Does PPC Work for B2B?
If you have a B2B business, you might be wondering if Google Ads and PPC are worth your time.
I’ve worked with several B2B accounts, both eCommerce and service-based.
And it’s not just me. According to Backlinko, 64% of B2B marketing professionals say they have used ads.
In this post, I’m going to tell you exactly how PPC has worked for these accounts and what to look out for.
What is B2B PPC?
B2B PPC is simply using paid ads to promote your business to other businesses. This can include search ads, display ads, and social ads. The goal is to reach the right decision-makers and drive leads, sign-ups, or sales.
Here are some common platforms for B2B PPC:
Google Ads – the most popular choice for B2B marketing
Bing Ads – often lower cost per click and a professional audience
Meta Ads – Facebook and Instagram can work for B2B, especially for awareness campaigns
TikTok Ads – increasingly used for B2B, especially in creative or modern industries
B2B eCommerce
For eCommerce, B2B, Google Ads and PPC can work very well. Normally you can get away with smaller budgets and it’s a great way to get your products in front of the right audience.
One way to do this is by using Google Merchant Center. You can push your products directly in front of people actively searching for them, which often leads to faster results. I’ve run B2B PPC eCommerce campaigns for a printing company, where we achieved a ROAS above three times ad spend. I’ve also done campaigns selling bricks, which performed really well and showed that PPC can work even for niche or heavy goods.
B2B Services
For B2B services, PPC can also be very effective, but it works a little differently than eCommerce. Here, CPCs are usually higher because the services are higher value, but the returns are bigger as well.
I’ve run campaigns for payroll services, my own ads, and film production services. The key is tracking conversion value accurately so you know how much each client is worth. For example, with high-ticket or recurring contracts, just one client can cover your ad spend multiple times over.
Budget is really important for B2B services. I usually recommend a healthy budget, around £5,000 per month, so you can take advantage of Google’s smart bidding strategies. If your budget is smaller and you rely on something like maximise clicks, the results can be inconsistent and risky.
Conclusion
Yes, PPC does work for B2B, and I’ve seen it work many times throughout my career.
If you have a B2B business and want to make the most of your Google Ads but aren’t sure what to do, book a 30-minute consultation with me. I would love to talk about your brand and help drive your business into profitability using ads.
