“How Do I Get a Quicker Results from My Knowledge Centre Using Google Ads?”

So you’ve invested in a Knowledge Centre, filled it with brilliant Big 5 content that answers your buyers’ questions, and now you’re wondering when the flood of leads will start.

And maybe you’re feeling a bit impatient? I completely understand.

First, congratulations on taking that crucial step toward becoming the most trusted voice in your industry. Since I started doing this back in 2013, I’ve seen that implementing a proper They Ask, You Answer Knowledge Centre transforms businesses time and again.

I know that Marcus Sheridan emphasises that the quickest route to ROI is using your Knowledge Centre content in your sales process – what he calls “assignment selling” and “sales enablement”. And that’s absolutely true! When your sales team actively uses your content to educate prospects before and during sales conversations, you’ll see faster results.

But here’s the challenge that nearly every business owner faces after launch: The Google organic search timeline doesn’t match your commercial timeline.

You know that high-quality educational content will eventually attract organic traffic, but Google typically takes 6-24 months to recognise and rank your content fully.

That’s a long time to wait for a return on your investment.

Even then, top rankings are not guaranteed if you don’t build authority by getting your brand mentioned across the web, where your buyers hang out.

The good news? There’s a way to bridge that gap while still staying true to the principles of They Ask, You Answer (or as Marcus Sheridan calls it in his newest book, the “Endless Customers” framework).

What Are Google Ads, Anyway?

Let me take a quick step back for those who might not be familiar. Google Ads is Google’s online advertising platform where you can pay to have your business appear in Google’s search results. Unlike SEO (which relies on Google ranking you organically), with Google Ads, you’re essentially bidding to appear for specific search terms that your buyers are typing into Google.

It works on a pay-per-click model – you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad and visits your website. You set a budget, choose which search terms you want to appear for, create your ad text, and decide where to send people when they click.

Why Google Ads Are the Perfect Complement to Your Knowledge Centre

I’ve been working with Google Ads since 2005 – back when it was called AdWords and looked nothing like today’s platform. I’ve designed countless landing pages and ad campaigns across virtually every industry. In those two decades, I’ve learned that when used strategically, Google Ads offers something incredibly valuable: the ability to appear in front of your ideal buyers exactly when they’re searching for the answers and products/services you provide.

This is fundamentally different from most advertising, where you’re interrupting people who aren’t necessarily looking for your solution. With Google Ads pointing to your Knowledge Centre content, you’re simply accelerating the journey of connecting buyers to the answers they’re actively seeking.

Here’s why this combination works so brilliantly:

• Your Knowledge Centre already contains the best possible landing pages – educational content that thoroughly answers buyer questions rather than making a hard sell. These articles build trust and establish your expertise far better than traditional sales pages.
• You’re targeting people at the exact moment of their decision-making journey when they’re actively researching solutions – not randomly interrupting their day.
• The initial Google Ads traffic and engagement actually helps boost your organic rankings faster, creating a virtuous cycle where your paid efforts strengthen your organic presence.

The Mistakes Most Businesses Make with Google Ads

Before I share my strategic approach to using Google Ads with your Knowledge Centre, let’s address the elephant in the room: most businesses waste money on Google Ads. I’ve seen it countless times.

They create generic campaigns, send people to their homepage or a salesy landing page, and then wonder why their cost-per-lead is astronomical and the quality of those leads is poor.

The approach I’m going to share is fundamentally different because it leverages the educational content you’ve already created in your Knowledge Centre – content designed to build trust rather than push for an immediate sale.

The Strategic Approach: 8 Steps to Knowledge Centre Google Ads Success

Here’s how to use Google Ads to accelerate your Knowledge Centre ROI while staying true to the They Ask, You Answer principles:

1. Start With a Narrow, Highly Targeted Campaign

The biggest mistake I see business owners make is trying to go too broad too fast. This dilutes your budget and makes it nearly impossible to optimise effectively.

Instead, I recommend starting with a single piece of high-value content – pick one of your best Big 5 articles (ideally a Cost/Pricing or Problems article) that directly addresses a key buying question. Match this with a tightly focused set of keywords, choosing a small number of highly specific search terms that indicate someone is actively researching your solution. If you serve specific regions/cities/towns, start with your highest-value locations to make your budget go further.

