Paid search for B2B: an account structure playbook

Principle: structure follows intent

In B2B paid search, account structure is strategy. It decides which queries receive budget, which messages they see and what the platform learns from. Start from the intent map, not from the product list.

1. Separate campaigns by intent

A useful starting set of campaign types:

Campaign type	Purpose	Notes
Brand	Protect and capture branded demand	Usually efficient; report separately so it does not flatter totals
Category / generic	Reach buyers searching the solution type	Largest volume; needs tight negative keywords
Problem / use case	Reach buyers describing a need	Often lower cost and closer to a real requirement
Competitor	Reach buyers evaluating alternatives	Requires honest, differentiated messaging
Remarketing	Re-engage visitors and accounts	Tailor messaging to what they have already seen

Separating campaigns this way lets you set budgets, bids and expectations by intent rather than averaging very different traffic together.

2. Keep ad groups tightly themed

Each ad group should hold a small cluster of closely related queries that can share one message and one landing page. When an ad group covers several distinct needs, the ad and the page can only match one of them.

Use match types deliberately. Exact and phrase match give control over which queries enter an ad group; broader matching can find new demand but needs regular search-term review and a maintained negative keyword list.

3. Match every ad group to a landing page

The landing page should continue the conversation the ad started:

• the headline reflects the query’s intent,
• the page answers the questions a buyer at that stage has,
• the call to action is proportionate to their readiness,
• contact options are visible for buyers who prefer to talk.

Regional or segment-specific pages often outperform a single generic page when buyers expect local relevance.

4. Mirror the structure in Microsoft Ads

Microsoft Ads can be valuable for B2B audiences. Importing campaigns from Google Ads is a reasonable start, but review bids, budgets and audience settings separately, and evaluate performance on its own terms.

5. Measure qualified outcomes, not just conversions

• Track conversions with clear definitions — a demo request is not the same signal as a content download.
• Assign relative values where possible.
• Import qualified outcomes from the CRM (offline conversions) so bidding learns which clicks became opportunities.

6. Run a steady optimization cadence

Cadence	Activity
Weekly	Search-term review, negatives, budget pacing, obvious anomalies
Fortnightly	Ad copy and landing-page tests against written hypotheses
Monthly	Budget reallocation by campaign type, region and segment based on qualified outcomes
Quarterly	Structure review against the intent map and CRM results

Change fewer things, and give each change time to produce a readable result.

Checklist

• Campaigns separated by intent, brand reported separately
• Tightly themed ad groups with deliberate match types
• A matching landing page for each ad group
• Conversion definitions and values agreed
• Offline conversion import from the CRM
• A documented test plan and review cadence

For an example of this approach in practice, see the Dynamics 365 case study. Our approach to paid media is on the B2B PPC page.