How To Set Up Your First Paid Search Campaign via @sejournal, @brookeosmundson

Paid search advertising is a powerful way to drive traffic and conversions for your brand.

However, setting up your first campaign can feel overwhelming if you’re new to the game. Even if you’re a PPC pro, it can be hard to keep up with all the changes in the interfaces, making it easy to miss key settings that can make or break performance.

In this guide, you’ll find the essential steps to set up a successful paid search campaign, ensuring you’re equipped with the knowledge to make informed decisions that lead to positive results.

Step 1: Define Your Conversions & Goals

Establishing clear goals and understanding what constitutes a conversion is the foundation of a successful paid search campaign.

This clarity ensures that every aspect of your campaign is aligned with your business objectives.

Identify Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

In order to identify those KPIs, it’s crucial to understand the overarching business objectives. Begin by mapping out your broader business goals.

Ask yourself, “Am I aiming to increase sales, generate leads, boost website traffic, or enhance brand awareness?”

From there, you can define specific KPIs for each objective. Some examples include:

• Sales: Number of transactions, revenue generated.
• Leads: Number of form submissions, phone calls, appointments created.
• Traffic: Click-through rate (CTR), number of sessions.
• Brand Awareness: Impressions, reach.

Set Up Conversion Tracking

Knowing your goals is one thing, but being able to accurately measure them is a completely different ballgame.

Both Google and Microsoft Ads have dedicated conversion tags that can be added to your website for proper tracking.

Additionally, Google Analytics is a popular tool to track conversions.

Choose what conversion tags you need to add to your website and ensure they’re added to the proper pages.

In this example, we’ll use Google Ads.

To set up conversion tracking using a Google Ads tag, click the “+” button on the left-hand side of Google Ads, then choose Conversion action.

Screenshot from Google Ads, September 2024

You’ll choose from the following conversions to add:

• Website.
• App.
• Phone calls.
• Import (from Google Analytics, third party, etc.).

After choosing, Google Ads can scan your website to recommend conversions to add, or you have the option to create a conversion manually:

Screenshot from Google Ads, September 2024

During this step, it’s essential to assign value(s) to conversions being created, as well as the proper attribution model that best represents your customer journey.

Most PPC campaigns are now using the data-driven model attribution, as opposed to a more traditional “last click” attribution model. Data-driven attribution is especially helpful for more top-of-funnel campaigns like YouTube or Demand Gen campaign types.

After the conversion has been created, Google provides the necessary code and instructions to add to the website.

Screenshot from Google Ads, September 2024

Enable Auto-Tagging

Setting up auto-tagging from the get-go eliminates the need to append UTM parameters to each individual ad, saving you time during setup.

It also allows for seamless data import into Google Analytics, enabling detailed performance analysis within that platform.

To enable auto-tagging at the account level, navigate to Admin > Account settings.

Find the box for auto-tagging and check the box to tag ad URLs, then click Save.

Screenshot from Google Ads, September 2024

Step 2: Link Any Relevant Accounts

Linking various accounts and tools enhances your campaign’s effectiveness by providing deeper insights and seamless data flow.

Now, this step may come sooner if you plan to import conversions from Google Analytics into Google Ads, as the accounts will have to be linked prior to importing conversions.

To link accounts, navigate to Tools > Data manager.

Screenshot from Google Ads, September 2024

You can link accounts such as:

• Google Analytics.
• YouTube channel(s).
• Third-party analytics.
• Search Console.
• CRM tools (Salesforce, Zapier, etc.).
• Ecommerce platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.).
• Tag Manager.
• And more.

Step 3: Conduct Keyword Research & Structure Your Campaign

Now that you’ve got the foundations of goals and conversions covered, it’s time to complete some keyword research.

A robust keyword strategy ensures your ads reach the right audience, driving qualified traffic to your site.

Start With A Seed List

Not sure where to start? Don’t sweat it!

Start by listing out fundamental terms related to your products or services. Consider what your customers would type into a search engine to find you.

