Set up reliable tracking and budgets. Choose channels that match intent, structure campaigns neatly, test creative and landing pages, and move spend to what produces quality leads.
When I first ran Google Ads in 2010, it looked very different. Still, the core mistake I made is the same one I see marketers make today. I wasted most of the budget in the first two weeks. Not because the channel didn’t work, but because I didn’t fully understand what made people click or what made them convert. I picked keywords that felt right, wrote ads that looked clever, and assumed the rest would follow.
It didn’t.
What I learned through painful trial and error is that paid search only works when you treat it like a precision engine. You have to know exactly what your buyer is searching for, why they are searching, and what they need to see to trust that you are the right answer.
This playbook exists to help you skip that painful learning curve. It shows you how to pick intent-driven keywords, write ads that earn the click, and set up your account for fast feedback and real pipeline instead of vanity traffic.
If you’ve been meaning to launch paid search for your B2B company but weren’t sure where to start, or if you’ve tried it before and didn’t see results, this playbook is for you. It is practical, step-by-step, and focused on getting your first profitable campaign live.
Use what you already have. But if you're starting from scratch or want recommendations, these are the tools I use with clients and personally rely on. Consider this a bonus: helpful if you need it, completely optional if you don't.
Spectacle shows which campaigns, content and channels create customers, with funnels and an audience hub that syncs high LTV segments to ad platforms.
SEO suite for keyword research, audits and content planning, useful for ongoing search work.
Web analytics that tracks user behaviour and conversions, essential for understanding traffic and lead sources when configured well.
Tag management that lets you add and control scripts, events and pixels with versioning and consent rules.
The books that shaped how I think about growth. Read summaries here, then buy what resonates. Learn from the best thinkers in B2B.
Key concepts and frameworks explained clearly. Quick reference when you need to understand a term, refresh your knowledge, or share with your team.
Topic
Playbook
Measure engagement quality by tracking the percentage of people who click after seeing your content or advertisement.
Topic
Playbook
Master the economics of customer acquisition by tracking what you pay for each meaningful action across channels.
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Playbook
Capture high-intent prospects actively searching for solutions by bidding on relevant keywords and appearing in search engine results.
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Target prospects based on demographic, firmographic, and behavioural data, interrupting their social feeds with relevant offers and content.
Most B2B marketers are either Random Ricks (trying everything) or Specialist Steves (obsessed with one channel). Generalists run tactics without strategy. Specialists hit channel ceilings. But there's a better way.
Tries everything at once. Posts on LinkedIn, runs ads, tweaks the website, chases referrals. Nothing compounds because nothing's consistent. Growth feels chaotic.
Obsessed with one tactic. 'We just need better ads' or 'SEO will fix everything.' Ignores the rest of the system. One strong engine can't carry a broken machine.
Finds the bottleneck. Fixes that first. Then moves to the next weakest link. Builds a system that's predictable, measurable and doesn't need 80-hour weeks.
Learn how she diagnoses bottlenecks, orchestrates the four engines, and drives predictable growth. Choose if you want to read or watch:
Get practical frameworks delivered daily. Seven short emails explain how Sarah diagnoses bottlenecks, orchestrates the four engines, and builds systems that compound.
Free 45-minute video module from the full course. Watch how to diagnose your growth bottleneck and see exactly what the course platform looks like.
Tactical playbooks for every stage of this engine. The playbooks are practical guides for tactical stuff. They complement the (paid) growth framework and help you with the tactics.
Pick a prospecting method and tidy data. Warm domains, protect deliverability, build short email and LinkedIn sequences, and route positive replies to the right owner with tasks in the CRM.
See playbook
Post consistently on LinkedIn with a routine that grows authority, attracts buyers and turns visibility into pipeline. Turn posts into warm leads without spam or gimmicks.
See playbook
Set up reliable tracking and budgets. Choose channels that match intent, structure campaigns neatly, test creative and landing pages, and move spend to what produces quality leads.
See playbookRank in Google and LLMs by publishing content that answers real buyer questions and attracts high intent traffic. Build content pillars that compound results with steady effort.
See playbook
