A Beginner’s Guide to Google Ads: Create, Optimize, and Track Your Campaigns

In this guide, you'll learn how to set up Google Ads, create effective campaigns, track conversions, and manage different ad formats. Follow the steps closely to ensure you're leveraging all the features Google Ads has to offer for successful advertising.

1. Getting Started with Google Ads

• Visit ads.google.com.
• Click on Start Now to begin.

• Tip: Use your business email for a more professional touch when setting up your Google Ads account.

2. Setting Up Your Google Ads Account

• Step 1: Enter your business name.

• Step 2: Add your website URL. This is the domain you want to track and promote via Google Ads.

• Step 3: Click on View More Goal Types, then select Set Up an Account Only to continue without defining specific goals yet.

• Click on "Set up an account only"

• Click on "Continue"

3. Add Payment Method

• Choose between credit or debit card options. Ensure your card has at least $10 available, as Google holds this amount for account activation.
• Once your payment method is accepted, click Submit to finalize the account setup

• Click on "Submit"

4. Setting Up Conversion Tracking

• Navigate to Campaign > Conversions > Summary from your Google Ads dashboard.

• Click on New Conversion Action to begin setting up your tracking.

• Step 1: Choose the platform you want to track conversions on (e.g., your website).

• Step 2: Define the page where conversions occur, such as a thank-you page users land on after submitting a form.
• Step 3: Click Scan to validate the URL and check the page's readiness for tracking.

• Select "Add a conversion action manually"

• Choose your goal category

• You can give your conversion name

• Select "use the same value for each conversion every time" under value.

• Select the count as per your goal

• Now click on 'Done' after finishing

• Click on save and continue

5. Manually Add Google Conversion Tracking Code

• Google provides two tracking codes:Global Site Tag (Main Code): This is mandatory and must be added to the header section of your website.Event Snippet Code: This is specific to the conversion event you’re tracking.
• Click on "Set up" button

• If you're using a WordPress site, install a plugin like Code Snippets to insert the code into your site header.

• Copy and paste the event snippet code into your site's header.

• Once completed, click on "Close" and "Done."
• We have successfully created the conversion event, and its status will automatically become active later.

• Check Google Tag Assistant to verify if your site has the Google Tag, ensuring that Google Ads is activated.

6. Setting Up a Search Campaign

• After completing conversion tracking, go to New Campaign to create your first ad campaign.

• Select the campaign objective aligned with your business goals.

• Select and utilize your previously created conversion goal.

• Choose between various campaign types, such as Search, Display, or Video. For a basic campaign, Search is the most common and effective option.

• Select the ways you want to reach your goal

• Select the main objective of your ad and click on >>Next

• In the campaign settings, select both networks for optimal performance.

• Location Targeting: Google Ads allows targeting at the country or region level but does not allow city-specific targeting.

• Tip: In Google Ads, your ad is triggered by user searches based on the keywords you define, not audience segmentation. Keywords are critical in ensuring your ad reaches the right audience.

• After that, click on "Next"

7. Keyword Targeting

• In the Keywords section, enter search terms relevant to your product or service.
• You can also use tools like People Also Search For or any keyword research tool to identify high-performing keywords for your campaign.

• In the ads section, you will create your ad.

8. Ad Creation: Crafting Headlines and Descriptions

• Create up to 15 different headlines and 4 descriptions for your ad. Google will rotate the headlines and descriptions to determine which combinations perform the best.Make sure the Display Path (URL), headline, and descriptions are clear, compelling, and aligned with your campaign goals.
• Pro Tip: Focus on highlighting your unique selling points, such as discounts, special offers, or key benefits in the headlines.

• After completing it, scroll down and click on the Done option, then Next.

9. Campaign Settings and Budget

• Set your campaign settings, including
• Network Selection: Choose whether to display your ads on Google Search and Display Networks.
• Location Targeting: Google Ads allows targeting at the country or region level but does not allow city-specific targeting.
• Budget: Define a custom daily budget based on your ad spend preferences.
• Once you've finalized settings, click Next and review your campaign.

10. Publishing and Managing Campaigns

• Once you've reviewed everything, click Publish Campaign. If there are any errors, Google will notify you so you can fix them.
• After publishing, you can manage your campaign by visiting the Campaigns section, where you can pause, edit, or delete campaigns as needed.

• Go to the campaign; the green circle indicates that the ad is live.

• Go to the campaign; a black circle indicates that the ad is paused.

11. Running a Video Ad Campaign

• For video ads, follow the same steps as the search campaign setup but select Video as your campaign type.

• Add your audience by defining interests and demographics, then paste the video URL in the relevant section.

• Click on Add an audience >>New audience >> Audience Name
• Add your audience detailed interests and demographics

• You’ll need to upload your video ad to YouTube before you can use it in Google Ads.

• Note: You can follow the same steps for search ads as well when publishing your video ads.

12. Running a Display Ad Campaign

• When creating a display ad, select Audience Segments to target based on user interests.

• Upload a variety of ad images in different formats (square, vertical, horizontal) to improve your ad's reach and performance.

• Everything else follows the same process as the search and video ad campaigns.

13. Verifying Your Google Tag

• Once your conversion tracking and ads are set up, visit Google Tag Assistant to check if your site has the necessary Google tags. This ensures everything is configured correctly for tracking.

Final Thoughts:

Google Ads provides powerful tools for businesses to reach targeted audiences and track performance. By setting up conversion tracking, refining your keyword strategy, and optimizing your ads with multiple headlines and formats, you can improve the chances of achieving your advertising goals. Always monitor your campaign performance and make adjustments as necessary to maximize results.