How to plan a Google Ads campaign before you spend.
A good Google Ads campaign is mostly decided before any money is spent. This guide walks through the plan: the goal, the budget, the keywords, the ads, the landing page and the tracking, and how to review the results once the campaign is live.
- Decide what one enquiry is worth, set a goal, and only then set a budget.
- Match each group of keywords to one ad and one landing page.
- Track enquiries before launch, and review the search terms every week.
6 min readPublished By Domeq Solutions
What should you decide before you open the account?
Start with the outcome, not the settings. For lead generation the outcome is usually an enquiry: a form submitted, a call made or a message sent. Decide which of those counts, and roughly what one such enquiry is worth to the business.
That figure sets the limit of what you can pay to win one. If an enquiry becomes a customer one time in five, and a customer is worth a certain amount, you can work out the most you can spend per enquiry and still make sense. Without that sum, a budget is a guess.
Set the budget as a test, not a bet. Choose an amount you can spend over several weeks without needing a miracle, because a campaign needs time to gather data before it can be judged.
Know what an enquiry is worth before you pay for one.
What are the steps to plan a campaign?
These seven steps run from the goal to the review. The order matters: tracking and the landing page come before the launch, not after it.
Seven steps from plan to launch.
Set one goal
Choose one enquiry type as the goal, for example form submissions. Several goals muddy the data.
Choose the keywords
List the phrases a buyer would type, grouped by service. Use the research method in keyword research for a small business.
Decide the match types
Start with phrase and exact match to keep control. Broad match can reach more people but also wastes more on poor searches.
Write the ads
Give each keyword group its own ad that repeats the searcher's words, states the benefit and ends with a clear action.
Prepare the landing page
Send each group to a page built for that one request, with a fast load and a visible way to enquire.
Set up tracking
Record each form, call or message as a conversion in Google Analytics and Google Ads before the first click. Tag links that sit outside Google Ads, such as email and social posts, with the UTM link builder.
Launch small and review
Start with a modest budget, then read the search terms report every week and remove what does not fit.
How should the account be organized?
An account has campaigns, ad groups, keywords and ads. Keep it simple: one campaign for each goal or service, with ad groups made of keywords that mean nearly the same thing.
When a keyword group, its ad and its landing page all say the same thing, searchers see that the page answers their search. That agreement is the heart of a well-made campaign.
Terms you will meet.
- Campaign
- The top level, where you set the budget, location, language and goal.
- Ad group
- A set of related keywords and the ads written for them.
- Keyword match type
- A setting that controls how closely a search must resemble your keyword for the ad to appear.
- Negative keyword
- A word you exclude so the ad does not appear for unrelated searches.
- Quality Score
- Google's estimate of how relevant your keyword, ad and landing page are to the search.
- Conversion
- The action you count as success, such as a submitted form or a call.
- Cost per conversion
- What you spend, on average, to win one conversion.
Looking for another term? Browse the full glossary.
What makes a landing page work for ads?
The landing page is where the money is won or lost. A visitor who arrives from an ad has a specific request in mind and little patience. The page should confirm they are in the right place within a few seconds and make the next step easy.
Six landing page checks.
- The main heading repeats the request in the searcher's words
- The page loads quickly on a mobile connection
- The enquiry form or button is visible without scrolling on a phone
- The form asks only for what you need to reply
- There is proof that fits your facts, such as client logos you are permitted to show
- Distractions such as extra menus and unrelated links are kept to a minimum
Which mistakes waste the budget?
Most wasted spend comes from a handful of avoidable errors. Check the plan against this list before you launch.
Six budget-wasting mistakes.
Sending everyone to the homepage
A general page rarely answers a specific search. Use a page built for the request.
No conversion tracking
Without it you cannot tell which keywords bring enquiries and which only bring clicks.
Skipping negative keywords
Unrelated searches quietly spend the budget. Review the search terms and exclude them.
Judging too early
A few days of data is rarely enough. Allow time, but watch for clear waste.
Changing everything at once
If you alter many things together, you cannot tell which change made the difference.
Ignoring the follow-up
Slow replies lose enquiries that cost money to win. Answer quickly.
How do you review and improve a campaign?
Review the search terms report every week at first. It shows what people actually typed, so you can add the good phrases as keywords and exclude the poor ones. Then compare cost per conversion between ad groups and move budget towards what works.
Change one thing at a time, note the date, and give each change time to show its effect. If enquiries come in but do not become customers, the problem may lie in the follow-up or the offer, not the ads.
Domeq runs paid campaigns under Performance Marketing, with Google Ads and Meta among the platforms it works on, and builds the pages those campaigns send people to. If you are unsure whether to start with ads or search optimization, read SEO vs Google Ads, then get in touch.
Questions, answered.
How much should I spend on my first Google Ads campaign?
Choose an amount you can spend for several weeks without needing quick returns. Work backwards from what one enquiry is worth to you. There is no universal figure, because costs per click vary by industry and competition.
How long does a Google Ads campaign take to work?
Ads can bring visitors within days, but it usually takes a few weeks of data to see which keywords and ads bring enquiries. Judge a campaign over weeks, not days.
What is a negative keyword?
It is a word you tell Google not to show your ad for. For example, a company selling premium services may exclude 'free' and 'jobs' so that people who are not buyers do not trigger the ad.
What is a conversion in Google Ads?
A conversion is the action you count as success, such as a submitted form, a call or a purchase. You must set it up so that the account can report how many clicks led to one.
Should I send ad traffic to my homepage?
Rarely. A page built for the specific search converts better than a general homepage, because the visitor sees at once that it answers what they typed.
What is Quality Score?
It is Google's estimate of how relevant your keyword, ad and landing page are to a search. A better score can lower the price you pay for the same position.
Can I run Google Ads without a website?
You need a page to send people to, and it should be fast, clear and easy to enquire from. A weak page wastes the spend, so it is worth fixing before the campaign starts.
Does Domeq manage Google Ads campaigns?
Yes. Domeq plans and manages paid campaigns on platforms including Google Ads and Meta, and builds the landing pages. Retainers are available. Scope is agreed around your goal.
Keep reading.
More guides on the same topic, and on the ones around it.
- Seven Google Ads Myths That Waste a Business's BudgetSeven Google Ads myths that waste budget, from 'a bigger budget means more leads' to 'ads work without a good website', with what is true instead.Performance Marketing
- Landing Page vs Homepage: What Each Is For, When to Use ItLanding page vs homepage compared: what each is for, how they differ in goal, content and navigation, and which to use for ads, emails and social links.Performance Marketing
- What Affects the Cost of a Website in India?What decides the cost of a website in India? Seven price factors, how to compare quotes fairly, and the costs that arrive after the quote.Website Design & Development
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