
A nationwide trailer distributor achieved an extraordinary 1,921% increase in conversions. Its organic search performance remained stable month over month, while the number of total and new users continued to grow. Visitor engagement also improved, indicating that prospective buyers were interacting more deeply with the site’s content.
The company’s strong digital foundation positioned it well for AI-powered search experiences. Thrive’s AI Search Readiness Audit revealed a 91.11% readiness score. This reflects the client’s strong organic authority, helping it reach more high-intent buyers across AI-powered search tools.
Why Retail Companies Typically See Higher Conversions in Q2
Several seasonal and market factors make the second quarter one of the strongest periods for many U.S. retailers.
“Spring and summer are peak shopping months,” van der Merwe said. “But we’ve also seen that savvy buyers often start researching in the off-season (October through January) to find better pricing, which can build momentum heading into peak demand.”
While the exact drivers vary by business, these trends often contribute to stronger purchase intent and improved conversion rates:
- ✔ Spring and early summer shopping accelerates consumer activity.
- ✔ Major retail holidays and promotions (i.e., Memorial Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day) increase concentrated spending.
- ✔ Many consumers receive tax refunds during the first half of the year, providing additional disposable income that often continues supporting retail purchases throughout Q2.
- ✔ Seasonal marketing campaigns mature and reach peak performance.
Ultimately, search engine optimization (SEO) and paid ad campaigns implemented during Q1 often begin generating stronger results in Q2 as search rankings improve, campaigns accumulate optimization data and remarketing audiences grow.
What This Means for Retail Businesses
Thrive’s internal Q2 data reflects many of these broader market trends. Seasonal demand created favorable market conditions, while improvements in SEO, paid media optimization, website experience and AI search readiness likely helped many retailers convert more high-intent shoppers. The findings are consistent with a broader shift toward attracting more qualified traffic rather than simply increasing website visits.
2. Landscaping
Overall Q2 Conversion Growth: +117%
Landscaping backed up a strong Q1 (+101%) with an even stronger Q2, generating a 117% increase in conversion growth. Unlike some industries that relied on large traffic increases, the landscaping industry generated impressive conversion improvements despite relatively modest session growth.
| METRIC | Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 | PERFORMANCE SHIFT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversion Growth | 101% | +117% | ↑16% |
| Average CPA | $18.90 | $13.19 | ↓30% |
Primary Growth Drivers
Seasonality almost certainly contributed to demand, as spring and early summer are peak booking periods for many landscaping services.
“Q2 aligns with the spring season, which is traditionally one of the busiest periods for home services companies,” said Olivia Reynolds Chick, Thrive’s senior account manager.
“As homeowners prepare their properties for the warmer months, there is typically increased demand for services such as tree trimming, pruning, storm damage cleanup, tree removal and general landscape maintenance.”
Chick also emphasized that the combination of favorable seasonal demand and improved campaign optimization created an ideal environment for growth. Increased consumer interest during the spring months, paired with more effective targeting and bidding strategies, helped drive higher search volume, stronger engagement and ultimately more conversions during Q2.
| CLIENT | CONVERSIONS | SESSIONS |
|---|---|---|
| REGIONAL LAWN CARE AND PEST CONTROL EXPERTS | +395% | +62% |
| TEXAS LAWN CARE COMPANY | +86% | +3% |
| PROFESSIONAL TREE SERVICE | +66% | -11% |
Client Spotlight: PROFESSIONAL TREE SERVICE
This professional tree service’s Q2 results built on the SEO momentum established earlier in the year. In Q1, organic sessions increased by 14% month over month and four campaign-priority keywords gained higher visibility, expanding the company’s reach in organic search. By Q2, those efforts translated into a 66% increase in conversions and a 69% increase in revenue. The results came from expanding service-page coverage, improving on-page trust signals and continuing to target valuable local search terms. On the paid media side, Thrive transitioned campaigns to a Maximize Conversion Value bidding strategy while introducing Google’s AI Max features to uncover additional high-intent search opportunities.
