LookinLA | How To Create A Google Ads Campaign In 5 Steps

There are innumerable ways to advertise online today. With platforms like Facebook and Instagram Ads platform, Twitter Ads, Pinterest Promoted Pins, Bing Ads, and Yahoo Search Ads, the competition is fierce. And Google Ads (formerly Google Adwords) is one of (if not the) best way to reach your target audience.

If you haven’t already, you should start looking to dive into the wildly rewarding world of Google Ads. Not quite sure where to start? Follow these five steps to create your first Google Ads campaign.

1. Choose your account structure

Account structure is a science, and there’s no one way to structure your account. There are a few different methods that work well though. They are:

Based on your website structureBy products/service you offerBased on locations

This is not an exhaustive list, and there are many other ways to structure your account. What it comes down to is taking the time to come up with a rational structure easily managed, tracked, and optimized to get the best results over time.

2. Do your keyword research

Next, you need to fill up your ad groups with keywords. This requires thorough keyword research. You need to make sure you’re choosing keywords that aren’t too competitive or that have low-quality scores or search volumes.

Find relevant keywords for each ad group using a keyword tool like Google’s Keyword Planner, Keyword.io, or Wordstream’s Keyword Tool. Start small with the number of keywords you use per ad group (think 10-20 max.) Use too many keywords and Google will feel overwhelmed, resulting in it not giving you the traffic you anticipated.

3. Make your campaign

It’s time to get the ball rolling an build out your first campaign. First things first: review your campaign settings. Double check the following items:

• Type

• Locations & Languages

• Bid Strategy

• Default Bid & Budget

4. Create Your First Ad Group and Text Ad

What’s a campaign without ads! The first thing you need is to create a new ad group. Under the campaigns tab in Google Ads, you’ll see an “Ad groups” tab and a red +Ad Group button. Select that and refer to your previous work to title your first ad group.

5. Add the Relevant Keyword List into the Ad Group

On the same screen, you’ll see a white box titled “Keywords.” This is where you’ll want to add in the previously created keyword list. This list should be short (no more than 10-20 keywords) and extremely relevant to the ad text and landing page that the users are being directed to. Also keep in mind that by default, new keywords are added on broad match. To specify match types use the designated punctuation; for example use quotations around a “phrase keyword,” brackets to specify an [exact match], plus signs to +specify +modified +broad, and broad keywords can simply be added as is.

Once you’ve finished creating your first ad group, ad text, and keyword list, select Save and continue to billing.

Congrats! You’ve successfully created your first campaign, ad group, text ad, and keyword list. The work (and payoff) has only just begun. Need additional help with Google Ads or pay per click advertising? Feel free to reach out to us at 323-612-7111 for expert advice and strategic direction.