How to run a Google AdWords campaign is a skill every digital marketer and business owner should master. Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords) is one of the most powerful online advertising platforms. It allows businesses to show ads on Google search results, YouTube, websites, and mobile apps. A well-planned Google Ads campaign helps drive targeted traffic, generate leads, and increase sales quickly.
Learning how to run a Google AdWords campaign effectively can transform your marketing results. This step-by-step guide explains how to create a Google AdWords campaign correctly, even for beginners.
What Is a Google AdWords (Google Ads) Campaign?
Google AdWords, now officially called Google Ads, is an online advertising platform developed by Google where businesses pay to display ads on Google search results and across its advertising network. When someone searches for products or services related to your business, your ad can appear at the top of search results, helping you reach potential customers at the exact moment they’re looking for what you offer.
Google Ads works on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This makes it one of the most cost-effective advertising methods available today. The Google Ads per click cost varies depending on your industry, keywords, and competition, but you have full control over your spending.
Google AdWords campaigns are perfect for various types of businesses, including e-commerce stores, local service providers, restaurants, real estate agents, and consultants. Whether you want more website visitors, phone calls, store visits, or online sales, Google Ads can help you achieve your goals.
How to Create a Google Ads Campaign
Before diving into campaign creation, make sure you have these essentials ready:
Google Ads Account Setup: Visit ads.google.com and sign up using your Google account. You’ll need to provide basic business information and payment details.
Google Analytics and Conversion Tracking: While optional, setting up Google Analytics helps you track visitor behavior and measure campaign success. Conversion tracking is crucial for understanding which ads drive actual business results.
Landing Page Readiness: Your landing page should load quickly, be mobile-friendly, match your ad message, and have a clear call-to-action (CTA). A poor landing page wastes your ad budget and reduces campaign effectiveness.
Budget Expectations: Determine how much you can spend daily or monthly. For beginners, starting with $10-30 per day is reasonable. Your budget for Google Ads should align with your business goals and allow enough data collection for optimization.
Step 1: Sign In & Create a New Campaign
Log in to your Google Ads account and click the blue plus button (+) or “New Campaign” button in the campaigns section.
Google offers two modes: Smart Mode and Expert Mode. Always choose Expert Mode for better control over your google ppc campaign. Smart Mode limits customization and often wastes budget on irrelevant clicks.
Next, select your campaign goal:
- Sales: Drive online or offline sales
- Leads: Collect contact information through forms or calls
- Website Traffic: Increase visits to your website
- Brand Awareness: Reach more people with your brand message
Your goal determines which features and settings Google recommends throughout the setup process.
Step 2: Choose the Right Campaign Type
Selecting the correct campaign type is critical for your Google Ads strategy. Here are your main options:
Search Campaign: Your ads appear on Google search results when people search for your google ppc keywords. This is the most popular type because it targets high-intent users actively searching for solutions. Best for most businesses starting with ppc campaign management.
Display Campaign: Visual banner ads shown across millions of websites, apps, and YouTube. Good for brand awareness and remarketing, but lower conversion rates than search.
Shopping Campaign: Product listings with images and prices, perfect for eCommerce stores selling physical products.
Video Campaign: Ads displayed on YouTube and Google video partners. Excellent for brand building and engagement.
Performance Max: Uses automated bidding and Google’s machine learning to show your ads across all Google networks automatically. Newer campaign type that’s increasingly important.
For beginners focused on direct results, start with a Search Campaign to master google ppc marketing fundamentals.
Step 3: Define Campaign Settings
Now configure your campaign settings:
Campaign Name: Use a descriptive name like “Search – Services – USA” to easily identify it later.
Networks: For search campaigns, you can include search partners (other search engines using Google results). Start with a Google search only, then expand after testing.
Location Targeting: This is your geographic targeting. Select countries, cities, regions, or even a radius around your business location. Target only areas you serve to avoid wasted clicks.
