4 common B2B keyword-research problems in paid search

This article helps B2B e-commerce marketers solve the four most common paid-search keyword problems. These core issues include:

1. Identifying complex B2B search intent

2. Competing in low-volume niche markets

3. Managing budget and measuring ROI

4. Aligning keywords to your solution
   

Inside, you’ll find practical tactics, B2B-focused keyword research tools, and ready-to-use checklists you can apply right away.

Problem #1: How to identify complex B2B search intent and customer journey mapping

Google continues to evolve with AI to serve complex search intent. Thus, if you can map those intents to the customer journey, your paid search ads convert far better. Here are some practical tactics I recommend.

Optimize for role-based intent

B2B buyers search for solutions with unique proof points. For example, marketing, procurement, and operations managers have different criteria that influence their search queries. When these roles want to purchase custom-printed corrugated shipping boxes, this is what their query looks like:

Use compliance keywords to target more specific queries.

Some B2B buyers will not purchase a product if it doesn’t meet the compliance standard. For example, Zack, a corporate facilities manager, won’t buy office chairs that don’t meet ANSI/BIFMA safety standards.

This is how we leverage this strategy:

• Create ad groups for compliance keywords, such as “ANSI/BIFMA office chair certified.”

• Use an ad copy that highlights the certification and links to a downloadable PDF certificate on the landing page.

• Add a required form field or tracked click on the certificate download to measure intent.

• Run A/B tests: “Download certification” vs “Request compliance specs” and measure lead quality.
  

Problem #2: Limited keyword volume and high competition in niche markets

The B2B market has a low keyword volume due to smaller buyer pools and technical long-tail queries. That’s why B2B brands compete for similar keywords, leading to high competition and expensive ad budgets. Instead of focusing on volume like B2C, optimize for specific and high-intent keywords. Here is what I recommend for B2B e-commerce:

Optimize for product identifier query.

Product identifiers are unique letters and numbers used to identify products and manage inventory. Some examples of product identifiers include SKU, MPN, NSN, and ISBN. Using these codes in your ad copy helps pre-qualify leads.

Practical example:

Paul is an office manager whose printer just ran out of ink. He knew exactly which cartridge he needed. So Paul searched for “HP 410X CF410X black toner cartridge” and saw an ad that aligned with his query. He clicked through and bought the product.

Mini case study on using product identifier strategy

Simplified Solutions helped Wholesale Telecom implement this strategy by targeting keywords that included model numbers and secondary descriptors. This approach increased Wholesale Telecom’s website traffic by 30% and tripled sales.

Integrate international and terminology variance.

Different countries and industries use different terms to describe the same product. For example, a European engineer might search “valve adaptor,” while a U.S. buyer types “valve adapter.” Both have the same intent, but only one triggers your ads.

To capture this variance, here is what to do:

Step 1: Collect real customer language

• Mine support tickets, chat logs, and CRM notes for terms your buyers actually use.

• Pay attention to pluralization (e.g., “RFQ” vs. “RFQs”) and abbreviations.
  

Step 2: Check international & local differences

• Run your seed keywords through Google Trends or Google Ads Keyword Planner by country to spot regional variants.

• Example: “shipping pallet” (U.S.) vs. “wooden crate” (U.K.).

• Test character sets and accents: “café supply distributors” may not trigger on “cafe” without adjustment.
  

Step 3: Expand with research tools

• Use Semrush or Ahrefs with locale filters to discover synonyms.

• Translate seed lists with Google Translate or DeepL, then validate with a native speaker or regional rep (machine translations often miss nuances).

Step 4: Build a mapping spreadsheet

• Create a table with columns: Keyword Variant, Locale/Region, Role/Industry, and Notes/Intent Strength.

• Example: “adapter” → U.S. → Engineering; “adaptor” → U.K. → Procurement.

Step 5: Validate with campaigns

• Split test ad groups by terminology variant.

• Measure CTR, CVR, and lead quality. If one variant outperforms, increase budget weighting there.
  

Tools to use:

• Google Trends (regional popularity)

• Keyword Planner (by country/region)

• Semrush/Ahrefs (locale keyword discovery)

• Internal site search logs (what buyers type once they land)

• Clearbit/Demandbase (account-level insights to map industry language)
  

Problem #3: How to manage keyword budget and measure ROI

Allocating a budget to keyword sets is a challenge for B2B marketers. Instead of guessing, use Max CPC and priority score to test and manage ad budgets for keywords. You should also upload offline conversions to Google Ads to measure your ad ROI.

