Google Search Ads can be a quick fix way to see your business at the top of the search rankings.

But do they consistently deliver a return on investment?

In this article we review long term results across multiple industries and provide insights into where the best return on investment consistently comes from in the B2B marketing sector.

Google Ads Explained

Chatting with our clients this week has made me realise there is still confusion about what is an Ad on the Google search results and what is a free listing.

So let’s clear that up first.

Search Ads sit in the first few spots when you load the search results. They have the word sponsored next to them.

They then appear in blocks as you keep scrolling down the page.

The results you see on your screen might not be the same as the next person. The mix is AI driven and varies depending on factors like your physical location and your previous browsing history.

If you have Search Ads running for your business, you only pay Google when someone clicks the Ad.

The amount you pay varies depending on how competitive your industry is and how many others are bidding on specific search terms.

You will also pay a management fee for an agency to set up and run the ads for you – this might be called search engine management (SEM).

Free Organic Listings

If you scroll past the sponsored results you’ll reach the free search listings.

Google makes a decision to display these listings based on the merit of the website they point to.

So for example if you search for ‘widget fixing services’ the free listings that Google shows you are what it thinks the best websites are for ‘widget fixing services’.

Again, this will vary from person to person based on things like where you are physically located and your previous browsing history.

As a business you don’t pay Google for your website to sit in the free spots or for the clicks through to your website.

Instead you invest in your own website through search engine optimisation (SEO) which relates to optimising websites so they show in the free listings.

Results from Paid and Free Listings

At Brilliant Digital we’ve worked with many hundreds of businesses in the B2B sector over the past 15+ years to make sure they show in key Google listings through both Paid Ads and Free Search.

We then measure what people do actually do on the website after they click a paid Ad or free listing.

We’re particularly interested in how long they stay on the website, how engaged they are with the content and most importantly how often they are to turn into a quality lead or high value eCommerce purchase.

I can tell you categorically that over the 15 years of measuring this data, the best traffic in the B2B space consistently comes from free Google organic search.

Users who click a free listing are more engaged, stay on the website many times longer and convert more often to quality enquiry and high value purchases.

The best return on investment long term for the vast majority of our clients comes from SEO and free organic Google search.

So why bother with Google Ads if Free Organic Search works better?

That’ s not to say that Google Ads don’t have a place in the marketing mix.

There are some good reasons why you might pay for Google Ads in the short and longer-term in the B2B marketing space.

New is a good reason. When we

• build a new b2b website for a client who has never ranked before in their space
• re-brand a business to go in a new direction
• launch a new business or new products or services, or
• look to reach new geographical targets (e.g. international)

Google Search Ads are a great way for us to expose a new website or product and gauge the market’s reaction.

The data gives us great feedback so we can make changes or increase investment.

Brand is another good reason.

Some of our clients are big players in their sector in the B2B space with lots of competitors competing against their brand name.

Brand Ads help our clients drown out the noise and make sure they stay on top of the search for their own brand name.

Competition is a tricky one.

The more competitive any given space is online, the harder it is to rank for both free and paid Google listings.

In some cases (especially when a few large players are battling at the top) Google Ads can become prohibitively expensive for SMEs.

The same can apply to free listings in that the amount of content that would need to be added to a B2B website to make a dent for the larger volume keywords becomes prohibitive for a small business to generate.

When SME’s face too much competition from big players in the Google listings, the solution comes from circling back to the brand and website.

Simply throwing more money at Google Ads can be a disastrous waste of opportunity and cash.

In most cases,  niching and focusing on brand message and quality content output deliver a return to profitable marketing investment.

Meet the author

I’m Deb Croucher, a former veterinary surgeon with a passion for B2B marketing.

In 2008, I permanently traded my stethoscope for SEO after successfully leveraging Google to power my vet business.

Diagnosis and treatment is still part of my day though!

In Brilliant Digital, I identify issues, uncover opportunities and formulate strategies that lead to success and longevity.

You can read more B2B marketing articles here. I love to chat, so feel free to drop me a line!