How to set up Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns in Google Ads.
Google Ads is a powerful advertising platform that allows businesses of all sizes to reach their target audience online. With various campaign types available, including Search, Display, and Demand Gen, you can tailor your marketing efforts to meet specific objectives, whether it's driving website traffic, generating leads, or increasing brand awareness. Each campaign type serves a unique purpose and utilises different strategies and ad formats. Understanding how to set up these campaigns correctly is crucial to maximising your advertising budget and achieving your marketing goals.
Setting up a Google Ads campaign involves several key steps, each tailored to the specific type of campaign you're running: Search, Display, or Demand Gen. Below is a step-by-step guide for each campaign type.
Search Campaign Setup
Step 1: Sign in to Google Ads
- Go to ads.google.com and sign in to your Google Ads account.
Step 2: Create a New Campaign
- Click on the + New Campaign button.
- Choose your campaign objective, such as Sales, Leads, Website Traffic, or No Goal Guidance if you prefer to set up without specific objectives.
Step 3: Select Campaign Type
- Choose Search as the campaign type.
Step 4: Set Campaign Settings
- Name Your Campaign: Give your campaign a name that's easy to recognise.
- Networks: Choose whether to include Google Search Partners and Google Display Network (optional).
- Location: Select geographic locations where you want your ads to show.
- Languages: Choose the language your customers speak.
- Budget and Bidding: Set your daily budget and bidding strategy (e.g., Maximise Clicks, Manual CPC, Target CPA).
- Ad Schedule: Set the time and days your ads should be active (optional).
Step 5: Set Up Ad Groups and Keywords
- Ad Groups: Create ad groups to organise your keywords and ads by theme or product/service.
- Keywords: Use the Keyword Planner or manually enter keywords relevant to your business.
Step 6: Create Ads
- Ad Format: Create text ads with headlines, descriptions, and URL.
- Extensions: Add ad extensions like Sitelinks, Callouts, and Structured Snippets to enhance your ad's visibility.
Step 7: Review and Launch
- Review your campaign settings, ad groups, and ads.
- Once everything is in place, click Publish to launch your Search campaign.
Display Campaign Setup
Step 1: Sign in to Google Ads
- Log into your Google Ads account.
Step 2: Create a New Campaign
- Click + New Campaign.
- Choose a campaign objective, such as Sales, Leads, Website Traffic, etc.
Step 3: Select Campaign Type
- Choose Display as the campaign type.
- Choose between Standard Display Campaign and Smart Display Campaign depending on your goal and comfort level with automation.
Step 4: Set Campaign Settings
- Name Your Campaign: Choose a recognisable name for the campaign.
- Location: Select where your ads will appear geographically.
- Languages: Select the language of your target audience.
- Budget and Bidding: Set your daily budget and choose a bidding strategy.
- Ad Schedule: Set the timing for when your ads will be shown (optional).
Step 5: Targeting and Audiences
- Audiences: Choose target audiences based on demographics, interests, and online behaviour.
- Automated Targeting: Consider allowing Google to optimise targeting for better performance.
- Placements: Choose specific websites or apps where you want your ads to appear (optional).
Step 6: Create Ads
- Ad Format: Create responsive display ads or upload banner ads.
- Assets: Upload images, logos, and write headlines and descriptions.
- Ad Preview: Review how your ads will appear across different placements.
Step 7: Review and Launch
- Double-check all settings and ad creatives.
- Click Publish to start your Display campaign.
Demand Gen Campaign Setup
Google's Demand Gen campaigns are designed to drive demand through immersive and engaging creatives across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.
Step 1: Sign in to Google Ads
- Log into your Google Ads account.
Step 2: Create a New Campaign
- Click + New Campaign.
- Choose a campaign objective that aligns with your goals, such as Brand Awareness and Reach or Leads.
Step 3: Select Campaign Type
- Choose Demand Gen as the campaign type.
Step 4: Set Campaign Settings
- Name Your Campaign: Provide a descriptive name.
- Location: Select the geographic locations you want to target.
- Languages: Choose the language(s) of your target audience.
- Budget and Bidding: Set your daily or total campaign budget and choose a bidding strategy (e.g., Maximise Conversions, Target CPA).
- Ad Schedule: Set when your ads should run (optional).
Step 5: Audience Targeting
- Custom Audiences: Define your audience by adding relevant keywords, URLs, and apps that resonate with your target market.
- Affinity Audiences: Target users based on their interests and habits.
- In-Market Audiences: Reach users actively researching or planning to buy services or products like yours.
Step 6: Create Ads
- Ad Format: Demand Gen campaigns use video ads (YouTube), image ads (Discover), and/or text ads (Gmail).
- Creative Assets: Upload images, videos, headlines, and descriptions.
- Ad Preview: Review how your ads will look on YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.
Step 7: Review and Launch
- Review all campaign settings and ad creatives.
- Click Publish to activate your Demand Gen campaign.
By following these steps, you can successfully set up each type of Google Ads campaign and tailor them to your specific business goals.
Setting up a Google Ads campaign—whether it's Search, Display, or Demand Gen—requires careful planning and a clear understanding of your objectives and audience. By following the step-by-step process outlined for each campaign type, you can create targeted and effective ads that resonate with your audience and drive meaningful results. Regular monitoring and optimisation of your campaigns will ensure that you continue to improve performance and maximise ROI. With the right approach, Google Ads can be a highly effective tool in your digital marketing arsenal.