Language Targeting: Choose the languages your customers speak. This doesn’t translate your ads but shows them to users browsing Google in those languages.
Start and End Dates: Set when your campaign runs. Most campaigns run continuously, but you can schedule them for promotions or events.
Step 4: Set Your Budget & Bidding Strategy
Your budget for Google Ads determines daily spending limits. Enter an average daily budget you’re comfortable spending. Google may spend up to twice your daily budget on high-traffic days, but it stays within monthly limits.
Choosing the right bid strategy in Google Ads is crucial for campaign success:
Manual CPC: You control maximum bids for each click. Best for beginners who want full control and learning opportunities.
Maximize Clicks: Automated bidding strategy that gets you the most clicks within your budget. Good for driving traffic, but may not focus on quality.
Maximize Conversions: Use auto bidding strategies to get the most conversions within your budget. Requires conversion tracking setup.
Target CPA: Sets bids to achieve a specific cost per acquisition. Advanced option requiring conversion history.
Target ROAS: Optimizes for return on ad spend. Best for eCommerce with clear revenue tracking.
For beginners, start with Manual CPC or Maximize Clicks to understand how types of bidding strategies in Google Ads affect performance. As you gather data, switch to automated bidding for better efficiency.
Step 5: Keyword Research & Selection
Keywords are the foundation of your search campaign. They determine when your ads appear in search results.
Use Google Keyword Planner (a free tool in Google Ads) to find relevant keywords. Enter products or services you offer, and it suggests related keywords with search volumes and competition levels.
Focus on commercial intent keywords where searchers want to buy or take action, not just learn. For example, “buy running shoes online” is better than “what are running shoes?”
Keyword Match Types:
- Broad Match: Shows ads for related searches, including synonyms. Most reach but less control.
- Phrase Match: Ads show when searches include your keyword phrase in order.
- Exact Match: Ads appear only for very close variations of your exact keyword.
Start with a phrase match for a balance between reach and relevance.
Negative Keywords: Words you don’t want triggering your ads. If selling premium products, add “cheap” and “free” as negatives. This crucial step improves your ppc advertising management efficiency.
Add 10-20 relevant keywords per ad group initially. You can expand based on performance.
Step 6: Create Ad Groups & Write Ads
Ad groups organize keywords into themes. Keep each ad group tightly focused on one product, service, or topic. For example, if you sell shoes, create separate ad groups for “running shoes,” “casual shoes,” and “dress shoes.”
Google now primarily uses Responsive Search Ads (RSA). You provide multiple headlines (up to 15) and descriptions (up to 4), and Google tests combinations to find what works best.
Writing Effective Headlines:
- Include your main keyword naturally
- Highlight key benefits (Free Shipping, 24/7 Support)
- Add urgency when appropriate (Limited Time Offer)
- Use numbers (Save 30% Today)
- Include a clear call-to-action
Writing Descriptions:
- Expand on benefits
- Address customer pain points
- Include specific features
- Add trust signals (5-Star Rated, Money-Back Guarantee)
Example:
- Headline 1: Premium Running Shoes Online
- Headline 2: Free Shipping & Returns
- Headline 3: Shop Top Brands Today
- Description: Find the perfect running shoes for your needs. Huge selection from leading brands. Order now and get free shipping on all orders.
Step 7: Add Ad Extensions (Assets)
Ad extensions provide additional information and links in your ads, making them larger and more noticeable. They significantly improve click-through rates and Quality Score at no extra cost.
Key Extensions to Add:
Sitelink Extensions: Additional links to specific pages (Products, Services, Contact, About Us)
Callout Extensions: Short phrases highlighting benefits (Free Consultation, Same-Day Service, 100% Guaranteed)
Structured Snippets: List features or categories (Types: Residential, Commercial, Industrial)
Call Extensions: Add your phone number so people can call directly from ads
Location Extensions: Show your business address and distance from the searcher
Add at least 4-6 extensions to maximize your ad real estate and improve performance.
