Logistics PPC that pays for shippers, not job seekers
Paid search for 3PLs, forwarders, brokers and carriers. We filter out the drivers, parcel trackers and one-off shipments that eat most logistics budgets, and optimize to the quotes that become regular freight.
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5.0What does logistics PPC involve?
Logistics PPC is paid search and paid social for 3PLs, freight forwarders, brokers and carriers. It targets shippers searching for a service, lane or location, filters out job seekers, parcel tracking and one-off consumer shipments, and uses qualified quote data to teach the ad platforms which clicks become regular freight. It is our PPC service, shaped for logistics marketing.
Where logistics ad budgets go to waste
The problems we find most often when we audit logistics ad accounts, the usual cause, and what we change.
| Problem | What you see | Usual cause | What we change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job seeker clicks | Spend on "trucking jobs" and "CDL" searches | Broad match and thin negatives | Strong negative lists and service-based structure |
| Tracking clicks | Spend on "track my shipment" and carrier names | Brand and generic terms mixed together | Tracking terms excluded or sent to a tracking page |
| One-off shipments | Many quote requests, few regular shippers | Ads and forms open to anyone | Qualifying questions on volume and frequency |
| Wrong locations | Clicks far from your facilities or lanes | National targeting by default | Targeting by facility radius, region and lane |
| Wrong goal | Cheap leads, little freight | Bidding on form fills | Qualified quotes imported from the CRM |
| Generic landing pages | Shippers leave without asking for a quote | All ads go to the homepage | Pages by service, lane and location, with a short quote form |
How logistics PPC changes with what you sell
The searches, the waste and the right conversion all change with the service. One campaign setup rarely fits all three.
3PL and warehousing
Searches that convert"ecommerce fulfillment 3PL", "warehouse space [city]"Biggest wasteJob seekers and small storage rentersEvent to optimize toQualified quote or site tourUseful extra channelLinkedIn for supply chain leadersTargetingAround facilities and target regionsFreight forwarding and brokerage
Searches that convert"freight forwarder to [country]", "LTL quote"Biggest wasteOne-off personal shipmentsEvent to optimize toQualified quote by laneUseful extra channelLinkedIn for importers and exportersTargetingBy origin, destination and trade laneCarriers and trucking
Searches that convert"dedicated trucking", "reefer carrier [region]"Biggest wasteDriver recruitment searchesEvent to optimize toContract or load inquiryUseful extra channelMicrosoft Ads for B2B searchersTargetingBy region and service area
Logistics PPC services, from search to freight
Four areas of work. Filtering and qualification come first, because that is where most logistics budgets leak.
Waste filtering
Negative keyword lists for jobs, tracking and consumer shipping, reviewed weekly as new search terms appear.
Campaigns by service and lane
Search and Microsoft campaigns split by service, lane and location, with LinkedIn for named industries.
Quote pages
Landing pages by service and location, with short forms that ask about volume and frequency.
Qualified conversion tracking
Qualified quotes and new accounts sent back from your CRM, so bidding learns which clicks become freight.
Often run with logistics SEO and logistics lead generation.
How our logistics PPC process works
Five steps. Waste fixes usually show in the first month; qualification and testing build from there.
- Weeks 1-2
Audit
We review search terms, locations, landing pages and tracking, and work out how much spend goes to jobs, tracking and one-off shipments.
- Weeks 2-3
Cut waste
Negative lists, location settings and brand rules fixed first, so budget goes to shippers.
- Weeks 3-5
Rebuild and qualify
Campaigns by service and lane, landing pages with qualifying questions, and CRM data connected.
- Months 2-3
Test
Ads, pages and forms tested against qualified quotes, not form fills.
- Monthly
Scale and report
Budget moves to the services and lanes with the lowest cost per qualified shipper, reported monthly.
What we test, and what it must not break
Each test has a main metric and a guardrail. More quote requests is not a win if most are one-off shipments.
