Solved: B2B Cybersecurity Launch Struggles with Google Ads

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out. Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on what might be going on with your Google Ads campaign for the B2B cybersecurity service. It sounds like you're hitting a couple of frustrating roadblocks, which is totally understandable, especially when investing budget daily without seeing the desired results.

Based on what you've described – the low Click-Through Rate (CTR) and the even lower website conversion rate – it points to two main areas that need serious attention. They're linked, but each requires a different approach to fix.

Let's look at that low CTR first...

A 1.2% CTR on Google Search Ads is indeed pretty low, especially for a focused B2B service where you'd expect people searching specific keywords to be quite targeted. When someone is actively typing terms related to cybersecurity consulting into Google, they usually have a problem they're trying to solve or a specific need they're researching. Your ad showing up for that search is your first chance to grab their attention and tell them you have the solution they're looking for.

If your CTR is low, it generally means one or both of these things are happening:

-> Your ad copy isn't relevant enough to what the person is searching for.

-> Your ad isn't compelling enough to make them choose you over the other ads or the organic listings.

Think about it from the searcher's perspective. They've typed in a query, probably something like "cybersecurity consultant for SMEs" or "help with data protection compliance". They see a list of results. Your ad needs to immediately signal that you understand their specific need and offer a relevant solution. Does your ad headline explicitly mention their problem or the service they searched for? Does the description highlight the benefits they'll get from clicking? Are you using strong calls to action (CTAs) that encourage them to click for more info?

A lot of the time, improving CTR on search is about testing different ad variations. You can test different headlines, descriptions, and CTAs. For example, instead of a generic headline like "Cybersecurity Services", you could test something like "Stop Cyber Threats: Consulting for B2B" or "Data Protection Help for Businesses". Test different angles – focus on preventing breaches, ensuring compliance, securing remote workers, etc. Whichever resonates most with what people are actually searching for will see a higher CTR.

Also, it's absolutely crucial to deep dive into your Search Terms report in Google Ads. This report shows you the actual search queries people typed into Google that triggered your ads. Sometimes, your keywords might be triggering irrelevant searches that you didn't anticipate. You need to constantly review this report and add negative keywords for anything that isn't a good fit for your service. For instance, if you're getting clicks for "free cybersecurity tools" but you offer paid consulting, you need to add "free" and "tools" as negative keywords. Cleaning up your search terms will ensure your ads only show for the most relevant searches, which should naturally improve your CTR with teh right copy.

The goal here is to make your ad the most obvious and attractive choice for someone performing a relevant search. It's about making that initial connection between their problem and your solution as quickly and clearly as possible within the limited space you have in an ad.

But the real bottleneck? That 0.4% website conversion rate...

Okay, this is the figure that really jumps out and tells the biggest part of the story here. Getting people to click your ad is step one, and while you need to improve your 1.2% CTR, the fact is you *are* getting clicks. But turning those clicks into actual leads at a 0.4% rate means that for every ~250 people who click your ad and visit your website, you're only getting one single consultation request. That's incredibly low and is the primary reason you're burning budget without leads.

This low conversion rate points directly to issues on your landing page. For a high-ticket, complex B2B service like cybersecurity consulting, getting a cold visitor (someone who just clicked an ad) to immediately commit to requesting a consultation is a massive ask. It requires a huge amount of trust and perceived value built up in a very short time on that page.

From my experience, particularly with B2B SaaS clients and other service businesses, landing page conversion rates for cold traffic can be tough. We've seen everything from less than 1% up to much higher, depending on the offer and the page's quality. For a complex B2B service, you need your landing page to do some heavy lifting.

It needs to:

-> Immediately confirm they've landed in the right place and that you understand the specific cybersecurity challenges *their* business faces.

-> Clearly articulate the value and benefits of your consulting service in a way that resonates with a business decision-maker, not just technical jargon.

-> Build credibility and trust quickly. Why should they trust *you* with something as critical as their company's security?

-> Make the case for *why* requesting a consultation is the logical and necessary next step for them.

The copy on this landing page is absolutely critical. It needs to be persuasive, clear, and focused entirely on the needs and pain points of your ideal client. Is your current landing page hitting all these points? Does it clearly explain the process, the potential outcomes, and address any potential objections a business might have about engaging a cybersecurity consultant?

