Google Ads for B2B: Capturing High-Value Leads
It's a common misconception that Google Ads is primarily for e-commerce/B2C and less so for B2B. This couldn't be more wrong. Google Ads is an intent-capture engine perfectly suited for the rational, research-heavy B2B buyer journey.
Date
29 Oct 2025
Topic
Google Ads
Reading time
7 Minutes
Why Google Ads is a B2B Customer Acquisition Powerhouse
One of the biggest strengths of Google Ads is it's intent-based targeting. A B2B buyer searching Google for "enterprise cloud security platform comparison" is not casually browsing; they are clearly in-market and are assessing different options for what to buy. This presents an advertiser with a fantastic opportunity to target prospects at their moment of need, capture their attention and bring into their pipeline with a relevant CTA.
In addition to intent-based targeting, it also provides saavy advertisers opportunity to target specific problems or pain points. We find opportunities with our clients to target competitor pain points, such as when users search for "X alternatives".
Being able to measure the value of each lead resulting from Google Ads is also critical to it's value. Even better is the ability to improve the performance of Google Ads by feeding offline data right back to it for improving automated decision-making. This is through a feature called offline conversion import and means you can teach the advertising algorithm what "good" looks like and help it target high-value leads. We have written more about this topic of Conversion Signal Optimisation.
The B2B Google Ads Playbook: Essential Tactics
The biggest risk in B2B Google Advertising is targeting non-business consumers. Many B2B categories align closely with B2C and often share the same keyword. One example could be a packaging supplier who is targeting "cardboard box" searches: do they know if the user is looking for a single cardboard box, or a supplier to ship them 10,000 boxes a year? Often the key is targeting long-tail keywords that have clear B2B intent built into them, for example "cardboard box wholesale suppliers" has a stronger B2B intent than "cardboard box". This can also be done with audience layering.
With the ever-broadening targeting options in Google Ads (e.g. broad match, AI Max), it's increasingly important to also have a big list of negative keywords. Whether that includes information seekers (e.g. "free", "example", "template", "course", "students") or career seekers ("jobs", "salary", "careers"). There are lots and we suggest doing some research on search engines & LLMs to get a list before you start. Of course, your search term report is a critical part of this process too.
Another tactic that is easily overlooked are customised landing pages. A B2B buyer may be looking for specific solutions or problems to solve, so having appropriate ad copy and landing pages can really improve the liklihood of conversion. Sometimes the solution is just to add more information to your landing page, but sometimes you need many different pages. We suggest researching keyword volumes and intent in order to identify your prioritie.
Wrapping Up: Your Data-Driven Advantage
Success in B2B Google Ads is a function of precision, patience, and professional alignment. It requires a data-driven approach that respects the complexity of the B2B buying process—one focused on capturing high-intent signals and delivering logical, high-value messaging.
By moving beyond the B2C template and embracing the tactical depth required, Google Ads becomes an indispensable channel for high-quality, scalable lead generation.