Ongoing campaign optimization, including search term reviews, negative keyword expansion, bid adjustments and budget optimization, further improved lead quality and campaign efficiency throughout the quarter.
Why Landscaping Companies Typically See Higher Conversions in Q2
Most landscaping companies see their highest conversion rates in Q2, as spring creates ideal conditions for planting and outdoor improvement projects. This peak season is driven by:
- ✔ Warmer weather that increases demand for outdoor projects
- ✔ Homeowners investing more in curb appeal during spring
- ✔ More commercial properties scheduling seasonal landscape maintenance
- ✔ Longer daylight hours that allow more projects to be completed
- ✔ More customers booking landscaping services before peak summer
What This Means for Landscaping Businesses
Q2 gives landscaping companies a prime opportunity to win more customers, but success depends on more than seasonal demand. Thrive’s Q2 data shows that companies that established strong online visibility before peak season were able to convert that seasonal interest into measurable business results.
3. Clinical Services
Overall Q2 Conversion Growth: +115%
Clinical services ranked third overall, recording 115% growth in conversions during Q2. Although website sessions declined slightly (-4%), conversions more than doubled, moving clinical services into the top-performing industries this quarter. The industry also saw its average CPA drop by more than 70%, indicating that practices generated significantly more leads while spending far less to acquire each new patient.
| METRIC | Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 | PERFORMANCE SHIFT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversion Growth | +24% | +115% | ↑379% |
| Average CPA | $132.94 | $39.33 | ↓70% |
Primary Growth Drivers
Top-performing practices included ENT (ear, nose and throat) clinics and behavioral health centers. While overall website traffic remained relatively flat, significantly higher conversion rates suggest that improvements in search visibility and lead generation strategies helped convert more high-intent patients.
When asked what had contributed to this conversion growth, Jeff Springer, Thrive’s senior account manager, said:
“I would attribute the growth to a really strong business that lacked a consistent, decisive SEO strategy previously, and we [Thrive] have been able to naturally improve their results with standard, practical SEO strategies. Nothing flashing, just tried and true SEO work.”
| CLIENT | CONVERSIONS | SESSIONS |
|---|---|---|
| ENT CLINIC | +393% | +4% |
| ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT CENTER | +83% | -23% |
| RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER FOR TEENS | +57% | -10% |
Client Spotlight: ENT CLINIC
An ENT clinic in Houston, Texas, achieved an exceptional 393% increase in conversions while website sessions increased by 4%. The wide gap between traffic and conversions suggests the clinic attracted more qualified prospective patients and removed friction in the conversion process.
By attracting higher-intent visitors and optimizing the patient journey, the practice generated substantially more appointment inquiries without relying on website traffic.
Why Clinical Services Typically See Higher Conversions in Q2
Although demand remains relatively consistent throughout the year, several factors often contribute to stronger conversion performance during the second quarter:
- ✔ Patients schedule preventive and routine care before summer vacations.
- ✔ Allergies and respiratory conditions often peak in spring in many regions as plants release pollen and spring cleaning stirs up dust mites throughout the house.
- ✔ Clinical services marketing campaigns gain momentum as SEO improvements and paid advertising optimizations mature.
- ✔ Stronger local search visibility helps providers capture more high-intent patients actively searching for care.
What This Means for Clinical Services Providers
It is clear that higher-quality patient acquisition can outperform higher website traffic. Practices that made it easier for patients to discover, trust and contact them generated stronger results while improving overall marketing efficiency.
4. Home Services
Overall Q2 Conversion Growth: +55%
Home services climbed to fourth place in Q2, recording a 55% increase in conversions from only 19% growth in Q1. While several top-performing industries generated more leads despite flat or declining traffic, home services achieved consistent conversion growth alongside a 27% increase in website sessions.
