Build Your Google Ad Campaign

📋 What you'll need: Your keyword plan (Spreadsheet 4), your max cost per click from Know Your Numbers, your landing page live, conversion tracking set up (Step 00), and a payment method for Google Ads
⏱ Time: About an hour to set up your first campaign properly — quicker every time after
✅ Output: A live Google Search campaign, targeting your chosen keywords, with tracking and budget in place and your ads ready to appear when people search

This is where your keyword plan becomes a live campaign. Google Ads can look overwhelming the first time — it's built for everyone from solo founders to global brands, so there are far more settings than you need. The good news: for a focused Search campaign, you only touch a handful of them, and this page walks you through each one in order. Most of the advanced settings, you leave exactly as they are.

Everything happens at ads.google.com. Keep your Google Ads Planner (Spreadsheet 4) open in another tab — you'll work straight from it as you build.

Before You Start

Have these ready before you open Google Ads, so you're not stopping halfway through to fix something.

Your keyword plan complete in Spreadsheet 4 — keywords grouped into ad groups, tagged by intent, with match types chosen and a negative keyword list started

Your max cost per click from Know Your Numbers, so you know what you can afford to pay

Your landing page live and working — the specific page people will land on, not just your homepage

Conversion tracking set up and firing (Step 00) — so Google can see which clicks turn into leads or sales

A payment method ready — Google requires valid billing before your ads can run

⚠️ Conversion tracking is not optional.

Without it, Google can't see which clicks become customers — which means its AI is bidding blind, you can't tell which keywords work, and you'll waste budget you can't even trace. This is the single most important thing to have working before you spend a cent. It's set up in Step 00 (SOP 1 — Analytics & Tracking). If it's not done, do it first.

How to Structure a Small-Budget Campaign

Before you build, understand how to structure your campaign — because on a small budget, structure is what decides whether you gather enough data to learn, or spread yourself so thin nothing works. Google Ads has three levels stacked inside each other, and getting the shape right matters more than any single setting.

The right structure for a small budget

One campaign to start.
Your budget lives at the campaign level and is shared across everything inside it. Three campaigns split your money three ways, and none gets enough traffic for Google to learn. Start with one. Add more later, once it's profitable.
Two to four ad groups.
An ad group is a tight cluster of keywords that mean the same thing, with its own ads. Enough to separate your genuinely different themes, not so many that each starves. A personal trainer offering weight-loss and strength coaching has two themes, so two ad groups. Only one theme? One ad group is fine.
Five to fifteen keywords per ad group — all one theme.
Every keyword in a group is a different way of searching for the same thing: "weight loss personal trainer," "personal trainer to lose weight," "fat loss coach near me." A tight handful of the right terms beats a long messy list. If a keyword doesn't fit the theme, it belongs in another group.
One keyword lives in one ad group only.
Never put the same keyword in two groups — Google makes them bid against each other, wasting money and muddying your data. Each search term has exactly one home.

💡 Why "less" wins on a small budget.

Google needs enough traffic through each ad group before it can learn — roughly 1,000 people seeing your ads a week per group. Ten ad groups on a small budget means each gets a trickle and none ever learns. Two or three well-themed groups concentrate the traffic so the data builds and Google can optimise. When in doubt, build fewer, tighter groups.

Build the Campaign, Step by Step

Step 1 — Start a Search campaign in Expert Mode

Google will try to steer you into a simplified "guided" setup that hides the controls you need. Getting past that is the first thing to do.

Go to ads.google.com and click Start now. Sign in with the Google account for your business.
Google opens a guided setup aimed at beginners. Look for a link that says "Switch to Expert Mode" (sometimes phrased "Are you a professional marketer?") and click it. This is important — Expert Mode is where you get a proper Search campaign with the settings that make it work. Don't skip it.
If Google asks you to create a campaign before anything else, look for "Create an account without a campaign," click it, confirm your business details, and finish setting up the account. Then start your campaign fresh from the dashboard with + New campaign.
When asked to choose an objective, choose Leads (if you're a service business collecting enquiries or bookings) or Sales (if you're an ecommerce business driving purchases). If you'd rather not pick a goal, you can select "Create a campaign without a goal's guidance" — it gives you the same controls without Google's nudges.
For campaign type, choose Search. Not Performance Max, not Display, not Smart. Search is the one that puts your text ads in front of people actively searching for what you sell, and it's the right place for every founder to start. Performance Max hands control to Google's AI across every channel at once, which needs more budget and data than you have on day one.
Click Continue to move into the campaign settings.

