You Do Not Need to Be an Expert to Launch Your First Campaign
I have trained dozens of business owners to run their own Google Ads. The setup is more straightforward than most people expect. What trips people up is not the technical steps — it is the decisions: which keywords to target, how much to bid, what to write. This guide walks you through both.
Set aside 30 minutes. By the end, you will have a live campaign.
Before You Start: What You Need
- A Google account (Gmail works)
- A credit card for billing
- A website with a landing page and a contact form or phone number
- A clear idea of what service or product you are promoting
- A target geography (city, radius, state)
Step 1: Create Your Google Ads Account (5 Minutes)
Go to ads.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Google will try to walk you through a “Smart Campaign” setup. Click “Switch to Expert Mode” at the bottom of that screen. Smart Campaigns give you almost no control and very limited reporting. Always use Expert Mode.
Set your billing country, time zone, and currency. These cannot be changed later, so get them right. Add your payment method and set a billing threshold.
Step 2: Create a New Search Campaign (5 Minutes)
- Click New Campaign
- Select your goal: Leads or Sales (do not use “Create a campaign without a goal’s guidance” yet)
- Select Search as the campaign type
- Uncheck Display Network and Search Network partners — keep it Google Search only for now
- Name the campaign clearly: “[Service] – [City] – Search”
Step 3: Set Budget and Location (3 Minutes)
Daily budget: For most service businesses starting out, $20-50/day gives you enough data to optimize within the first two weeks. Set location targeting to your city or a 10-20 mile radius around your address. Under location options, set “Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations” — this prevents Google from showing your ads to people just searching for your city from anywhere in the world.
Step 4: Choose Your Bidding Strategy (2 Minutes)
As a new account, select Maximize Clicks with a Maximum CPC limit. Set the max CPC to approximately the average CPC in your industry (check Google Keyword Planner for estimates). This prevents Google from bidding $25 per click on your $30/day budget. Once you have 30+ conversions, switch to Target CPA.
Step 5: Build Your Keyword List (8 Minutes)
Start with 10-20 keywords per ad group. Use a mix of phrase match and exact match. Avoid broad match until you have clean conversion data.
- Phrase match: “plumber San Diego” — matches searches containing this phrase
- Exact match: [emergency plumber San Diego] — matches this exact query only
Add 10-15 negative keywords immediately: free, DIY, jobs, career, how to, cheap, YouTube, Reddit, forum. These stop obvious wasted clicks before the campaign even starts.
Step 6: Write Your First Responsive Search Ad (5 Minutes)
Write 10-15 headlines (30 characters max each) and 4 descriptions (90 characters max each). Include your primary keyword in at least two headlines. Include a benefit in at least three headlines. Include a call to action in at least two. For detail on headline writing, see our Google Ads headline guide.
Step 7: Set Up Conversion Tracking Before You Publish (2 Minutes)
Do not publish your campaign without conversion tracking. Without it you have no idea what is working. See our conversion tracking setup guide for step-by-step instructions. Even a simple thank-you page URL trigger takes less than 10 minutes to set up in Google Tag Manager.
What to Watch in the First Two Weeks
- Check Search Terms daily and add negatives for irrelevant queries
- Monitor impression share — should be above 50% once the campaign stabilizes
- Watch for any ad groups with zero impressions (keyword match or bid issue)
- Do not make major changes in the first 7 days — let the algorithm learn
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to start Google Ads?
There is no minimum. Most small businesses start with $20-50/day. The right budget depends on your industry CPC and how many leads you need per month.
Do I need a website to run Google Ads?
Yes. Google Ads requires a destination URL. You need at least a basic landing page with a contact form or phone number.
How long does it take for a new Google Ads campaign to work?
Expect 1-2 weeks of learning period before results stabilize. Full optimization data requires 30-60 days minimum.
What type of campaign should beginners start with?
Start with a Search campaign targeting exact and phrase match keywords. Avoid Smart campaigns, Performance Max, and Display until you understand the basics.
What mistakes do beginners make with Google Ads?
The most common mistakes: using only broad match keywords, skipping negative keywords, not setting up conversion tracking, and letting Google auto-apply recommendations.
Should I use Google’s Smart Campaign option?
Smart Campaigns give you very little control or data. Standard Search campaigns with manual settings will perform better with proper setup.
Want help setting up your first campaign the right way? Contact Derick Downs — we offer a flat-fee campaign setup for new advertisers.
