Google Ads for B2B: The Simple System That Captures High-Intent Demand

Most B2B brands treat Google Ads like a slot machine. They switch it on, hope for leads, and quietly hand ready-to-buy traffic to competitors. This system fixes that. It’s built for lean B2B teams who want proof of pipeline before scaling spend. Run it for 12 weeks with ~£800 media (your £400 spend + £400 Google credit - where eligible). You’ll target only high-intent searches, block junk, match ads to pages that prove trust — and know exactly when you’re ready to scale.

Why Most B2B Brands Write Google Ads Off

• They target everyone. If you don’t define your buyer, Google will find anyone—on your budget.

• They trust default settings. Defaults go broad and push you to spend more.

• They skip bottom-of-funnel terms. If you’re not on “pricing/demo/quote,” your rival is.

• They let Google pick keywords. Always ask: Would our best buyer really type this?

• They send traffic to the homepage. People search for something specific—answer it on a focused page.

• They don’t follow up. B2B cycles are long; reminder ads matter.

The Simple 6-Step Google Ads System

1. Tight Setup — Start Narrow

• Pick 10–20 very specific searches your buyers use near purchase.

• Make one focused ad + one focused landing page per small theme.

• Start with tight/medium matching (exact/phrase), not loose.

2. Protect Your Budget — Block the Junk

• Create a “blocked words” list (jobs, free, DIY, tutorial, student, cheap, definition, competitor X).

• Use a shared negative list across campaigns and update it weekly.

3. Learn Weekly — Tune and Trim

• Check the actual searches your ads appeared for; block the bad ones.

• Nudge bids up/down by hour, day, location, and device.

4. Fix the Landing Page — Match and Prove

• Match the ad headline exactly.

• Show proof above the fold (logos, stats, case studies).

• Keep the form short.

• Make the next step obvious.

5. Widen Carefully — Only After Control

• Once leads are good and costs are steady, add a few broader phrases and geos—your blocked list stays on.

• If you choose to test Broad, pair it with Smart Bidding and strong audience/first-party signals—this is a strategy choice, not a platform requirement.

6. Keep in Touch — Simple Retargeting

• Run simple reminder ads (30/60/90 days) for visitors who didn’t convert—e.g., pricing guide, calculator, 15-min fit check.

Your 12-Week Google Ads Starter Plan

(≈£800 media using £400 spend + £400 credit)

Weeks 1–2 — Setup & Sanity (~£80)

• Exact/Phrase match only. Shared Negative list live. Business hours. Tier-1 regions.

• 1–2 themes. Confirm tracking and page conversion.

Weeks 3–6 — Control & Learn (~£240)

• 2–3 themes total. Weekly search-term cleanups.

• Adjust bids by hour/geo/device.

• Tweak the top landing page.

Weeks 7–9 — Broaden Carefully (~£240)

• Add 1–2 new exact/phrase match keywords per theme.

• Keep negative keywords tight.

• Switch on reminder ads (30/60 days) with a simple content offer.

Weeks 10–12 — Stabilise & Decide (~£240)

• Hold winners, cut noise.

• Check cost per lead and SQL quality in CRM.

• If numbers hold, plan your ongoing monthly budget and scale.

Milestones to Track

• Weeks 1–2: Paying for the right searches

• Weeks 3–5: Clicks turning into leads (page conversion rate)

• Weeks 6–8: Cost per lead steady and sane

• Weeks 8–12: Leads showing up in pipeline (CRM quality)

The 6-Month Google Ads View (After the Test)

• Months 1–2: Expand only the winners. Keep blocking junk.

• Month 3: Add Performance Max alongside controlled Search (signals + exclusions on).

• Months 4–6: Layer in “best/compare/alternatives” clusters, then new conversion terms (“pricing/demo/implementation”).

• Move to automated bidding (tCPA/tROAS) after ~30–50 quality conversions per campaign — this is a rule-of-thumb for practitioners, not an official Google requirement.

The B2B Google Ads System Takeaway

Run Google Ads like a system, not a gamble.
Be picky about searches. Match ad to page. Block junk weekly.
Widen only when the numbers hold.

Do that with an £800 media starter, and you’ll stop gifting high-intent traffic to competitors — and start compounding results.

You’ve read the playbook — now put it into practice.

I help ambitious B2B brands build Google Ads systems that actually convert.

👉 Talk to me about your next six months.

FAQs

Q. How much should we spend to start?
A. £400 spend + £400 Google credit (~£800 media) over 12 weeks is enough to learn without chaos.
(Promo availability varies by account/region.)

Q. Should we bid on our brand name?
A. Yes — defend your results page and measure incrementality cleanly.

Q. Do we need Performance Max?
A. Use it with controlled Search, not instead of it. Feed it good signals and keep exclusions tight.

Q. Exact or broad match?
A. Start tight/medium. Add broad later in a sandbox once your blocked list and audiences are dialled in.