The industry’s average CPA also declined by 20%, enabling businesses to acquire more qualified leads at a lower cost. Additionally, revenue surged by an impressive 3,174% in Q2, highlighting that stronger marketing performance across channels translates into substantial business growth.
| METRIC | Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 | PERFORMANCE SHIFT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversion Growth | +19% | +55% | ↑189% |
| Sessions Growth | +7% | +27% | ↑286% |
| Revenue | +13% | +3,174% | ↑24,315% |
| Average CPA | $118.71 | $94.95 | ↓20% |
Primary Growth Drivers
Several home service categories contributed to the industry’s strong Q2 performance. Appliance repair service, window replacement businesses, remodeling contractors and tree service providers all recorded notable improvements. This diversity suggests consumers were actively searching for a wide range of services during Q2.
| CLIENT | CONVERSIONS | SESSIONS |
|---|---|---|
| APPLIANCE REPAIR SERVICE | +161% | +225% |
| TREE SERVICE | +63% | -9% |
| INTERIOR DESIGNER AND DECORATOR | +48% | -27% |
Client Spotlight: APPLIANCE REPAIR SERVICE
An appliance repair service contractor achieved a 161% increase in conversions while website sessions increased by 225%. By expanding its online visibility and optimizing for conversions, the business attracted significantly more homeowners actively searching for its services.
Despite the sharp increase in traffic, the client’s CPA significantly declined, indicating that marketing spend continued to generate highly qualified leads.
Why Home Services Typically See Higher Conversions in Q2
Many home services businesses experience stronger demand during the second quarter as homeowners begin tackling outdoor projects and deferred home improvements.
- ✔ Springtime weather shifts expose vulnerabilities in homes, increasing demand for essential home maintenance and repair services.
- ✔ Many homeowners use tax refunds to finance remodeling, landscaping and other upgrades.
- ✔ During this season, property owners prepare their homes and outdoor spaces for warmer weather and upcoming gatherings.
- ✔ Milder weather helps contractors complete projects more efficiently, making spring an ideal time for home improvements.
What This Means for Home Services
Thrive’s internal Q2 data suggests that homeowners weren’t searching for just one type of service. Demand increased across maintenance, repairs and home improvement projects, creating opportunities for businesses in multiple trades. Businesses with strong local visibility and established marketing campaigns were well-positioned to capture demand as consumers moved from planning projects to booking contractors.
5. Health
Overall Q2 Conversion Growth: +40%
The health industry ranked fifth among Thrive’s best-performing industries in Q2, improving conversion growth from 2% in Q1 to 40%. The combination of stronger conversion performance and a 346% increase in revenue suggests health practices were more successful at turning demand into measurable business results.
| METRIC | Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 | PERFORMANCE SHIFT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversion Growth | +2% | +40% | ↑1,900% |
| Revenue | -25% | +346% | ↑1,484% |
| Average CPA | $50 | $68.29 | ↑37% |
Primary Growth Drivers
Several health practices contributed to the industry’s Q2 performance, including hospice providers and accident injury clinics. Many of these services address ongoing health concerns or time-sensitive needs, making patients more likely to take action once they find a provider they trust. Practices that built credibility online with clear service information and simple appointment paths were better positioned to convert that intent into new patients.
| CLIENT | CONVERSIONS | SESSIONS |
|---|---|---|
| HOSPICE AND ELDERLY CARE | +946% | -17% |
| HEARING AID RETAILER | +80% | +13% |
| CAR ACCIDENT CLINIC | +76% | +13% |
Client Spotlight: HOSPICE AND ELDERLY CARE
A hospice and elderly care provider serving South Texas families achieved a remarkable 946% increase in conversions in Q2. Thrive achieved these results by combining highly targeted paid social campaigns with organic social media and ongoing campaign optimization.
Conversion-focused lead generation and consistent trust-building content helped the provider reach families actively searching for hospice and elderly care, resulting in dramatically higher conversion rates and more efficient patient acquisition.