Doing keyword research into search engines in real-time can help discover additional popular ways that potential customers are already searching, which can uncover more possibilities.

Additionally, use common language and phrases that customers use to ensure relevance.

Use Keyword Research Tools

The Google Ads platform has a free tool built right into it, so be sure to utilize it when planning your keyword strategy.

The Google Keyword Planner gives you access to items like:

• Search volume data.
• Competition levels.
• Keyword suggestions.
• Average CPC.

All these insights help not only determine what keywords to bid on but also help form the ideal budget needed to go after those coveted keywords.

When researching keywords, try to identify long-tail keywords (typically, these are phrases with more than three words). Long-tail keywords may have lower search volume but have higher intent and purchase considerations.

Lastly, there are many paid third-party tools that can offer additional keyword insights like:

These tools are particularly helpful in identifying what competitors are bidding on, as well as finding gaps or opportunities that they are missing or underserving.

Group Keywords Into Thematic Ad Groups

Once you have your core keywords identified, it’s time to group them together into tightly-knit ad groups.

The reason for organizing them tightly is to increase the ad relevance as much as possible. Each ad group should focus on a single theme or product category.

As a good rule of thumb, I typically use anywhere from five to 20 keywords per ad group.

Another item to keep in mind is which match types to use for keyword bidding. See the example below from Google on the three keyword match types available:

• Broad.
• Phrase.
• Exact.

Image credit: support.google.com, September 2024

Create A Hierarchical Campaign Structure

Once your ad groups have been segmented, it’s time to build the campaign structure(s).

You’ll want to divide your account into campaigns based on broader categories, such as:

• Product lines.
• Geographic regions.
• Marketing goals.
• Search volume.

For example, you can create one campaign for “Running Shoes.” Within that campaign, you create three ad groups:

• Men’s running shoes.
• Women’s running shoes.
• Trail running shoes.

Now, there may be times when you have a keyword with an abnormally higher search volume than other keywords within a particular category.

Depending on your budget, it may be worth segmenting those high-volume search term(s) into its own campaign solely for better budget optimization.

If a high-volume keyword is grouped into ad groups with low-volume keywords, it’s likely that most of the ads served will be for the high-volume keyword.

This then inhibits the other low-volume keywords from showing, and can wreak havoc on campaign performance.

Utilize Negative Keywords

Just as the keywords you bid on are crucial to success, so are the negative keywords you put into place.

Negative keywords can and should be added and maintained as ongoing optimization of any paid search campaign strategy.

The main benefit of negative keywords is the ability to exclude irrelevant traffic. They prevent your ads from showing on irrelevant searches, saving budget and improving CTR over time.

Negative keywords can be added at the ad group, campaign, or account level.

Step 4: Configure Campaign Settings

Now that you’ve got the campaign structure ready to go, it’s time to start building and configuring the campaign settings.

Campaign settings are crucial to get right in order to optimize performance towards your goals.

There’s something to be said with the phrase, “The success is in the settings.” And that certainly applies here!

Choose The Right Bidding Strategy

You’ll have the option to choose a manual cost-per-click (CPC) or an automated bid strategy. Below is a quick rundown of the different types of bid strategies.

• Manual CPC: Allows you to set bids for individual keywords, giving you maximum control. Suitable for those who prefer more hands-on management.
• Target Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Optimizes bids to maximize revenue based on a target ROAS you set at the campaign level.
• Target Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): Optimizes bids to achieve conversions at the target CPA you set at the campaign level.
• Maximize Conversions: Sets bids to help get the most conversions for your budget.

Set Your Daily Budget Accordingly

Review your monthly paid search budget and calculate how much you can spend per day throughout the month.

Keep in mind that some months should be different to account for seasonality, market fluctuations, etc.

Additionally, be sure to allocate campaign budgets based on goals and priorities to maximize your return on investment.

You’ll also want to keep in mind the bid strategy selected.

