If you’re running a Google Ads campaign for a B2B business but keep getting clicks from individual consumers (B2C), you’re not alone. Many businesses face this challenge—paying for ads that attract the wrong audience.
Let’s say you sell high-quality leads to businesses. Maybe you provide live call transfers for insurance agents or exclusive sales leads for real estate firms. You set up your ads using keywords like “insurance leads” or “real estate buyers”, expecting to reach businesses that buy leads.
But what happens?
Your ads start getting clicks from individual customers—people looking for an insurance plan or someone trying to buy a house, not the agents or brokers you’re targeting. They click, but they never convert.
The same problem can happen in other industries too:
- A company selling bulk office furniture attracts people searching for a single desk.
- A software provider offering enterprise solutions gets inquiries from freelancers looking for a free version.
- A wholesale packaging supplier gets clicks from small businesses needing just a few custom boxes.
- The result? You waste ad spend on people who were never your target customers.
So, how do you fix this? Here’s what you need to do.
1. Choose the Right Keywords (And Avoid the Wrong Ones)
The biggest reason B2B campaigns get B2C traffic is keyword targeting. Some keywords are too broad and attract both businesses and consumers.
For example, if you’re selling insurance leads to brokers, you might think “insurance leads” is a good keyword. But in reality, consumers looking for an insurance quote will also search for “insurance leads”—and they’ll click your ad by mistake.
How to Fix It:
✅ Use B2B-specific keywords:
Instead of “insurance leads”, use “Medicare leads for agents” or “live call transfers for insurance brokers.”
Instead of “real estate buyers”, try “exclusive home buyer leads for realtors.”
Instead of “buy office furniture”, use “bulk office furniture supplier.”
✅ Add B2B intent modifiers:
Use words like “for agents,” “for businesses,” “wholesale,” “enterprise,” “B2B,” “bulk,” “for resellers” in your keywords.
✅ Use negative keywords to block consumers:
If you don’t sell to individuals, add negative keywords like “cheap,” “free,” “personal,” “for home,” “quote,” “apply,” “single item.”
2. Write Ad Copy That Speaks to Businesses Only
Even if your keywords are well-targeted, unclear ad copy can still attract the wrong audience. If a consumer sees your ad and thinks it’s meant for them, they’ll click—even if they’re not a good fit.
How to Fix It:
✅ Be very clear in your headlines
- “Exclusive Medicare Leads for Agents” (Not “Get Medicare Leads”)
- “Live Call Transfers for Insurance Brokers” (Not “Talk to a Medicare Specialist”)
- “Bulk Office Supplies for Businesses” (Not “Buy Office Chairs”)
✅ Use a strong business-only call to action
- “Get Leads for Your Agency” instead of “Get Leads Today”
- “Sign Up for B2B Lead Packages” instead of “Sign Up Now”
✅ Mention business-only details in descriptions
- “We provide exclusive leads for licensed insurance agents and brokers only. No consumers.”
- “Bulk orders only—minimum 100 units per order.”
- “Enterprise solutions for businesses with 50+ employees.”
- This makes it crystal clear that your service is not for consumers.
3. Use Landing Page Filters to Prevent B2C Signups
Even if some consumers still click on your ad, your landing page should filter them out.
How to Do This:
✅ Add a clear message at the top of your page
- “We provide leads ONLY for licensed agents and brokers.”
- “Business customers only—minimum order of 100 units.”
✅ Use qualification forms
Instead of a simple contact form, ask for business details:
- “Business Name”
- “Industry”
- “NPN (National Producer Number)” for insurance agents
- “Minimum Order Size”
This stops B2C customers from filling out the form.
4. Use Audience Targeting to Focus on Businesses
Google Ads allows you to target specific types of users based on their interests and online behavior.
How to Do This:
✅ Use LinkedIn audience targeting (for Display & YouTube Ads)
If you’re running display ads, you can target job titles like:
- Insurance Broker
- Licensed Agent
- Real Estate Agent
- Business Owner
✅ Create a Custom Intent Audience in Google Ads
Target people who have searched for “buy insurance leads for brokers” or “wholesale packaging suppliers” rather than just “insurance leads” or “custom boxes.”
✅ Exclude consumer interest categories
Google allows you to block certain audiences from seeing your ads, like:
- People searching for “Medicare plan options” (if you sell leads, not plans)
- People looking for “cheap custom packaging” (if you sell bulk orders)
Final Thoughts
If your B2B Google Ads campaign is attracting B2C customers, don’t panic. It’s a common problem, but you can fix it by:
✔ Using more precise keywords
✔ Writing clear ad copy that targets businesses only
✔ Filtering out the wrong audience on your landing page
✔ Using audience targeting to focus on decision-makers
These small tweaks can save your ad budget, increase your conversion rates, and make sure your ads reach the right businesses—NOT individual consumers.
Need help optimizing your B2B Google Ads campaign? Let’s talk!
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