In this episode of Unqualified Leads, Harry Hughes and Dan Hughes break down their core approach to Google Ads for B2B lead generation. From auditing a new account to structuring campaigns for scale, this episode covers the practical frameworks they use to build, manage and optimise Google Ads accounts that are focused on generating qualified pipeline, not just cheap clicks.

They start with the foundation of every strong Google Ads account: conversion tracking. Harry explains why the first place he checks in any account is the conversion setup, how to think about primary vs secondary conversion actions, and why so many businesses damage performance by optimising for the wrong event. The conversation also covers enhanced conversions, consent mode v2, and why offline conversion imports from HubSpot or your CRM are essential if you want Google to optimise towards SQLs, opportunities and closed revenue rather than shallow lead volume.

From there, they move into Google Ads account structure and explain how to think about campaigns by geo, service, product, and intent. They unpack why campaign design is not one-size-fits-all, but why clean structure, thematic ad groups, and clear separation between brand and non-brand search are non-negotiable. Harry also explains why your brand campaign should always sit separately from your generic campaigns, and why allowing brand traffic to leak into non-brand campaigns distorts performance and wastes budget.

The episode also covers bidding strategies in Google Ads, including when to use Max Conversions, where tCPA and tROAS can make sense, and why Harry typically prefers to avoid overcomplicating bidding too early. They also touch on manual CPC and search impression share for brand campaigns, and explain why Google rep recommendations are not always the right move for your business.

You will also hear their views on:

• Google Ads audits for B2B lead gen
• How to structure campaigns around service lines or search intent
• Why exact match vs phrase match should be determined by the size of your search pool
• When broad match and AI Max may or may not make sense
• Why competitor campaigns often fail without the right landing page strategy
• How to think about PMAX, Demand Gen and Display campaigns in lead gen accounts
• Why negative keyword discipline and regular search term analysis are critical
• The importance of balancing account consolidation with the need for spend control

If you run Google Ads for a B2B company, a lead generation business, or you manage paid media for clients and want a clearer framework for how to structure, optimise and scale search campaigns, this episode is a strong introduction to the systems Harry and Dan use in real accounts.

Hosts:

Daniel Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-h-771904141/

Harry Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-hughes-6409b163/

https://www.mayfair-mediagroup.com/