The verdict in three sentences
For a robotic welding integrator selling to automotive suppliers and metal fabricators across Bavaria, Google Ads captures existing demand (a manufacturing engineer searching Schweißroboterzelle already has a project) at 2.50 to 8 EUR a click. LinkedIn Ads creates demand among plant managers who have not yet started a tender, at 9 to 20 EUR a click, and pays back more slowly over 6 to 12 month engineering led sales cycles. The best 2026 setup starts with Google Ads plus strong organic search in German, then adds LinkedIn once the site converts.
What each channel costs
Figures are 2026 market ballparks for German industrial targets and depend on keyword competition and targeting depth.
| Metric | LinkedIn Ads | Google Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per click | 9 to 20 EUR | 2.50 to 8 EUR |
| Click to lead conversion | 1 to 3 % | 3 to 7 % |
| Cost per qualified lead | 350 to 550 EUR | 180 to 350 EUR |
| Lead to meeting rate | 25 to 40 % | 35 to 50 % |
| Cost per qualified meeting | 900 to 2,200 EUR | 360 to 1,000 EUR |
| Recommended media budget | 2,500 to 6,000 EUR a month | 2,500 to 6,000 EUR a month |
| Campaign management | 800 to 1,800 EUR a month | 800 to 1,800 EUR a month |
Ads must run in German for Bavarian buyers. English ads work for international groups headquartered in Munich, but convert noticeably worse with plant level engineers.
Three year cost, speed and dependency
| Criterion | LinkedIn Ads | Google Ads | Organic search |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 year cost (media plus management, mid range) | 198,000 EUR | 198,000 EUR | 40,000 to 80,000 EUR |
| Time to first leads | 4 to 8 weeks | 1 to 3 weeks | 4 to 9 months |
| When budget stops | Leads stop at once | Leads stop at once | Traffic persists for months |
| Vendor dependency | Medium, ad account in your name | Medium, account in your name | Low if you own site and content |
| Room to grow | Targeting by job title, industry, plant size | Technical queries, remarketing, trade fairs | Covers every application query |
At 4,300 EUR of media and 1,200 EUR of management a month over 36 months, paid channels alone cost 198,000 EUR and stop producing the day spend ends. Organic pages for MIG, TIG, laser and spot welding cells keep working.
Trade fairs matter in this market. LinkedIn remarketing to visitor lists and engineers of target accounts 4 weeks before and after automatica or Schweissen und Schneiden is one of its most efficient uses. Collect consent properly for any lead form under GDPR.
Recommendation by profile
| Integrator profile | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 10 meetings a quarter today | Google Ads on 20 to 40 German technical queries plus organic application pages |
| New offer such as cobot or laser welding | LinkedIn Ads to plant managers and manufacturing engineers, 2,500 EUR a month |
| Exhibiting at a major fair | LinkedIn remarketing 4 weeks before and after |
| Slow site, no page per application | Fix the site before any media spend |
| One or two salespeople | One paid channel only |
On the paid side, Kolonell's campaign setup costs 152 EUR (100,000 FCFA). On the organic side, Traffic Engine has one goal: getting you found on Google by buyers searching for welding automation, with a weekly report of the enquiries generated.
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Illustrative example: Stefan, sales director of a robotic welding integrator in Munich, has 5,000 EUR a month. On Google Ads, 3,800 EUR of media at 5 EUR a click buys 760 clicks, 5 % conversion gives 38 leads and 40 % become 15 meetings. On LinkedIn, the same media at 14 EUR buys 271 clicks, 2 % gives 5 leads and 2 meetings. With 1 deal in 10 meetings and 70,000 EUR margin per cell, Google Ads yields a ballpark 105,000 EUR margin per campaign month against 14,000 EUR on LinkedIn.
FAQ
Is LinkedIn worth it for industrial buyers?
Yes to introduce a new offer to 2,000 to 10,000 targeted decision makers. To capture projects already in motion, Google Ads is typically 2 to 3 times cheaper per meeting.
What minimum budget tests Google Ads properly?
About 2,000 EUR of media a month for 3 months. Less rarely gives enough clicks to judge cost per lead.
How long before judging a channel?
Three months for Google Ads, four to six for LinkedIn. With 6 to 12 month cycles, track cost per meeting first.
Do we need one page per welding process?
Yes. A focused MIG, TIG or laser page often converts twice as well as the home page.
Can organic search replace ads?
Over time it sharply cuts dependency on media spend, but it needs 4 to 9 months. Run both in year one.
Get found by the customers looking for you. Start with a 100,000 FCFA visibility audit (about 152 EUR, deducted from setup if you start within 30 days), then a Traffic Engine plan, Presence 125,000, Momentum 225,000 or Flood 350,000 FCFA a month (about 191, 343 or 534 EUR), with a weekly enquiry report. 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.
