Google Ads for ABM campaigns: How to align paid search with sales goals

As fellow paid search marketers, we still remember the first time we tried to run an ABM campaign with Google Ads. We were hyped. 

Our sales team had just handed us a neat little list of dream accounts. We uploaded the list into Customer Match, threw together some search and display ads, and waited for the magic to happen.

What actually happened? Nothing. Well, not nothing, the clicks came in, but they weren’t from the right people. 

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Our Customer Match list had a match rate that made us want to cry, the SDRs were grumbling about “junk traffic,” and we realized we’d just burned through a chunk of budget with little to show for it.

That was our wake-up call: running ABM ads in Google isn’t about flipping a switch; it’s about rethinking the whole way you approach paid search.

So, if you’re sitting there wondering, “Can I really run an ABM campaign with Google Ads? Or should I just stick to LinkedIn?” pull up a chair. 

We’ll walk you through what we’ve learned, the wins, the failures, and the playbook we now use to turn Google Ads into a genuine account-based marketing engine.

But why bother with Google Ads for ABM at all?

Let’s be honest: when most marketers think of account-based paid media campaigns, they picture LinkedIn. You can target by job title, company, industry, and even seniority. It feels safe.

But here’s the problem: on LinkedIn, you’re prolly interrupting people. The CFO at your dream account might see your ad while he’s scrolling through thought-leadership posts at 9 p.m., but he’s not shopping at that moment.

Google Ads flips that dynamic. Here, you can reach your target accounts when they’re actively raising their hand searching for “best enterprise payroll software” or “HIPAA-compliant cloud solutions.” That’s intent gold.

And it’s not just search. With Display and YouTube, you can run an ABM display ads strategy to build “air cover,” the subtle but powerful reinforcement that keeps your brand top of mind for weeks while sales are working the account.

That’s why, for us, ABM targeting in Google Ads isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the missing piece that aligns marketing air cover with sales’ ground game.

Traditional Google Ads vs ABM in Google Ads

When we finally “got” ABM in Google, we realized it wasn’t about changing the platform; it was about changing the mindset. Here’s a quick snapshot of how the two approaches differ:

The shift is subtle but game-changing: you stop focusing on volume and start prioritizing the right accounts, moving faster through the funnel.

Step 1: Start with a list, sales actually care about

Here’s a mistake we’ve made more times than we care to admit: building a gorgeous ABM plan in a marketing silo. We’d slice our CRM data into industries and regions, create a list of 500 accounts, and take pride in our work. Then we’d present it to sales, and they’d give us that look.

“Cool list, but half of these companies aren’t even in our territory.”

Ouch.

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If you want your Google Ads for an account-based marketing plan actually to work, start with sales. Sit down with your SDRs and AEs. You could try asking them:

• Which accounts are top priority this quarter?
  
• Who’s showing intent signals right now (visiting your site, downloading whitepapers, or hitting your pricing page)?
  
• Which deals are stuck in limbo and could benefit from marketing support?
  

That last one is key. ABM isn’t just about new acquisition; it’s about accelerating existing opportunities.

When you and sales agree on the sacred account list, you’ve already solved half the battle because nothing kills an ABM campaign faster than marketing chasing one set of accounts and sales chasing another.

Step 2: The targeting reality check

Okay, you’ve got your list. Now comes the fun, or frustrating part: turning it into audiences in Google Ads.

Here’s the truth no one likes to admit: Google doesn’t make ABM easy. You can’t just type in “Acme Corp” and get a neat little audience. Instead, you’ve got to cobble together a strategy from different targeting levers.

Here’s what actually works:

• Customer match lists. Upload those account emails. Will your match rate be 100%? No chance. We’ve seen as low as 20% and as high as 70%. It depends on how clean your CRM is. The trick is to keep refreshing the list so it doesn’t go stale.
  
• Custom segments. If you know your accounts are searching for “enterprise cloud migration” or are active on specific industry sites, build custom audiences around those terms.
  
• Placement targeting. Want your ABM display ads strategy to show up on the trade publications your accounts read? Placement targeting is your friend.
  
• Third-party ABM platforms. Honestly, this is where campaigns go from “meh” to “wow.” Tools like Demandbase, SalesViewer, or Terminus integrate with Google Ads and help you actually map domains to people.
  

The point is to stop expecting pinpoint precision from Google alone. Instead, you could try layer tactics. Cast a net wide enough to reach your accounts, then use remarketing to tighten the loop.

