By Nick Lewis | Business Systems Coach for UK Engineering Companies
Most engineering business owners I speak with have tried paid advertising at some point. Google Ads, Facebook, maybe even LinkedIn. And most have concluded that "it doesn't work for our industry."
They're wrong—but their experience is understandable.
Paid advertising fails for engineering businesses when it's approached the wrong way: generic ads pointing to generic websites, targeting broad audiences, with no system for following up on enquiries. Under those conditions, paid traffic is indeed a money pit.
But when you combine targeted ads with niche landing pages and systematic follow-up, paid traffic becomes the most predictable and scalable source of new business available. I've helped engineering companies build campaigns that generate qualified leads for under £50 each, with conversion rates that make the maths work beautifully.
SectionWhy Engineering Services Are Actually Perfect for Paid Advertising
Engineering services have several characteristics that make them ideal for paid advertising, despite what conventional wisdom suggests.
High contract values mean you can afford higher cost-per-lead. If your average project is worth £50,000 and your close rate is 25%, each lead is worth £12,500 in expected revenue. Spending £100 to acquire that lead is a bargain.
Long consideration cycles mean multiple touchpoints are valuable. Unlike impulse purchases, engineering projects involve research, comparison, and committee decisions. Paid advertising allows you to be present throughout that journey, building familiarity and trust.
Specific buyer profiles mean targeting is efficient. You're not trying to reach "everyone"—you're trying to reach Operations Directors at logistics companies, Facilities Managers at manufacturing plants, or Property Managers at commercial landlords. These audiences are definable and reachable.
Low competition in niche keywords means costs are manageable. While generic terms like "engineering services" are expensive and competitive, specific terms like "fire suppression system installation Birmingham" have far less competition and far higher intent.
SectionThe Three Platforms That Work for Engineering
Not all advertising platforms are equal for engineering services. Based on testing across dozens of campaigns, three platforms consistently deliver results.
LinkedIn Ads excel for reaching decision-makers by job title and company characteristics. If you know your ideal customer is an Operations Director at a company with 50-500 employees in the logistics sector, LinkedIn lets you target exactly that audience. The cost per click is higher than other platforms (typically £4-12), but the quality of traffic is unmatched for B2B services.
Google Ads capture high-intent searches from people actively looking for solutions. When someone searches "mezzanine floor installation quote," they're not casually browsing—they're ready to buy. Google lets you appear at exactly that moment. The key is focusing on specific, long-tail keywords rather than broad terms.
Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram) work well for retargeting and awareness campaigns. While cold traffic from Meta rarely converts directly for engineering services, showing ads to people who've already visited your website keeps you top-of-mind during their research process.
SectionSetting Up Your First LinkedIn Campaign
LinkedIn is often the best starting point for engineering businesses because the targeting is so precise. Here's how to set up a campaign that generates results.
Start by defining your target audience with specificity. Rather than targeting "business owners," target "Managing Directors and Operations Directors at companies with 11-200 employees in the Construction, Manufacturing, or Logistics industries, located in the West Midlands."
This specificity serves two purposes. First, it ensures your ads reach people who can actually make purchasing decisions. Second, it keeps your audience size manageable, which controls costs and allows for meaningful testing.
Choose the Lead Generation objective if you want enquiries directly on LinkedIn, or the Website Visits objective if you want to drive traffic to your landing page. Lead Generation forms have higher conversion rates because they pre-fill user information, but Website Visits allow for more detailed qualification through your landing page content.
For ad creative, use single image ads to start. Video performs well but requires more production investment. Your image should show your work in action—an installation in progress, a completed project, or your team on site. Avoid stock photography; authenticity matters.
Your ad copy should follow a simple formula: Problem, Solution, Proof, Call-to-Action. "Running out of warehouse space? Our mezzanine floors add up to 100% more storage without the cost of moving premises. We've installed over 200 floors across the Midlands. Book your free site survey today."
Set your budget at £30-50 per day to start. This gives you enough data to optimise without excessive risk. Run the campaign for at least two weeks before making major changes—LinkedIn's algorithm needs time to learn.
SectionSetting Up Your First Google Ads Campaign
Google Ads require a different approach because you're targeting search intent rather than audience characteristics.
Begin with keyword research to identify the specific terms your ideal customers search. Use Google's Keyword Planner to find variations and estimate search volumes. Focus on keywords that indicate purchase intent: "mezzanine floor installation cost," "fire alarm system quote," "industrial shelving suppliers."
Avoid broad keywords that attract researchers rather than buyers. "What is a mezzanine floor" indicates someone early in their journey who's unlikely to convert. "Mezzanine floor installation near me" indicates someone ready to take action.
