Guide to B2B Targeting for Google Search Ads

Why Every B2B Advertiser Needs To Use Google Search Ads

If you’re in B2B marketing, Google Search Ads aren’t just one option—they’re the option.

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Buyers don’t just stumble onto solutions. They search for them. And when they do, they go to Google.

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Google holds 90% of global search traffic and 58% of the search advertising market share, and there are roughly 6 million Google searches per minute.

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That’s a lot of searches and a lot of potential leads.

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What’s more, Google Ads comes with a variety of targeting options that help put you in front of people actively looking for solutions. 

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In this guide, we explain why search ads are a must-have and how to use Google’s targeting settings so you can run a campaign that’s precise and efficient.

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They Make It Easy To Reach High-Intent Leads

Google Ads are an excellent tool for generating high-quality B2B leads with strong buying intent—because they capture buyers at the exact moment they’re looking for solutions.

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When a user searches online, they use specific keywords, and Google’s search engine then presents the content that best matches the query.

So, for your ads to appear in front of the right people, you need to identify and incorporate those keywords into your content. From there, it’s a matter of paying or bidding for the advertising space.

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What makes this such a powerful approach is that any lead you capture is likely someone genuinely interested in what you’re selling. Attracting high-quality, high-intent leads tends to help improve your conversation rates and can lead to a better ROI.

The key to maximizing Google Search Ads lies in selecting keywords that align with your audience’s intent and balancing your marketing spend to ensure a worthwhile ROI.

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Challenges in B2B Advertising

As the most bountiful search engine around, Google provides advertisers with the most market reach. So, it only makes sense that virtually all advertising is done there. However, there are only so many practical keywords (depending on your niche) for you to bid on, which also makes Google the most competitive. 

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More competition means you’re likely up against B2B ads that are laser-focused on their—and your—target audience. What does that mean for you?

• Higher costs per click (CPC): The more advertisers bidding on the same keywords, the more expensive it gets to show up at the top.
• More effort to stand out: If your ad looks like everyone else’s, it’ll get lost in the noise.

Precision is everything. The companies that win don’t just bid on keywords—they out-strategize their competition.

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Strategies You Can Use In B2B For Google Search Ads

When it comes to B2B Google Ads, your targeting strategy has a massive impact on your campaign. And it all starts with keywords.

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How to Target the Right Audience with Google Ads

As we just mentioned, targeting the keywords is a central part of making sure your ads reach the right people. The more precise your targeting, the more likely you are to reach the right people at the right time.

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But of course, the “right people” and the “right time” will depend on your B2B marketing strategy. If you’re in the process of building one or want to learn how you can take it to the next level, we have some resources that may be of use to you:

• Guide To B2B Targeting In The Google Display Network
• 10 Google Ads Optimizations To Make Your B2B Campaign More Effective

Google provides many keyword match types for you to use. 

For our purposes, we’re going to focus on exact match keywords because we only use Exact match for B2B advertising. We find that phrase and broad match bring in too much low quality traffic.

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1. Exact Match Keywords

In B2B marketing, precise keyword selection is crucial. Using exact match targeting means your ads appear only when users enter the specific term you’ve chosen, ensuring that your message reaches those with genuine buying intent.

For example:

• [Salesforce Google Sheets Connector] – Your ad appears only when someone searches for this exact phrase (or its close variants), ensuring highly relevant traffic.
• [B2B Lead Generation Software] – By targeting an exact match, you minimize wasted spend on unrelated searches, keeping your budget focused on potential customers.

This approach not only filters out casual browsers but also helps maximize the effectiveness of your ad spend by attracting leads that are more likely to convert.

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2. Negative Keywords

Not every search query is relevant—even if it includes your target keywords. For instance, if you’re running ads for enterprise accounting software, you don’t want to waste your budget on clicks from students searching for “free accounting software” or freelancers looking for “best accounting tools for small businesses.”

