From expensive clicks to qualified pipeline.
How a management consulting firm tripled qualified leads and cut cost-per-lead by 45% through intent-driven Google Ads and LinkedIn thought leadership campaigns.
High-cost keywords and a sales cycle that killed momentum
The firm had been running Google Ads for over two years, but the results were underwhelming. Average cost-per-click on management consulting keywords exceeded €35, and most clicks came from job seekers, students, or competitors rather than genuine prospects. The marketing team was spending €18,000 per month with little to show for it beyond a handful of unqualified form fills.
The B2B sales cycle compounded the problem. Prospects typically took 4 to 6 months from first touch to signed engagement, making it nearly impossible to attribute revenue back to specific campaigns. Without clear attribution, the leadership team was losing confidence in paid media as a channel and considering reallocating the budget entirely to events and referrals.
Competitive differentiation was another obstacle. The firm operated in a crowded market where every competitor used the same language--"strategic advisory," "digital transformation," "operational excellence." Ad copy blended into the background, and landing pages failed to communicate what made this firm different. The result was a high bounce rate, low conversion rate, and an unsustainable cost-per-lead that exceeded €420.
Intent-based targeting meets thought leadership at every stage
We started by completely rethinking the keyword strategy. Instead of competing on broad, expensive terms, we built an intent engine targeting long-tail queries that signalled active buying behaviour--phrases like "consulting firm for supply chain restructuring" and "post-merger integration advisory." These keywords had lower volume but dramatically higher intent, reducing wasted spend by over 60% in the first month alone.
On LinkedIn, we deployed a thought leadership content funnel designed to warm prospects before they ever reached the website. The firm's senior partners authored insight pieces on industry-specific challenges, which we promoted to decision-makers at target accounts. Prospects who engaged with this content were then retargeted with case study ads and consultation offers, creating a natural progression from awareness to consideration.
To solve the attribution problem, we implemented a lead scoring model in HubSpot that combined behavioural signals (page visits, content downloads, email engagement) with firmographic data (company size, industry, seniority). Only leads scoring above a defined threshold were passed to the sales team, dramatically improving lead quality. We also configured offline conversion imports into Google Ads, feeding closed-won deal data back into the bidding algorithm so it could optimise for revenue rather than just form fills.
From wasted spend to predictable pipeline in three phases
Build the Intent Engine
Rebuilt the Google Ads account from the ground up with intent-based keyword clusters, negative keyword sculpting, and landing pages tailored to specific consulting use cases. Launched LinkedIn campaigns targeting C-suite decision-makers at companies matching the ideal client profile, using thought leadership content to establish credibility before asking for anything.
Nurture the Pipeline
Deployed a multi-touch nurture sequence in HubSpot connecting ad engagement to email workflows, content downloads, and webinar invitations. Implemented lead scoring to separate marketing-qualified leads from noise, ensuring the sales team only received prospects with genuine buying signals. Retargeting campaigns on both Google and LinkedIn kept the firm top-of-mind during the long consideration phase.
Optimise Close Rates
Fed offline conversion data--closed deals and their revenue--back into Google Ads and LinkedIn to train the algorithms on what a valuable lead actually looks like. Refined audience targeting based on which firmographic and behavioural attributes correlated with closed business. A/B tested consultation offer formats, landing page layouts, and ad messaging to continuously improve the conversion rate at every stage of the funnel.
The Results
Cost Per Lead Reduction
Average CPL dropped from €420 to €231 by eliminating wasted spend on low-intent keywords and focusing budget on high-conversion search terms and LinkedIn audiences.
Qualified Lead Growth
Monthly qualified leads increased from 8 to 34 through intent-based targeting, lead scoring, and a thought leadership funnel that pre-qualified prospects before they reached the sales team.
Pipeline Value Increase
Total sales pipeline grew from €180,000 to €504,000 per quarter as higher-quality leads entered the funnel with a clearer understanding of the firm's value proposition and service offerings.
Close Rate Improvement
The close rate on paid media leads improved from 7% to 13% as lead scoring ensured only well-qualified, high-intent prospects were handed off to the sales team for follow-up.
Omnicliq transformed our business. They didn't just run ads — they rebuilt our entire marketing infrastructure from the ground up. The results speak for themselves: we went from struggling to scale to becoming one of the fastest-growing fashion brands in Greece.
