Google Ads for beginners: structure your first campaign
Start Google Ads on the right foot: choose the right campaign type, organise keywords by intent, write relevant ads and track conversions.
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Key takeaways
- Set up conversion tracking before spending, or you can't judge results.
- Group keywords by intent and send each group to a matching landing page.
- Review search terms weekly and add negative keywords.
Google Ads can bring customers who are actively searching for what you offer. It can also spend money quickly without results if it is set up carelessly. A focused first campaign makes the difference.
Before you start
- Define the conversion. A form submission, a call, a purchase or a booking.
- Set up tracking. Use Google Ads conversion tracking or import key events from Google Analytics 4. Without it, the system can't optimise and you can't evaluate.
- Prepare landing pages. Each ad group should lead to a page that matches what people searched for.
Choose the campaign type
- Search: text ads on Google results for chosen keywords. The usual starting point for service businesses.
- Performance Max: automated campaigns across Google's channels, driven by your goals and assets.
- Shopping: product listings for e-commerce, using a product feed.
- Display, Video and Demand Gen: better for awareness and remarketing than for capturing demand.
Structure keywords by intent
Group closely related keywords into ad groups, such as "emergency plumber", "boiler repair" and "bathroom installation", rather than one big list. Each group gets its own ads and landing page.
Match types control how closely searches must match your keywords: broad, phrase or exact. Start with phrase and exact match for control, or broad match combined with smart bidding once conversion tracking is reliable.
Write relevant ads
Responsive search ads combine multiple headlines and descriptions. Include:
- The service or product searched for
- What makes you different
- Practical details: location, availability, price factors
- A clear call to action
Add assets such as sitelinks, callouts and call assets to give ads more space.
Set budgets and bidding
Begin with a daily budget you are comfortable testing for several weeks. Smart bidding strategies such as Maximise Conversions work better once conversions are tracked reliably.
Weekly maintenance
- Review the search terms report and add irrelevant queries as negative keywords.
- Pause keywords and ads that spend without converting.
- Check landing page conversion rates.
Judge on business results
Compare cost per lead or sale with what a customer is worth. Clicks and impressions are not the goal.
Our paid advertising team sets up and manages Google Ads with tracking and landing pages included.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I spend on Google Ads to start?
Enough to collect meaningful data within a few weeks in your market. That depends on click costs for your keywords; Google's Keyword Planner gives estimates.
Should I use Performance Max?
It can work well, especially for e-commerce with good conversion data. Many advertisers start with Search campaigns to learn which queries convert before adding automated campaign types.