This approach allows you to gather data quickly, see what’s working, and refine your strategy before scaling up.

1. ACME Industrial Solutions (B2B)

Scenario:
ACME Industrial Solutions is a UK-based manufacturer of precision machinery for the aerospace industry. They had recently published a comprehensive Knowledge Centre answering Big 5 questions about buying industrial machinery (pricing, comparison, problems, etc.). Their sales team loved the content, but organic traffic hadn’t ramped up yet.

Google Ads + Knowledge Centre Approach:

• They started with a single “Cost of [Machine X]” article, targeting niche, high-intent keywords like “cost of CNC precision aerospace tooling.”
• They aligned their ads with the exact buyer question (“Looking for the real cost of CNC aerospace machinery?”).
• All traffic was directed to a detailed Knowledge Centre article explaining cost factors, typical ranges, and ROI considerations.

What They Did Right:

• Tight Targeting: They focused on highly specific, regional keywords (e.g., “precision tooling suppliers in Midlands”) rather than broad, expensive terms.
• Clear CTAs: Their cost article ended with a CTA for a free cost calculator, making it easy for prospects to move from awareness to deeper engagement.
• Effective Remarketing: They showed follow-up ads promoting “Problems with Outdated Machinery” and “Top 5 Machinery Comparisons” to those who read the cost article.

Results:

• Within two months, they saw a 60% reduction in cost-per-lead compared to previous broad campaigns.
• Their sales team reported more informed leads who had already read about pricing, which shortened the sales cycle by around 20%.
• After six months, their organic rankings for these cost-related keywords also started improving, supported by engagement signals from paid traffic.

Risks/Mistakes to Look Out For:

• Over-Optimising for Conversions: They initially added too many pop-ups on the cost page, causing some friction. They fixed this by keeping the article educational and using a single, subtle CTA.
• Ignoring Low Volume Keywords: Some of the high-intent keywords had very low search volume, but these turned out to be their most profitable. But be careful, don’t neglect high volume relevant searches.

2. Focus on “High Intent” Keywords That Signal Buying Behaviour

Not all Google searches are created equal. Some indicate casual curiosity, while others signal that someone is actively looking to make a purchase decision.

The beauty of Google Ads is that you can specifically target those high-intent searches – the ones where someone is clearly in research or buying mode. Terms like “cost of [your product/service]”, “[Product A] vs [Product B]” comparisons, “best [product/service] for [specific need]”, or “problems with [product/service]” are perfect examples.

Notice how these align perfectly with the Big 5 content in your Knowledge Centre? That’s not a coincidence. Marcus Sheridan identified these topics precisely because they’re what buyers search for when they’re close to deciding.

By bidding on these terms, you’re connecting with buyers at the exact moment they need your expertise.

3. Align Your Ad Copy with the Buyer’s Search Intent

This step is crucial and something most Google Ads campaigns get wrong.

When someone searches “how much does [your service] cost?”, they’re explicitly asking for pricing information. If your ad talks about “award-winning service” or “years of experience” instead of addressing their pricing question, you’re missing the mark.

Your ad copy should clearly indicate that clicking through will answer the specific question they’re asking. This creates what marketers call “message match” – where your ad directly addresses the searcher’s intent and sets the expectation that you’ll provide the answer they’re looking for.

This approach improves your Quality Score (Google’s rating of your ad quality), increases click-through rates, lowers your cost per click, and results in higher-quality leads. All because you’re matching the searcher’s intent rather than forcing your agenda.

4. Send Traffic to Your Knowledge Centre Articles, Not Sales Pages

This is where your Knowledge Centre’s educational content becomes your secret weapon.

Instead of sending traffic to a traditional sales page, direct them to your relevant Knowledge Centre article that thoroughly addresses their question. Send “cost of [service]” searches to your comprehensive pricing article. Direct “problems with [product]” searches to your article addressing common issues. Guide “best [product] for [situation]” searches to your “best in class” article.

Why does this work so well?

Because these articles are designed to educate first and sell second – exactly what builds trust with today’s buyers. Your Knowledge Centre content is likely 80% educational (about the industry, options, considerations) and 20% about your specific solution. This balanced approach positions you as a trusted advisor rather than just another sales pitch.