For example, say you set a campaign bid strategy with a Target CPA of $30. You then go on to set your campaign daily budget of $50.

That $50 daily budget would likely not be enough to support the Target CPA of $30, because that would mean you’d get a maximum of two conversions per day, if that.

For bid strategies that require a higher CPA or higher ROAS, be sure to supplement those bid strategies with higher daily budgets to learn and optimize from the beginning.

Double-Check Location Settings

When choosing locations to target, be sure to look at the advanced settings to understand how you’re reaching those users.

For example, if you choose to target the United States, it’s not enough to enter “United States” and save it.

There are two options for location targeting that many fail to find:

• Presence or interest: People in, regularly in, or who’ve shown interest in your included locations.
• Presence: People in or regularly in your included locations.

Screenshot from Google Ads, September 2024

Google Ads defaults to the “presence or interest” setting, which I’ve seen time and time again where ads end up showing outside of the United States, in this example.

Again, the success is in the settings.

There are more settings to keep in mind when setting up your first paid search campaign, including:

• Ad scheduling.
• Audience targeting.
• Device targeting.
• And more.

Step 5: Write Compelling Ad Copy

Your ad copy is the gateway to attracting qualified customers.

Crafting the perfect mix of persuasion and relevancy into your ad copy can significantly impact your campaign’s success.

Create Attention-Grabbing Headlines

The headline is the most prominent part of the ad copy design on the search engine results page. Since each headline has a maximum character limit of 35 characters, it is important to make them count.

With Responsive Search Ads, you can create up to 15 different headlines, and Google will test different variations of them depending on the user, their search query, and multiple other factors to get that mix right.

Below are some tips for captivating a user’s attention:

• Use Primary Keywords: Include your main keywords in the headline to improve relevance and Quality Score.
• Highlight Unique Selling Points (USPs): Showcase what sets your product or service apart, such as free shipping, 24/7 support, or a unique feature.
• Incorporate Numbers and Statistics: Use numbers to catch attention, like “50% Off” or “Join 10,000+ Satisfied Customers.”
• Include a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA): Encourage immediate action with phrases like “Buy Now,” “Get a Free Quote,” or “Sign Up Today.”

Write Persuasive Descriptions

Description lines should complement the headline statements to create one cohesive ad.

Typically, two description lines are shown within any given ad. Each description line has a 90-character limit.

When creating a Responsive Search Ad, you can create four different descriptions, and then the algorithm will show variations of copy tailored to each individual user.

• Expand on Headlines: Provide additional details that complement your headline and reinforce your message.
• Address Pain Points: Highlight how your product or service solves specific problems your audience faces.
• Use Emotional Triggers: Appeal to emotions by emphasizing benefits like peace of mind, convenience, or excitement.
• Incorporate Keywords Naturally: Ensure the description flows naturally while including relevant keywords to maintain relevance.

Make Use Of Ad Assets (Formerly Extensions)

Because of the limited character count in ads, be sure to take advantage of the myriad of ad assets available as complements to headlines and descriptions.

Ad assets help provide the user with additional information about the brand, such as phone numbers to call, highlighting additional benefits, special offers, and more.

Some of the main ad assets used include:

• Sitelinks.
• Callouts.
• Structured Snippets.
• Calls.
• And more.

You can find a full list of available ad assets in Google Ads here.

Step 6: Ensure An Effective Landing Page Design

You’ve spent all this time crafting your paid search campaign strategy, down to the keyword and ad copy level.

Don’t stop there!

There’s one final step to think about before launching your first paid search campaign: The landing page.

Your landing page is where users land after clicking your ad. An optimized landing page is critical for converting traffic into valuable conversions and revenue.

Ensure Relevancy And Consistency

The content and message of your landing page should directly correspond to your ad copy. If your ad promotes a specific product or offer, the landing page should focus on that same product or offer.

Use similar language, fonts, and imagery on your landing page as in your ads to create a cohesive user experience.

Optimize For User Experience (UX)

If a user lands on a page and the promise of the ad is not delivered on that page, they will likely leave.

