8.4 Google Ads Fundamentals

Go to ads.google.com and create an account.

• Important: Google will try to push you into "Smart" campaigns during setup. Skip these. Choose "Switch to Expert Mode" at the bottom of the screen. Smart campaigns give Google full control and typically waste 40--60% of your budget.
• Link your Google Analytics (GA4) account under Tools > Linked accounts
• Set your timezone and currency to AUD

Before creating any ads, tell Google what a "conversion" is:

• Go to Goals > Conversions > New conversion action
• Choose "Website" and enter your website URL
• Create conversions for: form submissions, phone calls, bookings
• The easiest method: track the thank-you page URL that loads after a form submission
• If using GTM: create a Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag that fires on your thank-you page
• Without conversion tracking, you're flying blind. You'll know you spent $1,000 but not what it produced.

Search campaigns show text ads to people actively searching for your service:

• Campaign type: Search (not Display, not Performance Max for your first campaign)
• Location targeting: Your service area only. Be specific -- target suburbs or a radius, not all of Australia.
• Budget: Start at $30/day. You can adjust later based on results.
• Bidding: Start with "Maximise clicks" or Manual CPC for the first 2--4 weeks to gather data. Once you have 30+ conversions, switch to "Maximise conversions" and let the system work.
• Keywords: Use 10--20 keywords from your research (section 5.1). Use "phrase match" (keywords in quotes) to start -- not broad match, which shows your ads for irrelevant searches.

Google Search ads use Responsive Search Ads (RSAs):

• Provide 10--15 headlines (max 30 characters each) and 4 descriptions (max 90 characters each)
• Google mixes and matches to find the best combination
• Headlines must include: your keyword, your location, your unique selling point, a number (price, years, review count)
• Descriptions must include: what you offer, why you're different, a call to action
• Use ad extensions: sitelinks, callouts, call extension, location extension

Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches:

• Add "free," "DIY," "jobs," "salary," "course," "how to" as negatives immediately
• Check the Search Terms report weekly (under Keywords > Search terms) and add irrelevant searches as negatives
• This is the single most important ongoing task. Most wasted ad spend comes from irrelevant search terms.

Check these metrics every week for the first 3 months:

• Cost per click (CPC): Are you paying more than expected? Adjust bids or keywords.
• Click-through rate (CTR): Below 3% means your ads aren't compelling. Rewrite headlines.
• Conversion rate: Below 5% means your landing page needs work (section 6.6).
• Cost per conversion: Divide total spend by total conversions. Is it profitable?
• Search terms: Add negatives weekly.
• Don't make changes daily. Let campaigns run 7 days before adjusting -- Google's algorithm needs data.