5. Keep a Close Eye on Budget and Bids

You don’t need a massive budget to see results. Some successful Knowledge Centre Google Ads campaigns for clients started with just £300-500 per month.

The key is tight targeting and careful monitoring. Start small and scale what works by beginning with a modest daily budget (£10) for your initial campaign, then increase investment only for keywords that drive quality engagement. Focus on positions 3-4 initially, as you don’t need to be in position #1, which is often the most expensive. Positions 3-4 can offer better value while you’re testing and optimising.

Pay attention to bounce rate, time on page, and pages per session. These indicate whether you’re attracting the right visitors who are genuinely engaging with your content. Be patient with conversion tracking as the full buying journey might take weeks, especially for higher-value products and services, so don’t expect instant conversions.

6. Use Remarketing to Stay Top-of-Mind

Here’s where things get really powerful.

Once someone has visited your Knowledge Centre through your Google Ad, you can continue the relationship through remarketing – showing them follow-up ads as they browse other websites, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, or other social media.

This allows you to guide them through your content ecosystem. If they read your pricing article, show them an ad for your comparison article next. You can remain visible during their decision process, which is crucial since the average B2B buying decision can take weeks or months. Remarketing keeps you present throughout that journey. Each time they see your brand associated with helpful, educational content, you reinforce your position as a trusted authority.

The beauty of remarketing is that it’s significantly less expensive than your initial acquisition ads, often 5-10 times cheaper per click.

7. Optimise Your Knowledge Centre Articles for Conversion

While your Knowledge Centre articles should primarily educate, they also need clear conversion paths for readers who are ready to take the next step.

Look for opportunities to enhance your articles with:

• Relevant CTAs – Make sure each article includes a logical next step, whether that’s downloading a resource, booking a consultation, or using a self-assessment tool.
• Social proof – Include testimonials or case studies that relate specifically to the topic of the article.
• Visual engagement – Charts, graphics or videos can dramatically increase time on page and comprehension.
• Clear, benefit-focused language – Explain what happens when readers take the next step, rather than just telling them to “contact us.”

Remember, the goal isn’t to make your educational content “salesy” – it’s to provide clear pathways for those who are ready to engage further.

8. Be Patient and Systematic with Your Approach

Even with Google Ads accelerating your timeline, building a strong Knowledge Centre ROI requires a systematic approach:

• Give campaigns time to gather data – Don’t make major changes until you have sufficient data (usually at least 2-4 weeks).
• Test one variable at a time – Change either your keywords, ad copy, or landing page – but not all at once. This helps identify what’s actually making a difference.
• Document what works – Create a playbook of successful approaches that you can replicate across other content topics.
• Gradually expand your content coverage – Once you’ve optimised campaigns for one Big 5 article, expand to others using your proven approach.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid: What NOT to Do

Before I share what you can expect in terms of results, let me save you some pain (and money) by highlighting the most common mistakes I see businesses make when using Google Ads with their Knowledge Centre:

1. Treating Knowledge Centre Articles Like Traditional Landing Pages

I see this all the time – businesses drive Google Ads traffic to their educational content but then try to “conversion optimise” it by adding huge forms, aggressive pop-ups, or removing the educational content that made it valuable in the first place.

This approach undermines the entire trust-building premise of They Ask, You Answer. When someone clicks an ad promising education and finds a thinly-veiled sales pitch instead, you’ve broken trust before the relationship even begins. Instead, keep your Knowledge Centre articles primarily educational. Add subtle, contextual CTAs where they make sense, but never sacrifice the educational value of the content.

2. Bidding on Broad, Generic Keywords

Many businesses waste budget bidding on broad industry terms that don’t indicate buying intent. Terms like “marketing tips” or “business advice” might get lots of clicks, but they rarely convert to quality leads.

These searches often come from people looking for free information with no intention to buy.

Your cost per acquisition skyrockets because you’re paying for clicks from people who aren’t in buying mode. The solution is to focus on specific, high-intent keywords that align with your Big 5 content – especially those related to pricing, comparisons, and problems.

