LinkedIn Ads or Google Ads? A Framework for Smarter B2B Decisions

Heidi Schwende
Aug 28
3 min read

B2B marketers ask it all the time: should I invest in Google Ads or LinkedIn Ads? The short answer: it’s rarely either-or. The longer answer: it depends on where your audience is, what they know, and what stage your product is in.

Google Ads is still powerful, but LinkedIn Ads is no longer “just for branding.” For B2B products—especially newer ones—LinkedIn can generate qualified leads in ways search simply can’t.

Here’s a framework to help you decide, map channels to your funnel, and maximize ROI.

Demand Capture vs. Demand Generation

Before you choose a channel, get clear on your objective: are you capturing demand or generating it?

Demand Capture

People know they have a problem and are actively looking for a solution.
Your product or service is established, with clear language buyers search for.
Google Ads search campaigns shine here. If they’re already searching, you need to show up.

Demand Generation

People might not even know they have a problem yet.
Your product or category may be new or emerging—keywords don’t exist yet.
You need to educate your audience and build awareness. LinkedIn Ads excels here with audience targeting by job title, seniority, company size, function, and more.

‘Who’ vs. ‘What’ Targeting

Another way to think about campaigns: what are you targeting?

‘What’ targeting: buyers are actively searching for a solution. Works well for Google Search.

‘Who’ targeting: you’re targeting an audience by attributes, not behavior. Perfect for LinkedIn when people don’t yet know what to search for.

If your audience knows what to search for → Google search will likely convert.If not → reach them on LinkedIn and guide them through education and helpful content.

Why Search Vocabulary Matters

Many B2B companies forget this: if no one knows what to search for, Google won’t deliver results.

In go-to-market scenarios:

Buyers don’t know the language to describe the problem.
Categories are emerging or undefined.
High-intent keywords may be limited or missing.

In these cases:

Focus on LinkedIn Ads to build awareness and shape demand.
But don’t ditch Google entirely: branded search, competitor keywords, and retargeting still work.

Full-Experience Paid Media Strategy

Forget strict top/mid/bottom funnel thinking. B2B marketers are moving toward full-experience campaigns that map to every step of the buyer’s journey:

Awareness & Trust
- Channels: LinkedIn Ads, Google Display, Google Demand Gen
- Goal: introduce the brand, educate, build credibility
Credibility & Consideration
- Channels: LinkedIn Ads, Google retargeting
- Goal: re-engage warm traffic with guides, resources, and case studies
Conversion & In-Market Capture
- Channels: Google Search, LinkedIn Ads
- Goal: target high-intent searches or competitor queries, push qualified audiences toward conversion

Every campaign should support the larger strategy, not just standalone clicks.

Quick Benchmark Snapshot

Before you decide where to invest first, here’s a high-level comparison of Google vs. LinkedIn for B2B campaigns:

This table isn’t exact, but it gives a directional view for where your dollars may go further depending on your goals.

Bringing It All Together

Google Ads: Use when buyers know what to search for, are in-market, and ready to convert.

LinkedIn Ads: Use when you’re building awareness, educating a professional audience, or introducing a new product/category.

Both: Multi-touch campaigns that generate and capture demand, moving prospects from awareness → consideration → action.

Making the Right Choice

No platform can do everything. But the key is this: start with your audience.

What do they know?
Where are they active online?
How can you meet them with the right message at the right time?

When you combine LinkedIn for education and awareness with Google for intent-driven capture, you create a B2B paid media strategy that’s not just full-funnel—it’s full-experience.