Search
Close this search box.
Search
Close this search box.

Building an AdWords campaign

Create your AdWords account

Go to your AdWords manager account (MCC) dashboard and create your new account. To do so:

  1. Go to Accounts.
  2. Click the plus icon.
  3. Click Create new account.
  4. Give a name and click Save and continue.
  5. Make sure that you add Organization in order to be able to add a VAT number for your company.

If your client has already an AdWords account, then he must grant access to your account.

Set a payment method

  1. Go to Tools and settings > Billing settings.
  2. In the Payments profile section, select the Create payment profiles from the dropdown.
  3. Make sure that you do not use a prepaid card. You can use only a debit or credit card.

Add the client email so that he can get invoices

To do so:

  1. Click the tools icon in the upper right corner, then under “Billing,” select Billing settings.
  2. Click Manage payment users.
  3. Click Add new user.
  4. Fill Contact Name and email.
  5. In Permissions, tick Read Access.
  6. In Email Preferences select All Payments email.
  7. Click Invite.

Link your AdWords account to the Google Analytics account

  1. Press the gear symbol > Linked Accounts > Google Analytics
  2. Under Google Analytics click the Details button
  3. Find your Analytics property and click the Link button
  4. Tick both checkboxes

By doing so, if you go to Analytics you will see your campaings and keywords there in the following sections.

Acquisition > Campaings > All Campaigns
Acquisition > Campaings > Paid Keywords

Create your first campaign

For goal select Create a campaign without a goal’s guidance.

For campaign type select:

  • Search if you want to show your ad in google search results OR
  • Display if you want to show your ad in sites that show ads.

Search Campaign

If you select Search, make sure that you uncheck the Search Partners box in your campaign networks settings when setting up your campaign.

To find keywords:

  1. Start googling a famous word.
  2. Let google autocomplete.
  3. Get this phrase and add it.
  4. Get keywords.
  5. Add them to your campaign.
  6. Change their keyword type to Phrase.

Display Campaign

If you select Display, make sure that you upload at least 2 images, one square (250x250px) or one small landscape (300×250) and one landscape (970x250px). All images should be less than 150KB. You can see all supported image sizes here.

If you want to use GIFs, then make sure that:

  • GIFs should be less the 150KB.
  • GIFs should be less or equal to 5 FPS.
  • Animations can loop or repeat, but must stop after 30 seconds.
  • Use the same dimensions as in simple images, which are one square (250x250px) and one landscape (970x250px).

A small word about display campaigns. People who are browsing websites and seeing display network ads aren’t actively searching for a product or service, right? Otherwise, they would be using the search network. This means that the intent and desire to shop and purchase isn’t there. Display visitors start at the awareness stage.

Never Combine Search & Display Network In One Campaign. Each Network Requires Different Ads and possibly different targeting.

In your campaign settings, make sure that you follow the rules below:

Set your bidding

If you do not enter a maximimum CPC limit, then adwords may charge you eg. with 2 euros for a single click!

Make sure that:

  1. You set your bidding to Maximize clicks
  2. Check the Set a maximum cost per click bid limit
  3. Set a limit (you may start with something low like 0.2 euros)

Set your locations

Make sure that you set only the locations in which you want to target your audience.

Set your languages

If your language is not english, make sure that you add your native language as well.

To do so:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Check the box next to any campaigns you want to change.
  3. From the Edit menu, select Change languages.
  4. Type a language in the text field, then select the one you want from the list.
  5. Click Apply.

Set a budget for your campaign

If you’re used to working with a monthly advertising budget, you can calculate the average amount you might budget per day by dividing your monthly budget by 30.4 (the average number of days per month).

Schedule your campaing to be paused at a specific time

  1. Click Campaigns.
  2. Click the 3-dot icon on the top right above campaigs, and select Create an automated rule.
  3. Give a name for your rule.
  4. In Action select Pause Campaigns.
  5. In Apply to select the Selected campaigns.
  6. Select the campaign and click done.
  7. For rule 1, in the “Frequency” section, choose Once and select the date in which you will have spent the daily budget.

In order to see your active rules:

  1. Click the tools icon , then Rules. There, you’ll see a list of your rules, along with an icon indicating whether each rule is enabled or paused.

When to create a new campaign

Most of the time, if you don’t have to create a new campaign, don’t. It’s easier to manage an account that has fewer campaigns. However, there are some situations where it is either highly advisable or mandatory to create a new campaign. Here are some of those situations:

1. Different location targeting

Location targeting is at the campaign level, so it is necessary to create a new campaign if you want to have different location targeting.

2. Different language targeting

If you want to have different language targeting, that is also at the campaign level and requires creating a new campaign.

3. Different budget

This is a very common reason for creating a new campaign. Perhaps you want to experiment with a new strategy, and want to give it a lower budget as it gets going. That’s a good reason for having a separate campaign.