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This is where negative keywords become essential. By strategically excluding certain terms, you ensure your ads only appear for searches that are truly aligned with your product, keeping your budget focused on potential buyers with real intent.

3. Prioritize High-Intent Keywords

Not all keywords carry the same weight—some signal strong buying intent, while others simply indicate that the user is in the early stages of research. Understanding these differences can help you refine your strategy and focus your budget where it matters most.

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Here’s a closer look:

• Low-Intent Keywords
  
  • These keywords are often used by individuals who are just beginning to explore their options.
  • For instance, “What is CRM software?” indicates that the user is still in an educational phase and may not be ready to buy.
  • While low-intent keywords can be useful for building brand awareness, they typically require more nurturing before conversion.
• High-Intent Keywords
  
  • These keywords suggest that the searcher is further along in the decision-making process.
  • For example, a term like “Best B2B CRM software for enterprises” implies the user is ready to compare options and possibly make a purchase.
  • Investing in high-intent keywords increases the likelihood of attracting users who are close to converting.

Something to keep in mind is that search volume and keyword prices fluctuate. To keep your keyword strategy effective, you should review your Search Terms Report in Google Ads regularly. This report provides real-world insights into the actual queries triggering your ads, enabling you to:

• Discover new high-intent keywords that can drive better results.
• Identify low-intent keywords that may be draining your budget.
• Adjust your targeting and refine your keyword list to focus on terms that lead to conversions.

By continuously monitoring and fine-tuning your keyword strategy, you ensure your ads reach those most likely to convert, making your ad spend more efficient and impactful.

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Where Should Your Budget Go?

Most of your budget should be spent on high-intent search terms because they signal a user’s readiness to purchase. In contrast, broad match keywords can dilute your efforts by reaching audiences who aren’t actively seeking a solution.

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By focusing on high-intent search queries, you ensure that your ad spend reaches those most likely to convert. This targeted approach not only improves your conversion rate but also makes your overall campaign more cost-effective.

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Audience Targeting: How to Refine Your Reach Even Further

Choosing the right keywords is half the battle. But to truly maximize your ad performance, you need to layer in audience targeting.

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Google Ads provides several audience targeting tools that let you fine-tune who sees your ads—so you’re not just reaching people searching for the right terms but also the ones most likely to convert.

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In-Market Audiences: Pre-Built, High-Intent Targeting

Google tracks online behavior to categorize users into groups based on what they’re actively researching. These in-market audiences are ideal for B2B advertisers because they include people already looking for business solutions—not just casually browsing.

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For example, you can target audiences “in-market” for:

• Business services (consulting, HR software, etc.)
• Enterprise software (CRM tools, marketing automation, etc.)
• Cloud computing solutions

By using in-market audiences, you let Google do some of the heavy lifting—ensuring your ads are seen by businesses that are actively considering services like yours.

Affinity Audiences: Broad But Strategic Targeting

Affinity audiences are a step up the funnel from in-market audiences. Instead of targeting active buyers, you’re targeting professionals who fit certain behavioral patterns.

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Instead of just targeting someone actively searching for “best CRM software,” you might target business professionals who regularly read about sales automation, CRM tools, or B2B growth strategies.

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If you want to enhance your ToFu advertising game, our blog, 4 Top-of-Funnel LinkedIn Ad Strategies For B2B, covers the subject in detail.

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This type of targeting is useful for brand awareness campaigns—helping warm up your audience before they enter the buying stage.

Demographic Targeting: Filter by Industry, Company Size, & More

Google Ads also lets you refine targeting based on broad industry groups and company size. This is critical for B2B campaigns since not all businesses are created equal.

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For instance, if you sell enterprise-level cybersecurity solutions, you wouldn’t want to waste ad spending on small businesses or startups. Rather, you’d want to focus on:

• Large tech companies
• Finance and healthcare industries (where security is a priority)
• Businesses with 500+ employees

Likewise, if you offer HR software, you can target industries that heavily rely on HR teams, such as hospitality, retail, and corporate enterprises.

