In the world of B2B marketing, data-driven decisions are the decisive factor for success. Our client, a large international life science company, set itself the goal years ago of generating qualified leads in relevant European markets through Google Ads campaigns and maximizing the return on investment (ROI). We have been managing a total of five Google Ads accounts for this client since 2018 and have built up a portfolio of 152 Google Ads campaigns and almost 100 landing pages in up to six languages over the years.

Thanks to strategic campaign planning, comprehensive tracking and data-based optimization, we were able to achieve impressive results for the client in 2024: Almost USD 40 million in sales opportunities with an advertising budget of “only” USD 500,000.. All the details and what even you as a smaller B2B company without such a gigantic advertising budget can learn from this … Find it all out in this case study.

The Challenge: Leads that Really Generate Sales

Many Google Ads campaigns fail because they generate clicks but hardly any qualified leads. Our client wanted to avoid exactly that. His goal was not only to gain visibility but also to attract prospective customers who were genuinely interested in buying and who would enter the sales funnel as quickly as possible.

Added to this was the geographical complexity: the campaigns were to run in several European countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands) and be adapted to the respective local requirements. This meant that all ads and landing pages had to be translated into up to six different languages (i.e. the respective native languages + English).

The Strategy: Customized Campaigns and Seamless Tracking

To meet the challenge, we developed a campaign strategy based on granular market segmentation, in-depth specialist and product knowledge, and comprehensive tracking.

• Highly Specific Landing Pages for Each Market
  As the client website was far too rigid due to the corporate structures, we developed dedicated landing pages in up to six different languages for each campaign. These were adapted to the respective target groups in terms of language and content and contained relevant content on the advertised products. What benefited us here was our many years of experience in marketing products with a scientific background that require explanation. As an agency, speaking the client’s technical language is a huge help to the campaign’s success.
• Seamless Tracking from the Click to the CRM
  The goal was clear: lead generation with complete transparency. Particular attention was paid to the traceability of the leads: With the help of webhooks and stringent tracking, the client and we were able to seamlessly record every step from A to Z – from the ad click to the lead form to the final sales opportunity their CRM. This made it possible to precisely measure the influence of individual keywords and campaigns on the sales opportunities generated by Salesforce.

This full transparency across the funnel is clearly best practice in B2B but is unfortunately only practiced by very few customers in this form. The fact that we were able to implement this with the customer in this way is a testament to the political will of the company’s management to act as data-driven as possible and not leave the success of marketing and sales to chance.

Different Price Ranges and Business Units of the Advertised Products

The price range of the advertised products was an important factor in classifying the campaign performance. Our client sells a broad portfolio ranging from reagents and consumables to laboratory equipment between 10,000 and 100,000 USD to high-end analysis systems and automation solutions with prices between USD 100,000 and 600,000.

The company structure brought additional complexity to campaign planning: the various products are spread across several product groups, each of which is managed by different product managers and marketing managers. While a single product manager or central marketing department is often responsible for all campaigns in small or medium-sized companies, here we had to work with several teams, each with their own requirements, KPIs, and priorities. This required close coordination between marketing and sales as well as flexible campaign management in order to optimally cover the specific needs of the individual business units.

The Results in Detail:

Here are the most important figures:

• Invested advertising budget: USD 500,000
• High-quality sales leads generated: 761
• Total sales potential: almost USD 40 million
• Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS): 80 USD of sales opportunity per dollar invested

The 152 campaigns not only generated a high number of qualified sales leads but also created enormous sales potential. With an advertising budget of USD 500,000 invested (> $40,000 per month), our client was able to land sales opportunities worth almost USD 40 million. This means that every advertising dollar invested led to USD 80 in potential sales – which corresponds to a ROAS (Return on Advertising Spending) of 8,000%!

Sales opportunities by Google Ads in USD in the years of 2023-2024

Of course, there are the usual fluctuations: not every month consistently delivered sales opportunities of over $3 million. In fact, the weakest month of 2024 only brought the customer $750,000 in sales opportunities generated by Google Ads, while the peak month generated nearly $5 million in sales potential. It therefore makes little sense to draw hasty conclusions about the success of a Google Ads campaign in B2B from the performance of individual months. The true potential unfolds in the continuity of the campaigns.

How Much Revenue is Actually Generated?

Not every sales opportunity automatically turns into revenue. Actual sales are harder to predict, however, as high-priced analytics systems and automation solutions are known to have long decision cycles that can take up to a year or more. The buying process often involves multiple stakeholders and requires extensive information materials, demos, and coordination rounds between different departments.

This is why turnover always lags behind sales opportunities. Due to this delay between the creation of the sales opportunity and the final purchase, we do not currently have any conclusive data on the actual turnover generated. However, based on our experience in the industry, it can be estimated that around a third of sales opportunities actually turn into real sales in the end.

This means that our client is expected to generate around USD 13 million in actual sales from these campaigns – an impressive figure when you consider the advertising budget of USD 500,000.

Conclusion: What small and medium-sized Companies Can Learn from This

This case study shows that a successful Google Ads strategy in B2B depends not only on good campaign management but also on internal alignment, data-driven decision-making, and strategic direction. Companies looking to achieve similar results should consider the following:

• Utilize scalability with full budget control: The customer only spent what he was willing to invest. In their case, that was an enormous sum. But even if you only have €500 a month available, it’s worth it. Start small, build up your confidence, and then increase the budget later if necessary – as long as the search volume in the respective target market allows it, your Google Ads success is scalable.
• Make data-driven processes a company priority: The success of these campaigns would not have been possible without unified lead tracking and integration with Salesforce. Companies should ensure that they create end-to-end transparency in their marketing and sales processes.
• Breaking down silos between marketing and sales: In many companies, marketing keeps to itself and the sales department works independently. This case study shows that close integration between the two areas is essential for success.
• Critically examine SEA agencies: There are hundreds of agencies offering Google Ads. Ultimately, success in narrow, scientifically oriented B2B niches also depends on how much the agency understands your product and your target industry. An agency that only serves customers in the finance or lifestyle segment is not the right one for you.
• Don’t leave landing pages to chance: standard websites are often too inflexible for targeted campaigns. Companies should adapt landing pages individually to products, campaigns, and target groups.
• Allocate budget where it has the highest impact: A high investment per click is not necessarily bad – if it leads to high-quality leads. Instead of optimizing for the lowest possible costs, companies should focus on the long-term ROI.
• Patience and long-term strategies are crucial: especially in B2B with high-priced products, success does not happen overnight. Those who plan for the long term, optimize based on data, and set up the right processes will achieve sustainable results.

Google Ads can be a powerful tool – if it is strategically thought through and consistently optimized. Those who are prepared to invest in data-driven processes, transparent structures, and a close integration of marketing and sales will benefit in the long term.

Would you like to know how you can use Google Ads profitably for your company? Then get in touch with us – we’ll help you get the most out of your budget!
Let’s talk about it. Find out more here: Advice from us