Having misalignment between ad copy and the landing page is one of the quickest ways to waste those precious advertising dollars.

When looking to create a user-friendly landing page, consider the following:

• Mobile-Friendly Design: Ensure your landing page is responsive and looks great on all devices, particularly mobile, as a significant portion of traffic comes from mobile users.
• Fast Loading Speed: Optimize images, leverage browser caching, and minimize code to ensure your landing page loads quickly. Slow pages can lead to high bounce rates.
• Clear and Compelling Headline: Just like your ad, your landing page should have a strong headline that immediately communicates the value proposition.
• Concise and Persuasive Content: Provide clear, concise information that guides users toward the desired action without overwhelming them with unnecessary details.
• Prominent Call-to-Action (CTA): Place your CTA above the fold and make it stand out with contrasting colors and actionable language. Ensure it’s easy to find and click.

Step 7: Launch Your Campaign

Once you’ve thoroughly completed these six steps, it’s time to launch your campaign!

But remember: Paid search campaigns are not a “set and forget” strategy. They must be continuously monitored and optimized to maximize performance and identify any shifts in strategy.

Create a regular optimization schedule to stay on top of any changes. This could look like:

• Weekly Reviews: Conduct weekly performance reviews to identify trends, spot issues, and make incremental improvements.
• Monthly Strategy Sessions: Hold monthly strategy sessions to assess overall campaign performance, adjust goals, and implement larger optimizations.
• Quarterly Assessments: Perform comprehensive quarterly assessments to evaluate long-term trends, budget allocations, and strategic shifts.

When it comes to optimizing your paid search campaign, make sure you’re optimizing based on data. This can include looking at:

• Pause Underperforming Keywords: Identify and pause keywords that are not driving conversions or are too costly.
• Increase Bids on High-Performing Keywords: Allocate more budget to keywords that are generating conversions at a favorable cost.
• Refine Ad Copy: Continuously test and refine ad copy based on performance data to enhance relevance and engagement.
• Enhance Landing Pages: Use insights from user behavior on landing pages to make data-driven improvements that boost conversion rates.

Final Thoughts

Setting up your first paid search campaign involves multiple detailed steps, each contributing to the overall effectiveness and success of your advertising efforts.

By carefully defining your goals, linking relevant accounts, conducting thorough keyword research, configuring precise campaign settings, crafting compelling ad copy, and optimizing your landing pages, you lay a strong foundation for your campaign.

Remember, the key to a successful paid search campaign is not just the initial setup but also ongoing monitoring, testing, and optimization.

Embrace a mindset of continuous improvement, leverage data-driven insights, and stay adaptable to maximize your campaign’s potential.

More resources: 

Featured Image: vladwel/Shutterstock

Performance Max For Lead Generation: Advanced Strategies And Pitfalls To Avoid

Since its launch in 2021, Google’s Performance Max (PMax) campaigns have revolutionized how we approach cross-channel advertising.

But while this AI-powered campaign has been a game-changer for many, particularly in ecommerce, its application for lead generation comes with unique challenges and opportunities.

I thought this would be a good time to share advanced strategies for leveraging PMax in lead generation campaigns. We’ll also identify common pitfalls and reveal how to maximize your results.

The Lead Gen Challenge: Quality Over Quantity

Unlike ecommerce, where a purchase marks a clear end to the customer journey, lead generation is just the beginning.

This fundamental difference creates a significant hurdle for PMax campaigns, presenting unique challenges that require advanced strategies.

Menachem Ani, founder of JXT Group, explains the core issue:

“Unlike e-commerce, where a purchase signifies the ‘end’ of the transaction, lead creation is the beginning of the sales process—and just because someone fills out a form doesn’t make them a quality lead.”

The challenge lies in teaching Google’s algorithm to distinguish between high-quality and low-quality leads.

Without this crucial information, PMax campaigns can fall into what some marketers call the “feedback loop of doom” – optimizing for quantity over quality and potentially flooding your pipeline with unqualified leads.

