Overview
How a structured Google Ads strategy replaced cold outreach with a consistent flow of inbound leads for a B2B consulting firm.
Digital Zolutions is a Berlin-based CRM and digitalisation consultancy, helping SMEs implement Zoho solutions and digitise their sales processes. With a founder and team rooted in sales, the business had grown successfully through traditional outreach. As the company crossed 10 employees and approached 7-figure revenues, it was time to build an additional, scalable lead source. With a new website in place, the brief was simple: generate consistent inbound leads through Google Search Ads.
Initial Situation
- Business growing strongly but reliant on outbound sales activity for new clients
- No performance marketing infrastructure in place
- New website live but generating no inbound leads
- No Google Ads account or campaign history to build from
Objectives
- Launch Google Search Ads from scratch
- Generate consistent inbound leads for the consulting business
- Scale lead volume month on month
- Achieve a positive return on ad spend relative to the value of consulting projects won
Approach
The channel was clear from the start. Decision-makers searching for CRM implementation and digitalisation consulting are high-intent buyers. Google Search Ads was the right channel to capture that demand at the moment it existed.
A well-rounded Google Ads strategy was implemented. Campaigns were structured around the core service offerings, targeting the most relevant search queries from businesses actively looking for CRM and digitalisation support. Ad copy, landing pages, and conversion tracking were all aligned to ensure every click had the best possible chance of becoming a lead.
The focus in the early months was on building a reliable data foundation. As performance data accumulated, campaigns were continuously refined to improve lead quality and reduce cost per lead. The strategy was not to generate volume immediately but to build a system that improved consistently over time.
The results followed the pattern of a well-executed Google Ads launch. Four leads in month one. Ten leads by month three. More than twenty leads per month by month six.
Results
- 4 leads in month 1
- 10 leads by month 3
- 20+ leads per month by month 6
- One lead converted into an €80,000 project
- 7x ROAS on combined agency fee and Google Ads spend from that single deal alone across the first 6 months
- Digital Zolutions has since expanded into the US market
- Team and revenue continue to grow, supported by a consistent inbound lead pipeline
Key Learnings
- Google Ads should often be the first digital marketing channel for b2b service firms like consultancies or agencies.
- New websites need to be marketed properly, or the cost of building them won’t pay off in the short term
- A Google Ads account improves with data. Months one to three are mostly about building the foundation. Months four to six are where the compounding begins
- One high-value deal can justify an entire campaign investment. In B2B, ROAS should always be calculated against project value, not just lead volume
- Replacing cold outreach with inbound leads changes the dynamic of every sales conversation. The prospect came to you, not the other way around
