In B2B, cycles are long, volumes small and each lead is worth a lot. 2026 news reinforces three priorities: own data and a connected CRM (Safari 27 blocks third parties that turn emails into identifiers, according to PPC Land), high-intent search measured through to meeting and sale (AI Overviews are in 88% of commercial searches in a Semrush sample, but clicks from AI remain thin), and LinkedIn for job title targeting. LinkedIn’s CTV claims are US-only and the company’s own.
What makes B2B different
Few decisions, several decision-makers, cycles of weeks or months and high customer value. A lead rarely buys on the first contact. This changes metrics: cost per lead matters less than cost per meeting, proposal and contract.
A B2B account optimising for completed forms attracts the curious, students and competitors.
High-intent Search remains the base
Whoever searches “invoicing software for SMEs” or “cybersecurity consulting Lisbon” has an active problem. Structure campaigns by problem and by solution, with specific landing pages, proof (cases, verifiable numbers, clients) and a clear call to action (demo, diagnostic, proposal).
Use negatives to keep out students, jobs and freebies, and review search terms carefully, especially if AI Max is on.
B2B funnel to measure
- Lead and qualified lead
- Meeting
- Proposal
- Contract
- Cost and conversion rate at each step
AI Overviews and the click that doesn't come
According to Semrush, cited by PPC Land on 23 October 2026, AI Overviews appear in 88% of commercial keywords in a sample of 400 US keywords, but clicks from AI remain thin. A cited study shows ChatGPT sessions at 0.62% of Google organic volume in a set of 100 sites.
For B2B, this suggests balance: content and pages that answer questions well, paid presence on high-intent searches and measurement of what actually reaches the CRM.
Measurement and Safari 27
Safari 27 blocks, at network level, third parties that convert emails into persistent identifiers, according to PPC Land, with possible impact on identity services and programmatic advertising. In B2B, many users are on Mac and iPhone. Strengthen first-party data: forms with consent, CRM link, offline conversions and importing real results back to platforms.
Do you depend on your own pixels? The target doesn’t seem to be those, but test.
If your manager's report ends at “leads”, half the work is missing.
LinkedIn: what exists and what doesn't in Portugal
LinkedIn lets you target by job title, industry and seniority. PPC Land reported that CTV ads with this data can now be bought in DV360, in the US only, via representatives, with no published prices and with efficacy claims only from the company. It isn’t a channel for a Portuguese SME now.
What exists: ads, forms and content on LinkedIn. Benchmarks vary widely between sources and don’t represent Portugal. Measure your own.
CPCs and lead value: simple maths
CPC reference values vary a lot by sector and source: a 2026 Visionary Marketing set indicates average Search CPCs of 4.34 dollars and much higher values in sectors such as legal. None represents Portugal. What decides is the maths: if a B2B customer is worth 10,000 euros of margin and 2% of leads close, each lead is worth 200 euros.
With this value, you can calculate how much to pay per lead and per click without losing money.
The funnel the manager should measure
Lead, qualified lead, meeting, proposal, contract. For each step, conversion rate and cost. Connect platforms to the CRM so results go back to campaigns, and discuss lead quality by source monthly with the sales team.
If your manager’s report ends at “leads”, half the work is missing.
How to hire whoever manages your B2B
Ask for B2B cases with long cycles, CRM connection, reports to meeting and contract, a process to qualify leads and transparency about data and account ownership. Distrust promises of lead volume with no reference to quality.
A good question: “How will we know, six months from now, whether this worked?” The answer should have metrics and dates.
Questions for your manager
How much does a meeting and a contract cost per channel? Is the CRM connected? Does Safari 27 affect our measurement? What content answers our customers’ questions? Which search terms bring the curious? What first-party data do we collect, with what consent?
If you want to review your company’s B2B funnel, from ad to contract, I can help set up measurement and priorities.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best channel for B2B?
It depends. High-intent Search is usually the base; LinkedIn serves job title targeting. Measure through to meeting and contract.
Do AI Overviews kill the B2B click?
Semrush measures presence, not clicks. Clicks from AI remain thin, according to PPC Land. Measure your traffic and leads.
Does Safari 27 affect my pixel?
The target is third-party email identity, according to the source. Test your measurement in Safari.
Sources consulted
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