⚠️ Two traps to avoid at the very start.

First: don't stay in the simplified "Smart" setup — switch to Expert Mode, or you won't be able to control your keywords, budget, or bidding properly.
Second: don't let Google talk you into Performance Max for your first campaign. It's the type Google pushes hardest and the one where beginners lose the most money, because you can't see or control where your budget goes. Search, in Expert Mode, is the founder's starting point.

📸 Capture: the Google Ads setup screen with the "Switch to Expert Mode" link visible, arrow pointing to it. This is the non-obvious step beginners miss — Google buries it because it wants you in the guided flow.

📸 Capture: the campaign type selection screen with "Search" highlighted, arrow pointing to it. Makes the right choice unmistakable among the options Google presents.

Step 2 — Name your campaign and set the basics

You're now in the campaign settings. Work down the screen — most of this is quick, and a couple of settings quietly protect your budget.

Campaign name. Use a name you'll recognise later. A simple pattern: Search — [what you're promoting] — [month year]. For example "Search — Personal Training — Jul 2026" or "Search — Vitamin C Serum — Jul 2026." Clear names save you time once you're running more than one.
Networks — turn two things off. Google switches on extra networks by default that quietly spend your budget in lower-quality places. Expand the "Networks" section and:

Turn OFF Search Partners (other search sites beyond Google) — start on Google only, where intent is highest.
Turn OFF the Display Network (banner ads across websites) — this is a Search campaign; you don't want image ads eating your budget. This one especially matters, because Google leaves it on by default and it's the most common way a beginner's Search budget leaks.

Locations. Set the exact area you serve. A local personal trainer sets their city or a radius around it; an ecommerce brand sets the countries they ship to. Be precise — every click from outside your service area is wasted money. Click "Enter another location" to add your area, and check the location options (there's a setting for "people in your targeted locations" versus "people interested in" them — choose people who are physically in or regularly in your locations, not just interested).
Languages. Choose the language your customers search in. If you serve English speakers, select English.

Leave the other settings (start and end dates, ad schedule, and the various "more settings") as they are for now. Then move down to bidding and budget in the next step.

📸 Capture: the Networks section expanded, with arrows pointing to the Search Partners and Display Network toggles switched OFF. This is the hidden budget-leak setting beginners never find on their own — the single most valuable screenshot on this page.

💡 Why turning off the Display Network matters so much.

When you build a Search campaign, Google quietly bundles in the Display Network — banner ads shown across millions of random websites and apps. Those clicks are cheap, plentiful, and almost never buyers. Leaving it on is the fastest way to burn a small budget on traffic that looks busy and converts nobody. Search only, at least until you know what you're doing.

Step 3 — Set your budget and bidding

This is where you tell Google how much to spend a day and how to bid with it. For a founder starting out, the right choices here are simple — and getting them right protects your budget while Google learns.

Daily budget. Enter the daily amount you settled on in the Budget section — around $10 to $20 a day to start. Google may spend a little more on some days and less on others, but it averages out to your daily figure over the month. Set a number you're comfortable running for at least a month, since that's how long it takes for the data to become useful.
Bidding — choose Maximise Conversions. Google will ask what you want to focus your bidding on. Choose Maximise Conversions. This tells Google to use everything it knows to get you as many results (leads or sales) as your budget allows. It's the right starting point for a new campaign, because it lets Google's AI do the bidding work while it learns what's converting for you.
Do NOT set a target cost per action yet. Google may offer to let you "set a target CPA" (a target cost per result). Leave this off for now. It sounds appealing — telling Google exactly what you want to pay per lead — but setting a target before Google has enough data actually works against you. It needs to see real conversions first (roughly 20 to 30) before a target helps rather than hurts. You'll add one later, once the data's there. For now, Maximise Conversions with no target is exactly right.

⚠️ Resist setting a target cost per result on day one.

It's the most tempting setting on this screen — you know your max cost per click and your Maximum CPA, so it feels smart to just tell Google the number. But with no conversion history, a target starves your campaign: Google gets so cautious about hitting your number that it barely shows your ads, and it never gathers enough data to learn. Start with Maximise Conversions and no target. Add a target only once you've got real conversions coming in — usually a few weeks in.

