Do paid ads pay off for B2B companies?
They can, when deals are large enough to carry expensive clicks. B2B has the highest cost per click in our benchmarks and long sales cycles. The key number is break-even cost per lead: deal value times margin times close rate, measured over a realistic sales cycle.
Orientational market averages
| Cost per click (Google) | €1.5 |
|---|---|
| Click through rate (Google) | 3.5 % |
| Conversion rate | 1 % |
| Cost per 1000 impressions (Meta) | €7 |
| Click through rate (Meta) | 0.8 % |
| Visits that send an inquiry | 3 % |
| Close rate | 15 % |
Values for the Slovakia market. These are orientational averages, not a promise. Your real numbers depend on your offer, website and campaign setup.
The average cost per click for B2B services is the highest of all industries we track. How much do ads cost for B2B companies? A single lead can cost well over 50 euros, which is worth it when one contract brings thousands, and a problem when deals are small or rarely closed.
Competition: medium
Competition is medium: fewer advertisers than in retail, but each of them pays a lot for the few relevant searches.
Worked example
A sample business run through the same engine as the calculator:
- Monthly budget
- €1,500
- Deal value
- €5,000
- Gross margin
- 50 %
- Channel
- Google Search
- Cost per inquiry
- €50
- Break-even
- €375
- Risk
- Low risk
When ads don't pay off in this industry
Too few searches
Specialized B2B services often have only dozens of searches a month. Spending more does not create demand that does not exist.
Judging after one month
B2B deals take weeks or months. Measure leads and meetings, then connect them to revenue later.
Generic landing pages
Decision makers want specifics: who you work for, what it costs roughly and what happens next. A general homepage does not answer that.
What to check before you start
- Average contract value and margin.
- How many leads become meetings and how many meetings become contracts.
- Monthly search volume for your services.
- A CRM or at least a sheet connecting leads to revenue.
Check your own numbers
The example is someone else's business. Put in your budget, prices and margin and see your own risk in 2 minutes.
Check your own numbersQuestions from this industry
What is the average cost per click for B2B?
Our orientational benchmark is around 1.50 EUR on Google Search in Slovakia, the highest of our industries.
Is LinkedIn better than Google for B2B?
LinkedIn targets job titles well but clicks are much more expensive. Google Search captures existing demand and is usually the first test.
How long does B2B advertising take to pay off?
Usually one or two sales cycles. Plan the budget for several months, not a few weeks.
What if there are almost no searches for my service?
Then search ads have limited reach. Content, LinkedIn or direct outreach may work better.
Related industries
Useful calculators
This is an estimate based on market averages. Real results depend on your offer, website and campaign setup.