Ad copy
What we test: Capabilities, coverage, certifications
- Primary metric
- Click-through to quote page
- Guardrail metric
- Qualified rate must not fall
Quote forms
What we test: Volume and frequency questions, form length
- Primary metric
- Qualified quote requests
- Guardrail metric
- Total quotes must stay above plan
Landing pages
What we test: Service and lane pages versus general pages
- Primary metric
- Quote request rate
- Guardrail metric
- Qualified rate must not fall
Locations
What we test: Facility radius and lane targeting
- Primary metric
- Cost per qualified quote
- Guardrail metric
- Volume must hold
Channels
What we test: LinkedIn for named industries
- Primary metric
- Qualified quotes from target sectors
- Guardrail metric
- Cost per qualified quote must hold
Bidding
What we test: Target cost per qualified quote
- Primary metric
- Cost per qualified quote
- Guardrail metric
- Won freight must not fall
Who this works for, and who it does not
A good fit if your logistics company
- Is a 3PL, forwarder, broker or carrier
- Has capacity for new shippers
- Can answer quote requests the same day
- Can share quote outcomes from a CRM
- Has budget to test for at least three months
- Wants results measured in freight
Driver recruitment
Recruitment ads are a different job. If drivers are the main goal, we will point you to the right approach.
No capacity
If you cannot take new freight, ads will only raise costs and disappoint shippers.
Slow quote replies
Shippers often ask several providers at once. Quotes answered days later are usually lost.
Budget too small to learn
Logistics clicks can be costly and volumes low. A very small budget cannot gather enough data to improve.
How much does logistics PPC cost?
Three stages, and you can stop after any of them. Management is quoted from the audit, based on services, regions and channels.
Audit
Best forYou want to know how much of your budget reaches shippers.
- Search term and waste review
- Location and landing page review
- Tracking and CRM review
- Ranked list of fixes
Rebuild
Best forYou want the account rebuilt around qualified shippers.
- Everything in the audit
- Waste filtering and restructure
- Quote pages with qualifying questions
- CRM conversion tracking
Ongoing management
Best forYou want steady management and testing.
- Campaign and budget management
- Weekly search term reviews
- Continuous testing
- Monthly qualified quote reporting
What pushes scope up
- Several services, regions or countries
- LinkedIn on top of search
- Landing pages we need to build
- CRM tracking that needs setting up
What brings it down
- One service and region
- A CRM that records quote outcomes
- Existing service and location pages
- Fast quote replies from sales
Request your logistics PPC audit
Tell us where to look. A senior strategist will reply within one business day to scope an audit covering:
- Search terms and wasted spend
- Location and lane targeting
- Landing pages and quote forms
- Conversion and CRM tracking
- Cost per qualified quote today
- A ranked list of fixes
Logistics PPC, answered
What is logistics PPC?
Logistics PPC is pay-per-click advertising for 3PLs, freight forwarders, brokers and carriers, mainly on Google, Microsoft and LinkedIn. It targets shippers searching for a service, lane or location and is measured on qualified quotes and new freight.
Does Google Ads work for logistics companies?
It can, when the account is set up for it. Logistics searches mix shippers with job seekers and people tracking parcels, so accounts need strong filtering. Once waste is removed and bidding learns from qualified quotes, search can be a steady source of new shippers.
How do you stop ads showing to job seekers?
With negative keyword lists for jobs, driving, careers and licenses, reviewed each week as new search terms appear. We also keep careers pages out of ad landing pages and report any remaining job traffic separately.
How do you filter out one-off shipments?
By asking about volume and frequency on the quote form, tailoring ad copy to business shippers, and sending qualified quotes back to the ad platforms. The platforms then learn to favor clicks that turn into regular freight.
Is LinkedIn useful for logistics advertising?
For some services, yes. LinkedIn lets you reach supply chain and logistics leaders at companies in chosen industries. It costs more per click than search, so we judge it on qualified conversations rather than cost per lead.
How long before logistics PPC shows results?
Waste fixes usually show within the first month. Testing results take two to three months, because many logistics accounts get a modest number of quote requests.
How much does logistics PPC management cost?
It depends on the services, regions and channels, and whether we build landing pages. Ad spend is separate and paid to the platforms. We start with a fixed-scope audit and quote management from it.