Stick to one goal per campaign

Once you know what you want to do with your AdWords campaigns, it’s time to put your plan into action. Structure each campaign around just one goal – like increasing signups or selling more coffee beans. We suggest you separate campaigns by theme or product line (such as coffee beans, coffee gifts, teas). Or use the same structure for your campaigns as you do for your website.

Remember to keep your audience in mind. Target only the locations where you offer services, and target the language in which your ads are written. If you have an international audience, split your campaigns by country. Finally, give each campaign an appropriate name – such as its goal. This makes tracking and editing your campaigns much easier later on.

Split each campaign into ad groups

Ad groups let you segment your campaigns into multiple parts to achieve even greater focus and simplicity. Just like campaigns, each ad group should have one common theme – for instance, focusing on a single product or service that you offer. This makes it simpler to create focused, effective keywords and ads.

Writing Targeted Ads

Create your headline

The best headlines relate directly to the keywords being searched; this makes an ad seem especially relevant to the searcher’s interests. So it’s best to include one of your keywords in your headline. Plus, if any of the words in the keyword that triggers your ad are present in your headline or ad copy, they will appear in bold font in your ad.

Develop your description text

The description should convey both key details and benefits of your product or service. It should also include a call to action. Keep everything as short and simple as you can. To start, list the products or services in a particular ad group that you’re advertising (for example, gourmet coffee beans, specialty coffee). Then add the benefits (for example, bulk discounts, free shipping). Finally, put it all together with a call to action, such as order now or join today.

Make sure that you use keywords in the title of the ad, but also in the ad copy.

Designate display and destination URLs

The display URL (the web address users see when they view your ad) doesn’t have to be the same as your destination URL (where users land when they click your ad). But it must be an actual URL for your site. Choose a destination URL that promotes the exact product or service your audience is searching for, rather than your usual home page.

Set your keywords

If you use keyword phrases then:

Step 1. Tick your phrases and press “change match types”. Leave the default “Change match type to phrase match”.

Step 2. Copy your phrases and paste them. Tick your phrases and press “change match types”. Tick the “Change match type to exact match”.

For more about keyword match types click here.

To find keywords that users use, go to Keywords > Search Terms to get ideas.

Add call extension

To do so:

  1. Click Ads & assets > Assets
  2. Click Create call extension
  3. Add your country and your phone number.

Add Sitelink Extensions

Sitelinks are probably the most used extension of the lot. They are easy to set up and are almost always guaranteed to increase CTR. Sitelinks simply let you include links to other pages in addition to the main landing page.

To do so:

  1. Click Ads & assets > Assets
  2. Click Extensions
  3. Click Create Sitelink Extension

Add Callout Extension

Callout extensions are similar to sitelinks, but without the links. Google recommends that advertisers use callout extensions to draw attention to unique selling points and important product details and benefits. You can feature up to four callouts in your ad, each limited to 25 characters each, and must have at least two callouts for them to display.

You are not allowed to duplicate text in callouts. This means you can’t have repetitive text in callouts at the account, campaign and ad group levels, i.e. “Free shipping” at the account and campaign level. It also means you can’t use text in your callout that appears elsewhere in the ad text. “Customer service” and “Customer support” would be considered repetitive.

Use Age & Gender Targeting

You can also add Bid Adjustments.

Test that your keywords are triggering ads

Make sure your keywords are triggering ads. To do so:

  1. Press All Campaings to the left menu.
  2. Click Keywords.
  3. Click the More button on the top right.
  4. Click Diagnose keywords and run now.
  5. Download the csv and check if your keywords are triggering ads.

Track conversions

Much of your effort is wasted if you’re not tracking your campaign’s effectiveness: the only way to determine the success of your PPC campaigns is by tracking the actions you want your customers to take on your website (filling out a contact form, downloading a white paper, making a purchase, etc.).

Setting up conversion tracking in AdWords is easy, and once it’s enabled you will be able to see which campaigns, ads, and keywords are bringing you the best ROI.

Just take notice that conversion will remain unverified until a conversion takes place and is successful in recording the conversion. So makey sure that you completed a test conversion yourself. Do a live search on one of your keywords, click on your own ad and complete a conversion.

Installation and verification

You can use an appropriate plugin according to your CMS to install the adwords scripts in your site.

Then, istall the Google Tag Assistant in your Chrome browser, visit your site and make sure that the adwords script work as expected.

Google coupons

If you are setting a new client, than you can call Google and ask for a coupon. They will also advise you depending your campaing, so feel free to call them. But make sure you call them right after you create your new account for your client. Or else (if for example ask for a coupon after 2 months of creating the account) they will not be able to give you a coupon.

To enter your promotional code:

  1. Click the tools icon, and under “Billing,” select Promotions.
  2. Click the blue plus button.
  3. Enter your promotional code.
  4. Click Save.

Creating reports for you clients

  1. In the upper right corner of your account, click the reports icon, then select Reports.
  2. Select one of the predefined reports (eg. Campaign).
  3. Set your time range.
  4. Drag and drop a metric from the right (eg. city if you show your ads in specific locations).

Learning Resources