Playbook Summary

Google Demand Gen with ICP Audiences | ContactLevel - Load your ICP into Google Demand Gen and show ads only to real buyers across YouTube Shorts, Discover, and Gmail.

Platform: Google. This playbook provides step-by-step guidance for implementing google demand gen with icp audiences | contactlevel using ContactLevel's audience targeting and enrichment platform.

Problem Statement

Google's Native Targeting is B2C-First. Google's native targeting (keywords, in-market, affinity) is built for B2C. Targeting "marketing software" shows ads to students, freelancers, and hobbyists—driving CPL up and quality down. Matched-audience uploads exist, but CSVs often match <5% of emails.

Solution Overview

Show Ads Only to Your ICP. ContactLevel lets you model your ICP, enrich with personal emails and MAIDs, and sync to Google Customer Match with high match rates. Then use that audience in Demand Gen to serve ads only to qualified buyers.

Key Benefits

  • Customer-Match guarantees impressions go only to high-fit prospects
  • Demand Gen inventory (YouTube Shorts, Discover, Gmail) is cheaper than LinkedIn & Search
  • No lookalike expansion means zero "algorithm drift" into non-ICP territory
  • High match rates unlock the full power of Google's display network for B2B

Implementation Steps

  1. Model Your ICP: In ContactLevel, stack filters for Industry, Company Size, Function, and Seniority until the audience looks like your ICP. Exclude existing customers if the goal is net-new pipeline. Aim for ≥30k records.
  2. Sync to Google Customer Match: ContactLevel automatically hashes emails and boosts match rates with a B2C identity graph. Google populates the audience in <24h but takes at least 72 hours to fully match.
  3. Attach Audience as Targeting: Create Campaign = Demand Gen (Leads or Website Traffic). Within the Asset Group: at least 5 images + 5 short headlines + 1 × 30-sec video. For Audience: select only your new Customer List.
  4. Set Bidding & Budget: Start with Maximize Conversions. Layer a tCPA once you hit 30 conversions. Set daily budget = 5-10× your target CPA to let the algo learn.
  5. Measure Qualified-Lead Rate: Track Qualified Lead Rate in your CRM, not just Google form fills. Compare CPL and qualified rate to Search and Display benchmarks. Rotate fresh creative every 4-6 weeks.

Learn how to use ContactLevel to sync enriched contact data to Google for precision B2B targeting with high match rates.

Use ContactLevel for Google Demand Gen with ICP Targeting

Build a high-match customer audience of your ICP, plug it into Google Demand Gen, and serve ads only to those buyers—across YouTube Shorts, Discover, and Gmail—without keyword or topic noise.

Learn more about our Google Ads Integration

Without ContactLevel

Google's Native Targeting is B2C-First

Google's native targeting (keywords, in-market, affinity) is built for B2C. Targeting "marketing software" shows ads to students, freelancers, and hobbyists—driving CPL up and quality down. Matched-audience uploads exist, but CSVs often match <5% of emails.

With ContactLevel

Show Ads Only to Your ICP

ContactLevel lets you model your ICP, enrich with personal emails and MAIDs, and sync to Google Customer Match with high match rates. Then use that audience in Demand Gen to serve ads only to qualified buyers.

1

Model Your ICP

In ContactLevel, stack filters for Industry, Company Size, Function, and Seniority until the audience looks like your ICP. Exclude existing customers if the goal is net-new pipeline. Aim for ≥30k records.

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2

Sync to Google Customer Match

ContactLevel automatically hashes emails and boosts match rates with a B2C identity graph. Google populates the audience in <24h but takes at least 72 hours to fully match.

Autoplay Video Placeholder
3

Attach Audience as Targeting

Create Campaign = Demand Gen (Leads or Website Traffic). Within the Asset Group: at least 5 images + 5 short headlines + 1 × 30-sec video. For Audience: select only your new Customer List.

Autoplay Video Placeholder
4

Set Bidding & Budget

Start with Maximize Conversions. Layer a tCPA once you hit 30 conversions. Set daily budget = 5-10× your target CPA to let the algo learn.

Autoplay Video Placeholder
5

Measure Qualified-Lead Rate

Track Qualified Lead Rate in your CRM, not just Google form fills. Compare CPL and qualified rate to Search and Display benchmarks. Rotate fresh creative every 4-6 weeks.

Autoplay Video Placeholder

Why It Works

Customer-Match guarantees impressions go only to high-fit prospects
Demand Gen inventory (YouTube Shorts, Discover, Gmail) is cheaper than LinkedIn & Search
No lookalike expansion means zero "algorithm drift" into non-ICP territory
High match rates unlock the full power of Google's display network for B2B