The visible problem
Too many low-quality conversions
Google was finding more of what the account called a conversion, regardless of whether sales valued it.
Client result brief · Google Ads
More Conversions. Lower CPA.
How we helped a B2B ecommerce technology company stop optimizing paid search for activity—and build a more predictable pipeline of qualified prospects.
B2B ecommerce technology
SEM + conversion optimization
12-month view
What they were facing
The account was producing leads. Sales wasn't seeing enough opportunity.
The company's Google Ads account was built to reward volume. Downloads and form fills counted as success, even when booked appointments rarely progressed into sales-qualified leads.
The marketing team could see activity. What they couldn't see clearly was which campaigns, keywords, and prospects were contributing to pipeline—and which ones were simply consuming budget.
The hidden problem
No deep-funnel feedback loop
Marketing, sales, HubSpot, and Google were not sharing a consistent definition of a valuable lead.
What we saw
They didn't need Google to generate more activity.
They needed Google to understand which activity created real opportunity.
Strategy Kiln point of viewWhat we changed
We rebuilt the feedback loop.
Tracking, campaign structure, and expansion strategy were redesigned around lead quality so each part of the system could make the next part smarter.
Teach Google what quality means
We connected deep-funnel HubSpot events to Google Ads so the platform could learn from qualified opportunities—not just downloads and form fills.
Measurement moved closer to revenue.
Give every campaign a clearer job
We segmented and reorganized campaigns around intent, market, and keyword theme, improving relevance and giving the team tighter control over spend.
Less cannibalization. More accountable budget.
Expand from evidence, not instinct
We launched an eight-week program around untapped markets and search themes, then used lead-quality feedback to prioritize the areas producing real opportunities.
Growth followed the signals that mattered.
A better definition of success
From a form fill to a sales-accepted opportunity.
We created a clearer scoring system so Google received progressively stronger signals as a prospect moved closer to revenue.
MQL
Meaningful interaction
New contact or content engagement
→
SQO
Qualified meeting
Deal created with initial qualification
→
SAO
Sales accepted
Meeting completed and Stage 2 opportunity
What the data showed
Better signals created better outcomes.
Rather than emphasizing month-to-month noise, these comparisons show the periods used in the client’s performance review.
Marketing-qualified leads
More qualified demand at a lower cost.
+24.2% Q4 vs. Q3
MQL volume index
Q3 baseline = 100
Q3
100
Q4
124.2
−12.29%
Cost per marketing-qualified lead decreased while MQL volume increased.
Q4 performance compared with Q3 after conversion-tracking improvements, continuous campaign optimization, and the product-detail-page campaign push.
Marketing-generated opportunities
Qualified opportunity accelerated in the second half.
+273% H2 vs. H1
Opportunity volume index
H1 baseline = 100
H1 2025
100
H2 2025
373
Opportunity data began syncing in July
Faster quality feedback gave Google Ads a clearer picture of which searches created real pipeline.
The strongest opportunity drivers included branded, product-configurator, product-detail-page, and ecommerce-optimization campaigns.
The broader performance shift
More conversion. More visibility.
Almost no increase in cost.
+87.3%
Conversions
−45.3%
Cost per acquisition
+9.6%
Clicks
+6.3%
Search impression share
+2.4%
Overall cost
Performance comparison reflects the six months before Strategy Kiln's engagement versus the six months after the engagement began.
What we learned together
Focus and consistency beat constant expansion.
Quality data compounds
On-time lead scoring gave Google a stronger feedback loop and helped marketing and sales understand pipeline contribution.
Intent deserves dedicated budget
Separating campaign themes prevented one category from cannibalizing spend and revealed where the strongest opportunities originated.
Not every promising test scales
AI search, conquesting, and broader audiences created useful learning—but disciplined focus on proven themes produced better economics.
In the client's words
“
Working with Adam had a transformative impact on our SEM and conversion optimization efforts. He brought a strategic, data-driven approach that not only improved our lead quality but also established a predictable, scalable pipeline of prospects.
Ready to improve the signal?