Create tightly themed ad groups with 5-10 closely related keywords each. This allows you to write highly relevant ad copy that matches the searcher's intent. An ad group for "mezzanine floor installation" should have different copy than an ad group for "warehouse storage solutions."
Write ads that mirror the search query and promise a clear benefit. If someone searches "mezzanine floor quote," your headline should include those words: "Get Your Mezzanine Floor Quote | Free Site Survey Within 48 Hours." This relevance improves both click-through rates and Quality Score, reducing your cost per click.
Set location targeting to your service area. There's no point paying for clicks from Scotland if you only serve the Midlands. Be specific—you can target by region, city, or even radius around a postcode.
Start with manual CPC bidding to maintain control over costs. Set bids based on what you can afford to pay per lead, working backwards from your conversion rate. If your landing page converts at 5% and you can afford £50 per lead, your maximum CPC should be around £2.50.
SectionThe Retargeting Strategy That Multiplies Results
Most visitors to your landing page won't convert on their first visit. They're researching, comparing options, and building internal consensus. Retargeting keeps you visible throughout this process.
Install the LinkedIn Insight Tag, Google Ads remarketing tag, and Meta Pixel on your website. These tracking codes build audiences of people who've visited your site, allowing you to show them ads as they browse other websites and social platforms.
Create retargeting campaigns with different messaging than your cold traffic campaigns. Cold traffic ads introduce your service and generate initial interest. Retargeting ads reinforce your credibility and overcome objections.
Effective retargeting ads might feature case studies ("See how we helped XYZ Logistics add 500m² of storage space"), testimonials ("Don't just take our word for it—here's what our clients say"), or urgency ("Still considering your options? Book your free survey before our January slots fill up").
Set frequency caps to avoid annoying your audience. Showing the same ad 50 times doesn't build trust—it builds resentment. Aim for 3-5 impressions per week per person.
SectionMeasuring What Matters
Paid advertising generates data, but not all data is equally useful. Focus on the metrics that actually indicate campaign health.
Cost per lead (CPL) tells you how much you're paying for each enquiry. Calculate this by dividing total spend by total leads. For engineering services, a healthy CPL is typically £30-100, depending on your average project value.
Lead quality matters more than lead quantity. Ten qualified leads who match your ideal customer profile are worth more than fifty tyre-kickers. Track which leads convert to quotes and which quotes convert to sales to understand true lead quality.
Return on ad spend (ROAS) is the ultimate measure of success. If you spend £1,000 on advertising and generate £50,000 in sales, your ROAS is 50:1. Track this over time to understand the true value of your campaigns.
Don't obsess over vanity metrics like impressions, clicks, or click-through rates. These indicate campaign activity but not campaign success. A campaign with a 0.5% click-through rate that generates profitable leads is better than a campaign with a 2% click-through rate that generates nothing.
SectionThe Follow-Up System That Makes Paid Traffic Profitable
Generating leads is only half the battle. Converting those leads into customers requires systematic follow-up.
Respond to enquiries within one hour during business hours. Research shows that lead conversion rates drop by 80% after the first hour. Speed signals professionalism and captures attention while interest is high.
Use a structured qualification call to understand the prospect's situation, timeline, and budget. Not every lead is worth pursuing—better to qualify out poor fits quickly than waste time on quotes that will never close.
Send quotes within 48 hours of site surveys. Delays signal disorganisation and give competitors time to get in front of your prospect.
Follow up systematically after sending quotes. Most sales require 5-7 touchpoints before closing. Create a follow-up sequence that adds value at each stage rather than simply asking "have you made a decision yet?"
SectionGetting Started With Paid Traffic
If you're new to paid advertising, start small and learn systematically. Choose one platform, create one campaign targeting one specific audience with one clear offer. Run it for a month, analyse the results, and iterate.
Common mistakes to avoid include: targeting too broadly (which wastes budget on unqualified traffic), changing campaigns too frequently (which prevents the algorithm from optimising), and giving up too quickly (most campaigns need 4-6 weeks to find their rhythm).
If managing paid campaigns feels overwhelming, consider working with a specialist who understands engineering services. The right partner can accelerate your learning curve and avoid expensive mistakes.
SectionHow We Help Engineering Businesses With Paid Traffic
I work with engineering business owners to build complete lead generation systems—from niche identification through landing page creation to paid traffic management and follow-up automation.
The goal isn't just to generate leads; it's to create a predictable system that delivers qualified enquiries consistently, month after month. When you know that £X in advertising spend generates Y qualified leads, you can plan growth with confidence.
Book a discovery call to discuss how paid traffic could work for your engineering business.
Nick Lewis is a business systems coach specialising in UK engineering companies. He helps owners of £500k-£5m businesses implement the systems they need to scale profitably and work less.