Why Health Practices Typically See Higher Conversions in Q2
Health practices often see higher patient conversions between April and June due to three main factors:
- ✔ Many patients delay care in Q1 because high deductibles reset at the start of the year.
- ✔ Spring brings tax refunds, which many people allocate toward out-of-pocket, elective or aesthetic medical and dental procedures.
- ✔ Home healthcare needs often increase as families coordinate ongoing care plans heading into the summer holiday months.
- ✔ Digital marketing campaigns launched earlier in the year continue gaining momentum as optimization efforts mature.
What This Means for Health Practices
Health service providers saw the greatest improvement by removing friction from the patient journey. As more people became ready to seek care in Q2, practices with clear messaging and effective follow-up were better equipped to turn interest into booked appointments.
Other Notable High-Performing Industries
Beyond the top five performers, several other industries also showed positive conversion growth in Q2.
The automotive (+26%) and legal (+10%) industries both rebounded in Q2, reversing the conversion declines they experienced in Q1. While these gains were more moderate than those of the top-performing industries, results reveal that ongoing optimization efforts and stronger lead quality helped improve performance.
Among industries with smaller client samples, furniture (+594%), professional services (+130%) and environmental (+94%) recorded some of the largest conversion improvements.
What Changed From Q1 to Q2?
Comparing Thrive’s Q2 2026 internal performance data against Q1 shows a reshuffling of the industry leaderboard. While a couple of verticals held onto their strong Q1 momentum, others swapped places entirely and a few slipped out of the top tier after a strong start to the year.
Verticals That Moved Into and Out of the Top Five
Health and clinical services both climbed up the leaderboard after relatively modest Q1 performances, replacing construction and medical.
| INDUSTRY | Q1 CONVERSION GROWTH | Q2 CONVERSION GROWTH | PERFORMANCE SHIFT |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEALTH | +2% | +40% | ↑1,900% |
| CLINICAL SERVICES | +24% | +115% | ↑379% |
| CONSTRUCTION | +54% | -14% | ↓74% |
| MEDICAL | +36% | +4% | ↓89% |
Health jumped from a nearly flat 2% conversion change in Q1 to a 40% increase in Q2, vaulting from near the bottom of the rankings into fifth place. By Q2, after adding one additional client to the cohort, clinical services posted a 115% increase in conversion.
Construction, Thrive’s second-best performer in Q1 at 54% conversion growth, reversed course and finished Q2 down 14%.
Medical, which ranked fifth in Q1 with 36% growth, cooled substantially to just 4% growth in Q2.
Industries That Accelerated After a Slower Q1
Several verticals that struggled or stayed flat in Q1 turned in some of the sharpest turnarounds of Q2:
| INDUSTRY | Q1 CONVERSION GROWTH | Q2 CONVERSION GROWTH | PERFORMANCE SHIFT |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEALTH | +2% | +40% | ↑1,900% |
| AUTOMOTIVE | -25% | +26% | ↑204% |
| LEGAL | -23% | +10% | ↑143% |
| CLINICAL SERVICES | +24% | +115% | ↑379% |
Each of these industries moved from negative or near-zero growth into solidly positive territory, indicating that strategy adjustments made in Q1 were beginning to pay off in Q2.
Verticals That Maintained Strong Performance Quarter Over Quarter
Three industries stayed near the top of the board in both quarters, though the degree of that strength varied:
| INDUSTRY | Q1 CONVERSION GROWTH | Q2 CONVERSION GROWTH | PERFORMANCE SHIFT |
|---|---|---|---|
| LANDSCAPING | +101% | +117% | ↑16% |
| RETAIL | +50% | +394% | ↑688% |
| HOME SERVICES | +19% | +55% | ↑189% |
Landscaping held the top spot in Q1 (+101%) and remained a top performer in Q2 (+117%). Meanwhile, retail accelerated dramatically in Q2 to 394%, the largest conversion growth among all verticals this quarter.
