How to target farmers well on the search network? What is agricultural ad targeting and which words work?.

The farmer is an active Internet user, using the web to check prices for machinery, seeds and crop protection products. He looks for information on subsidies and grants, and handles official matters, most of which can now be completed online. The Internet has also become his main source of knowledge - from crop technology, to expert advice, to industry news. Increasingly, the search engine is where the farmer begins the process of buying and comparing offers. It is the effective targeting of agricultural advertising that determines whether we reach him with the right message at the right time.

The problem is that many ad campaigns still fail to fully realize this potential. Overly broad agricultural ad targeting and mismatched keywords cause Google Ads budgets to burn through clicks that don't lead to real sales results. This is a classic example when well-planned contextual and behavioral targeting is lacking.

Conclusion: which agricultural ad targeting approach works in search

An analysis of agricultural campaigns running on the search network in 2024-2025 shows that the average CTR for agro campaigns was 6.8%. The results varied by category. For machinery campaigns, the CTR remained between 4-5%, for seed campaigns between 6-8%, and for crop protection products between 8 and 10%. What does ad targeting rely on for such campaigns? First of all, on the precise matching of phrases to the farmer's intentions and his stage of the purchasing decision.

The lowest results were generated by general phrases, such as „corn weevil” (CTR within 2.5%) and „tractor mowers” (CTR around 4.5%). In contrast, precision long-tail phrases, such as „four-toothed weevil control” (CTR +/- 17%), „post-emergence weed spray in corn” (CTR around 14%) and „rough terrain lawn mowers” (CTR at 16.5%) yielded much better results. Branded phrases - containing brand names of machinery, seeds or crop protection products - also recorded exceptionally high performance, consistently achieving CTRs above 15%.

The conclusions are clear. Long-tail and branded phrases far outperform general phrases in terms of effectiveness, because they hit the exact needs and intentions of farmers. They are the ones that lead to clicks followed by real purchasing decisions.

What is agricultural search ad targeting and why does long-tail win in agro?

General phrases, such as „rye seeds” or „rapeseed rot,” usually generate a low CTR, usually in the range of 2-3%. In this case, contextual targeting has no chance to work effectively, because the queries are too broad and do not show a specific purchase need. A farmer who types this type of query is just getting an idea of the topic - he wants to expand his knowledge, compare available solutions and understand what options he has to choose from, rather than make a purchase right away. At this stage, his attention is more attracted to an educational article, guide or ranking than to a sales advertisement.

Research shows that farmers are eager to use such content, considering it a reliable source of information. According to the report Polish countryside and agriculture 2024 ¹, as many as 34.5% farmers indicated online services as a source they trust more than public institutions such as ARMA or KRUS. These results are also confirmed by research conducted by Martin & Jacob² 2023-2024, which showed that agricultural portals (39%) and agricultural forums (37%) are among the most frequently chosen sources of information - especially among younger farmers and owners of medium-sized farms. What's more, as many as 81.2% respondents say they look for information on the Internet, making it the most important channel of outreach. In terms of reliability, the Internet is ahead of traditional sources such as the agricultural press, field presentations and training courses organized by Agricultural Advisory Centers.

For this reason, generic phrases are worth using mainly in content and brand awareness-building activities - for example, in expert articles, guides published in trade media or sponsored materials - rather than targeting them directly in sales campaigns on the search network.

Long-tail phrases, i.e. precise queries indicating a specific problem and intention to act, work quite differently. Keywords such as „four-toothed weevil control” (CTR - 17%), „cornflower control in cereals” (CTR - 20%) or „[agent name] spray label” (CTR > 37 %) make it clear that the user is no longer at the stage of general discernment. A farmer who types such a query knows his problem, knows what he is looking for, and expects a specific solution. This is a user who is close to a purchase decision - ready to click an ad that offers an effective answer to his needs. As a result, he generates valuable traffic with high conversion potential, and it is this stage of the purchase path that matters most for the effectiveness of agricultural campaigns.

Special effectiveness of long-tail phrases in agricultural campaigns

Analysis of agricultural advertising campaigns shows that precise long-tail phrases, relating to specific products, problems or applications, are by far the most effective in campaigns targeting farmers. They are the ones that achieve the highest CTRs and generate real conversions, as they address the specific needs of users who are at an advanced stage of the purchasing decision.

In crop protection product campaigns, problem phrases that directly address real challenges in the crop are the most effective. Slogans such as „corn borer control” (CTR - 10.5%), „four-toothed weevil control” (CTR - 17%), „how to control common starflower” (CTR - 38%) or „weed spray in winter barley” (CTR - 11 %) attract farmers who need an immediate solution to a specific problem. In such situations, advertising not only informs, but becomes a practical tool - it indicates a course of action and leads directly to a product that can solve the problem on the farm.

On the other hand, in agricultural machinery campaigns, the highest CTRs are achieved by phrases that emphasize their functionality and use. Queries such as „tractor for 50 ha” (CTR - 19%), „what tractor for 10 ha” (CTR - 16 %) or „mower for rough terrain” (CTR - 11%) clearly show the user's intention - the farmer is not looking for a machine in a general way, but for a solution tailored to the acreage, type of work or terrain conditions. It is such precise, practical queries that convert best, as they address the real needs of farmers at the moment they are ready to make a purchase decision.

Branded phrases as a guarantee of high CTR

Branded phrases are one of the surest ways to achieve a high CTR in campaigns targeting farmers. This is a group that is extremely loyal to proven brands - if a particular company has provided them with a good product, they are very likely to return to it for future purchases. Therefore, queries containing the names of manufacturers, varieties or crop protection products generate much higher success rates than general phrases.

