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Evaluating Google Ads for B2B Marketing
Role: Market Analysis | Tools: Google Search, SEO Analysis | Project Type: Channel Assessment

Background

A B2B network in the timber industry had a strong market position and high demand. At the time of the analysis, there was already a waiting list of prospective members.
The central question was:
Would Google Ads be a worthwhile channel at this stage?

Analysise

I analysed how decision-makers in this market search for information. Three clear themes emerged:
• General information
• Industry knowledge
• Networking and partnerships

Examples of search queries included:

• Timber trade purchasing group
• Timber trade cooperation network
• Purchasing benefits for timber merchants
These searches were primarily informational rather than transactional.

Key Finding

Industry portals and informational websites dominated the search results. Paid ads had little presence in the searches reviewed.
This raised a more fundamental question:
Did the business need to generate additional demand at all?

Strategic Recommendation

Based on the analysis, the decision was made not to launch Google Ads at that stage.
The reasons were:
• Demand was already very high
• Additional leads would exceed the team’s capacity
• More enquiries were unlikely to provide meaningful business value in the short term
The recommendation was therefore to hold off on launching campaigns.

My Role

• Analysing the market and search behaviour
• Assessing Google Ads within a B2B context
• Evaluating opportunities and limitations
• Developing a strategic recommendation

Outcome

This case study shows that performance marketing also involves knowing when a channel is not the right fit for a business. The key takeaway: a good marketing strategy starts with the right question, not a tool.