Home services also sustained its momentum, improving from 19% conversion growth in Q1 to 55% in Q2 while maintaining a top-five ranking in both quarters. Its consistent year-to-date performance made it one of Thrive’s top industry performers.
What This Data Reveals
Seasonally sensitive, project-based industries (landscaping, home services) continue to show strength as outdoor and property-related demand ramps up through spring and into summer.
On the other hand, industries with longer, larger sales cycles or bigger-ticket purchases (construction, industrial equipment) appear more volatile quarter over quarter, consistent with how those categories have historically behaved in Thrive’s data.
Market and Search Trends That May Have Influenced Performance
In addition to improved targeting and strategy implementation, several external factors may have contributed to the observed conversion growth in Q2.
1. Google’s Back-to-Back Core Updates
Q2 coincided with one of Google’s busiest periods for search algorithm changes in 2026. Between April and June, Google completed core and spam updates:
➤ March Core Update (March 27 – April 8)
This core update focused on rewarding high-quality content and reinforcing Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust (E-E-A-T) signals.
➤May Core Update (May 21 – June 2)
This update prioritized first-hand, experience-led content while penalizing generic content.
➤June Spam Update (June 24 – June 26)
This update targeted global search spam to clean up results following the broader core algorithmic adjustments.
Businesses that had already invested in content quality, technical optimization, local SEO and user experience were generally well-positioned to benefit from Google’s ongoing efforts to surface more relevant, trustworthy search results.
2. Google’s New Intelligent Search Box
Google’s introduction of the Intelligent Search Box in May 2026 marked a major step toward AI-first search experiences. Instead of displaying a list of website links, it drops users into full AI-powered experiences directly within the search results. This allows users to get direct answers without having to click through a website.
This is a reasonable contributing factor to the session declines noted above. As users receive more answers directly within search results, businesses may attract fewer overall visitors but a higher percentage of visitors who arrive with stronger purchase intent.
3. Seasonal Demand
Spring and early summer are historically strong periods for outdoor, property and home-related spending, which aligns with the continued strength in landscaping and home services. Both categories ranked among the top-performing verticals in Q1 and carried that momentum into Q2.
Warmer weather often encourages homeowners to move forward with landscaping projects, exterior upgrades, repairs and maintenance that may have been delayed during the winter months, creating stronger demand and more opportunities for businesses in these industries.
4. Paid Media Efficiency
As competition in Google Ads continued across many industries, generating more conversions required improving campaign efficiency rather than simply increasing ad spend. Several of Thrive’s strongest-performing industries achieved significant conversion growth while maintaining competitive average acquisition costs, suggesting that campaign optimization and audience targeting played a larger role than budget increases alone.
5. Changing Consumer Behavior
Already, we are seeing that the consumers’ path to purchase is becoming increasingly complicated. Rather than following a linear journey from search to purchase, consumers now move between Google, AI-powered search experiences, social media, online reviews, video platforms and retailer websites before making a decision.
These broader consumer trends help explain why several of Thrive’s top-performing industries generated strong conversion growth despite mixed or declining traffic.
Thrive’s Q2 data illustrates this shift. Overall client conversions increased by nearly 53% even as average website sessions declined by approximately 13%, suggesting that attracting qualified visitors has become increasingly valuable. Businesses that build trust and create friction-free customer experiences are better positioned to succeed as search behavior continues to evolve.
Looking Ahead to Q3 2026
Thrive will continue monitoring client performance throughout Q3 to identify emerging trends across industries and evaluate how market conditions influence digital marketing outcomes.
As additional quarterly data becomes available, these reports will continue to provide data-driven insight into the industries achieving the strongest results across Thrive’s client portfolio.
Have questions? Contact Thrive Internet Marketing Agency today to schedule a digital marketing consultation.