Brand phrases work so well because there are specific intentions behind them. Farmers who type in a brand name usually know what they are looking for - they just want to see where and under what conditions they can buy it. This means that they are already at the final stage of the purchase path, and their decision is basically made. In brand campaigns, a combination of contextual targeting and behavioral targeting works very well, because recipients respond to brands they already know from previous searches and purchases.

An additional advantage is the ability to build a competitive edge. When a farmer types the name of a particular variety, machine or crop protection product into a search engine, he is already very close to making a purchase. If at that moment he sees a competitor's ad instead of ours, there is a risk that this is where he will finalize the transaction. That's why a presence for your own branded phrases is an absolute necessity - it allows you not only to defend your brand position, but also to maintain high visibility at key moments in the purchase decision.

For stores and distributors, branded advertising means a direct battle for sales - the user can go straight to an online store purchase or make an inquiry. For manufacturers that don't retail, the advantage is of a different nature: advertising directs the user to official sources of knowledge, such as the manufacturer's website, catalog or technology recommendations. This gives the brand control over the message, builds credibility and shapes purchase preference before the farmer gets to the point of sale. As a result, the final choice of the product is often already a foregone conclusion - even if the transaction is completed at the distributor, the decision was made earlier under the influence of the manufacturer's communication.

In practice, effective agricultural campaigns should always include branded phrases, both in the context of their own brand and competing brands. Ads appearing next to queries for well-known brands can be a valuable source of traffic and a chance to attract new customers. However, the best results come from combining branded phrases with long-tail - precise long-tail queries - that reach the most determined farmers who are ready to buy.

What to avoid in performance campaign targeting? 

Phrases that are too general, which do not address a specific problem or betray a clear user intent, usually generate a low CTR and lead to inefficient use of the advertising budget. This phenomenon is well illustrated by campaign data - example keywords such as: „winter triticale sowing” (3.1%), „rapeseed protection” (3.6%), „rutabaga weevil” (2.3%) or „rapeseed stem pests” (1.8%) perform well below average.

These types of phrases attract a wide but vague audience, who are often not yet ready to act - they are looking for general information, not a specific product or solution. As a result, ads are displayed too widely, generating low-quality clicks and reducing the effectiveness of the overall campaign. Similarly, demographic targeting that is too broad can scatter the budget if it is not paired with the intent of the query.

Phrases of an educational nature, i.e. phrases that do not contain direct purchase intent, tend to attract users just beginning the search process. Farmers type them in when they are looking for knowledge or want to get an idea of the topic, not when they are ready to buy a product. Examples include queries such as „winter rye sowing date” or „winter wheat sowing when,” for which the CTR remains around 3.5%. By comparison, the average CTR for agro campaigns running on the search network is 6.8%, showing that educational phrases are about twice as effective as average.

The lower click-through rate is primarily due to the fact that the user is in the early stages of the purchase path - they are just acquiring basic information and do not yet have a specific purchase need. In addition, in this area, ads compete with strong organic content - advisory articles, industry portals or guides, which often better answer such questions.

However, this does not mean that these types of phrases should be ignored. Although their effectiveness is limited in strictly product campaigns, they can be very valuable in content marketing activities, for example, by publishing expert guides or sponsored articles. They also support brand awareness - they allow you to write yourself in the recipient's memory even before they start searching for specific solutions or products. What's more, educational phrases are important in SEO strategies: well-crafted blog or tutorial content can answer these questions in organic results, generating stable and free traffic to the site.

So how do you effectively target farmers in the search network?

Campaign analysis shows that the effectiveness of Google Ads depends directly on the quality of the keywords chosen. General phrases, admittedly, generate traffic, but often end up with a low CTR and lead to budget burn-through. On the other hand, precision phrases, the so-called long-tail phrases, respond to the specific needs and problems of farmers, so they achieve several times higher results. Brand phrases - including brand names of machinery, seeds or crop protection products - are also very successful, and can achieve CTRs of 25-50%. Problem phrases are equally effective, especially those containing words such as „eradication” or „spraying,” as they reach farmers at the time of their purchasing decision.

To maximize the potential of a campaign, marketers in the agricultural industry should regularly analyze historical data, paying attention not only to the overall CTR, but also to the performance of individual keywords. It's worth betting on long-tail and branded phrases that combine action intent with brand recognition, and systematically optimize campaigns, eliminating low-performing phrases. It's also worth testing demographic targeting, especially in regional campaigns - different groups of farmers respond differently depending on the size of the farm or the type of crop. It is also important to take seasonality into account - seed or crop protection product campaigns perform best in certain months - and to test new problem phrases that respond to current crop challenges.

Effective agricultural marketing in the search engine does not require huge budgets, but rather smart targeting in Google Ads. It is the well-planned targeting of agriculture ads, based on long-tail and brands, that makes campaigns realistically support sales.

Read also: Google Performance Max for the agriculture industry: Does automation really work in such a specific sector?

Sources:

¹ Polish countryside and agriculture 2024. research report, CBOS, Foundation for the Development of Polish Agriculture, Warsaw 2024, accessed at https://www.fdpa.org.pl/raport-polska-wies-i-rolnictwo-2024(accessed 09.09.2025).

² Martin & Jacob, Channels for reaching farmers. Sources of information and their reliability on plant protection products, CAWI quantitative survey, N=378, owners or co-owners of farms, implementation: 29.11 -12.12.2024.

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