💡 How your budget and bidding work together.

Your daily budget is the ceiling on spend; Maximise Conversions is how Google spends it. You're not setting individual bids per keyword — Google works those out in real time, aiming to turn your daily budget into as many results as possible. Your job isn't to micromanage bids; it's to give Google a sensible budget, accurate conversion tracking, and tight, relevant keywords, then let it learn.

Step 4 — Build your first ad group and add your keywords

Now you drop in the keywords you planned, working straight from your Google Ads Planner (Spreadsheet 4, Keyword & Ad Group Plan tab), where they're already grouped into themed ad groups. Build one ad group at a time.

Name the ad group. Use the ad group name from Spreadsheet 4 — the theme those keywords share. "Weight loss training," "Vitamin C serum." One clear theme per group.
Add that group's keywords — 5 to 15, all one theme. Copy the keywords for this ad group from Spreadsheet 4. Only the keywords that share this theme go here; if one is about a different topic, it belongs in its own ad group.
Use phrase match to start — and here's exactly how. Google doesn't give you a menu for match type; it reads it from how you type the keyword. For a new campaign, wrap every keyword in quotation marks, which sets it to phrase match:
"personal trainer near me"
"weight loss coach dublin"
Phrase match is the right choice for a small budget starting out: broad enough to catch the real ways people search, but tight enough that you're not paying for loosely-related junk. It's the balance of reach and control you want before you have data.
Don't use exact match or broad match yet. It's tempting to also add your best keywords in exact match (square brackets) for extra control. Don't. If the same keyword sits in both phrase and exact match, the two versions compete against each other in Google's auction — you end up bidding against yourself, wasting budget and scrambling your data. Keep it clean: phrase match only, to start. Later, once a keyword has proven it converts, you can promote it to exact match — but not on day one. And leave broad match (no punctuation) alone entirely until you're established, or it will spend your budget on anything vaguely related.
Add your other ad groups the same way. Look for "Add ad group," name the next one from your plan, and paste its keywords in phrase match. Stop at two to four groups for your first campaign — enough to separate your themes, few enough that each gets real traffic.

⚠️ The two mistakes that quietly drain a small budget here.

First: leaving keywords bare with no quotation marks — that defaults them to broad match, the widest, least controlled type, which will spend your money on almost anything. Check every keyword is wrapped in "quotes."
Second: putting the same keyword in more than one ad group, or in both phrase and exact match — that makes your own keywords bid against each other in the auction. One keyword, one ad group, phrase match only. Get those two right and you've avoided the most common ways beginners burn through their budget in week one.

📸 Capture: the ad group keyword box filled in, showing keywords correctly wrapped in "quotation marks" for phrase match, with an arrow pointing to the punctuation. Beginners consistently miss that match type is set by how you type the keyword, not a menu — this makes it unmistakable.

Step 5 — Write your ads

Now you build the ads themselves. On Google, these are called Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), and they work differently from a normal ad: instead of writing one fixed ad, you give Google a pool of headlines and descriptions, and its AI mixes and matches them for each search — showing the combination most likely to win that click. Your job is to feed it a strong, varied pool, then add the extra pieces (assets and an image) that make your ad bigger and more clickable.

You build one ad per ad group (aim for two once the first is done), each written to match that group's keywords. Here's what Google needs for the core ad:

Headlines — up to 15, each 30 characters or less. Provide at least 10 for a strong ad. Each is a short, punchy line — one idea each: a benefit, a number, a hook, a call to action. Google shows 2–3 at a time in any order, so each must make sense on its own.

Descriptions — up to 4, each 90 characters or less. Provide all 4. These are the fuller lines beneath the headlines — room for a benefit, an offer, proof, or a call to action.

Two rules that matter:

Each headline and description must be genuinely different. If they're too similar, Google can't test properly and your ad is weaker. Different angles, not reworded versions of the same line.
Include your keyword naturally in a few headlines. When your ad matches what the person searched, Google shows it more and charges you less. Don't force it into every line — just work it in where it reads naturally.

Writing 10+ short headlines that each land in 30 characters is fiddly, so use the prompt below to generate a strong pool, then pick and sharpen the best.

Generate your search ads

Run the relevant prompt below for each ad group, using that group's keywords and your buyer research (Spreadsheet 1). It produces a full pool of headlines and descriptions within Google's character limits, built to reach an Excellent Ad Strength rating, which you then refine and paste into your ad.

⚠️ This is a starting point, not a finished ad.

AI gives you a strong first draft — never a final one. Read every headline against the character limit (Google rejects anything over 30 characters for headlines, 90 for descriptions), cut anything generic or that sounds like marketing speak, make sure each line sounds like your buyer actually talks, and check every claim is real. Sharpen them in your own words before you put them live — the highest Ad Strength in the world won't save an ad that doesn't sound like a real answer to what someone searched.

AI Prompt — Search Ads (Service Business)

📋 Before running this prompt, replace every [bracketed placeholder] with your own details from Spreadsheet 1 and the ad group you're writing for. Do not run it with any brackets remaining — empty placeholders produce generic output.

You are a senior Google Ads search specialist who has managed millions in profitable search spend for service businesses, in the tradition of paid-search authorities like Frederick Vallaeys (co-founder of Optmyzr and one of Google's original AdWords evangelists) and Brad Geddes (author of Advanced Google AdWords and founder of AdAlysis). You write Responsive Search Ads that earn an "Excellent" Ad Strength rating and, more importantly, win clicks profitably in the live search auction. You understand what Ad Strength actually rewards, and you know that the real goal is relevance to the searcher's intent, not gaming a meter.

You are writing for Google Search, which is fundamentally different from social ads. The person has already typed what they want — intent is established, so the ad's job is not to interrupt or spark desire, but to prove, faster and more relevantly than the competitors beside you, that this business is the answer to what they just searched. The Responsive Search Ad format means Google will mix and match the headlines and descriptions you provide, assembling different combinations for different searches, so every single headline must stand completely on its own and make sense next to any other, in any order.

Write the Responsive Search Ad copy for one ad group for a [type of service business, e.g. personal trainer, financial advisor, therapist, photographer] called [business name].

Use these real inputs as the source of truth, and never invent claims beyond them:

The theme of this ad group and its exact keywords: [paste the ad group name and its keywords from Spreadsheet 4]
The specific problem or desire behind these searches: [insert from Spreadsheet 1, Synthesis tab]
The buyer's verbatim language: [insert from Spreadsheet 1, AI Outputs or Messaging Brief]
What genuinely makes [business name] different — the real method, credential, or offer: [insert the real differentiator]
One real, provable proof point — a result, number, years in business, or guarantee: [insert a real proof point, or write "none"]
The single call to action: [insert your CTA, e.g. book a free consultation]

Produce a Responsive Search Ad built to earn Excellent Ad Strength, which on Google depends on three things: providing enough headlines, using the ad group's keyword in some of them, and making every asset genuinely distinct. Deliver:

FIFTEEN HEADLINES, each 30 characters or fewer — count every character including spaces and stay within the limit, because Google rejects anything longer. Ad Strength rewards quantity and diversity, so all fifteen must be genuinely different ideas, never reworded versions of one another. Deliberately spread them across these angles: three or four that work the ad group's main keyword in naturally (this drives relevance and is a direct Ad Strength factor); some that name the outcome the searcher wants; some that name the problem they're trying to solve; some that carry a specific number, credential, or proof point; some with the call to action; and one or two that name the specific type of person searching. Because Google shows only two or three headlines at a time in an unpredictable order, each one must read as a complete, standalone thought.
FOUR DESCRIPTIONS, each 90 characters or fewer — again counting characters and staying within the limit. Provide all four (Ad Strength expects the full set), and make each one distinct: one leading on the outcome, one on what makes this business different, one on proof or credibility, one on the call to action. Each must stand alone, since Google often shows only one.

Rules: Write the way a real person searching would respond to — plain, specific, and free of marketing jargon or hype words like transform, unlock, elevate, or game-changer. Specificity wins the click: a line that could belong to any competitor is a wasted asset. Every claim must trace back to the inputs — if no proof point was given, do not fabricate numbers or guarantees. Do not pin anything or instruct pinning, because pinning reduces the combinations Google can test and lowers both flexibility and Ad Strength. Respect the 30 and 90 character limits without exception.

Finally, list which headlines contain the ad group's keyword, and confirm the ad has enough keyword coverage and asset diversity to reach Excellent Ad Strength — so the founder can verify relevance before pasting them into Google.

AI Prompt — Search Ads (Ecommerce Business)

You are a senior Google Ads search specialist who has managed millions in profitable search spend for ecommerce brands, in the tradition of paid-search authorities like Frederick Vallaeys (co-founder of Optmyzr and one of Google's original AdWords evangelists) and Brad Geddes (author of Advanced Google AdWords and founder of AdAlysis). You write Responsive Search Ads that earn an "Excellent" Ad Strength rating and, more importantly, win clicks profitably in the live search auction. You understand what Ad Strength actually rewards, and you know that the real goal is relevance to the searcher's intent, not gaming a meter.

You are writing for Google Search, which is fundamentally different from social ads. The person has already typed what they want — intent is established, so the ad's job is not to interrupt or spark desire, but to prove, faster and more relevantly than the competitors beside you, that this brand is the answer to what they just searched. The Responsive Search Ad format means Google will mix and match the headlines and descriptions you provide, assembling different combinations for different searches, so every single headline must stand completely on its own and make sense next to any other, in any order.

Write the Responsive Search Ad copy for one ad group for an ecommerce brand called [business name] selling [type of product, e.g. skincare serum, candle, supplement, jewellery, food product].

Use these real inputs as the source of truth, and never invent claims beyond them:

The theme of this ad group and its exact keywords: [paste the ad group name and its keywords from Spreadsheet 4]
The specific problem or desire behind these searches: [insert from Spreadsheet 1, Synthesis tab]
The buyer's verbatim language: [insert from Spreadsheet 1, AI Outputs or Messaging Brief]
The single most provable differentiator versus the category standard: [insert the real number, ingredient, or fact]
Any real offer or proof point — free shipping, a discount, a review score, a return policy: [insert the real detail, or write "none"]
The single call to action: [insert your CTA, e.g. shop now]

FIFTEEN HEADLINES, each 30 characters or fewer — count every character including spaces and stay within the limit, because Google rejects anything longer. Ad Strength rewards quantity and diversity, so all fifteen must be genuinely different ideas, never reworded versions of one another. Deliberately spread them across these angles: three or four that work the ad group's main keyword in naturally (this drives relevance and is a direct Ad Strength factor); some that name the outcome or result the shopper wants; some that name the problem the product solves; some that carry a specific provable feature, number, or offer (a review score, free shipping, a discount); some with the call to action; and one or two that name the specific type of buyer. Because Google shows only two or three headlines at a time in an unpredictable order, each one must read as a complete, standalone thought.
FOUR DESCRIPTIONS, each 90 characters or fewer — again counting characters and staying within the limit. Provide all four (Ad Strength expects the full set), and make each one distinct: one leading on the outcome, one on what makes this product different, one on proof or an offer, one on the call to action. Each must stand alone, since Google often shows only one.

Rules: Write the way a real shopper searching would respond to — plain, specific, and free of marketing jargon or hype words like transform, unlock, elevate, or game-changer. Specificity wins the click: a line that could belong to any competitor is a wasted asset. Every claim must trace back to the inputs — if no proof point was given, do not fabricate numbers or guarantees. If the product is a supplement or makes health claims, keep them factual with no disease or cure claims. Do not pin anything or instruct pinning, because pinning reduces the combinations Google can test and lowers both flexibility and Ad Strength. Respect the 30 and 90 character limits without exception.

Add your assets (the extra lines and images that make your ad bigger)

Your headlines and descriptions are the core of the ad — but a Google ad can show much more: extra links, benefit lines, details, and an image that make it bigger, more useful, and more clickable. Google calls these assets (you may have heard the old name, "extensions"). They're free to add — you only pay if someone clicks a link — and they typically lift click-through rate by 10–25%, because your ad takes up more of the page and gives people more reasons to choose you. They also feed into Ad Rank, so a fully-built ad can out-position a competitor bidding more. Set these up once and they apply across your campaign.

The assets to set up (and what each one does)

Sitelinks — extra links below your ad. These point to specific pages on your site, giving people more than one way in. Add at least four. For a personal trainer: "See Programmes," "Pricing," "Client Results," "Book a Call." For an ecommerce brand: "Shop Bestsellers," "New Arrivals," "Reviews," "About Us." Make each distinct and send it to the page that matches its label.

Callouts — short, non-clickable phrases highlighting what's good about you. Little trust signals below your ad. Add six to eight, each 25 characters or fewer, and make them specific: "Free 30-Day Returns," "Qualified & Insured," "Same-Day Response," "10,000+ Orders Shipped." Avoid vague ones like "Great Service," and don't repeat what's already in your headlines.

Structured snippets — a labelled list of what you offer. You pick a header (like "Services" or "Types") and list values. A financial advisor might use Services: Retirement Planning, Tax Strategy, Investments. A candle maker might use Types: Soy Candles, Wax Melts, Gift Sets. This shows your range at a glance.

Call asset (service businesses especially) — adds your phone number so people can tap to call straight from the ad. If phone enquiries win you business, add this and set it to show only during the hours you actually answer. For a plumber or photographer, this is one of the highest-converting assets there is.

Image assets — real pictures shown beside your ad, and they matter more than most founders expect, because a search page is mostly text and an image makes you stand out — especially on mobile. Add a few strong, relevant images: your product on a clean background and in use (ecommerce), or you at work, your space, or a real result (service). Use genuine photos, not stock. Google crops to a square and a landscape shape, so pick images that still read well cropped.

Two more quick wins: add your business name and logo so people recognise you at a glance.

AI Prompt — Google Ad Assets (Service & Ecommerce)

Writing all the text assets from scratch is fiddly, so use the prompt below to generate your sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets, then refine and add them in Google Ads under the Assets section. Your images you'll add yourself from your own photos

📋 Before running this prompt, replace every [bracketed placeholder] with your own details from Spreadsheet 1 and your website. Do not run it with any brackets remaining — empty placeholders produce generic output.

You are a senior Google Ads search specialist who builds fully-extended search ads that win the click, in the tradition of paid-search authorities like Frederick Vallaeys (co-founder of Optmyzr) and Brad Geddes (author of Advanced Google AdWords). You know that assets — sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets — are what make an ad take up more of the page, earn more clicks, and rank above competitors, and that the golden rule is every asset must add new information the headlines and descriptions don't already cover. You write specific, concrete assets, never vague filler.

Generate the full set of text assets for a business called [business name], which is a [describe the business in a few words, e.g. personal training studio in Dublin / online skincare brand selling vitamin C serums].

Use these real inputs and never invent facts beyond them:

What the business offers, and the main pages on its website: [list the real pages, e.g. homepage, pricing, about, specific services or product categories]
What genuinely makes it different or trustworthy: [insert real differentiators, credentials, guarantees, or proof — e.g. qualified and insured, 10 years' experience, free returns, 5-star reviews]
The buyer's language and priorities: [insert from Spreadsheet 1, Messaging Brief]
Location served, if relevant: [insert location, or write "online only"]

Produce:

SIX SITELINKS. For each, give a link text of 25 characters or fewer and, in brackets, which page it should point to. Each must be distinct and point to a genuinely different, relevant page. Make the text specific and action-oriented, never "Learn More" or "Click Here."
EIGHT CALLOUTS, each 25 characters or fewer. Short, specific, benefit- or trust-focused phrases that highlight what makes this business a safe, appealing choice. Each must add something new — do not repeat what would typically be in the headlines. Be concrete (name real benefits, guarantees, or numbers), never vague.
TWO STRUCTURED SNIPPETS. For each, choose the most fitting Google header (such as Services, Types, Brands, Styles, or Insurance coverage) and list four to six specific values under it. These should show the range of what the business offers at a glance.

Rules: Keep everything within the character limits stated (25 characters for sitelink text and callouts). Be specific and concrete — a vague asset is a wasted one. Every claim must be real and supported by the inputs; if you don't have enough real detail for an asset, say so rather than inventing. Write in plain language a real customer would find useful, with no marketing hype.

Build your ad in Google Ads

Putting it all together — headlines, descriptions, assets, and image

Back in Google Ads, at the ad level for this ad group:

Paste your headlines in one at a time (at least 10 of your strongest). Google shows a character count and a live preview beside each.
Paste your descriptions (all 4).
Watch the Ad Strength meter on the right. Aim for "Good" or "Excellent." If it says "Poor" or "Average," it's usually telling you to add more headlines or make them more different from each other — not to stuff in keywords.
Set the Final URL — the exact landing page for this ad group, the one that matches what these keywords are about. Not your homepage. If the ad group is about a specific service or product, send people straight to that page.
Fill the two Display Path fields (15 characters each) — the "pretty" text shown after your domain (yoursite.com/personal-training). It doesn't have to be a real URL; it just tells the searcher what to expect.
Don't pin headlines. Pinning locks a headline to one spot and stops Google testing combinations, which lowers your Ad Strength. Leave everything unpinned so Google can do its job.
Save the ad.
Then create a second ad for this group the same way — a second RSA with different angles lifts your results. Two per ad group is the sweet spot. Then set up your assets — these apply across the whole campaign, so you only do this once. Find the Assets section (in the campaign menu, or as a step in the setup flow) and add:
Your sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets from the prompt above.
Your call asset, if you're a service business that takes enquiries by phone (set it to your opening hours).
Your image assets — upload your real photos. Google will crop them; check the preview looks right in both the square and landscape shapes.
Your business name and logo.

⚠️ Assets are free — but they must be true and they must match.

You only pay when someone clicks a link, so there's no cost to adding these. But two rules matter: every asset must be genuinely true (a "30-day guarantee" callout you don't actually offer will cause problems), and every sitelink must go to a page that matches its label — don't send a "Pricing" sitelink to your homepage. Google may also add some assets automatically; you can review and turn those off under the Assets section if they're not right for you.

💡 Match the ad to the landing page.

This is where relevance pays off most. If your ad group is about "vitamin C serum" and your ad promises a vitamin C serum, the page they land on should be the vitamin C serum page — with the same promise visible immediately. When the search, the ad, and the page all say the same thing, Google rewards you with a higher Quality Score and lower costs, and more of your clicks turn into customers. A mismatched landing page is the most common reason good ads still lose money.

Step 6 — Check your tracking and publish

Everything's built. One check and one click, and you're live.

First, confirm your conversion tracking is in place. This is the most important thing — without it, Google can't see which clicks become customers, so its bidding is blind. You set this up in Step 0 (SOP 1, Step 4), where you imported your conversions from GA4. Confirm it's working:

Google Ads → Goals → Conversions → Summary
Check your main conversion is listed — generate_lead (service) or purchase (ecommerce) — and set to Primary
Status should read "Recording," or "No recent conversions" if you haven't launched yet (both are fine; "Inactive" is not)
If it's missing or Inactive, stop and fix it in SOP 1, Step 4 before spending anything

Then run this final review before your budget starts spending:

Campaign type is Search — not Performance Max, Display, or Smart

Search Partners and Display Network are turned OFF

Locations are set to the exact area you serve

Daily budget is the number you intended ($10–$20 to start)

Bidding is Maximise Conversions, with no target CPA yet

Every keyword is in "phrase match" quotation marks — none left bare

Each ad group has at least one ad with Good or Excellent Ad Strength

Each ad's Final URL points to the matching landing page, not your homepage

When it all checks out, click Publish. Add your billing details if you haven't already — Google needs a valid payment method before ads can run.

What Happens Next

The first two weeks — what to expect and what not to touch

Once you publish, two things happen.

Google reviews your ads. This takes anywhere from a few hours to a day. Ads show as "Under review," then switch to "Eligible" or "Serving" once approved. If an ad is disapproved, Google tells you why — fix what it flags and resubmit.
Then your campaign enters a learning period. For the first week or two, Google is working out which searches and people convert for you. Results will be uneven at first — some days quiet, some better — and that's normal. The hard part is leaving it alone: don't change your budget, keywords, or bidding every day chasing early numbers. Every big change resets the learning and sets you back. Let it gather data for at least a week or two before judging anything.

The one useful thing to do early: after a few days, check your search terms report (Keywords → Search terms). It shows the actual searches that triggered your ads, and you'll almost always spot a few irrelevant ones to add as negatives — in your campaign and in Spreadsheet 4. That's the one safe optimisation in the early days.

🎉 Your campaign is live.

That's a real milestone — you've gone from a keyword plan to a working Google Search campaign, in front of people at the exact moment they're searching for what you sell, built entirely by you. Most small founders never get here. Whatever the numbers do at first, you now own a paid search system most businesses pay agencies thousands to run.

Now the job shifts to reading what it does and improving it — the next and final page of this module.

Reading Your Results (Google Ads)