Step 8: Set Up Conversion Tracking
Conversions are valuable actions visitors take on your website, like purchases, form submissions, phone calls, or email signups. Tracking conversions is essential for measuring campaign success and optimizing performance.
To set up conversion tracking:
- Go to Tools & Settings > Measurement > Conversions
- Click the plus button to create a new conversion action
- Choose conversion type (Website, Phone calls, App, Import)
- For websites, install the GoogleTagg on your site
- Define conversion actions like “Purchase Complete” or “Contact Form Submitted.”
- Set conversion values if applicable
Proper tracking enables automated bidding strategies to optimize for your business goals rather than just clicks.
Step 9: Review, Launch & Monitor Campaign
Before launching, review your campaign using this checklist:
- Campaign goal and type are correct
- Geographic targeting covers your service areas
- Budget and bid strategy in Google Ads are set appropriately
- Keywords include relevant google ppc keywords
- Negative keywords are added
- Ad copy is compelling and error-free
- Responsive search ads have multiple headline and description variations
- Ad extensions are enabled
- Conversion tracking is installed
- Landing pages match ad promises
After launching, monitor these key metrics:
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Percentage of people who click after seeing your ad. Higher is better (2-5% is average for search).
Cost Per Click (CPC): Average amount you pay per click. Should align with your budget and industry benchmarks.
Quality Score: Google’s rating (1-10) of your ad relevance, expected CTR, and landing page experience. Higher scores mean lower costs.
Conversions: Number of desired actions completed. The ultimate success metric.
Check your campaign daily for the first week, then reduce to 2-3 times weekly once stable.
Step 10: Optimize Your Google Ads Campaign
Ongoing optimization separates successful campaigns from wasteful ones. Here’s how to improve results:
Review Search Terms Report: See actual searches triggering your ads. Add irrelevant terms as negative keywords and add high-performing terms as keywords.
Pause Low-Performing Keywords: If keywords have poor CTR or no conversions after reasonable spending, pause them and reallocate the budget to winners.
Improve Quality Score: Write more relevant ads, improve landing page speed and relevance, and organize keywords into tightly themed ad groups.
A/B Test Ad Copy: Try different headlines, descriptions, and calls-to-action. Let responsive search ads test variations automatically.
Adjust Bids: Increase bids on high-converting keywords and decrease or pause underperformers.
Use Google Ads Scripts: Google Ads scripts automate repetitive tasks like bid adjustments, reporting, and monitoring. Advanced but powerful for efficiency.
Consider getting Google Ads certification through Google Skillshop to deepen your ppc campaign management expertise.
Common Google AdWords Mistakes to Avoid
Sending Traffic to Irrelevant Landing Pages: Your landing page must match ad promises. If your ad promotes running shoes, don’t send users to your homepage.
No Negative Keywords: Without negatives, you waste budget on irrelevant searches. Add them from day one and expand continuously.
Too Many Keywords in One Ad Group: Keep ad groups focused (5-15 keywords) so ads stay relevant.
Ignoring Mobile Users: Over 60% of searches happen on mobile. Ensure your site is mobile-friendly and consider mobile-specific ad copy.
Setting and Forgetting: Successful google ppc advertising requires ongoing attention and optimization.
Not Using a Google PPC Manager: For complex campaigns or limited time, consider hiring a google ppc manager or agency with proven ppc advertising management experience.
Conclusion
Creating a successful google adword campaign requires planning, execution, and ongoing optimization. By following this step-by-step guide, you’ve learned how to set up campaigns properly, choose the right types of bidding strategies in Google Ads, conduct keyword research, write compelling ads, and measure results.
Start with one focused campaign, test your Google Ads strategy, and expand as you learn what works. Remember that google ppc marketing is a skill that improves with practice and data analysis.
Take action today and launch your first campaign. Monitor performance, make data-driven adjustments, and watch your business grow through the power of google ppc campaign advertising.