Layering Observation Audiences for Smarter Bidding

Layering audiences on top of your search campaigns is a smart way to refine your bidding strategy. Instead of running your ads blindly, you can use ToFu audiences to monitor how specific demographic groups interact with your ads. 

By observing engagement from IT professionals or HR managers, you can identify which groups are clicking and converting at higher rates and then adjust your bids accordingly to prioritize these valuable segments.

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Alternatively, you can choose to exclusively target these pre-selected audiences—ensuring your ads are shown only to key decision-makers, like CFOs, who are more likely to be interested in your offerings. This approach means you’re not just bidding on keywords; you’re strategically bidding on the right people, which makes your ad spend more efficient and effective.

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Filtering Your Search Campaigns By Age And Income

Another approach you can take is to filter your audience by age. For instance, you can focus on professionals aged 25-54 while excluding 18-24-year-olds (typically students or entry-level employees) and those 65+ (less common in decision-making roles). 

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You can also filter audiences by income bracket, which is rather crucial for high-ticket B2B offerings. Targeting higher-income professionals—who are more likely to work at larger companies—ensures your budget is spent on users with genuine purchasing power.

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Retargeting High-Intent Audiences

B2B buyers often don't convert on their first click, but that doesn't mean the opportunity is lost. Retargeting lets you stay connected with prospects who have already engaged with your brand—whether on your website, LinkedIn, or YouTube—giving you another chance to convert them when they're closer to making a decision. 

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Retargeting often plays a central role in most of our campaigns. If you’d like to an example of how powerful retargeting can be, you should take a look at our case study, Doubling Coefficient’s Sign-Ups In 2 Months On Google AdWords.

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Prioritizing these warm leads in your search campaigns ensures that your budget targets audiences with proven interest, ultimately increasing conversion rates and strengthening your sales funnel.

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Retargeting With Competitor Keywords

Combining retargeting with competitor keyword campaigns is one of the most effective strategies for targeting high-intent users in B2B search advertising. 

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To do this: 

1. First, you need to identify competitor keywords—by researching the brand names and product-related terms—your competitors are using. 
2. From there, you just need to set up a Remarketing List for Search Ads (RLSA) campaign in Google Ads. 

This feature allows you to adjust your bids and customize your ads specifically for users on your remarketing list when they search for those competitor keywords. The result is that you’re essentially telling Google to give extra priority to these high-intent users by increasing your bids and showing ad messages that highlight your unique value, ensuring your solution stands out from the competition.

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Retargeting-Only Search Campaign

A retargeting-only search campaign is a focused strategy that targets users who have already engaged with your brand. 

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The idea is to create a dedicated retargeting audience in Google Ads based on who’s already interacted with your website, LinkedIn profile, or any other digital assets. In this case, it’s actually better to use broader match types (like phrase or broad match) to ensure your ads appear when these warm leads search for related industry terms—even if they aren’t using your exact product name. 

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If you want an in-depth guide about retargeting, our blog, Best Practices for Retargeting for B2B SaaS & Services, covers everything you need.

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This approach lets you extend your reach efficiently while keeping your targeting precise. By serving ads exclusively to users who are already familiar with your brand, you increase the chances of conversion by reinforcing your message at a critical point in the buyer’s journey.

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Important Note: Be sure to test this strategy before scaling, as its effectiveness may vary with audience size.

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Need Help Optimizing Your Google Search Ads?

There’s a lot of nuance when it comes to targeting the right audiences. Marketing conditions can change drastically from one niche to the next. What works for one company might not work for another. 

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Getting the most out of your search ads requires a solid understanding of the market and the expertise to make strategic adjustments as necessary. We specialize in helping B2B brands fine-tune their Google Ads strategy so your ads reach the right people.

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If you want to explore new opportunities to improve your campaign, Book a Free Ads Strategy Call. 

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