Setting Up a Google Ads Campaign: Step-by-Step Guide

Setting Up a Google Ads Campaign: Step by Step

A successful Google Ads campaign starts with a good foundation. In this guide I'll walk you through all the steps.

Step 1: Create an account

1. Go to ads.google.com
2. Click "Start now"
3. Link your Google account
4. Fill in your business details

Tip: When creating, choose "Expert Mode" for full control.

Step 2: Determine the campaign goal

Choose a goal that fits your business:

• Sales: E-commerce conversions
• Leads: Form submissions, calls
• Website traffic: More visitors
• Brand awareness: Reach and impressions

Step 3: Choose a campaign type

Type	When to use
Search	Direct demand, high intent
Display	Brand awareness, retargeting
Shopping	E-commerce products
Video	YouTube ads
Performance Max	Automated across all channels

Step 4: Select keywords

This is a crucial step. Read our complete guide on keyword research for more details.

Keyword types:

• Broad: laptops - Largest reach, least control
• Phrase: "buy laptops" - Medium
• Exact: [buy laptop online] - Most control

Tips for keywords:

• Start with 10-20 keywords per ad group
• Focus on keywords with commercial intent
• Add negative keywords

Step 5: Write ads

A good ad contains:

• Headlines: Keyword + benefit + call-to-action
• Descriptions: Explanation + differentiator
• Extensions: Sitelinks, callouts, prices

Step 6: Budget and bids

• Start with a realistic daily budget - see average costs by industry
• Choose "Maximize conversions" as bidding strategy
• Monitor the first 2-4 weeks closely

Common mistakes

1. Using keywords that are too broad
2. Not adding negative keywords
3. Poor landing pages
4. Drawing conclusions too quickly
5. Not setting up conversion tracking
6. Ignoring Quality Score - learn how to improve it

As a Google Ads expert I help you avoid these mistakes and achieve immediate results.