Step 3: Creative that doesn’t sound like everyone else’s

If you spend 90% of your time stressing over targeting and maybe 10% writing ad copy, that could be a big mistake.

Because even if your targeting is perfect, generic ads can still undermine ABM.

Take this example:

• Generic ad: “Get the Best ERP Software. Schedule a Demo Today.”
  
• ABM-tailored ad: “Struggling with ERP compliance, Healthcare CIOs? See how leading hospitals cut costs by 20%.”
  

See the difference? The second one addresses role, industry, and pain. It feels personal, even if you didn’t mention the company’s name (which can be risky due to trademarks and Google’s policies).

If you want your personalized ads for account-based marketing to land, build creative variations for each segment of your buying committee:

• For finance leaders ~ ROI and cost savings.
  
• For IT heads ~ security and integration.
  
• For operations leaders ~ speed and scalability.
  

When the right person sees the right message, that’s when sparks fly.

Step 4: Orchestrate the funnel like a show

This is where most ABM campaigns crash because they treat ads as one-off touchpoints. But ABM is theater. It’s a sequence of acts.

Here’s how we prefer to structure it:

Act I – Discovery

Use paid search for ABM campaigns to capture high-intent queries. Add in display prospecting on industry sites.

Act II – Engagement

Now that they’ve clicked or visited, it’s time to roll out YouTube explainer videos, testimonials, or industry-specific case studies. This is where your ABM display ads strategy earns its keep.

Act III – Nurture

Enter ABM remarketing with Google Ads. Someone from Acme Corp visited your pricing page? Serve them a whitepaper on ROI. Watched 50% of your YouTube video? Hit them with a testimonial ad. Tailor it based on behavior.

Act IV – Conversion

Finally, hit them with BOFU messaging, like demo invites, free assessments, and ROI calculators. Keep it high-value, not pushy.

When you choreograph it like this, you stop leaving the journey to chance. You’re guiding your accounts step by step.

Step 5: Sales alignment — The ultimate non-negotiable

Here’s the truth: if your ABM campaign with Google Ads runs in isolation, it’ll flop. We’ve seen it too many times.

The magic happens when marketing and sales share the same dashboard. Imagine this:

• Google Ads shows 12 clicks last week from Acme Corp’s IT department.
  
• That data feeds straight into Salesforce.
  
• SDRs get a notification and time their outreach while the account is warm.
  

That’s when sales start to trust marketing. And in ABM, trust is everything.

Step 6: Measure what matters (Spoiler: It’s not CTR)

Here’s a pet peeve: marketers bragging about 5% CTRs in ABM campaigns. Well, honestly, your SDR doesn’t care.

What matters?

• Account engagement. Did the accounts on your sacred list interact?
  
• Coverage. How many of those accounts saw or clicked your ads?
  
• Pipeline influence. Did they move into opportunities or further down the funnel?
  
• Deal velocity. Are ABM-impacted accounts closing faster?
  

When you measure like this, you finally prove to leadership that Google Ads ABM strategy isn’t fluff, it’s pipeline fuel.

Common pitfalls to steer clear of!

Allow us to save you some bruises we have already taken!

Trying to boil the ocean.

The first time we built an ABM campaign, we proudly uploaded a list of 2,000 accounts. Guess what happened? Nothing. It was too diluted, too scattered, and the ads barely made a dent. With ABM, less really is more. Pick your top 50–100 and give them the love they deserve.

Serving bland, generic ads.

If you’re targeting Fortune 500 companies with the same copy you’d show in a generic search campaign… that’s just expensive spray-and-pray. ABM lives and dies by relevance. If your ad doesn’t make someone at Acme Corp think, “Oh, that’s for us,” you’re wasting budget.

Flying solo without sales.

We once ran a beautiful display campaign that got solid engagement… only to find out the sales team didn’t even want those accounts. Painful. If your ABM strategy isn’t in lockstep with sales, you’re basically throwing darts in the dark.

Chasing vanity metrics.
 

We’ll be honest, early on, we celebrated a 5% CTR as if it were a Super Bowl win. Then the CFO asked: “So how much pipeline did this create?” Crickets. CTR won’t get you budget renewals. Opportunities and revenue will.

The road ahead

On that note, did you know that your Google Ads quality score can make or mar your ROIs? If you didn’t, you might want to skim ‘Google Ads Quality Score Explained: How to Check, Fix & Optimize It.’