Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out! I had a look over the situation you described. It's a really common problem, especially in B2B, so don't feel like you're the only one who's run into this wall. It can be incredibly frustrating when you're spending money only to attract the complete wrong type of customer. I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance based on my experience running these kinds of campaigns.
The good news is that I think your issue is very solvable. It just requires a bit of a shift in perspective on how you're approaching Google Ads.
We'll need to look at search intent first...
This is really the core of the whole thing. You asked if the first 10 results on Google are representative of the search intent for a keyword. The brutally honest answer is: yes, absolutely. 100%. Google's entire multi-billion dollar business is built on one single premise: giving the searcher the most relevant result for their query. If it failed at that, people would stop using it.
So, when you type in "sectional sofa manufacturer" and the entire first page is filled with B2C retail sites like Wayfair, Article, or direct-to-consumer brands, it's sending you a massive, unmissable signal. It's telling you that the overwhelming majority of people who type that exact phrase into Google are not businesses looking for a wholesale supplier. They are individuals. They're probably savvy shoppers looking to 'cut out the middleman' and find a 'factory direct' price for their living room. They use the word "manufacturer" because they think it's a shortcut to a better deal, not because they are a procurement manager for a hotel chain looking to furnish 200 rooms.
This is a classic missunderstanding that trips a lot of B2B companies up. You're thinking from your perspective as a manufacturer, using the language you use internally. But you have to think from the perspective of your *actual* target customer. A busy interior designer or a furniture retailer isn't necessarily typing "sofa manufacturer". Their language is different, and we need to find that language.
So, to answer your first question directly: Is it necessary to continue investing in such keywords? I would say almost certainly not. You're essentially paying to show your ads to a huge crowd of retail shoppers in the hope that one person in that crowd happens to be a wholesale buyer. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack, and paying for every piece of hay you search through. The costs will be astronomical and the leads will be mostly junk, which is exactly what you've been experiencing. It's not a sustainable way to grow you're business.
And on your point about what makes a B2C site... you're right, seeing a price and an "Add to Cart" button is the biggest giveaway. A true B2B wholesale site rarely lists public prices. Pricing is usually complex, based on volume, customisations, shipping, and the specific terms negotiated with that client. The primary goal of a B2B site isn't to make an instant sale, it's to start a conversation and generate a qualified lead. So instead of "Buy Now", you'd expect to see calls-to-action like "Request a Quote", "Apply for a Trade Account", or "Speak to a Specialist". If the user journey is pushing you towards an online checkout, it's almost definately a retail setup.
The challenge isn't that your customers aren't on Google. It's that you're fishing in the wrong part of the lake with the wrong bait.
I'd say you need to rethink your keyword approach entirely...
Okay, so we've established the current keywords are attracting the wrong crowd. The next logical step is to find the right ones. This means moving away from broad, high-volume terms that get polluted with B2C intent, and towards more specific, lower-volume terms that a genuine business buyer is much more likely to use. You'll get fewer clicks, but the clicks you do get will be from the right people. Your cost per lead will plummet and your sales team won't be wasting time fielding calls from people who want to buy one sofa.
I'd start by brainstorming keywords around three core themes. This is about getting into the headspace of your ideal client. What vocabulary do they use in their day-to-day job?
1. Logistics & Volume Based Keywords:
Retail customers think in singular items. Businesses think in terms of logistics and volume. This is a goldmine for filtering out the public.
Instead of "sofa manufacturer", think about terms that imply a large order.
- -> sofa wholesale supplier
- -> buy sofas in bulk
- -> sofa container load
- -> furniture by the pallet
- -> import sofas from [Your Country]
- -> wholesale furniture catalogue
No regular person is searching for a 'container load' of sofas. This language immediately qualifies the searcher as a potential business customer.
2. Business Type & Use Case Keywords:
Who are your end customers? Retail stores? Hotels? Interior designers? Property developers? Target them directly. The more specific you are, the better.
- -> sofas for hotel lobby
- -> commercial grade sofas
- -> contract furniture supplier
- -> furniture for interior designers
- -> trade pricing for sofas
- -> show home furniture supplier
- -> hospitality furniture manufacturer
An interior designer working on a hotel project is far more likely to search for "contract furniture supplier" than a generic "sofa manufacturer". By using their industry jargon, you speak their language and show up as an expert in their specific field.
