Solved: Beginner Tips for B2B SaaS Google Ads Campaigns

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out! Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on advertising your niche B2B SaaS products on Google Ads. It sounds like you've already identified that focusing on bottom-of-funnel keywords is important, which is definitely the right track to start with.

Here's what I'd suggest we dive into:

• Campaign structure and keyword targeting: Are competitor and feature-based campaigns the right move? And how restrictive should you be with keyword matching?
• Landing page and offer: Is your website optimised to convert the traffic you're sending to it?
• Budget and expectations: What kind of results can you realistically expect on a $10/day budget, and how long should you give it before evaluating performance?

Let's get started!

We'll need to look at traffic quality and your website...

First things first, let's consider your website. If your ads are generating clicks but not converting, then it's possible there are issues with the website. It's crucial that your website is optimised to convert this traffic into paying customers, something that you can really show off to show why yours is the best.

For B2B SaaS, people are generally looking for the best bang for their buck when it comes to finding a partner. It's more than likely they have a long process for signing off any partnership, even when it comes to software. It's therefore very important to have all the right boxes ticked on your website.

Here's an overview with suggested actionable solutions for you to implement:

We use a copywriter for this with experience writing for SaaS as this is an area in which there is no room for error. These types of conversion issues can result in a lower ROI.

I'd say you need to give it more time...

Given you're starting with a $10/day budget, you'll need to be patient. You likely won't see immediate results, and it will take time to gather enough data to optimise effectively. Don't expect miracles overnight!

With B2B, sales cycles tend to be much longer than B2C, so you need to accept that it can take weeks or months before you are seeing a return on investment. You will need to make sure that you can commit to the long-term.

I'd recommend setting a realistic timeframe, maybe 2-3 months, and committing to consistently optimising your campaigns during that time.

Then look at your campaign structure and keywords...

Now, let's get down to campaign structure and keyword targeting.

Competitor Campaigns: Running dedicated campaigns targeting individual competitors can be a good strategy, especially if people are actively searching for those competitors. It allows you to position your product as an alternative or a better solution.

However, with a limited budget, you need to be strategic. Before creating competitor campaigns, I'd suggest doing some keyword research to gauge search volume for each competitor. If the search volume is very low for a particular competitor, it might not be worth dedicating an entire campaign to them. You could group keywords for similar competitors together in a single campaign to maximise your budget. Depends how long tail the keywords are of course.

Feature-Based Campaigns: Similarly, dedicating campaigns to specific features can work if those features are distinct and highly sought after. Again, keyword research is key to determine whether there's sufficient search volume to justify dedicated campaigns. If a feature is relatively niche or doesn't have much search volume, you might want to combine it with other related features in a single campaign.

Keyword Matching: You're right to focus on exact match and phrase match, especially with a limited budget. Broad match can be risky as it can trigger your ads for irrelevant searches, wasting your money. However, don't be afraid to experiment with broad match modifiers (+keyword) to expand your reach while still maintaining some control over the types of searches that trigger your ads.

Starting with fewer, highly relevant keywords is generally a good approach, especially with a small budget. It's better to focus your budget on the keywords that are most likely to drive conversions. As you gather data and identify which keywords are performing well, you can then expand your keyword list.

What about A free trial?

You need a landing page with persuasive copy to get people interested - we use a copywriter for this with experience writing for SaaS. Then need to decide on the right ad platform: for B2B it's usually either LinkedIn or Google Search ads. Probably only search ads will be viable in your case as you need people to be actively searching for a new accounting software.

A lot will depend on your offer, a completely free trial usually works best to get people in the door, then you can onboard them, nurture them, and upsell them to a plan later. Free trials are common for most B2B software these days, and there is good reason for that.

Ultimately, the best approach depends on your specific product, target audience, and budget. It's important to test different strategies and see what works best for you. Keep a close eye on your metrics and be prepared to adjust your campaigns as needed. Also, it's super important to track conversions properly so you can assess what keywords and campaigns are actually driving results.

Implementing all these elements properly can be time-consuming, and some things will require expert knowledge. If you want to take a shortcut and discuss your specific situation in more detail, feel free to book in a free consultation – it’s in the bio.

Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh