How to set up a Google Ads campaign

Setting up a Google Ads campaign starts with defining one clear, specific goal (calls, form leads, or online sales) since the campaign structure and bidding strategy should align with that single primary objective rather than trying to optimise for multiple goals simultaneously. Keyword research should focus specifically on terms with clear buyer or action intent (like ‘buy running shoes online’ rather than just ‘running shoes’), since intent-matched keywords typically convert at meaningfully higher rates even if their search volume is lower than broader, less specific terms.

A daily budget should be set at a level sustainable for at least two weeks of initial testing, since Google’s ad-serving algorithm needs an initial learning period (gathering conversion data) before it can optimise delivery effectively, meaning a campaign paused or drastically changed too early never gives the algorithm enough data to perform well.

Ad copy should directly match the searcher’s intent behind the target keyword (mirroring the language of the search query in the headline), and conversion tracking (a small tracking code confirming when a desired action, like a purchase or form submission, actually happens) must be set up and verified working before the campaign launches, since without accurate conversion tracking there’s no reliable way to measure whether the campaign is actually generating a positive return.