3. Neglecting Ad-to-Content Alignment

I’ve seen businesses create great ads and great content but fail to connect them properly. They’ll run ads about pricing but send traffic to a general services page, or advertise a specific solution but link to their homepage.

This creates a jarring experience for the user who clicked expecting one thing but found another. It leads to high bounce rates, wasted budget, and poor Quality Scores (which means you pay more per click). The fix is simple but crucial: ensure perfect alignment between the search term, your ad copy, and the specific Knowledge Centre article you’re directing traffic to.

4. Setting Up and Forgetting About Campaigns

Many businesses launch Google Ads, make a few basic optimizations, and then let them run indefinitely without further refinement.

Google Ads requires ongoing monitoring and optimisation. Market conditions change, competitors enter and leave, and ad performance naturally degrades over time without fresh approaches. Schedule regular review periods (at least monthly) to analyse performance, refine targeting, refresh ad copy, and optimise landing pages based on user behaviour.

5. Expecting Instant Conversions from Educational Content

I’ve had clients question the approach because they didn’t see immediate conversions in the first week or two of running ads to their Knowledge Centre content.

Educational content supports a longer buying journey.

Expecting someone to read one article and immediately request a quote misunderstands the trust-building process of They Ask, You Answer. Set up proper tracking to measure the full journey – from initial ad click through to content engagement, return visits, and eventual conversion. This often requires looking at longer attribution windows (30-90 days rather than 7 days).

Avoiding these common pitfalls will save you significant money and frustration when using Google Ads to accelerate your Knowledge Centre ROI.

2. Bloom & Grow Garden Centre (B2C) (made-up example)

Scenario:
Bloom & Grow is a made-up family-owned garden centre in the South of England, known for high-quality plants and landscaping services (again, I’ve included this example to help you see what we’re talking about). Their new Knowledge Centre answered common homeowner questions like “How should I prepare my garden soil for summer to get the best results?”, “What should I expect to pay for garden landscaping, and what factors affect the cost?” and “Which flower varieties thrive best in shady areas, and how do I choose the right ones?”.

Google Ads + Knowledge Centre Approach:

• They decided to focus on their “Garden Landscaping Costs” article because it aligned with the top concern of customers planning bigger projects.
• Ad copy directly promised “Get a Clear Breakdown of Landscaping Costs for Your Garden Project” and targeted local homeowners searching for “landscaping costs,” “budget landscaping,” or “garden renovation price.”
• Remarketing ads offered free resources like “Guide to Seasonal Planting” to anyone who visited the pricing article, further nurturing them with helpful information.

What They Did Right:

• Location-Specific Targeting: They set their campaigns to show only within a 30-mile radius of their garden centre to avoid paying for irrelevant clicks.
• Smart Use of Seasonal Ads: When spring arrived, they adjusted bids and messaging to capitalise on higher landscaping demand, ensuring they didn’t waste money in off-peak months.
• Educational Follow-up: They used remarketing to direct people to related articles (“Best Flower Varieties for Shade”), reinforcing trust instead of jumping straight to “Buy now.”

Results:

• A tripling of qualified leads during peak spring months, as local homeowners found them first when searching costs.
• Lower Bounce Rate (down by 25%) because the ad messages and the article content were perfectly aligned.
• The garden centre secured several large landscaping projects with higher-than-usual budgets because customers felt they were dealing with true experts.

Risks/Mistakes to Look Out For:

• Overbidding in Low Season: They accidentally kept high bids running during the winter months, which ate into their budget without many conversions. Adjusting bids by season fixed this.
• Weak Mobile Experience: Their site wasn’t fully optimised for mobile at launch, so initial bounce rates were high on smartphones. They quickly updated their responsive design.

3. TechSpark IT Consulting (B2B made-up example)

Scenario:
TechSpark is another made-up boutique IT consulting firm based in London, specialising in cybersecurity solutions. They spent months developing a Knowledge Centre with articles like “How Much Does a Cybersecurity Audit Cost?” and “What problems can arise if our cybersecurity isn’t strong enough?”