What is Max CPC?

Max CPC is the most you can afford to pay for a click. You calculate it based on these metrics:

• AOV = Average order value

• Gross Margin = Profit percentage per sale

• Conversion Rate = How many clicks turn into sales

• Repeat Purchase Factor = How many times that customer buys again

• Target CPA multiple = How strict you want to be with acquisition cost (lower = stricter)
  

Formula: Max CPC = (AOV × Gross Margin × Conversion Rate × Repeat Purchase Factor) × (1/Target CPA multiple)

What is priority score?

After knowing how much you can afford, priority score tells you to invest in the keyword. Calculate the score based on the following metrics:

• Revenue Potential = How much money it could make

• Intent Weight = How likely that search is to buy

• SERP Achievability = How realistic it is for you to rank/compete

• CPC & Difficulty = How expensive and competitive it is
  

Formula: (Revenue Potential × Intent Weight × SERP Achievability) / (CPC × Difficulty)

Example:

From this table, you can see why the "toner" keyword deserves a higher bid. It produces more profit per click than the bulk shipping box.

Tools for calculating Max CPC and priority score

To make this calculation easy for you, I designed an Excel sheet with formulas for calculating these systems. In these tools, you’ll see examples and tips on how to make decisions based on your results. Finally, you’d access this tool at the end of this article

Attribute your offline conversion to accurately measure ROI.

The long sales cycle in B2B marketing makes ROI measurement challenging. At times, it takes 30 to 90 days for a lead to become a customer. Also, most of these extended sales cycles happen offline.

When sales happen offline, import the closed sales into Google to measure keyword performance. Upload your conversion online to tell Google Ads that your offer is relevant. 

How to upload offline conversions

• Capture GCLID in your forms.

• Map closed deals in CRM with GCLID.

• Export and upload via Google Ads.

• Verify if the offline conversions are reflected on Google Ads.

I designed a comprehensive Notion checklist that provides a step-by-step guide on how to upload offline conversions. You will also get it at the end of this article.

Problem #4: How to align keywords to your B2B solution

Use the SERPs composition to know your content format

Perform an analysis on Google’s SERPs to know the content format that dominates. This strategy allows you to tailor your content to your customer journey. It also increases your chances of ranking on Google. Search Initiative applied this strategy to increase a B2B e-commerce brand's organic traffic by 115%

How to audit the SERP composition

You should study the kind of content Google rewards before crafting your ad creative. Here’s a simple process:

1. Search the keyword in an incognito window (location: your target market).

2. Collect the top 20 organic results.

3. Categorize each result type:

   • Product page

   • Category page

   • Comparison/review article

   • Case study/white paper

   • Blog/educational guide

   • Ads/PLAs (note separately)

4. Calculate the percentage share of each type.
   

Pro tip: Record the date of your audit, since SERPs shift over time.

Practical example:

A B2B e-commerce searched for the best industrial floor scrubber and noticed the following: 

• 70% of the results are comparison or review articles, such as Top 10 Industrial Floor Scrubbers in 2025

• Only 20% are direct product pages.
  

Observation:

• Google believes people want to compare before making a purchase.
  

Decision and Action:

• Create a comparison guide with spec tables, photos, and case studies, then link to each product.

  
  

Use a tailored keyword CTA to serve role-based intent

When designing an ad copy for your B2B solution, use CTAs that serve role-based intent. B2B buyers want quotes, samples, or technical documents before making a purchase. For example:

Best keyword research tools for B2B brands

Popular keyword research tools mainly focus on B2C keywords, making keyword research challenging for B2B brands. B2B requires tailored tools to address specific keywording challenges. Thus, here are 3 outstanding tools you can explore:

Resources and checklists

• Offline attribution checklist (Notion): Step-by-step guide for capturing GCLIDs, mapping closed deals, and uploading offline conversions into Google Ads.

• Keyword budgeting tool (Excel): Pre-built calculator to work out Max CPC and priority scores, with example formulas and tips for decision-making

• 5-day video series: Detailed video content on how to align keywords to your B2B solutions

Want to thank Wisdom for such a clear and informative piece? Read more from him and send Wisdom a message on on Threads and Facebook.