As a business owner, you know that advertising is key to driving awareness and interest in your product or service. One of the most effective methods is through Google Ads. While there are many ways to advertise, advertising campaigns incorporating specific search queries are valuable assets in digital marketing. These are also known as PPC (pay per click or cost per click) ads or paid ads.  Google Ads are one of the quickest ways to get new customers. Just to clarify, Google Ads is the same product as Google Adwords:  the name was changed in July 2018.

The Google Search network, of all the search engines, processes the most searches. In 2021, processed 63,000 searches per second. The vast majority of these people are using search queries to find a solution to their problem. The Google search facility is the go-to for the majority of people in the old with over 2 trillion searches a year.

Ad campaigns targeted at groups of keywords can easily pinpoint these searchers and change them into your dream customers. Ad groups help to refine that targeting by enabling you to create multiple ads. Your google ads account is one of your most powerful weapons in your digital marketing arsenal.

Google Ads campaigns are designed by using the right keywords to get your ad in front of potential customers who are already searching for what you have to offer. By examining the search results and your google analytics, it is possible to gather information about your current internet users to identify known and new keywords to be the basis of your ads campaigns.

Before you can start reaping the benefits of Google Ads, you need to set up your ad campaign correctly. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about setting up a successful Google Ads campaign, including:

– What is a campaign in Google Ads?

– How to set up a campaign in Google Ads

– What are the different types of Google Ads campaigns?

– What are some best practices for setting up a campaign in Google Ads?

By the end of this post, you’ll have all the information you need to set up your first Google Ads campaign. So let’s get started!

A campaign in Google Ads is a group of ad settings that define where and how your ads will show up in the search results on Google.com and its partner sites. When you create a new campaign, you’ll need to choose your:

– Campaign type

– Locations

– Languages

– Devices

– Budget

– Bidding strategy

– Ad schedule

– Extensions

Each of these settings will determine when and where your google ads will appear. And while it might seem like a lot of work to set up a ad campaign, don’t worry – we’ll walk you through each setting below.

Now that we’ve covered what a campaign in Google Ads is, let’s talk about how to set one up. Setting up a campaign in Google Ads is actually pretty simple – all you need to do is log into your Google Ads account and follow the steps below:

1. Click on the “Campaigns” tab at the top of the page.

2. Then click on the “+ Campaign” button on the right-hand side.

3. Next, you’ll need to choose your google ad campaign type. For most businesses, we recommend starting with a Search Network campaign. These are Search ads or text ads. It is also possible to have your ad showing on the Google Display Network too which puts your ad in front of millions of app users. Ads on the Google Display Network can be text or image ads however, its best to start with Search ads first.

4. Once you’ve selected your campaign type, you’ll be prompted to enter some basic information about your campaign, including your:

– Campaign name

– Locations

– Languages

– Devices

5. After you’ve entered this information, click on the “Save and continue” button at the bottom of the page.

6. Now you’ll need to set up your ad group within the ad campaign. An ad group is a collection of ads that share the same keywords or search terms and settings. To create your ad groups, simply click on the “+ Ad group” button and enter your:

– Ad group name

– Keywords

– Bidding strategy

7. Once you’ve created your ad group, click on the “Save and continue” button at the bottom of the page.

8. Now you’ll need to create your ad. To do this, click on the “+ Ad” button and enter your:

– Headline: its best to try and incorporate search queries here

– Description: this should reflect the search intent or possible benefit

– Display URL

– Destination URL

9. Once you’ve created your ad, click on the “Save and continue” button at the bottom of the page.

10. Finally, you’ll need to review your settings and make sure everything is correct. Once you’ve done that, simply click on the “Launch campaign” button and your google ads campaign will go live!

It is also possible to add ad extensions and multiple ads to target different interests that your ideal customer might be known to have. One popular ad extension is to show a telephone number that can make it easy to generate more phone calls. Ideally, it is best practice to have several ad campaigns with several ad groups to target specific keywords. Each campaign would then have its own ad groups targeting a specific search query within which there would be several google ads.

And that’s it – you’ve now created your first Google Ads campaign. Having set up the first, it is good practice to set up more Google Ad campaigns if you have different targets of keywords. Of course, each Google ads campaign will have different ad groups targeting different search results. By using the keyword tool within Google Ads, it is easy to assess the search volume of possible keywords and create text ads to focus on these. Ad extensions and a specific landing page per ad group all help to maximise the chance of conversion.

There are four different types of Google Ads campaigns:

– Search Network campaigns

– Display Network campaigns

– Shopping campaigns

– Video campaigns

Let’s take a closer look at each one:

Search Network campaigns: Search Network campaigns allow you to show your google ads to potential customers who are searching for terms related to your business on Google.com and its partner sites. If you are hoping to drive traffic to your website, then this type of google ads campaign is best.

Display Network campaigns: Display Network campaigns allow you to show your ads on websites and apps that partner with Google. A google ads campaign like this are best for businesses that want to raise awareness or generate leads.

Shopping campaigns: Shopping campaigns allow you to showcase your products on Google.com and its partner sites. These campaigns are best for businesses that sell physical goods online.

Video campaigns: Video campaigns allow you to show your ads on YouTube and other video partner sites. These campaigns are best for businesses that want to raise awareness or drive traffic to their website.

Here are some best practices for setting up a campaign in Google Ads:

– Set a budget that you’re comfortable with and make sure to stick to it.

– Choose the right campaign type for your business goals. Search ads may be more appropriate than Display ads – it is important to understand the impact of each on your google ads on your target audience.

– Select your target location carefully.

– Use negative keywords to ensure that your ads are only being shown to relevant users.

– Write compelling ad copy that will grab attention and drive clicks.

– Use attractive images and videos in your ads where allowed.

– Create a mobile-friendly landing page for your ad.

– Monitor your campaign regularly and make changes as needed.

following these best practices will help you create a successful campaign in Google Ads.

Remember too, that the information obtained from clicks on your google ads is valuable information for the future. Your google ads account where you can clearly see which ad groups are working well will illuminate which google ads are generating the most clicks. These search results provide invaluable information for you to adjust your google ads and ad groups to make them more profitable. From this you can determine which Google Ads campaigns are generating the most business and enabling you to meet your digital marketing goals.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when setting up a campaign in Google Ads:

– Not setting a budget: One of the most important things to do when setting up a campaign is to set a budget. Without a budget, you risk overspending and blowing your marketing budget.

– Not targeting the right location: Another common mistake is not targeting the right location. Make sure to select your target location carefully so that your ads are only being shown to relevant users.

– Not using negative keywords: Negative keywords help to ensure that your ads are only being shown to relevant users. Without negative keywords, your ads may be shown to users who are not interested in what you’re offering, resulting in wasted spend.

– Not writing compelling ad copy: Ad copy is important for grabbing attention and driving clicks. Make sure to write compelling ad copy that will stand out from the competition.

– Not using attractive images or videos: Images and videos can help to make your ads more visually appealing and help to grab attention. Make sure to use high-quality images and videos in your ads.

– Not creating a mobile-friendly or a high quality landing page: With more and more people using mobile devices, it’s important to make sure that your landing page is mobile-friendly. If it’s not, you risk losing potential customers.

– Not monitoring your campaign regularly: Campaigns need to be monitored on a regular basis to ensure that they are performing well. Make sure to check in on your campaign regularly and make changes as needed.

Avoiding these common mistakes will help you set up a successful campaign in Google Ads.