Google Ads + Knowledge Centre Approach:

• They launched a small, tightly focused Google Ads campaign for “Cybersecurity Audit Cost” and “Compare Cybersecurity Providers.”
• They linked each ad to their corresponding Knowledge Centre article, ensuring users got exactly what the ad promised.
• After reading the articles, visitors saw remarketing ads offering a free 15-minute consultation for those serious about improving cybersecurity.

What They Did Right:

• Narrow Keyword Selection: They avoided generic terms like “cybersecurity help” and focused on purchase-intent queries (“cybersecurity compliance costs,” “best cybersecurity audit London”).
• Detailed Cost Breakdown Article: Their cost content was refreshingly transparent, showing typical price ranges for different types of audits, which built trust quickly.
• Strategic Lead Magnet: A short consultation was pitched as a “no-obligation check-up,” a low-friction next step that resonated with their audience.

Results:

• Steady Growth in Leads: Over three months, they averaged a 20% conversion rate (consultation requests) from ad traffic, an improvement over their previous 5-10% from generic ads.
• Higher-Quality Conversations: Sales calls were more productive because prospects already understood TechSpark’s approach and pricing.
• Improved Organic Rankings: The paid traffic sent positive engagement signals, helping TechSpark’s articles rise in Google’s organic search over time.

Risks/Mistakes to Look Out For:

• Neglecting Ongoing Optimisation: They initially set up the campaign and forgot to review keywords monthly. Competitors started outbidding them, raising their cost per click.
• Too Many Technical Jargon References: Some articles were heavy on technical language, causing confusion for less tech-savvy readers. Adding clarifications and simplified summaries helped.

Real Results: What You Can Expect

I’ve implemented this exact approach for clients over the years. Although there are many moving parts and results aren’t guaranteed, here’s what realistic results look like when combining Google Ads with a well-constructed Knowledge Centre.

In the short term (1-3 months), you can expect immediate visibility for key buying terms, a 2-5x increase in relevant traffic to your key articles, initial leads within the first month, and valuable data on what content resonates most with buyers.

As you move into the medium-term (3-6 months), you’ll see refined campaigns with improving ROI, a growing remarketing audience for lower-cost follow-up, better organic rankings as engagement signals increase, and a clearer picture of your buyers’ full journey through content.

The long-term benefits (6+ months) include a systematic approach across all key Knowledge Centre content, declining cost-per-acquisition as campaigns optimise, a virtuous cycle where paid traffic improves organic performance, and a Knowledge Centre that becomes a predictable lead generation asset.

Key Takeaways

• Organic rankings for your Knowledge Centre typically take 6-24 months to develop fully
• Google Ads can provide immediate visibility while you build organic presence
• Send paid traffic to your educational Knowledge Centre articles, not sales pages
• Start small and focused, then scale what works
• Use remarketing to guide prospects through your content ecosystem
• The combination of paid and organic creates a virtuous cycle that accelerates results

Next Steps: How to Get Started

If you’ve invested in a Knowledge Centre and want to accelerate your ROI through Google Ads, here’s what I recommend:

1. Identify your highest-value Big 5 article that addresses a key buying question
2. Research relevant high-intent keywords using Google’s Keyword Planner
3. Create a tightly focused campaign with a clear message match between search, ad, and content
4. Set up proper conversion tracking to measure results accurately
5. Implement remarketing to stay visible throughout the buying journey

While this strategic approach can dramatically accelerate your Knowledge Centre ROI, effectively implementing it does require expertise in both Google Ads and the They Ask, You Answer methodology.

If you’d like help implementing this strategy for your business, I’d be happy to chat. As someone who’s worked with Google Ads and They Ask, You Answer for years, I can help you create a customised approach that aligns with your specific business goals and Knowledge Centre content.

Just reach out, and let’s explore how we can get your Knowledge Centre generating ROI faster while staying true to the educational, trust-building approach that makes it so powerful in the first place.

Want to discuss how this approach could work specifically for your business and Knowledge Centre? Let’s talk. As someone who’s been implementing both Google Ads campaigns and They Ask, You Answer Knowledge Centres since before Marcus Sheridan’s book was even published, I can help you create a strategy that delivers real results without compromising your positioning as a trusted industry authority.

Get in touch if you need help setting up a quality ‘They Ask, You Answer’ Google Ads system.