Based on experience with many B2B clients, we've seen how Google Ads can be a powerful tool, if used the right way. In this post, we’ll share strategies to make it an effective part of your marketing mix.
Understanding how to utilize your paid marketing efforts is important. Difficult, but important. In general, attribution isn’t the easiest and I won’t have the definitive answer for you here.
Instead, I’ll focus much more on Google Ads and how it can fit into your marketing efforts.
It won’t be rocket science, but it is something that we’ve practiced with our B2B-clients over the years.
In this post, I’ll share some actionable insights for using Google Ads in your B2B strategy. Before diving in, though, it’s key to recognize that every platform has its place in the marketing funnel.
This means understanding the difference between Demand Generation and Demand Capture within your marketing mix.
Demand Generation refers to creating demand through upper-funnel activities, such as branding efforts that may not give immediate results but position your company for future opportunities.
Demand Capture, focuses on leveraging those efforts to generate leads. This entails crafting campaigns that connect with audiences already inclined to engage with your brand. Think of lead generation and capturing the demand for your services/products
To make it somewhat memorable, think of Demand Generation as the upper funnel and Demand Capture as the bottom funnel.
I can highly recommend a blogpost our CEO & Partner, Kevin Hjorslev has written: Why a strong content strategy is crucial for you as a B2B-company and how to build one. There’s a great deep dive into Demand Generation vs. Demand Capture.
This blogpost is about Google, but I need to shortly write about some other platforms first. This is due to understanding how I think that you should think of Google's position in your marketing mix.
Google Search Ads primarily function as a demand capture channel. It functions best in the bottom of your funnel. It captures demand and makes it possible for you to be visible for your potential customers when they search for you or your product.
But in order to create the demand, we need to briefly talk about LinkedIn and Facebook.
When speaking of B2B marketing, LinkedIn is the absolute best and inevitable. It’s excellent for building brand awareness to a super specific audience. Nothing beats the on-platform targeting options on LinkedIn, as it’s really specific and everybody is making sure that their LinkedIn options are updated.
So you know, when you are targeting Marketing Specialists, you’ll reach Marketing Specialists.
Furthermore, it’s also capable of capturing demand by having integrated lead forms that can contain the most important lead-information. Besides that, you can integrate your LinkedIn with your CRM which only benefits your marketing and sales efforts.
The downside on LinkedIn? LinkedIn can be expensive - especially if you target narrow as you do on retargeting campaigns.
Here’s where Facebook can play a crucial role. Retargeting on Facebook is cheaper than on LinkedIn, so why not create dedicated retargeting campaigns? Leverage the option of being shown when people are scrolling through their feeds while they are off work or on a break.
If Google Ads is your sole paid platform due to budget constraints, focus on optimizing its potential as a demand capture channel.
Google Ads is a great demand capture tool, especially when potential customers are actively searching for information, products, or brands. It can also be effective if they like your ads and decide to search for you or your product on Google, just to check you out.
At this stage, users know what they want and are often scouting the market. Your role is to ensure your brand is shown in the most relevant keywords/search terms possible and that your ad copy is as relevant to the customer as possible.
While platforms like Display and YouTube can effectively support demand generation, it’s essential to approach them with the right mindset. Users engage with YouTube primarily for content rather than advertisements, which means that for your audience to click on your ad, it needs to be compelling. Having a strong offer / message is super important if you want to capture their attention, while they are watching YouTube videos.
Display ads can be valuable for retargeting efforts, but they work best when viewed as part of a broader branding strategy at the top of the demand generation funnel. This approach allows you to build awareness and interest before guiding potential customers down the funnel. Regular monitoring and optimization will ensure that your ads are displayed on relevant sites and applications, maximizing their impact and effectiveness.
Set up accurate tracking: The cornerstone of effective Google Ads campaigns is having great tracking. We cannot stress this enough. Quality data translates to better results. Without proper tracking, the algorithm struggles to identify potential customers. If you can, use tools like DreamData and good CRMs to make sure that you have a better understanding of your efforts.
Measure the right metrics: Focus on both hard and soft conversions, and utilize platform-specific metrics to gauge engagement with your ads. If possible, integrate your CRM to capture the entire customer journey. Focus on the relevant metrics and be aware of what the campaign objectives are. Clicks & impressions are not necessarily the most important metrics, if your campaign is focusing on lead generation.
Avoid fragmentation in your account structure: Instead of managing numerous campaigns filled with countless ad groups and keywords, streamline your account structure. Aim for fewer campaigns with a concentrated focus. This simplification allows the algorithm to optimize effectively, using richer data to enhance bidding strategies, ad relevance, and overall lead quality.
Refine your keyword strategy: This is unfortunately one of the most neglected steps within Google Ads. Regularly review and eliminate underperforming search terms. While this task may seem tedious, it can save a significant budget in the long run.
Enhance quality score and ad relevance:
1. Improve ad relevance: Align your ads closely with your targeted keywords to enhance relevance. Ensure that ad copy speaks directly to the intent behind the keywords, boosting ad performance and Quality Score.
2. Optimize landing page experience: Collaborate with teams managing landing pages to ensure a seamless connection between the ad’s message and the landing page content. By aligning ads and landing pages with the user’s demand and search intent, you’ll improve user engagement and Quality Score, leading to lower CPC and improved ad positioning.
It will save you money and make sure that you are shown more often, because Google deem it as relevant to their users.
Embrace experimentation: Continue utilizing quality data to experiment with your campaigns. Patience is vital; avoid making too many changes too frequently.
Test your ads and their messaging, test your campaigns, test your landing pages. Try Understand your metrics, and look into where “performance” falls off, if you aren’t getting enough (quality) leads. Do you get too few clicks? Click-rate too low? CPCs too high?
Conclusion
Positioning your Google Ads into your B2B marketing mix can be a good way to capture demand and drive qualified leads. By focusing on clear tracking, streamlined campaign structures, and targeted keywords, you can make the most of your ad spend. Aligning your messaging with customer intent and continuously testing new approaches will help you refine your strategy over time.
Remember, success doesn’t happen overnight. Consistent monitoring and thoughtful adjustments based on data will set you up for long-term results.
Then reach out to me on email, ss@profoundnorth.com, or by phone, +45 93 93 03 43.
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