Often, the copywriter you use makes a huge difference, especially in complex or high-value niches. We've used copywriters experienced in writing for SaaS and other B2B services, and their ability to translate complex offerings into compelling, benefit-driven language for a specific audience can really move the needle on conversion rates. Generic copy or copy that doesn't deeply understand the B2B buyer journey and their motivations often falls flat.

Maybe the offer itself is too big a leap?

Leading on from the landing page issue, you need to consider if "request a consultation" is too high a barrier to entry for someone who has just discovered you through a Google ad. For a significant commitment like a consultation for a high-ticket service, potential clients might need more nurturing first. Asking for a consultation immediately is asking for a lot of their time and implies a strong sales pitch is coming.

Could you offer something less intimidating as the first step? Something valuable that helps them, builds trust, and allows you to capture their details to continue the conversation? This is often called a "lead magnet" or a "softer offer".

Ideas could include:

-> A free, valuable guide or checklist related to B2B cybersecurity risks or compliance.

-> An offer for a quick, low-commitment security assessment or score (even if automated initially).

-> Access to a webinar or recorded training session on a relevant cybersecurity topic.

-> A free template (e.g., for a basic security policy).

-> Maybe even just an offer for a quick, no-obligation 15-minute discovery call instead of a full consultation.

By offering something of value upfront in exchange for their contact information, you lower the barrier to entry significantly. You get a lead (someone interested enough to give you their email or phone number), and you can then nurture that lead through email marketing, retargeting ads, or direct outreach over time. This approach acknowledges the longer sales cycle inherent in B2B cybersecurity and doesn't expect an immediate commitment to a potentially lengthy and complex consultation process from a cold click.

Think about what your ideal customer needs to know or what small problem you could solve for them *before* they are ready for a full consultation. Your landing page could then be optimised to convert visitors into downloading this lead magnet or signing up for the softer offer, which should result in a much higher conversion rate than 0.4%. You can then qualify and work those leads towards a consultation over time.

We've seen this strategy work effectively for various B2B clients. For example, while not cybersecurity, we had B2B SaaS clients where offering a free trial first worked wonders compared to pushing for a demo call immediately. The free trial offer resonates better with someone just exploring options.

Putting it together: Focus on the funnel leak

So, to recap, while your CTR needs work, the critical issue is what happens *after* someone clicks. Fixing the leak on your landing page is paramount. Before spending more budget trying to get more clicks, you *must* improve that 0.4% conversion rate. Otherwise, you're just pouring money into a leaky bucket.

The steps I'd recommend you take are:

Actionable Solutions Overview

Implementing these changes, particularly around your landing page and the offer presented there, should have a significant impact on your conversion rate and, subsequently, your cost per lead. It will take testing and iteration – you won't necessarily nail the perfect copy or offer on the first try. But systematically working through these points will address the core issues preventing you from generating leads right now.

Getting the website and offer right is the foundation. Once that's converting at a better rate (what 'better' is depends on the specific offer, but aim for significantly higher than 0.4%), then you can scale up your ad spend and work on optimising the CTR further to drive more qualified traffic to a page that's actually built to convert them.

Paid advertising, especially in competitive or complex B2B spaces like cybersecurity, involves many moving parts. It's not just about picking keywords and writing ads; it's about building a complete funnel from initial search query all the way through to a qualified lead. Each step needs to be optimised, and often, the biggest gains come from fixing the part of the funnel where the biggest drop-off is happening – which, in your case, is clearly the website conversion rate.

Navigating these challenges, understanding the nuances of B2B buyer psychology, and knowing what kind of offers resonate at different stages of the funnel takes experience. It's often beneficial to get an expert eye on your campaigns, someone who has faced similar problems with other clients and knows the common pitfalls and effective strategies for high-ticket B2B lead generation. They can help diagnose the specific issues quickly and build a testing plan tailored to your service and target audience. For example, knowing what typical B2B CPLs look like in different scenarios (like teh $22 CPL we saw for B2B decision makers in one campaign) helps set realistic expectations and benchmarks.

If you'd like to discuss your specific situation in more detail and explore how these strategies could be applied to your campaign, I'd be happy to offer a free consultation. It allows us to dig a bit deeper into your current setup and provide more tailored recommendations.

Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh