The verdict in three sentences
For a Manchester cleanroom manufacturer selling to pharma, life sciences and semiconductor buyers across the North West, Google Search ads remain the safer format: clicks cost 2.50 to 10 GBP, but on technical queries you choose, and the cost per qualified quote request usually lands between 170 and 300 GBP. Performance Max brings more volume at a lower cost per click, yet a large share of leads come from outside your target and query reporting stays partial. Start with Search, feed offline conversions back from your CRM, then give Performance Max 20 to 30% of budget once Google can recognise a real project.
Search vs Performance Max for a technical purchase (2026 market ballpark)
Your buyers are QA managers at contract labs, operations directors at pharma plants and procurement teams at semiconductor and medical device sites. They search for terms such as ISO 7 modular cleanroom, laminar flow cabinet supplier or GMP pass-through hatch. Volume is low and each contact is worth a lot.
| Criterion | Google Search ads | Performance Max |
|---|---|---|
| Query control | full (keywords, negatives) | partial, search category reports |
| Typical cost per click | 2.50 to 10 GBP | 0.80 to 5 GBP (Display, YouTube, Discover included) |
| Quote requests per month (2,150 GBP media) | 8 to 12 | 12 to 20 |
| Share of qualified requests | 60 to 80% | 30 to 50% |
| Cost per qualified request | 170 to 300 GBP | 260 to 430 GBP |
| Creative assets needed | text ads, assets | images, video, copy, optional feed |
| Reliance on conversion data | medium | high: weak signals push bidding toward the wrong leads |
Performance Max learns to produce form fills, not projects. Without feedback it will happily find students, resellers and job seekers. Offline conversion tracking fixes that: your CRM, whether HubSpot, Salesforce or another tool, sends qualified leads and issued quotes back to Google, and bidding optimises toward those signals. Under PECR and UK GDPR, make sure your cookie consent banner and privacy notice cover the tracking you use.
Three-year cost, lead time, lock-in and scalability
Assumption: 2,150 GBP of media a month and a flat management fee of 700 GBP a month (the market charges 15 to 20% of spend or a flat 450 to 1,000 GBP).
| Criterion | Search only | Search then Performance Max (70/30) |
|---|---|---|
| Media over 36 months | 77,400 GBP | 77,400 GBP |
| Management over 36 months | 25,200 GBP | 28,800 GBP (fee raised to 800 GBP) |
| Set-up (accounts, tracking, CRM link) | 1,300 to 2,600 GBP | 2,100 to 3,800 GBP |
| Qualified requests over 36 months | 230 to 300 | 260 to 340 |
| Time to first requests | 2 to 4 weeks | 2 to 4 weeks, plus 4 to 6 weeks of Performance Max learning |
| Vendor dependency | low if the Ads account is in your name | medium: assets and signal set-up must be handed over |
| Scalability | add Ireland, Benelux, extra languages | fast expansion, provided signals stay clean |
Insist that the Google Ads account, Tag Manager and Analytics are created in your company's name with admin access for you. An agency that owns the account forces you to restart from scratch, history included, if you part ways.
Recommendation by profile
| Profile | Recommended format | Monthly media | Target requests per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narrow range (modular cleanrooms only) | Search only | 1,300 to 2,150 GBP | 5 to 10 |
| Broad range (rooms, cabinets, hatches, stainless furniture) | Search, then Performance Max on 30% | 2,600 to 4,300 GBP | 12 to 20 |
| No CRM, no call tracking | Search only, fix form tracking first | 1,300 to 1,700 GBP | 5 to 8 |
| Export to Ireland and the EU | Search by country and language | 2,150 to 4,300 GBP | 10 to 18 |
| New product launch | Search plus Performance Max with a demo video | 2,600 to 3,500 GBP | 10 to 15 |
Ads stop the day the budget stops. Strong organic rankings on technical queries such as cleanroom manufacturer North West reduce paid clicks over time.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Illustrative example: Priya, marketing manager at a 70-person cleanroom manufacturer in Manchester, spends 2,150 GBP on media and 700 GBP on management each month in Search. She gets 10 requests a month, 7 of them qualified: about 407 GBP per qualified request all in. With a 15% win rate and an average project of 110,000 GBP, that is roughly one project a month. She cuts the weakest Search queries, keeps her 7 qualified requests and shifts 650 GBP of the budget to Performance Max with offline conversion import: 6 extra requests, 3 qualified. Total cost stays at 2,850 GBP for 10 qualified requests, so 285 GBP each. The test stays on.
FAQ
What cost per click should a cleanroom maker expect?
Around 2.50 to 10 GBP depending on the query, as a 2026 estimate. Highly specific terms such as GMP grade or ISO class tend to be the priciest and the most profitable.
Can Performance Max work without a CRM?
It runs, but optimises for form volume. Without qualified lead feedback, expect 30 to 50% of requests to be off target.
What does Google Ads management cost for a B2B manufacturer?
The UK market charges 15 to 20% of media spend or a flat 450 to 1,000 GBP a month. As a nearshore option, Kolonell's price for an ad campaign set-up is 152 EUR (100,000 FCFA).
How fast can we judge results?
Search usually produces first requests within 2 to 4 weeks. Performance Max needs 4 to 6 weeks of learning before you draw conclusions.
Should we cut ads once SEO improves?
Scale them down gradually on queries where you already rank first organically. Many manufacturers save 20 to 30% of media spend over two years this way.
Get found by the clients who are looking for you. Start with a visibility audit at about 152 EUR (100,000 FCFA, credited against set-up if you start within 30 days), then a Traffic Engine plan matched to your technical search terms, with a weekly report on rankings and quote requests: Traffic Engine. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