3. International Trade Keywords:
You mentioned you're looking for overseas trade. This is a fantastic filter. You need to use keywords that reflect that international shipping and sourcing process.
- -> sofa exporter [Your Country]
- -> source sofas from [Your Country]
- -> international sofa supplier
- -> furniture FOB [Your nearest port]
- -> B2B furniture sourcing
Again, these are terms that 99.9% of the public will never, ever type into Google. They are specific to the world of B2B import/export.
To make this clearer, here's a little table demonstrating the shift in thinking:
| Poor B2B Keyword (High B2C Intent) | Better B2B Keyword (Low B2C Intent) | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| sectional sofa manufacturer | wholesale sectional sofa supplier | "Wholesale" is a stronger B2B signal than "manufacturer". |
| sofa factory | sofas for retail stores | Targets the buyer's business type directly. |
| buy sofa direct | sofa trade account application | Uses B2B process language that a consumer wouldn't use. |
| custom sofa | contract sofa manufacturer | "Contract" is a specific term for commercial-grade furnishings. |
Just as important as choosing the right keywords is choosing the wrong ones to *block*. This is done through your 'Negative Keywords' list. This is your shield. You need to build a massive list of terms that retail customers use. Every click you prevent from a bad search is money saved. Your list should include:
- -> cheap, sale, discount, free shipping, offer, voucher
- -> review, comparison, vs, best
- -> names of all major B2C furniture retailers (Ikea, DFS, Wayfair, etc.)
- -> second hand, used, refurbished
- -> sofa repair, sofa cleaning
Being aggressive with your negative keyword list is one of the single most effective things you can do to improve the quality of you're traffic and stop wasting your budget.
You probably should structure your account to match your business goals...
Once you have your new keyword lists, you can't just throw them all into one campaign and one ad group. A well-structured account is crucial for success because it allows you to be highly relevant with your messaging. If someone is searching for "hotel sofas", you want to show them an ad and a landing page that talks specifically about durability, fire safety standards, and your experience supplying the hospitality industry. If someone else searches for "sofa supplier for retailers", you want to talk about margins, stock availability, and your latest catalogue.
I would recommend a structure like this to start:
Campaign 1: Wholesale General
This campaign would target the more general B2B keywords we discussed.
-> Ad Group: Bulk Supply (Keywords: "buy sofas in bulk", "sofa container load", etc.)
-> Ad Group: Wholesale Supply (Keywords: "wholesale sofa supplier", "sofa distributor", etc.)
Campaign 2: Industry Specific
This campaign would be for targeting specific business verticals. Each vertical gets its own ad group so the messaging can be tailored.
-> Ad Group: Hotel & Hospitality (Keywords: "sofas for hotels", "contract furniture", etc.)
-> Ad Group: Interior Designers (Keywords: "furniture for interior designers", "sofa trade account", etc.)
-> Ad Group: Retailers (Keywords: "sofas for retail stores", "become a sofa stockist", etc.)
This structure means you can write hyper-relevant ads for each audience. Your ad copy is your first line of defence against retail customers. It needs to shout "WE ARE B2B AND DO NOT SELL TO THE PUBLIC". You achieve this by being explicit.
Here's how you could structure your ad copy to pre-qualify clickers:
| Ad Component | Example for "Hotel & Hospitality" Ad Group |
|---|---|
| Headline 1 | Contract Sofas for Hotels |
| Headline 2 | Wholesale Manufacturer | UK |
| Headline 3 | Request Your Trade Catalogue |
| Description 1 | Durable, commercial-grade sofas for the hospitality industry. Minimum Order Quantity applies. Custom designs available. |
| Description 2 | Apply for a trade account today and get access to exclusive pricing for your project. We export globally. |
See how that works? The phrase "Contract Sofas", "Trade Catalogue" and especially "Minimum Order Quantity applies" will make any retail shopper immediately look elsewhere. You're actively repelling the wrong audience before they can cost you money, while at the same time attracting the right one by speaking their language. You MUST optimise your campaigns for conversions, and that conversion action has to be something that represents a genuine lead for your business – like a form submission for a trade catalogue or a quote request. Don't optimise for just clicks or traffic.
