B2B PPC: Crafting Your Google Ads Strategy – A Comprehensive Guide

PPC for B2B firms is a trending subject in the industry.

More than 70 percent of B2B buyers utilize search engines for their purchasing research. A PPC campaign offers a swift means for your company not only to engage with these potential buyers but also to convert them into valuable leads.

Ready to leverage PPC for B2B? This guide is tailored for you and your team, outlining the fundamental steps in creating and launching a B2B paid advertising campaign. Additionally, it emphasizes best practices for B2B PPC, enabling your company to optimize its return on investment (ROI).

Commence your journey now! Alternatively, if you seek the assistance of a B2B PPC agency, reach out to us online for support!

What does B2B PPC entail?

B2B PPC, also known as B2B digital advertising, enables you to display concise and targeted ads to users on search engines, encouraging them to visit your site. The payment is based on clicks, and a rapid auction system determines your appearance in search results. Even if your organic ranking for certain keywords is not high in search engine optimization (SEO), PPC allows you to attain the visibility you desire through investment.

Can PPC be effective for B2B?

Absolutely! With PPC, your business can revolutionize its marketing and sales approaches. Instead of investing significant resources in activities like tradeshows, cold-calling, or pursuing unresponsive leads, you can efficiently target individuals genuinely interested in your products or services through a straightforward ad.

The beauty of a B2B PPC campaign lies in its continuous operation, working around the clock for your team. Even after the official working hours, your ads persistently run, generating valuable clicks on your website’s product and service pages, as well as contact forms. Furthermore, PPC for B2B empowers your business to discard less effective and more aggressive marketing and sales strategies. Through a PPC campaign, you connect directly with business buyers actively seeking your offerings. They are already inclined to collaborate with you; it’s just a matter of them discovering your company.

For tangible proof of the efficacy of PPC for B2B, look no further than the success story of York Saw and Knife, one of the oldest industrial blade manufacturers. In collaboration with CreaRank for a B2B Google Ads strategy, they not only achieved a remarkable 108 percent increase in Google Ads conversions but also managed to reduce their cost-per-conversion by 20 percent.

This success story underscores that PPC is not only effective but can significantly contribute to the substantial growth of your B2B company.

Crafting and Deploying an Effective B2B Google Ads Strategy

Now, let’s delve into the process of creating a B2B paid advertising campaign that effectively generates leads, sales, and revenue for your business. Follow our comprehensive five-step guide to launching a successful B2B Google Ads strategy:

Identify High-Value Keywords for Your B2B PPC Campaign

Keyword research stands as a fundamental aspect of PPC for B2B. Without thorough keyword research, your company cannot establish an efficient PPC optimization strategy. Therefore, it’s crucial to invest time in exploring high-value keywords within your industry.

Approach keyword research through various methods:

Utilize keyword research tools.
Analyze the keywords targeted by competitors.
Develop an in-house list of keywords.

Leverage Google Ads’ Keyword Planner for suggestions.

While creating an internal keyword list is a good starting point, validating your choices with data is essential. Keyword research tools provide valuable insights into the search volume and significance of a keyword. Examples of such tools include KeywordsFX, Answer the Public, FAQ Fox, and Google Trends. Google Ads’ Keyword Planner is also a useful tool, though experts recommend conducting keyword research before utilizing it. If you opt for Google Ads, you can input your website’s URL (or a competitor’s) to receive tailored suggestions.

Keyword Planner also offers predictive insights into the search volume of keywords.

When analyzing your competitor’s B2B Google Ads strategy, search for high-value terms. For instance, if your business offers software-as-a-service (SaaS), you might search for “cloud computing software for SMBs” to check if they appear in the search results. While assembling your B2B keyword list, consider the following types of keywords:

Generic: Encompasses any keyword related to your services or products.
Branded: Includes keywords associated with your company’s brand name.
Competitor: Mirrors branded keywords but includes competitor brand names.

Related: Encompasses keywords related to competitor, branded, and generic keywords.

Organizing your keywords is beneficial for efficiency when creating your ad campaign and ad groups. Each group of keywords should be thematically linked, ensuring that keywords for accounting software, for example, remain distinct from those for marketing software.

Organize your B2B PPC campaign following established guidelines

Afterward, adhere to established guidelines for structuring your B2B paid advertising campaign. Google Ads operates on an account hierarchy, and failing to align with it can lead to underperforming ads, impacting the ROI of your B2B Google Ads strategy.

The account hierarchy, arranged from top to bottom, includes:

Account
Ad campaigns
Ad groups
Keywords

It is imperative for your team to craft ad campaigns with pertinent and well-organized ad groups. For instance, if you are promoting your accounting software, create an ad campaign focused on it. Subsequently, structure ad groups within that campaign targeting relevant, competitor, and branded search terms.

When setting up your B2B PPC campaign and ad groups, you’ll need to provide the following details:

1. Budget: This is the daily amount your company is willing to invest in your ads.
2. Audience: Define the target audience for your ads.
3. Landing page: Specify the webpage where users clicking on your ads will be directed.
4. Bid: Determine the amount your company is willing to pay for a click on your ad.

As you gain proficiency in B2B PPC, you can explore various campaign types. Google Ads, for example, offers remarketing campaigns, allowing you to target individuals who have previously engaged with your site. For beginners, initiating with a Search Network campaign is advisable.

Develop your ad copy and design your ad creatives

Regardless of whether you’re utilizing B2B PPC for lead generation or immediate sales, it’s crucial to craft compelling ad copy that grabs attention. Without engaging copy, your ads may be overlooked, leading to increased ad costs, fewer impressions, and reduced support from your company’s decision-makers.

When creating ads for your campaign, you must include the following elements:

1. Headlines
2. Descriptions

For certain ad formats, such as display ads, you may also need to include an image. If you’re new to B2B paid advertising, it’s advisable to start with search ads, as they are easy to launch and offer ample opportunities for your business.

If you opt for a display ad, consider collaborating with a graphic designer to create visually appealing images for your campaign. Depending on the ad sizes you choose, multiple images may be required, unless you use responsive display ads, which only necessitate two image sizes.

You can craft compelling headlines and descriptions for your B2B PPC ads using these strategies:

Emphasize the benefits of your products or services for users, not just the features.
Highlight any sales, discounts, or promotions available.
Include a clear call-to-action (CTA) that instructs users on what to do next.
Personalize the copy to address the specific needs, wants, or pain points of your audience.
Incorporate credibility statements or social proof, such as testimonials, to build trust.

By collaborating with your team, you can generate numerous ad copy ideas. However, it’s essential to keep in mind the character limits set by Google. For instance, headlines are typically limited to 30 characters, while descriptions are restricted to 90 characters.

Develop landing pages for your B2B paid advertising campaign

While crafting your ad copy, your team should also consider your landing page. The landing page is where users are directed when they click on your PPC ad. For a successful B2B PPC campaign, it’s crucial to create a landing page that aligns with and expands upon your ad copy.

For instance, if your ad promotes a free trial of your software, the landing page should seamlessly fulfill that offer. Users should arrive and easily find the necessary information to initiate a trial, such as providing their contact details. Avoid making them search for information, as it can lead to a less favorable user experience.

In addition to aligning with your ad copy, your landing page should also possess the following qualities:

Speed
Intuitiveness
Brand Consistency
Responsiveness

While utilizing an existing page on your website as a landing page is an option, a landing page tailored explicitly for an ad can significantly enhance your conversion rates. You can opt for landing page design services or use landing page builders such as Unbounce.

Before launching your campaign, conduct tests on your landing page to ensure its functionality.

Initiate your B2B advertising campaign and assess your outcomes

With your B2B Google Ads strategy in place, your campaign is set to go live. However, once your campaign is live, it’s crucial for your team to actively monitor its performance. This allows you to implement adjustments to enhance your results.

For instance, you might experiment with different ad copies to gauge their performance. Alternatively, you could compare the effectiveness of two distinct landing pages. Another approach could involve refining audience targeting to focus on the most valuable segment.

To run an experiment in Google Ads, select your campaign and navigate to “Drafts & Experiments” in the sidebar menu. Once created, your draft becomes an experiment that you can then launch.

Before modifying your campaigns, ensure that you have sufficient data to substantiate your decisions. This is a pivotal B2B PPC best practice, particularly for remarketing campaigns, which often target smaller audiences.

In addition to monitoring your campaign performance in Google Ads, it’s advisable to keep track of your ads in Google Analytics. Before launching your campaign, establish a link between your Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts. This linkage allows you to access supplementary data, such as bounce rates, from your campaign.

For optimal results, conduct a check on your ad campaign every week.

5 Best Practices for B2B PPC Your Company Should Implement

Now that you’ve mastered the creation and launch of a B2B paid advertising campaign, let’s delve into refining it. Implement these five B2B PPC best practices to enhance the success potential of your campaign.

1. Tailor the Campaign to Your Target Audience

While any company can run a PPC campaign, strategic businesses tailor B2B PPC initiatives to a specific audience. Instead of being a small fish in a vast ocean, aim to be a prominent fish in a focused pond. Craft ads designed for a distinct group—the individuals most likely to convert.

Consider the demographics of your customer base and identify key decision-makers in the purchasing process. Develop ads that resonate with those unfamiliar with cloud computing software as well as those well-versed in the technology.

2. Be Mindful of the Average Sales Cycle for Your Buyers

Whether you’re managing your PPC efforts internally or collaborating with a B2B PPC agency, it’s crucial to factor in the average sales cycle of your buyers. Your company might engage with a lead for months or even years before they decide to partner with you.

Considering your sales cycle is essential as it can significantly impact the ROI of your B2B paid advertising strategy. Due to the nature of your sales cycle, you might not witness immediate returns, and it’s not uncommon for B2B PPC ads to contribute to assisted conversions rather than direct ones. This means users may click on your ad but convert through another channel, such as visiting your website later through organic search. It’s vital to recognize the ongoing role your ad plays in the conversion process and be mindful of these dynamics when evaluating the short- and long-term performance of your campaign.

3. Monitor the Keywords Targeted by Your B2B Paid Ad Campaign

In certain industries, it’s not uncommon to encounter irrelevant keywords that bear no relevance to your business, products, or services. Often, businesses only realize this when conducting an audit with a B2B PPC agency.

Many companies fall into the trap of relying too heavily on Google to recommend and provide keywords when launching their B2B Google Ads strategy. This dependence can lead to paying for clicks that yield no leads or sales.

Adopt a proactive approach to keyword research. Before adding any keyword to an ad group, scrutinize it to ensure alignment with your business, products, and services. If a keyword doesn’t resonate, consider removing it or designating it as a negative keyword.

4. Leverage Acronyms to Expand Audience Reach

A distinctive advantage in B2B PPC lies in the use of acronyms. Many industries, spanning from technology to manufacturing, employ abbreviations commonly used in searches for products or services. Integrating these acronyms into both your keyword targeting and ad copy can be advantageous.

By incorporating acronyms, your business can broaden its reach, connecting with a more extensive segment of your target audience. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to showcase industry expertise and proficiency through the judicious use of these acronyms.

However, ensure that the acronyms you use are relevant to your specific audience.

5. Organize Ad Groups Based on Buying Funnel Stages

In B2B PPC, structuring ad groups according to buying funnel stages proves beneficial for many businesses. While it’s uncommon for business-to-consumer (B2C) enterprises to target top- or middle-of-the-funnel users with ads, it’s prevalent in the B2B sector due to the substantial value these potential leads hold.

Aligning your ad groups with different stages of the buying funnel allows for tailored ad copy. Instead of focusing on the specific benefits of your product, you emphasize the overall advantages of investing in a product like yours.

This level of customization can significantly impact your campaign, enhancing brand awareness among business buyers and encouraging them to explore your website during their research on products or services within your industry.