Google Ads from scratch: account structure and first campaigns
Google Ads is easy to launch and easy to waste money on: left unrestricted, the system will happily show your ads to everyone. Here is how the account is built and what to configure before the money starts moving.
Start with search campaigns, not automated ones: without accumulated data, automation learns on your money. Conversion tracking, precise geography and a negative keyword list are all mandatory before launch. The most expensive launch mistake is pointing all your advertising at the homepage instead of the page for that specific service.
In this article6 sections
How the account is built
Three levels, and how tidy they are determines how manageable your advertising is.
- CampaignSets the budget, geography, language and ad type. Usually one campaign per line of services.
- Ad groupInside the campaign. Groups keywords with a shared meaning and the ads written for them.
- Ads and keywordsWhat the person sees, and the queries you show for.
The core rule of structure: one group, one intent. If a group mixes «buy an air conditioner» with «air conditioner repair», no single ad can serve both well — and you pay for clicks from people who want something you are not offering.
Which types to start with
| Type | When it shows | Start with it? |
|---|---|---|
| Search | The person typed a query | Yes, this is the foundation |
| Shopping | In the product block with prices | For stores, yes |
| Display | Banners on partner sites | Later, for awareness |
| Video | On YouTube | Later, if you have a clip |
| Performance Max | Everywhere at once, automatically | Not at the start |
Automated campaigns that show everywhere look convenient, but they are dangerous at the start: the system learns on your money, and without accumulated conversion data it learns badly. Search campaign first, automation later.
Keywords and match types
A keyword is not an exact phrase but an instruction on how close a query has to be. This is where budget leaks most often.
- Broad match — the system decides for itself what counts as «similar». It can show for a query you would not recognise. Do not use it at the start.
- Phrase match — the query contains your phrase in the same order. A sensible balance.
- Exact match — the query matches the keyword or a close variant. The most controllable.
A working setup for launch: exact and phrase match; broad only once you have data and a list of negative keywords.
Negative keywords: where the biggest savings are
Negative keywords block queries you do not want. Without them you pay for «free», «do it yourself», «employee reviews», «jobs», «second-hand» and dozens more.
- A base list is prepared before launch: free, download, do it yourself, instructions, jobs, employee reviews, photo, wikipedia.
- An industry list — anything unrelated to your services.
- Cities you do not work in, if your targeting is wider than your region.
- Competitor names, if you do not want to show for them.
After that the list is topped up weekly from the search terms report — the most useful and most skipped routine in paid search.
What to set up before launch
- Conversion tracking: without it the system does not know what counts as success and optimises blind.
- Geography: exactly your city and radius, not the whole country by default.
- An ad schedule, if you do not take calls around the clock.
- A daily budget with room for the learning period but no risk to your cash flow.
- Extensions: phone, address, callouts, sitelinks — they are free and increase visibility.
- Landing pages: every group leads to a page on its own topic, not to the homepage.
The most expensive launch mistake is pointing all your advertising at the homepage. The person searched for a specific service, landed on a general site and left to look for it again. The click has already been paid for.
The first two weeks after launch
- Days 1–3Check that impressions are running, links open and conversions are recorded. Do not change bids.
- Days 4–7First review of search terms, adding negative keywords. This usually cuts a noticeable share of spend.
- Days 8–14Turn off groups with no conversions, strengthen the ones that work. Check that requests arrive and get handled.
Sharp changes in the first days prevent the system from accumulating data. Limit yourself to negative keywords and obvious mistakes.
Frequent questions
What budget do we need to start?
Enough to get at least 30–50 clicks a week on your key queries, otherwise you will not gather enough data to draw conclusions. The exact figure depends on the cost per click in your niche.
How soon will there be requests?
The first ones usually within days. A steady flow and a predictable cost per request come after 2–4 weeks, once negative keywords are in place and the dead weight is off.
Can we run the advertising ourselves?
You can, if you are willing to learn and spend a few hours a week on it. The main losses among self-managing advertisers are missing negative keywords and pointing ads at the homepage.
Should we pause advertising at weekends?
Only if you do not handle requests at weekends and they get lost. Otherwise leave it running: a request can wait until Monday, an impression cannot.
What if ads are rejected in moderation?
Read the stated reason — it is always given. Most often it is about promises, superlatives, or a category that requires documents: medicine, finance, legal services.
Should we pause campaigns at night?
Only if requests get lost overnight. Otherwise it pays to leave them on: competition is lower, clicks are cheaper, and the request will wait until morning.
The materials answer general questions. We will look at your specific case — free and without obligation.