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Google Ads for B2B: How Small and Mid-Sized Companies Can Compete

For B2B companies with smaller budgets, Google Ads is a different beast than it is for e-commerce or local services. The goal isn’t a low-cost impulse purchase, but high-value contracts that can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars.


Because sales cycles are longer and lead values are higher, a standard account structure will likely result in wasted budget on unqualified clicks. Based on years of running successful B2B campaigns, here is a blueprint for setting up a successful account designed to filter out the noise and reach high-value decision-makers.


1. Tracking: Move Beyond the "Lead"


The biggest mistake B2B advertisers make is optimizing only for the initial form fill. In B2B, not all leads are created equal. A student downloading a whitepaper for a project is very different from a VP of Operations requesting a demo.


To succeed, you must track the full funnel. Don't just track raw leads; integrate your Google Ads account with your CRM (like HubSpot or Salesforce) to track:


  • MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads)

  • SQLs (Sales Qualified Leads)

  • Opportunities

  • Closed Customers


The Strategy: Assign values to these stages. For example, you might assign a value of $10 to a raw lead, $200 to an MQL, and $5,000 to a Customer. This data is essential for advanced bidding strategies later on.


2. Google Ads For B2B Campaign Structure: The "Core Three"


Infographic on "Core Three" campaign structure with sections on brand security, non-brand growth, and B2B remarketing. Blue, orange, purple.

When launching, keep your structure tight and controllable. We recommend starting with these three core campaign types:


  • Brand Campaign: Bid on your own company name. This is defensive, ensuring competitors don't poach your traffic and allowing you to control the messaging prospects see when they search for you specifically.

  • Non-Brand Search (Themed): These are your primary growth drivers. Instead of one giant campaign, split these into tightly themed ad groups based on your specific solutions.

    • Example: If you sell industrial batteries, separate "Lithium-Ion Forklift Batteries" from "Custom AGV Batteries" so the ad copy matches the intent exactly.

  • Remarketing: B2B buyers take time to decide. Use display remarketing to stay top-of-mind with visitors who didn't convert on their first visit.


Phase 2 (Testing for Scale): Once your core campaigns are stable (usually after a few months), you can expand into:


  • Competitor Campaigns: Target users searching for your rivals (e.g., bidding on "RedPrairie" or "Manhattan" if you offer similar software).

  • Demand Gen: To drive awareness earlier in the buying cycle.

  • Performance Max (PMax): Warning: Only launch PMax if you have offline conversion data (MQLs/SQLs) flowing back into Google. Without strong audience signals and value data, PMax can easily spend budget on low-quality leads.


3. Keyword Strategy: Precision First


When you are just starting, start with Exact Match keywords.

Broad match is powerful, but for a smaller B2B company, it often leads to irrelevant consumer traffic. Avoid broad match until you have exhausted the volume on exact and phrase match and are ready to scale.


Crucial Step: Review your "Search Term Reports" weekly. Add negative keywords to filter out irrelevant traffic. For example, if you sell enterprise software, you might want to negate terms like "free," "jobs," or "training" to avoid job seekers and students.


4. Audience Exclusions: Filter Out the Wrong People


You can save a significant portion of your budget by simply telling Google who not to show your ads to. Use demographic targeting to exclude audiences that likely don't fit your B2B buyer persona.


Recommended Exclusions:

  • Age: Exclude 18–24 year-olds (and often 25-34), as they are rarely executive decision-makers.

  • Income: Exclude the lower 50% of income earners.

  • Education: Exclude "Current College Students" if your product is strictly for established professionals.


5. Ad Copy: The Art of Disqualification


In B2B, a high Click-Through Rate (CTR) isn't always a good thing. You want the right clicks, not all the clicks.


Use your ad copy to prequalify your traffic. If you only serve enterprise-size companies, say that in the ad. Mention "Enterprise Solutions," "Industrial Use Only," or "Minimum Order Quantities." This might lower your CTR, but it will save your sales team the headache of dealing with unqualified prospects and save you money on wasted clicks.


6. Bid Strategies: Walk Before You Run


Don't jump straight into automation without data. Follow this progression:


  1. Maximize Clicks: Use this at launch to drive traffic to the site and gather baseline data.

  2. Maximize Conversions: Once you are generating consistent leads (15+ conversions in 30 days), switch to this strategy to tell Google to find more people likely to convert.

  3. Maximize Conversion Value: This is the holy grail for B2B. Once you have MQL, SQL, and Customer data flowing back into the account (from Step 1), switch to this strategy. It tells Google to bid higher for leads that turn into actual revenue, rather than just cheap form fills

 
 
 

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