Image from author, September 2024

Another critical factor in determining whether PMax suits your lead generation efforts is Google’s understanding of your business and website.

PMax heavily relies on your website content when targeting users. If Google misinterprets your service offerings, your campaigns are likely to underperform.

To assess Google’s comprehension of your business, try this simple test: Input your website URL into the Search Terms section of Google’s Keyword Planner.

Review the generated keywords and evaluate their relevance to your services. This exercise can provide valuable insights into how well Google understands your business, which is crucial for PMax’s success in lead generation campaigns.

Cracking The Code: Strategies For Success

1. Harness The Power Of Offline Conversion Tracking (OCT)

The key to success with PMax for lead generation lies in feeding Google’s algorithm with quality data. This means implementing robust OCT.

Cathryn Stormont, a freelance consultant, emphasizes:

“To make Performance Max for lead generation work, it is vital to instruct Google on the outcome. If you don’t, it will seek to bring in as many submissions as possible – regardless of the quality.”

Action steps:

• Integrate your CRM system with Google Ads.
• Import offline conversion data, either manually or automatically.
• Define what a qualified lead is for your business and make the form difficult to complete.*
• Set qualified leads as your primary conversion point.

* You can do this by adding several qualifying questions, setting up confirmation pages for qualified leads versus unqualified leads, and only counting the qualified leads.

2. Leverage Cross-Campaign Optimization

Use data from successful campaigns across other channels to inform your PMax strategy. This is especially useful when dealing with limited data in new PMax campaigns.

Practical tips:

• Incorporate broader themes and topics related to your products or services as asset signals rather than specific keywords. For example, if you sell home renovation products, use signals like “home improvement,” “interior design,” or “home renovations” instead of specific product keywords.

Note: It’s important to understand that PMax uses these signals differently than traditional keyword targeting. The goal is to help Google understand your potential customers’ broader context and interests, not to target specific search terms.

• Collaborate with your sales and marketing teams to incorporate insights from persona studies and campaign success stories

3. Rethink Your Campaign Structure

It’s vital to understand PMax’s strengths and limitations. Performance Max excels at capturing existing demand but struggles with generating new demand.

To leverage this characteristic effectively, consider implementing an advanced tactic:

Run a PMax campaign alongside a separate Search campaign that targets high-quality, intent-driven search keywords. This approach allows you to:

• Use traditional Search campaigns to capture high-intent traffic based on specific keywords.
• Let PMax excel at what it does best: Remarketing to this high-quality traffic and working on converting them.

Action steps:

• Identify your highest-performing, intent-driven keywords from historical data.
• Create a focused Search campaign using these keywords.
• Set up a complementary PMax campaign.
• Ensure your audience settings allow PMax to remarket to users interacting with your Search ads.
• Monitor both campaigns closely, adjusting budget allocation based on performance.

This strategy lets you maintain control over your highest-value search terms while leveraging PMax’s optimization and remarketing capabilities. It creates precise targeting of traditional Search and the broad reach and AI-driven optimization of PMax.

Remember, viewing these campaigns as complementary rather than competitive is key. Doing so can create a more comprehensive and effective lead generation strategy that captures high-intent traffic and then nurtures it effectively toward conversion.

4. Harness The Power Of First-Party Data

Your first-party data is gold for PMax campaigns. It provides Google with clear signals about who is genuinely interested in your products or services.

Steps to implement:

• Add high-value customer lists from your CRM.
• Utilize existing remarketing lists.
• If compliant with privacy regulations, import contacts who have engaged with your email campaigns.

5. Strategic Exclusions

While PMax limits our control compared to traditional search campaigns, we can still guide the algorithm by telling it where not to show our ads.

Tactics to consider:

• Exclude poor-performing keywords and placements at the account level.
• Use Google’s Insights reports to identify and exclude irrelevant search terms and placements.