You'll need a landing page that closes the deal...
Getting the right person to click your perfectly crafted ad is only half the job. If they land on a page that looks and feels like a retail website, they'll get confused and leave. The landing page must continue the B2B conversation that the ad started.
If your ad promised "Contract Sofas for Hotels", the landing page it links to should have a big headline that says "Contract Sofas for the Hospitality Industry". It should feature images of your products in hotel lobbies or business settings, not cosy living rooms. The copy should talk about things B2B buyers care about: durability, compliance with safety standards (e.g., fire retardancy), customisation options, and your logistical capabilities for handling large orders.
Crucially, the main call-to-action (CTA) should NOT be "Buy Now". It should be something like:
- -> "Download Our 2024 Trade Catalogue"
- -> "Request a Wholesale Quote"
- -> "Apply for a Trade Account"
- -> "Schedule a Consultation with a Specialist"
Your goal is to get their contact details so your sales team can start a proper conversation. The entire page should be designed around this single action. Remove any distractions that dont contribute to this goal. Your B2B sales cycle is likely long and consultative; your website needs to be the first step in that process, not the last.
You also need to build trust, but B2B trust signals are different from B2C ones. Instead of thousands of customer reviews, you need things like:
- -> Logos of business clients you've worked with.
- -> Case studies (e.g., "How we furnished the new XYZ Hotel").
- -> Testimonials from other business owners or procurement managers.
- -> Details of any certifications you hold (ISO 9001, etc).
- -> Clear information about your manufacturing process and quality control.
Finally, while Google Search is your best starting point, dont forget other platforms. Once you have your Google Ads running smoothly, you could explore LinkedIn Ads as a 'Phase 2'. On LinkedIn, you can directly target people with job titles like "Interior Designer", "Hotel Procurement Manager", or "Furniture Buyer" in the specific countries you want to export to. I remember one campaign we worked on for a software company, where we generated leads from key decision makers for as low as $22 per lead this way using LinkedIn. It's a different approach – you're actively hunting them rather than waiting for them to search – but it can be very powerful for high-value B2B sales.
This is the main advice I have for you:
| Area of Focus | Recommendation | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword Strategy | Abandon generic 'manufacturer' keywords. Focus on specific B2B terms related to volume (bulk, container), business type (hotel, trade), and logistics (export, source). | This aligns your ads with actual business buyer search intent, filtering out the 99% of retail searchers and stopping wasted ad spend. |
| Negative Keywords | Build and maintain an extensive negative keyword list including all retail terms (cheap, sale, review) and B2C brand names. | This is your primary defence to prevent your ads from showing on irrelevant, costly retail searches. |
| Campaign Structure | Create separate campaigns or ad groups for each target customer vertical (e.g., Hotels, Retailers, Designers). | Allows for hyper-relevant ad copy and landing pages that speak directly to the specific needs and language of each audience segment. |
| Ad Copy | Be explicit that you are B2B. Use phrases like "Trade Only", "Wholesale", "Contract Furniture", and mention "Minimum Order Quantity applies". | Actively discourages retail customers from clicking, saving you money and pre-qualifying the traffic you do receive. |
| Landing Page | Ensure the landing page matches the ad's B2B message. Use B2B trust signals (case studies, client logos) and have a clear "lead generation" CTA (e.g., Request a Quote). | The page must be built to start a sales conversation, not complete a transaction. A retail-style page will kill your conversion rate. |
I know this is a lot of information to take in. Getting this right involves detailed research, careful setup, and continuous optimisation. It’s not a 'set and forget' activity, and it can be a full-time job in itself. As you’ve already discovered, getting it wrong can be a very expensive and frustrating experience, burning through your budget with little to show for it.
Working with an expert who has navigated these challenges before can often be the fastest path to getting a return on your investment. We could handle this entire process for you – from the deep keyword research and campaign structuring to writing the ad copy and advising on the landing page strategy – ensuring your budget is spent as efficiently as possible to attract the high-value wholesale clients you're looking for.
If you'd like to discuss your project in more detail, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation where we can look at your specific goals and map out a potential strategy together.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