Pitfalls To Avoid

1. Neglecting Lead Scoring

Not all leads are created equal. Implement a lead scoring system in your CRM and feed this data back to Google. This allows the algorithm to optimize for lead quality, not just quantity.

2. Ignoring The Full Funnel

Remember that lead generation is just the start. Track and optimize for downstream metrics like qualified leads, meetings set, and eventual sales.

3. Over-Reliance On Automation

While PMax is highly automated, it still requires human oversight and strategic input. Review performance regularly, adjust audience signals, and refine your creative assets.

4. Neglecting Creative Assets

PMax relies heavily on your creative input. Ensure you provide a diverse range of high-quality assets, including compelling ad copy, eye-catching images, and engaging videos.

5. Leverage Negative Keywords And URL Controls

While Performance Max limits traditional keyword targeting, Google now allows advertisers to use negative keyword lists in these campaigns.

This feature is crucial for lead generation efforts, serving two essential purposes:

• Brand Protection: Create a list of your branded keywords and exclude them in PMax. As Brooke Osmundson explains, “At the very minimum, create a list of targeted brand keywords and exclude them in PMax. This allows your tried-and-true search campaign to run and optimize per usual, without PMax cannibalizing any existing efforts”.
• Competitor Exclusion: You can also exclude competitor brand terms if you believe Google might show your ads for these searches inappropriately.

Additionally, pay close attention to URL settings. Consider disabling URL Expansion in your PMax settings, as this will help you retain control over what landing pages are used. For lead generation, sending users to the right landing page is crucial for lead quality.

If you choose to keep URL Expansion enabled, be sure to exclude irrelevant pages like blogs, recruitment pages, or ‘About’ sections to maintain control over the user journey.

These controls allow you to shape your PMax campaign more precisely, ensuring it complements your existing strategies and maintains the quality of your lead generation efforts.

6. Overlooking Placement And Asset Control

Reviewing the display placements and excluding irrelevant websites from showing your ads is essential. Typically, gaming sites and kids’ apps are the first things you want to exclude.

Also, be wary of Google’s automatically created assets. At my PPC agency, Hop Skip Media, we’ve seen instances where Google automatically creates YouTube videos of inferior quality. Make sure you turn those off and review assets regularly.

7. Misunderstanding Google’s Comprehension Of Your Business

Before fully committing to PMax for lead generation, assess whether Google accurately understands your business and website content.

You can do this by inputting your website URL into the Search Terms section of the Keyword Planner and evaluating the relevance of the generated keywords.

If there’s a significant mismatch, PMax may need help to target the right audience for your lead generation efforts.

8. Neglecting To Define And Track Quality Leads

Make your lead generation forms more discriminating by including qualifying questions.

Set up separate confirmation pages for qualified and unqualified leads, and only count qualified leads when firing your conversion pixel. This approach helps ensure that PMax optimizes for quality leads rather than just quantity.

By avoiding these pitfalls and implementing the strategies we’ve discussed, you can significantly improve the effectiveness of your Performance Max campaigns for lead generation.

Remember, the key is continually providing Google’s algorithm with high-quality data and maintaining strategic oversight of your campaigns.

The Future Of PMax For Lead Gen

Like anything in Google Ads, Performance Max for lead generation is not a set-it-and-forget-it solution. It requires a strategic approach, continuous optimization, and a deep understanding of your lead qualification process.

By implementing offline conversion tracking, leveraging first-party data, structuring campaigns thoughtfully, and avoiding common pitfalls, you can harness the power of Google’s AI to generate more leads and better leads.

As Google continues to refine and improve Performance Max, we can expect even more sophisticated targeting and optimization capabilities.

The marketers who will succeed are those who stay ahead of the curve, continuously testing, learning, and adapting their strategies.

Remember, the goal isn’t just to fill your funnel – it’s to fill it with suitable leads. With these advanced strategies, you’re well-equipped to make Performance Max a powerful tool in your lead generation arsenal.

More resources: 

Featured Image: Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Shutterstock